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Baketool

by Cogumelo Softworks·Rendering

Images © Cogumelo Softworks. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Baketool stands out in the superhive library for reworking Cycles baking into a single configurable workflow. It's one of the first commercial add-ons for Blender, developed over ten years with free updates, and part of every sale goes to the Blender Foundation Development Fund.

What is Baketool?

Baketool is an add-on that redesigns how baking works in Blender, developed by Cogumelo Softworks as an in-house solution for bake rendering with Cycles. It targets interactive ambient, arch viz, and game workflows, covering single assets, full scenes, and high-poly to low-poly normal maps.

You configure the scene as you would for a render, then bake without disturbing your materials, scene, or objects. Multi Job and Multi-Pass setups let you set objects, devices, sizes, and samples across jobs and bake them at once. Objects can be baked as individual textures per pass or joined into a single atlas, and Bake to Target handles high-to-low poly or baking onto a single object. PBR baking includes channels not in Blender's bake system, such as Metallic and ID maps, with per-pass color space and automatic color correction. Automatic UV unwrap creates non-overlapping UVs for objects and atlases.

A non-blocking viewport report shows progress while you keep working, and baked results save internally or externally, then load back into your scene. Cogumelo Softworks has developed Baketool over ten years with free updates, and assigns part of all sales to the Blender Foundation Development Fund. Version 2.6 adds exclusive support for Blender 4.x.

Who is Baketool best for?

Baketool is best for blender artists baking assets, full scenes, and high-poly to low-poly maps for interactive ambient, arch viz, and games.

How much does Baketool cost?

Baketool is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Multi Job and Multi-Pass baking, setting objects, devices, sizes, and samples across many jobs to bake at once
  • PBR maps including Metallic and ID Map channels not in Blender's bake system, with per-pass color space and automatic color correction
  • Individual textures per pass or all objects joined into a single atlas per pass
  • Bake to Target for high-poly to low-poly baking or baking onto a single object
  • Automatic UV unwrap creating non-overlapping UVs for objects and atlases
  • Non-blocking viewport report showing progress while you keep working in Blender
  • Auto save internally and externally with load back into the scene, plus automatic image format configuration

Tags

#Blender#baking#texture baking#PBR#Cycles#UV unwrap#texture atlas#add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does Baketool work with Blender 4.x?

Baketool version 2.6 adds exclusive support for Blender 4.x versions, along with support for all color space options including AgX and a new embedded progress panel that replaces the earlier floating one. Earlier releases extended compatibility over time, with version 2.5 adding Blender 3.0 and Cycles X, and version 2.4 adding Blender 2.91. For the current supported version range, check Cogumelo Softworks' developer page, since compatibility has shifted across releases.

Can Baketool bake PBR maps like Metallic and ID?

Baketool bakes standard PBR maps and includes channels that Blender's own bake system doesn't offer, such as Metallic and an ID Map. It also supports per-pass color space settings and automatic color correction, which matters because PBR and normal maps have specific color space requirements per engine. You can set these up per texture, so each pass is written with the color space it needs.

Does Baketool support high-poly to low-poly baking?

Baketool includes a Bake to Target option for baking high-poly detail onto low-poly models, or for baking onto a single object. Beyond target baking, it can process individual assets or full scenes: you add objects to the bake list with the Selected to List button, then configure jobs and passes. Objects can be output as individual textures per pass or joined into a single atlas per pass.

How does Baketool handle texture atlases and UVs?

Baketool can join baked objects into a single texture atlas per pass, or output each object as an individual texture per pass, so you choose the layout per bake. It also performs automatic UV unwrapping, creating non-overlapping UVs for both individual objects and atlases. Combined with Multi Job and Multi-Pass setup, where you set objects, devices, sizes, and samples, you can configure and bake several jobs at once.

Is Baketool free?

Baketool is listed as free in this catalog. Cogumelo Softworks describes it as an add-on developed over ten years with free updates for all users, and the studio assigns part of its sales to the Blender Foundation Development Fund. For current licensing terms and any purchase details, check the developer's page, since terms can change over time. That's the most reliable place to confirm what's included with the current release.

Alternatives to Baketool

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