ArmorPaint now integrates Live Link functionality that enables real-time synchronization between 3D applications and the texturing workflow. This feature allows artists to see texture updates immediately in their primary 3D software while painting in ArmorPaint, creating a seamless bidirectional connection that eliminates the need for manual exporting and reimporting of texture files. The system maintains constant communication between applications, ensuring that every brush stroke applied in ArmorPaint reflects instantly in the connected 3D viewport.


Technical Implementation and Protocol Support

The Live Link integration operates through a dedicated plugin architecture that supports multiple communication protocols including WebSocket and TCP/IP connections. ArmorPaint implements a lightweight data transfer system that streams texture changes as compressed delta updates rather than full image transfers, minimizing network bandwidth usage while maintaining visual fidelity. The system supports PBR workflow compatibility, ensuring that all material channels including albedo, roughness, metallic, and normal maps synchronize properly across applications without data loss or compression artifacts.

Workflow Advantages and Performance Considerations

Artists benefit from immediate visual feedback during the texturing process, allowing for quicker iterations and more informed creative decisions. The real-time connection proves particularly valuable when working with complex materials that require precise interaction between different texture channels. Performance remains stable even with high-resolution textures due to ArmorPaint's optimized texture streaming architecture, though users working with 4K textures or above should ensure adequate network bandwidth between systems to maintain smooth synchronization.

The irony of needing a stable internet connection to paint textures that will eventually be used in offline rendered scenes isn't lost on experienced artists, who remember when texture painting required nothing more than a graphics tablet and endless patience.