NHUE Roadmap

NHUE already has several major editor systems running inside one shared workspace.

The current build includes work across:

• 3D modeling and mesh editing
• terrain and heightmap tools
• texture and image editing
• prefab and resource editing
• scene-building tools
• avatar and character creation
• import/export workflows
• diagnostics and performance tools
• shared preview, hierarchy, inspector, and gizmo systems

The current focus is not adding random tools. The bigger goal is to make each editor stronger while building toward one connected workflow.

A model can be created or imported. Its mesh can be edited with the newer Editable Mesh 2.0 toolset. Its UVs can be checked in Surface Forge. Its textures can be created or adjusted. Its prefab can be edited, expanded, organized, and refined. It can be placed in a scene. Terrain can be generated, colored, packaged, and later brought into scene workflows. Characters can be shaped, textured, saved, and eventually rigged for game use.

That is the long-term work of NHUE.

3D Editor

The 3D Editor is one of the main pillars of NHUE. It is being built for model creation, object editing, sub-object editing, transforms, pivots, modifiers, procedural objects, import/export, Surface Forge, UV workflows, and later animation and rigging.

Surface Forge

Surface Forge is the UV and surface-preparation workspace. It focuses on UV layouts, checker previews, 3D surface preview, projection tools, face selection, unwrap tools, UV health checks, packing, and material-prep workflows.

Height Map / Terrain Tools

The terrain side includes the Height Map Editor, Height Map Generator, terrain filters, terrain signals, TAM, AMG, Colormap tools, Gradient Ramp Editor, Normal/Light Map tools, and Final Terrain Package.

Image Editor

The Image Editor is being built for layered image work, texture editing, effects, adjustments, selections, Seamless Tiling, normal maps, material maps, Pack Lab, and game texture preparation.

Resource Editor

The Resource Editor is NHUE’s major resource and prefab editing workspace. It is being built for opening, previewing, editing, updating, organizing, and building reusable project content.

Scene Editor

The Scene Editor is the scene-building workspace. It includes hierarchy, viewport tools, object creation, grid tools, scene icons, inspector bridge work, screenshot tools, and future terrain/resource placement workflows.

Avatar Editor

The Avatar Editor is being built for character and creature creation, body and face sliders, influence zones, texture zones, avatar save formats, source mesh import, and later character-focused rigging and auto-rigging.

Shared Shell

NHUE uses a shared editor shell, shared styling, shared diagnostics, preview systems, Universal Hierarchy, Universal Inspector, Universal Gizmo work, and editor-to-editor handoff foundations.

The bigger point of NHUE is not only the number of editors. The real goal is making those editors work together.

A model can start in the 3D Editor. Its UVs can be checked in Surface Forge. Its textures can be made or adjusted in the Image Editor. Its prefab can be edited in the Resource Editor. It can be placed and managed in the Scene Editor. Terrain can move from generation to final preview and later into scene workflows. Avatars can grow from reference bodies into reusable character resources.

That connected workflow is what NHUE is being built toward.

Modeling, mesh editing, procedural objects, UV prep, screenshots, animation, and rigging.

The 3D Editor is one of the biggest systems in NHUE.

It is being built as a real model creation and editing workspace inside Unity. The goal is to let users create objects, edit meshes, work with pivots and transforms, use modifiers, generate procedural objects, import and export useful formats, prepare UVs, and eventually move into rigging and animation workflows.

The latest big 3D Editor arc pushed Editable Mesh 2.0 much farther forward. The core Mesh2 Modify toolset now has a much more complete modeling route, with Cut, Slice, Slide, Edge tools, Vertex tools, Face / Poly tools, Attach / Detach, clone preservation, shortcut routing, and stronger diagnostics.

Surface Forge is also becoming a much deeper UV and surface-prep workspace. Together, EM2 and Surface Forge are pushing the 3D Editor closer to a full model-to-surface workflow inside NHUE.

Once the newer mesh foundation is farther along and polished through more testing, the roadmap expands into rigging, auto-rigging, animation tools, and mesh animation workflows.

