To assist creators in complying with the CGTrader Quality Standard, we've developed the Kodama Plugin. This tool integrates directly into your 3D modeling software and offers a range of features designed to enhance your efficiency and productivity.

1. CGTrader Quality Standard Compliance: The Kodama Plugin includes a feature for checking models against the CGTrader Quality Standard. This ensures that the models you create are not only high quality but also broadly compatible.
2. Selective Validation: The plugin offers the flexibility of validating either an entire scene or just selected elements based on your needs. This means you can focus on perfecting specific aspects of your model before validating the whole model.
3. Texture Management: Managing textures can be a complex task, but the Kodama Plugin makes it easier. It automatically gathers and appropriately renames textures, and packages them with the exported model. This saves creators time and reduces the risk of errors.
4. Detailed Model Information: The Kodama Plugin also collects comprehensive information about your model. This data helps us match your models with potential users more effectively. It can also provide insights for you as a creator into the usage of your models.
5. Direct CGTrader Upload: With the Kodama Plugin, you can upload your work directly to your CGTrader account, simplifying the process and allowing you to manage your 3D assets more efficiently.
6. Current and Future Support: At present, Kodama assists in the creation of standard PBR assets and is compatible with Blender 3.3 or higher, and 3dsMax 2022 or higher. We're actively working on extending support for various standards and asset creation workflows in future releases.

Find and download the Kodama plugin here.

How to use Kodama 

Kodama basic workflow

0. Choose CGTrader service:

 

 

1. Login using CGTrader email and password or via CGTrader webpage:

 

 

1b. If you choose "Log in with browser", a browser window will open, click "LOG IN":

 

Here you can choose any way of logging in you'd like:

 

 

2. After login you will see a list of drafts existing for your account. You can choose one of them or create a new one. In the end your model will be uploaded to the chosen draft.

 

 

3. Create a model

 

4. Choose workflow to work with:

• CGT Standard workflow, which validates scene quality and publishes it in fbx format  -> go to chapter 5
• source file publishing workflow, which publishes the scene in native format without validation of its quality -> go to chapter 5b

 

 

CGT Standard

5. Provide required textures. For every used material you need to provide exactly one texture for every required slot (base color, roughness, metallness, normal).

Kodama has two texture collection mechanisms, and you must choose at least one to be able to perform checks.

 

 

1. Scene Texture Gathering:
   • This method involves examining all the materials used in a scene and collecting the corresponding textures for each slot. Subsequently, the textures will be renamed, based on both the material name and the specific slot to which they are connected.
     
     

2. Directory Texture Gathering:
   • This method involves a search within the directory (and its subdirectories) where the scene file is stored. It seeks out any texture file conforming to a specific naming convention, specifically, {Material_name}_{Texture_type}.{Extension}. The {Texture_type} in the texture naming convention will be mapped to a corresponding "Slot" within the material by Kodama

If you decide to utilize both mechanisms in tandem make sure to avoid scenarios that could lead to multiple textures being tied to a single slot. 

 

 

6. Run checks which will verify CGTrader Quality Standard requirements (you can read more about those requirements in other articles in this section):

 

 

Note: if you go back via the "<" button, you'll need to run the checks again, as their results will be reset.

 

7. If errors (displayed as red) are found you will not be able to upload your work, fix the issues and try again. Warnings (displayed as orange) do not block upload:

 

 

8. You may also allow unsaved checking:

 

 

"Check only selected objects" checks, packages and uploads only selected objects.

 

9. You can click on any check and see it in more detail, click "More" for an explanation of the check:

 

 

10. If after checking there are no errors, the model can be packaged and uploaded to CGTrader. To do that you need to provide asset name and hit “Package & Upload” button

 

 

11. Packaging may take some time because at that step full report is generated for your model:

 

 

12. After your model is successfully packaged, the content of the package will be displayed. You can navigate to package location on your computer using “View package” 

Button:

 

 

13. Now you can upload your model, textures, and report to CGTrader:

 

14. Confirmation that model was uploaded successfully:

 

 

15. Model has been uploaded to the draft page chosen in steps 2. To publish your model use the “Finish publishing” button.

 

 

Source file publishing

5b. You will see the list of all resources used in the scene. If any of them is missing, it will be highlighted in red, and packaging will be disabled.

 

 

6b. When all resources have existing path you can proceed to packaging by using “Package & Upload” button

 

 

7b. After your model is successfully packaged, the content of the package will be displayed. You can navigate to package location on your computer using “View package” button:

 

 

8b. Now you can upload your model and  resources to CGTrader:

 

 

9b. Model has been uploaded to the draft page chosen in steps 2. To publish your model use the “Finish publishing” button.