MALLET: Material Mode

Creating precise and flexible UV maps greatly enhances the quality of hard surface models, especially when tailored to meet your specific time constraints and project requirements.

For efficient UV handling, utilizing the Material Mode alongside UV Aligner (addon for UV paradise) is highly recommended. This combination offers unparalleled ease and precision in mapping textures onto surfaces - https://inlet.gumroad.com/l/mallet-uv-aligner

One standout feature of this setup is the inclusion of a material eyedropper tool, which proves invaluable for map creation across various platforms, including Blender, other modeling engines, and preferred game engines.

To apply textures seamlessly, simply select the desired texture and then click on the corresponding face, akin to wielding a magic wand and casting a spell of perfection.

However, it's essential to acknowledge that while texture application may be streamlined, the alignment of UVs remains crucial. This is where UV Aligner excels, offering automation and simplification for tasks such as stretching, rotating, filling, and overall fixing problematic UVs. This automation eliminates the need for manual adjustments, saving both time and effort while boosting productivity and output quality - https://inlet.gumroad.com/l/mallet-uv-aligner

Organize your materials with filters that replace the default Blender bloat - https://inlet.gumroad.com/l/material-tags

FAQ

The .zip doesn’t install in Blender

• Please un-zip the archive and install the .py script. Please enable file extensions if you can’t see it.

How do I activate an addon?

• Use this 20 sec guide – https://youtu.be/wOv4oHO5Kqg

VIDEO DOCUMENTATION

DOCUMENTATION

Location
Panel
3D Viewport ‣ Sidebar ‣ Mallet

Actions
Application Tool
Starts Material Mode (the texture application tool) with an object selected.  Switches to Edit Mode if not already in that mode. Switches selection tool to Circle Select. Other selection tools are not supported.

Left click will apply the active material to the selected face(s). Shift and left click will ‘pick’ (eye-drop) the material from the selected face and set that as active. Enter will confirm changes. ESC will cancel the changes although it does not always undo all material changes. Pressing Undo (Control Z) will work.

Grid Display
Toggles between showing the materials in a more compact ‘grid’ view or as a list that also displays their names.

Settings
Filter Mode
Decides which materials to show or hide from the list. The options have the following logic: Object, the materials used by the active object; Scene, materials actively used in the current scene; Fake User, materials which been set as having a fake user, and; Project, all materials that exist within the Blender project.

The ‘Material Manager’ will take the active material from the Material Manager addon. It is unavailable if that addon is not enabled.

Active Material
The active material is what will be applied to a face. It is chosen by clicking a material in the list or Shift Clicking on a face with a valid material while Material Mode is active.