Skip to content

Getting Started

Installation

  1. Download the release .zip from your Superhive or itch.io purchase page.
  2. In Blender, open Edit > Preferences.
  3. In Get Extensions or Add-ons, open the menu and click Install from Disk...
  4. Select the downloaded .zip.
  5. Enable Asset Forge.

Updating an existing installation: save your Blender work, then use Install from Disk... to select the newer release ZIP. Keep the ZIP intact. Restart Blender after installation so the updated add-on code is loaded, and confirm Asset Forge is enabled.

The add-on appears in the Asset Browser sidebar under the Asset Forge tab. If you don't see the sidebar, press N in the Asset Browser to toggle it.

Where It Appears

Asset Forge lives entirely in the Asset Browser sidebar. Open any Asset Browser area and look for the Asset Forge tab on the right side.

Choose a workflow at the top of the panel. Switching workflows does not reset your settings:

  • Material Assets — Texture Source, Thumbnail Shape, and Create Material Assets
  • Objects & Assemblies — Quick Setup presets, Scope, and Create Object Assets
  • Asset Previews — Quick/Eevee mode, Live Preview, camera presets, Scope, and Render Previews

Each workflow keeps its original controls under Advanced Settings. The Dry Run checkbox sits immediately above the main action, and the report appears below the workflow actions.

Quick Start

Building Material Assets

  1. Open the Asset Browser and expand the Asset Forge panel.
  2. Choose Material Assets, set your folder under Texture Source, and choose a Thumbnail Shape.
  3. Open Advanced Settings > Texture Sources for manual folder overrides and Texture Naming Keywords.
  4. In Advanced Settings > Build Options, choose a Shader (Principled BSDF or Diffuse) and an Overwrite Policy.
  5. Click Create Material Assets (or Plan Material Assets with Dry Run enabled).

Tip

Enable Dry Run first to preview what will be created, skipped, or overwritten without changing anything.

Creating Object Assets

  1. Save the .blend file.
  2. Choose Objects & Assemblies, optionally apply an Objects or Assemblies Quick Setup, and select a scope: Selected Objects, Selected Collection, or All.
  3. In Advanced Settings > Apply Transforms to Asset Copies, keep None enabled or choose Location, Rotation, and/or Scale to bake those components into the generated copies.
  4. Adjust Parents, Children, and Assembly placement if you need specific catalog organization.
  5. Click Create Object Assets (or Plan Object Assets with Dry Run enabled).

Rendering Previews

  1. Choose Asset Previews, then Quick (fast Workbench-based) or Eevee (full render).
  2. Choose a shape from the Backdrop thumbnail gallery: L, L Soft, L 135°, C, Dual Wall, or Plane. The illustrations show shape, not the color or pattern used in your render. Empty has a blank thumbnail, removes the backdrop, and enables transparency.
  3. Choose lighting from the adjacent HDRI picker. It uses Blender's included images by default and selects Eevee. HDRIs provide lighting and reflections without appearing as the background; changing the HDRI does not change your backdrop. Quick mode uses approximate Workbench lighting instead.
  4. Use camera presets, Perspective / Orthographic, Match View, or Match Camera below Live Preview. Matching copies the angle, projection, and lens while keeping automatic asset framing.
  5. Fine-tune lighting under Advanced Settings > Environment, including Light Source > Current World for your scene's existing world lighting. Preview Options contains floor/backdrop and transparency settings shared by live and final previews.
  6. Wait briefly for Live Preview to refresh, then inspect the result.
  7. Choose the thumbnail Size and a Scope: Selected, Collection / Catalog, or All Assets. For Selected, set Source to Outliner / Viewport or Asset Browser.
  8. Click Render Previews (or Plan Previews with Dry Run enabled). Choosing a scope does not start a render.

Note

Setup preview generates automatically and refreshes after camera, lighting, preview mesh, thumbnail size, padding, or background settings change. It uses the selected Quick or Eevee preview mode.

First-Time Tips

  • Save your .blend first. Object asset catalog writing and rendered previews both require a saved file.
  • Start with Dry Run. Enable it before your first material build to see what the scanner finds without committing.
  • Check the report panel. After every action, the report below the workflow actions shows what happened - expand Selected Report or Issues for details.
  • Most texture packs just work. The scanner uses common PBR naming conventions by default. Only adjust keywords if your textures aren't being detected.