Already In Place

• Object selection and scene object handling
• Sub-object editing work
• Vertex, edge, face, and polygon selection workflows
• Move, rotate, and scale tools
• Pivot tools and transform controls
• Create tab with primitives and procedural objects
• Modify tools and modifier work
• Import/export work for multiple 3D formats
• Diagnostics and performance tools
• Surface Forge connection
• Editable Mesh 2.0 foundation
• EM2 core Modify tool parity milestone
• EM2 import/export work
• Native Mesh2 modifier route
• EM2 Delete, Dissolve, Inset, Bevel, and Smoothing tools
• EM2 Cut, Slice Plane, Slide, Edge, Vertex, General, Face / Poly, Attach, and Detach tools
• Right-click modeling context menus for delete, dissolve, inset, bevel, cut, slice, slide, bridge, cap, weld, and related actions
• Shortcut routing for common Mesh2 modeling actions
• Legacy command aliases routed into Mesh2 tools where possible
• Object Clone and Shift Clone preserve Mesh2 data
• Affect Pivot Only works through the newer Universal Gizmo route
• Top-level 3D Editor Diagnostics menu
• View Lighting popup for viewport presentation
• 3D Editor Screenshot Mode with clean viewport capture
• Sticky right-panel tab header polish
• Procedural architecture work such as the Modular Skyscraper generator

Active Development

Current 3D Editor work is focused on testing, polishing, and building on the finished EM2 modeling arc.

Active areas include:

• Editable Mesh 2.0 polish
• testing the completed Mesh2 Modify toolset on more model types
• cleaner mesh editing workflows
• stronger sub-object workflows
• better selection behavior
• better multi-object workflows
• better procedural object output
• better import/export polish
• stronger Mesh2 modifier support
• better Surface Forge connection
• better diagnostics and performance tracking
• cleaner right-click modeling actions
• better screenshot and presentation workflows
• deeper UV/unwrap workflows inside Surface Forge

Coming Later

After the Editable Mesh 2.0 foundation is farther along and battle-tested, the 3D Editor roadmap expands into a fuller model-to-animation workflow.

Planned future work includes:

• native NHUE rigging tools
• skeleton and bone editing
• auto-rigging work
• skinning and weight workflows
• pose tools
• keyframe animation tools
• animation preview
• mesh animation workflows
• export-ready animated asset preparation
• deeper connection between modeling, UVs, materials, rigging, and animation

The long-term goal is for the 3D Editor to become a full asset creation workspace, not only a place to edit static meshes.

The newer mesh foundation for future modeling tools.

Editable Mesh 2.0 is one of the most important upgrades inside the 3D Editor.

Editable Mesh 2.0 is the newer internal mesh system NHUE is being built around for future modeling tools.

The older mesh path is still useful, but deeper modeling tools need a stronger foundation. EM2 is being built so future tools can work with cleaner topology, better selection data, stronger editing operations, better UV support, better material support, and eventually better rigging and animation-ready meshes.

The latest finished 3D Editor arc brought EM2 much closer to being the main modeling path. The core old Modify workflow now has a strong Mesh2-native route for the major modeling categories, while still keeping compatibility glue where older commands need to route into the newer system.

Already In Place

• Editable Mesh 2.0 object status
• EM2 bridge systems
• EM2 render connection
• EM2 selection support
• EM2 commit/conversion support
• Extrude 2.0 foundation
• Mesh2 UV support inside Surface Forge
• Delete 2.0 support for Mesh2 workflows
• Delete Only Faces / Keep Edges & Verts
• loose vertex, loose edge, and loose geometry cleanup
• Dissolve 2.0 tools
• Inset 2.0 tools
• Bevel 2.0 tools
• Smoothing 2.0 tools
• Cut 2.0 tools
• Slice Plane 2.0 tools
• Slide 2.0 tools
• Edge Tools 2.0
• Vertex Tools 2.0
• General Tools 2.0
• Face / Poly Tools 2.0
• Attach / Detach 2.0
• native Mesh2 modifier support
• Mesh2 LOD workflow direction
• Mesh2 greeble / panel detail direction
• EM2-aware import/export work
• Mesh2 shortcut routing
• Mesh2 clone preservation
• pivot-only Universal Gizmo support

