Get VR creation software Masterpiece Studio Pro for free
Masterpiece Studio has launched a free edition of Masterpiece Studio Pro, its VR product suite comprising virtual reality sculpting and painting app Masterpiece Creator and rigging tool Masterpiece Motion.
The free edition, which is licensed only for non-commercial work, has the same functionality as the paid version, but uses an unusual system where assets are exported via a public online gallery.
Sculpt, texture and rig 3D characters inside virtual reality
Launched in beta in 2019 and officially released earlier this year, Masterpiece Studio Pro provides a suite of tools for sculpting and rigging 3D characters in virtual reality, using HTC Vive or Oculus Rift controllers.
The sculpting toolset, Masterpiece Creator, provides a set of standard 3D modelling features, simplified for use in VR, including layers, guides, mirroring, decimation and automatic remeshing and UV unwrapping.
Character rigging and posing tool Masterpiece Motion enables users to place bones and paint weight maps in virtual reality, and supports blendshape-based facial animation.
Both import and export 3D assets in a range of standard formats, including OBJ and FBX.
Export files from the free edition by making them available to other users in the online gallery
Unlike the old export-disabled trial version, the new free edition of Masterpiece Studio Pro makes it possible to use that entire toolset for free on non-commercial projects.
Masterpiece Studio has adopted an unusual licence model in which any assets exported from the free edition are uploaded to a public online gallery, accessible from within the software.
From there, any Masterpiece Studio Pro user can download the files in OBJ or FBX format, so by exporting from the free edition, users are helping to build up an online library of stock content.
Users with paid licences can actually use the content in commercial work, so if you do choose to export assets, you will need to be comfortable with the fact that they can be used in this way.
You can save files locally without using the public gallery, but since Masterpiece Studio Pro uses its own proprietary file format, there’s no way to get the content into other DCC apps without exporting.
Upgrading to a paid subscription removes the need to export to the online gallery, but any assets you have exported there will remain available for public use.
Pricing and system requirements
Masterpiece Studio Pro is available for Windows 10. It is compatible with both Nvidia and AMD GPUs, and with Oculus, HTC, Valve and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
The free edition is available for non-commercial use, under the terms described above.
For commercial use, the software is rental-only. Freelancer subscriptions for individuals currently cost $19.95/month or $179.95/year; Team subscriptions cost $39.95/month/user or $359.95/year/user.
Read more about the free edition of Masterpiece Studio Pro on Masterpiece Studio’s blog
Download Masterpiece Studio Pro for free from the product website
(Link updated 23 June 2023: requires registering for a free account on the site)