Material Maker vs ShaderMap

Material Maker is an open-source tool for authoring procedural PBR materials with node graphs and exporting them for game engines and movie assets. It supports static and dynamic PBR, raymarching, and dynamic unlit materials. The official site lists more than 200 nodes; users can create nodes by combining existing ones or describing them in GLSL. Materials can be exported for Godot, Unity, and Unreal Engine. Unreal requires extra steps: Unreal Engine 4 needs manual material setup, while Unreal Engine 5 uses a generated Python script that must be run in Unreal. The tool provides 2D and 3D previews, image and spritesheet export, and loading of custom OBJ models. An experimental procedural-brush feature can texture 3D models. A website library offers community materials, nodes, brushes, and environments. Material Maker runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is free through Itch.io, with a Steam plan at $14.99 as a one-time purchase. Its code uses the MIT License and assets use Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal.

ShaderMap is a Windows application for generating rendering and physically based rendering maps from source images, 3D models, and light scan photo stacks. It bakes normal, ambient occlusion, curve, color ID, and depth maps from 3D geometry, then generates roughness and metalness maps for PBR workflows. Maps can be packed into RMA and RMAD formats. The Normal Editor supports painting and modifying normal maps with tools and layers. Batch processing handles groups of source maps through LUA scripting and project configurations. Users can send maps to an external image editor and return them after saving. A C/C++ SDK supports plugins for maps, geometry importers, and filters under the MIT License. ShaderMap works offline, although automatic updates and the support feed require internet access. The free Basic License disables PRO features and may show ads up to three times daily. Paid one-time licenses are Student 19.00 USD, Personal 29.00 USD, and Commercial 49.00 USD.