Active Development

Current EM2 work includes:

• testing the finished Mesh2 Modify parity arc
• more EM2-native modeling polish
• better EM2 selection behavior
• cleaner topology results
• stronger conversion behavior
• better visual overlays
• better diagnostics
• better connection to Surface Forge
• safer delete and cleanup behavior
• stronger modifier/M.D.O support
• better import/export behavior for Mesh2 objects
• better handling of tiny but valid imported triangles
• more reliable clone, shortcut, and legacy-command routing

Coming Later

• EM2-native primitive generation expansion
• more special-purpose modeling tools
• more cut and topology editing polish
• stronger smoothing and normal preservation
• stronger UV and material support
• procedural tools that output cleaner editable mesh data
• more advanced modifier stack behavior
• better path toward rigging and animation-ready meshes

Getting models in, getting models out, and creating useful geometry inside NHUE.

The 3D Editor is also growing its import, export, and procedural creation tools.

Import/export matters because NHUE needs to work with real project assets, not only objects created inside the editor. Procedural creation matters because users should be able to generate useful shapes and structures quickly, then keep editing them.

The latest 3D Editor arc also improved export direction by adding stronger FBX selected and scene export workflow support, while keeping Mesh2 evaluated render snapshot export direction in mind.

Already In Place

• OBJ import/export work
• glTF import/export work
• GLB import/export work
• FBX export workflow direction
• FBX selected export support
• FBX scene export support
• Unity mesh/model loading
• EM2-aware export direction
• evaluated Mesh2 render snapshot export direction
• growing format IO diagnostics
• standard primitive creation
• extended primitive creation
• special procedural shapes
• Modular Skyscraper generator direction
• Building presets, appearance presets, footprint shapes, roof types, and separated material roles for procedural architecture

Active Development

Current work includes:

• stronger native Mesh2 import/export routes
• safer imported mesh handling
• better handling of tiny but valid triangles
• better format diagnostics
• better selected-object and scene export workflows
• better procedural output for EM2 workflows
• better material slot behavior for generated objects

Coming Later

• more format polish
• more export-ready mesh preparation
• more procedural generators
• stronger material and UV setup on generated objects
• deeper connection with Resource Editor, Surface Forge, and Scene Editor

UVs, checker preview, surface checks, unwrap tools, and material preparation.

Surface Forge is NHUE’s UV and surface-preparation workspace.

A model needs more than shape. It also needs to know how textures should land on the surface. That is where UVs come in.

Surface Forge is being built so users can inspect how models receive textures, generate UVs, preview checker patterns, view UV islands, select faces, export UV templates, check UV health, and prepare models for material and texture workflows.

In plain words:

The Image Editor helps make or edit texture content. Surface Forge helps the model receive that texture correctly.

Surface Forge is important because it connects multiple parts of NHUE together. A model from the 3D Editor needs clean UVs. Textures from the Image Editor need a good surface to land on. Prefabs and resources need materials that work correctly in-game.

Surface Forge has also grown into one of the biggest 3D Editor systems. It now has a deeper set of UV and unwrap tools for hard-surface props, characters, strips, mechanical assets, large atlases, and more.

The newer Character Layout 2 work adds a developing single-atlas character unwrap direction with source mesh reports, before/after checks, and an optional protection toggle for keeping existing good UVs when wanted.

Already In Place

• Surface Forge window
• 2D UV layout view
• 3D preview
• checker preview
• native EM2 target support
• Mesh2 preview and apply workflow
• UV projection tools
• UV island display
• UV island labels and stronger selected outlines
• preview face selection
• Mesh2 UV support work
• UV layout PNG template export
• selected island export
• UV health scans
• UV packing options and reports
• seam and pin tools
• stitch, rip, and weld tools
• relax and stretch tools
• stretch heatmap preview
• seam-based unwrap tools
• solver unwrap foundation
• project-from-view tools
• pelt / peel unwrap tools
• hard-surface / mechanical atlas tools
• organic / character unwrap direction
• Character Layout 2 / single-atlas character unwrap direction
• Character Source Mesh Report
• before/after character UV comparison reports
• Protect Existing Good UVs option
• Generate Mode behavior for creating new character UVs
• quad strip / rectify unwrap tools
• UDIM / multi-tile layout tools
• diagnostics

