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BLBlender

The Vat Man

by Nodes and noodles·Workflow

Images © Nodes and noodles. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

The Vat Man stands out in the Superhive library for bringing VAT creation into Blender, a task previously associated with Houdini or paid Unreal Engine plugins.

What is The Vat Man?

The Vat Man handles Vertex Animation Texture (VAT) creation, baking, export and playback inside Blender. It uses vertex displacement textures to record animation, so a baked result plays back in Cycles with nothing more than a material. Because the approach is lightweight, baked VATs can be exported and used in game engines such as Unity and Godot, with Unreal Engine support noted as coming soon.

The workflow is direct: select the animated objects you want to bake, set the frame range, and click Bake. The Vat Man then creates a new object combining the selected objects and produces copies of their materials enhanced with the VAT Man node, ready to play the baked animation in Cycles. It can bake rigged characters, physics simulations, cloth and softbodies, particles, dynamic paint, and any animation created in Blender.

Additional options include baking to a new object, morphing to an existing object, merging VAT objects into one, automated animation creation and management, smoothly looping animations, per-animation material settings, a UV map combiner, and a texture atlas creator.

Who is The Vat Man best for?

The Vat Man is best for blender artists baking animations, simulations and particles into Vertex Animation Textures for Cycles playback or export to game engines.

How much does The Vat Man cost?

The Vat Man is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • VAT baking and playback in Cycles using only a material
  • Bake to a new object or morph to an existing object
  • Merge multiple VAT objects into one
  • Automated animation creation and management, with smoothly looping animations
  • Per-animation material settings
  • UV map combiner and texture atlas creator
  • Bakes rigged characters, physics simulations, cloth and softbodies, particles, and dynamic paint

Tags

#vertex animation texture#blender#vat#game engine export#simulation#particles#cloth#cycles

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does The Vat Man support?

The Vat Man supports Blender versions 3.6 through 5.0. It is built around Cycles as the render engine, and baked VATs play back in Cycles with only a material applied. If you are running a Blender release within that range, you can select animated objects, set a frame range and bake without leaving the application. For confirmation of the exact build you are on and any newer version support, check the developer's page before installing.

Can VATs baked with The Vat Man be used in game engines?

The Vat Man produces lightweight, efficient Vertex Animation Textures that can be exported and used in game engines like Unity and Godot. The listing notes that Unreal Engine support is coming soon. Editions covering the VAT Import and Playback systems for Unity and for Godot are offered alongside the Blender-only version, so the export target you need affects which package you should look at on the developer's page.

What kinds of animation can The Vat Man bake?

The Vat Man can bake rigged characters, physics simulations, cloth and softbodies, particles, dynamic paint, and any kind of animation you can create in Blender. Simulations and particles are recorded into vertex displacement textures so they play back from a material rather than being recomputed. The add-on also handles automated animation creation and management and can produce smoothly looping animations, with material settings adjustable per animation.

How does the baking workflow in The Vat Man work?

The Vat Man keeps the process straightforward: select the animated objects you want to bake, set the frame range, then click Bake. It creates a new object that combines all selected objects and generates copies of their materials enhanced with the VAT Man node, ready to play the baked animation in Cycles. You can also bake to a new object, morph to an existing object, or merge VAT objects into one, along with a UV map combiner and texture atlas creator.

Is The Vat Man free to use?

The Vat Man is listed as free in this catalog and is released under the GPL license. Licensing and packaging can change over time, and the tool is offered in editions covering Blender alone as well as Blender with Unity or Godot playback systems. For current licensing terms and to pick the edition matching your export target, refer to the developer's page from Nodes and noodles before downloading.

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