ShaderMap is an image texture and map generator for 3D artists. It enables artists to generate maps from source images, 3d models and light scan photo stacks. Each map is generated by a plugin. There are a number of default map plugins provided with the ShaderMap installation including: displacement from diffuse, albedo from diffuse, normal from displacement, ambient occlusion from 3d model, displacement from 3d model, normal from normal, and more. Some map plugins have multiple inputs while some have no inputs at all. There are even maps to blend other maps together.




ShaderMap provides a 3D interface for visualizing the generated maps on 3D models, it is called the Material Visualizer. The Visualizer provides an editor for configuring materials to apply to the 3D models. Each material is created from a number of maps. The Visualizer allows the artist to apply multiple materials to multiple instances of 3D models for side-by-side comparison.

As of version 4.1, ShaderMap now generates Metallic and Roughness maps and allows you to view them using PBR Materials in the Visualizer.

ShaderMap comes with a built-in normal map painter called the Normal Editor. Any map plugin defined as a normal map can be sent to the Normal Editor for painting and modification. From here the artist can use a variety of tools and layers to paint with vectors, displacement, and shapes to modify the normal map directly.

ShaderMap can export any map to an external editor, batch process large groups of source maps, create unique configurations of maps, and is expandable with plugins and materials using the ShaderMap SDK.