What Surface Forge Helps With

Surface Forge helps answer questions like:

• Are the UVs usable?
• Are any UV faces flipped, overlapping, or broken?
• Are the islands packed well?
• Is the texture stretching too much?
• Do the seams make sense?
• Can this model use a cleaner unwrap?
• Does this asset need a single tile, a strip layout, or a larger multi-tile layout?
• Does this character need a new readable atlas instead of relying on old or missing UVs?

This makes Surface Forge more than a preview window. It is becoming the place where models are checked and prepared before textures and materials are finished.

Active Development

Current Surface Forge work includes:

• better UV projection tools
• better UV packing and repacking
• stronger face-to-UV selection feedback
• better checker preview
• better preview interaction
• more Mesh2 support
• better unwrap results
• stronger diagnostics and reporting
• better tools for different asset types
• Character Layout 2 testing and polish
• better source mesh reporting for character unwrap work

Coming Later

• stronger unwrap tools
• more UV editing tools
• better solver quality
• better character/organic unwrap polish
• better mechanical/hard-surface unwrap polish
• better strip and tread workflows
• material zone workflows
• better texture preview support
• stronger Image Editor connection
• stronger Resource Editor handoff
• more complete surface preparation workflows

A full terrain pipeline for worldbuilding.

The terrain side of NHUE is one of the largest parts of the project.

It is not just a heightmap viewer and it is not just a random terrain generator. The goal is to build a full terrain pipeline inside Unity.

That means users should be able to generate terrain, edit heightmaps, apply filters, use terrain signals, create masks, build color ramps, generate surface maps, package terrain presets, preview final terrain looks, and eventually move terrain data into scene workflows.

This part of NHUE is about worldbuilding.

Mountains, valleys, canyons, deserts, islands, alien terrain, cratered worlds, fantasy landscapes, and game-ready terrain data all belong here.

Already In Place

• Height Map Editor
• Height Map Generator
• terrain filters
• terrain signals
• terrain graph foundation
• terrain presets
• terrain stamps
• TAM
• AMG
• Colormap tools
• Gradient Ramp Editor / Color Ramp Editor tools
• Normal/Light Map tools
• Final Terrain Package
• terrain preview systems
• RAW/PNG terrain workflows

Active Development

Current terrain work is focused on stronger terrain identity and more useful terrain data.

Active areas include:

• better procedural landforms
• stronger filter results
• better terrain signal integration
• cleaner heightmap generation
• more useful terrain masks
• better terrain preset behavior
• better terrain previews
• better screenshot workflows
• better connection between terrain data and final presentation
• stronger terrain color and gradient ramp workflows

Coming Later

• deeper terrain graph workflows
• stronger terrain recipes
• more terrain analysis masks
• better alpha/control map workflows
• better terrain-to-scene handoff
• stronger terrain preset libraries
• lightweight fog, haze, water, and scatter previews
• better terrain export and packaging tools

Helping NHUE understand the shape of the land.

Terrain Signals are one of the systems that make NHUE’s terrain tools smarter.

A heightmap is just height data. It tells the editor how high or low each point is, but it does not automatically explain what that part of the terrain means.

Terrain Signals help fill that gap.

They are internal guide maps that help NHUE understand things like ridges, valleys, slopes, flat areas, flow paths, basins, cliffs, high elevation, low elevation, rocky breakup, channel cores, and channel banks.

That means terrain filters do not have to affect the whole map evenly. A filter can focus more on valley floors, ridge lines, steep slopes, basin areas, worn flow paths, or rocky breakup areas.

In plain words:

Terrain Signals are terrain awareness.

They help NHUE understand what kind of terrain each part of the heightmap is, so filters and tools can act more intelligently.

