Workflow addonA suite of tools that unlock new approaches to working. You're getting a system, not a single tool.
DECALmachine is a Blender addon, which through mesh Decals, allows for surface detailing in a very non-committal, non-destructive, UV-less way. As such it represents an alternative approach to hard surface texturing.
In addition DECALmachine has deep Trim Sheet support, and supports Atlasing, as well as Baking to facilitate exporting to game engines like Unity, Unreal Engine etc.
It is the original decal addon and workflow - in Blender and beyond. Copied many times (in parts), still unmatched to this day.
Decals can be projected, sliced, created from grease pencil or edges. They can be material matched, and you can easily create your own.
Trims can be easily placed, cut, manipulated or removed - all directly in the 3D view.
Note
This is a huge addon, with a lot of depth and advanced workflows should you need them, while the tools you touch the most are dead simple.
A streamlined workflow
Insert Decals - they get automatically material-matched. Project them, Adjust them, or Material-Match them manually too.
Create Panel Decals at the intersection of two objects, or from Edges in edit mode, or from Grease Pencil.
Auto-material-match, parent, and set up the normal transfer - automatically on insert, or any time after via Re-Apply.
Cut the underlying mesh with Panel Decals. Re-Apply auto-material-matches both sides of the panel.
Stay non-committal
Place details, rearrange them at any time, project them, material-match them, or slice panels - without getting bogged down in topology.
Cut trims into the mesh from object mode, using Trim decals.
Convincing depth on normal mapped Decals, even in realtime in Blender's Eevee viewport
Take Decals from Blender into Unity, Unreal Engine, or anywhere else by building a Decal Atlas, using Trim Sheets, or baking Decals.
To work effortlesly with Trim Sheets, DECALmachine offers a suite of Trim UV tools, that can be used directly from the 3D view.
Create decals from geometry or images, directly within Blender.
Open new Doors
7 example blend files to study, from the help panel: Basics, Decal Creation, Trimsheet Creation, Decal Baking and Demo files like this one.
Tips & Tricks
2.16 Overview
2.15 Overview
2.13 Overview
2.0 Trailer
Introducing new export capabilities with Atlasing and deep Trim Sheet support.
1.8 Trailer
Cover image: Strikebreaker by Alexander Lortkipanidze.
Features
- quick and precise raycast-based Decal insertion
- easily select Decals by parent object or by type
- automatic material matching, parenting, normal transfer
- two manual texture matching approaches
- automatically organize Decals in collections
- advanced Decal materials using emission, transparency and transmission
- unlimited decal libraries + flexible asset loader layout
- library visibility management and preset access from the 3d view
- create all four Decal types directly in blender, including batch creation of Info Decals from folders of images
- quickly adjust height, object or UV rotation, panel width and type, and much more using the convenient modal adjust tool
- enforce default settings scene-wide and change them quickly in the DECALmachine panel in the sidebar
- store Decal textures on disk or directly in the blend file
- place Decals on flat surfaces and project or shrinkwrap them on curved ones
- slice Decal panel strips "boolean-style"
- or create them from grease pencil strokes or edge selections
- use Panel Decals to cut the underlying mesh
- benefit from parallax adding convincing depth to normal mapped Decals, even in realtime in Blender's Eevee viewport
- retain sharp details at all scales, independent of texture resolution, via UV-less object based detailing
- take advantage of Decals being objects, by using modifiers like mirror and array
- join and split Decals completely non-destructively to stay organized
- hide Decal materials (incl. in Batch Ops and Hard Ops), textures and node groups to keep Blender clean
- 3 export approaches:
- create and use Decal Atlases to efficiently export to deferred rendering engines like Unity HDRP, Unreal Engine etc.
- utilize Trim Sheet detail to export anywhere, even forward rendering engines like Unity URP
- bake Decals to their parent object's UV space
- create Trim Sheets from existing texture sheets, or from Decal Atlases
- place trims or remove them - directly in the 3d view in edit mode
- cut trims into the mesh from object mode using Trim decals
- change, rotate, move and scale trims at any time
- additional UV tools like Quad Unwrap, Box Unwrap, Mirror Trim and Stitch
- 109 Decals, 64 Trim Decals, 1 Trim Sheet and 2 Atlases included
- 7 example blend files to study
- best documentation in the business
Installation
4.34.44.5LTS5.05.15.2LTSWorking on an older Blender version?
Email me and I'll send a matching version.
Drag and drop the addon .zip from your file browser onto Blender. This also works for updates, but always restart Blender after updating.
Once installed, the DECALmachine pie menu can be invoked in Object and Edit Mesh modes, as well as in the UV editor - D by default.
Links
- See the Documentation or Installation instructions
- Browse the FAQ and learn how to Get Support
- Check out What's New?
- Discuss at polycount and Blender Artists
- Follow on X, Instagram, Bluesky, Mastodon
- Join my Patreon
A complete mesh-decal and trim sheet pipeline.
Get DECALmachine and take your detailing and concepting further, faster.
Blender 4.3 - 5.2