Apply 2D textures to any 3D animated model — no UV unwrapping, animation ready, works with deformations.
Blender 3.6+ · polyplanar-v1.0.0.zip
Apply 2D textures to any 3D animated model — no UV unwrapping, animation ready, works with deformations.
Blender 3.6+ · polyplanar-v1.0.0.zipDrop in a single node and your textures just work - it's animation ready. No UV unwrapping, visible seams, UV islands or texel density concerns.
Blender's default triplanar (left) does not support geometry deformations
PolyPlanar solves this by projecting textures from X, Y, Z planes that follow the geometry, keeping textures intact through any deformation. Now, you can finally skip UV unwrapping in many occasions!
Fully automatic under the hood
PolyPlanar silently manages base mesh attributes (position, normal, true
normal) so deformations just work — whether from Shape Keys deformation or Edit Mode changes. You
never have to think about it.
Controllability
The PP Triplanar Essentials node is the heart of PolyPlanar. It packs auto proportions, projection blending, individual axis transforms, per-object randomization, Voronoi scatter with edge blending, and utility UV/Mask outputs — all in a single, self-contained-collapsible node. Just connect your texture and you are ready to go.
Smooth transitions with one parameter
Unlike traditional or procedural UV unwrapping where seams are often visible, PolyPlanar blends the three projection planes together smoothly (no cheap dithering look!). Adjust the Blend parameter and watch seams disappear — giving you continuous, artifact-free textures across your entire model.
Distribute textures across surfaces using Voronoi cell-based scattering — directly inside your material, no extra setup needed.
Scatter any texture
Tile, non-tile or cutout — PolyPlanar's Scatter feature distributes your texture into Voronoi cells with full control over edge blending, translation offset, random enlargement and detail. Works beautifully even with odd aspect ratios and non-repeating images.
Unique variation per object
Enable Randomize and every object sharing the same material gets unique texture transformations. Duplicate your meshes and each copy automatically receives different offset, rotation and scale variations — one material, infinite looks.
Work non-destructively with procedurally generated geometry — subdivisions, bevels, arrays and more.
One-click modifier integration
Activate the PolyPlanar Modifier (top-right corner of the Shader Editor) and it automatically inserts itself in the correct position of your modifier stack (for all objects using this material!)— before the first deforming modifier. It takes advantage of all geometry-generating modifiers above it (Subdivision, Bevel, etc.) while ensuring deformations below it still work perfectly.
Tweak transformations directly in the viewport (Blender 4.3+)
When the PolyPlanar Modifier is active, each object gets its own projection transform controls — even while still sharing the same material. Toggle viewport gizmos to visually adjust scale, rotation and offset per object, making your materials as dynamic as possible.
Another Blender's built-in Box Mapping can't do
Blender's default Box projection method does not properly handle normal map shading — regardless of OpenGL or DirectX settings. PolyPlanar solves this with correct local space normal transformations, giving you accurate surface detail across all projection planes.
Important: geometry deformations and parent transformations are not solved for normal maps yet. Learn more why.
Map any 2D procedural texture onto deformable geometry using the Utility UV outputs.
Endless creative possibilities
Feed 2D procedural textures into each UV projection output and make complex procedural materials that deform naturally with your geometry without a single UV map.
| Feature | PolyPlanar Add-on | Blender's Default Box Mapping Method |
|---|---|---|
| Deformation support | ✔ | ✘ |
| Shape Keys support1 | ✔ | ✘ |
| Parametric modifier workflow | ✔ | ✘ |
| Built-in scatter | ✔ | ✘ |
| Per-object, instance or mesh island randomization | ✔ | ✘ |
| Correct normal maps2 | ✔ | ✘ |
| Viewport gizmos3 | ✔ | ✘ |
| Per-axis transforms | ✔ | ✘ |
| Auto proportions | ✔ | ✘ |
| Procedural 2D texture mapping | ✔ | ✘ |
1 Shape Keys support is available when not using the Procedural Workflow.
2 Correct normal maps apply to local transformations only.
3 Viewport gizmos are available from Blender 4.3+.
PP Triplanar Essentials — The main node for image-based triplanar mapping with scatter,
randomize and blending
PolyPlanar Modifier — Non-destructive parametric modifier with auto-sort and viewport
gizmos
Automatic attribute management — Base mesh attributes are tracked and updated silently
Full documentation — Comprehensive user guide with visual examples and troubleshooting
Blender 3.6 and later · Windows, macOS, Linux
Works with Cycles and EEVEE
Drag-and-drop installation from Blender 4.2+