What Terrain Signals Help With

• targeting filters to specific terrain areas
• making erosion-style filters feel less random
• helping noise appear in more natural places
• guiding ridge, valley, flow, and basin behavior
• supporting future terrain masks
• helping terrain presets produce stronger landform identity
• giving future tools better terrain awareness

Examples Of Terrain Signals

• Height — how high or low the terrain is
• Slope — how steep the terrain is
• Flatness — flatter shelves, plateaus, and buildable areas
• Ridge — raised spines and crest lines
• Valley — troughs, cuts, and lower channels
• Flow — likely water or drainage paths
• Basin — enclosed low areas
• Curvature — whether terrain bends outward or inward
• Convexity — domes, shoulders, and raised forms
• Concavity — hollows, bowls, and carved pockets
• Channel Core — the center of stronger drainage paths
• Channel Banks — the sides around those channels
• Breakup Mask — rocky or noisy breakup areas for more natural surface detail

Coming Later

Terrain Signals can become more important as NHUE’s terrain tools grow.

Later, they can help drive:

• terrain graph nodes
• smarter terrain filters
• TAM analysis masks
• AMG alpha/control maps
• terrain material placement
• scatter preview rules
• biome-style placement
• erosion and sediment behavior
• better terrain presets

Terrain Signals are not meant to be a flashy standalone feature by themselves. They are more like the terrain brain working underneath the tools.

Procedural terrain generation with profiles, filters, and graph-backed work.

The Height Map Generator is the procedural terrain creation side of NHUE.

It is being built to do more than generate noise. The goal is to create terrain with stronger shape, better structure, and more control. Users should be able to start with generated terrain, then keep shaping it with filters, masks, presets, and later graph-style workflows.

The generator is also where a lot of future terrain intelligence can grow: landform profiles, recipes, filter stacks, terrain signals, and reusable generation setups.

Already In Place

• procedural terrain generation
• terrain profile work
• terrain filter stack
• terrain graph foundation
• standalone terrain generation
• multiple terrain types
• noise and landform controls
• terrain recipe support
• diagnostics

Active Development

Current Height Map Generator work includes:

• stronger canyon and mountain shapes
• better selected-noise behavior
• better filter impact
• cleaner landform structure
• more graph-backed generation
• better starter terrain presets
• better terrain signal usage

Coming Later

• more graph nodes
• stronger terrain recipes
• better seed and variation controls
• partial regeneration workflows
• more custom terrain profiles
• terrain preset libraries
• tighter connection to TAM, AMG, Colormap, Normal/Light Map, and Final Terrain Package

Terrain masks, analysis data, and control maps.

TAM and AMG are part of the smarter terrain-data side of NHUE.

Terrain is not only height. Good terrain needs supporting data: slope masks, elevation masks, ridge and valley information, alpha masks, control maps, material masks, and other data that can drive terrain filters, colors, materials, texture placement, and later scene preview systems.

Here is the simple breakdown:

Terrain Signals are internal terrain awareness. They help NHUE understand the shape of the land.

TAM turns terrain analysis into reusable masks. It helps expose useful terrain information that can be previewed, saved, and used by other workflows.

AMG builds alpha and control masks. These can help drive terrain texturing, material placement, packed control maps, and terrain-layer style workflows.

Together, they help turn raw terrain into something the rest of the terrain pipeline can use.

Already In Place

• terrain analysis masks
• alpha mask generation
• source preview
• mask preview
• packed/control map support
• workspace/session IO
• live-follow workflow
• export bundle support

Active Development

Current TAM and AMG work includes:

• better mask previews
• more useful generated masks
• cleaner terrain-data workflows
• stronger connection to heightmap tools
• stronger connection to terrain texturing
• better export behavior

Coming Later

• more mask types
• better slope/elevation/curvature analysis
• better filter-to-mask workflows
• material placement support
• stronger terrain package integration
• possible scatter and biome control use later

Giving terrain a readable visual identity.

The Colormap and Gradient Ramp tools help turn terrain data into something easier to read and better to present.

A raw heightmap can show shape, but color gives the terrain identity. Desert, snow, volcanic, alien, moss, mountain, canyon, barren, and fantasy terrain all read better when the color system supports the landform.

This system also matters for presets, screenshots, terrain previews, and Final Terrain Package workflows.

The Gradient Ramp Editor has grown into its own stronger terrain color workspace. It is no longer only about picking a ramp from a list. The newer work adds better browsing, editable gradients, ramp conversion, randomization, relief preview, and diagnostics.

Already In Place

• color ramp tools
• gradient preset support
• terrain color preview
• preset library support
• terrain visualization support
• Final Terrain Package integration
• dedicated ColorRampEditor organization
• Ramp Browser
• Editable Gradient 2 Workbench
• built-in editable gradient presets
• image ramp to editable gradient conversion
• gradient randomizer tools
• relief preview processor
• Color Ramp / Gradient Ramp diagnostics
• larger NHUE ramp library with many worldbuilding themes

What The Ramp Browser Does

The Ramp Browser helps users search, filter, preview, and assign terrain color ramps more easily.

As the ramp library grows, a simple dropdown is not enough. The Ramp Browser gives the Gradient Ramp system room to handle larger collections, categories, previews, and terrain-focused browsing.

What Editable Gradient 2 Does

Editable Gradient 2 is the newer gradient editing workflow.

It lets users build and adjust editable gradient ramps, work with color stops, use built-in terrain preset families, randomize ramp variations, and convert older image-based ramps into editable gradient data.

What Relief Preview Does

Relief preview helps show how a color ramp looks when terrain shape and lighting are involved.

Instead of only seeing flat color, users can preview ramps with terrain relief, shaded detail, light direction, contrast, and other presentation settings. This makes it easier to judge whether a ramp actually works on real terrain forms.

Active Development

Current colormap and gradient ramp work includes:

• better ramp presets
• better terrain color workflows
• better terrain package connection
• stronger preview behavior
• more useful terrain preset presentation
• better browsing for large ramp libraries
• better editable gradient workflows
• better relief preview and diagnostics

Coming Later

• more biome-style ramps
• more fantasy, alien, and material-themed ramps
• better ramp editing tools
• better terrain material preview support
• deeper connection with terrain masks and final packaging
• more terrain color workflows that support screenshots, presets, and worldbuilding

Surface detail, lighting maps, and terrain presentation data.

The Normal Map and Light Map tools are part of NHUE’s terrain surface-map pipeline.

The goal is to generate useful supporting maps from terrain height data. This includes normal maps, lighting-style maps, shaded previews, and other surface outputs that make terrain look better and read better.

Terrain is not finished just because the height shape exists. It needs surface work, lighting information, detail support, and exportable map data.

Already In Place

• terrain normal map tools
• light map tools
• surface map backend
• CPU/GPU processing support
• diagnostics
• preview/export workflow

Active Development

Current work includes:

• faster preview generation
• better lighting controls
• better normal map behavior
• better diagnostics
• safer CPU/GPU fallback behavior

Coming Later

• more terrain surface outputs
• better AO and shaded relief workflows
• deeper Final Terrain Package integration
• better export workflows
• stronger use in terrain screenshots and material previews

Terrain finalization, presets, previews, and clean screenshots.

Final Terrain Package is where terrain starts moving toward a finished presentation.

Height Map tools build and shape the terrain. Final Terrain Package helps turn that terrain into a polished preset, preview, screenshot, and export-ready terrain setup.

This system is being built around terrain presets, color ramps, generated textures, preview controls, lighting, surface detail, terrain presentation, and clean screenshot workflows.

It is one of the best systems for showing what NHUE terrain tools can create.

Already In Place

• Final Terrain Package window
• terrain package presets
• .nhtp work
• terrain preset library support
• terrain preview
• color ramp integration
• generated texture output work
• preview/fly viewing work
• Screenshot Mode / Clean View
• Escape exits Screenshot Mode
• Shift+C clean clipboard screenshots
• no forced screenshot file saving

Active Development

Current FTP work includes:

• better final terrain previews
• better terrain preset workflow
• better screenshot capture
• better preview performance
• stronger generated texture support
• better terrain package organization

Coming Later

• fog and haze preview
• water preview
• grass, tree, and rock scatter preview
• beauty screenshot presets
• stronger gallery screenshot workflow
• stronger terrain package exports
• better scene handoff

These future preview layers are meant to help show terrain better. FTP should stay focused on terrain presentation and packaging, not become a full scene editor.

Images, textures, layers, effects, normal maps, material maps, and packed outputs.

The Image Editor is being built as NHUE’s image and texture workspace.

The goal is not only to open and save images. The goal is to let users edit textures, build supporting maps, create normal maps, work with material outputs, pack channels, preview effects, and prepare images for game content.

This editor connects directly to the rest of NHUE. Models need textures. Terrain needs maps. Prefabs need materials. Resources need editing tools. The Image Editor is where a lot of that visual content can be created and improved.

Already In Place

• image document system
• document tabs
• layers
• blend/composite work
• selections
• quick mask work
• paint/text tool work
• adjustments
• effects
• normal map tools
• material map tools
• Pack Lab
• image open backend
• preview performance work
• diagnostics

Texture Editing

Texture editing is one of the most important works for the Image Editor.

Textures are used across models, terrain, prefabs, resources, materials, avatars, and scene objects. The Image Editor is being built so those textures can be opened, adjusted, processed, and prepared directly inside NHUE.

This includes color edits, image cleanup, texture effects, adjustment tools, generated details, map creation, and export workflows.

Seamless Tiling

Seamless Tiling is an important texture workflow inside the Image Editor.

A seamless texture can repeat across a surface without obvious hard edges. This is useful for terrain textures, walls, floors, rocks, fabric, metal, sci-fi panels, ground surfaces, and many other repeated materials.

Instead of forcing users to leave NHUE to fix tiling problems, the goal is to make tiling tools part of the built-in texture workflow.

Effects And Adjustments

The Image Editor includes creative and technical image tools.

These cover things like:

• brightness and contrast
• levels and curves work
• hue and saturation
• color correction
• grayscale and negative
• blur and sharpen
• noise tools
• distortion effects
• texture effects
• generated surface detail
• stylized image processing

Some effects are more complete than others, but the plan is clear: the Image Editor is being built into a real image and texture workspace, not just a simple image viewer.

Active Development

Current Image Editor work includes:

• stronger effect backends
• better preview performance
• better random/test diagnostics
• stronger normal map workflow
• stronger material map workflow
• better texture editing behavior
• better UI polish

Coming Later

• more layer polish
• more selection tools
• more paint tools
• deeper material preview/export
• better texture-set workflows
• better Resource Editor connection
• better 3D Editor and Surface Forge handoff
• more complete game texture preparation

Game texture tools inside NHUE.

NHUE’s Image Editor is also growing into a texture and material map workspace.

Normal maps, material maps, roughness/smoothness-style outputs, cavity and curvature-style data, emission-style outputs, and packed texture workflows all belong in this area.

A normal map can help a flat texture look like it has surface detail. A material map can help define how a surface behaves. A packed map can combine different kinds of material data into fewer texture files.

That matters for game workflows because models and terrain usually need more than one image to look right.

Already In Place

• normal map generation work
• smart height work
• material map output work
• 3D material preview work
• roughness/smoothness/cavity-style output work
• Pack Lab
• source slots and packed output work
• export workflow

What Pack Lab Does

Pack Lab is for combining different texture data into packed maps for game materials.

Instead of keeping every surface detail in a separate texture file, Pack Lab can place different data into different color channels. This can make texture sets cleaner and more efficient.

In plain words:

Pack Lab helps prepare texture data for game-ready materials.

Active Development

Current work includes:

• better preview speed
• better generated map quality
• better material output controls
• better Pack Lab usability
• better effect/backend performance

Coming Later

• more material output types
• stronger 3D preview
• better texture set handling
• better export presets
• stronger connection to Surface Forge
• stronger connection to Resource Editor materials

Prefab editing, resource workflows, and asset construction.

The Resource Editor is one of the biggest long-term systems in NHUE.

It is being built as the place where project resources can be opened, previewed, inspected, edited, updated, organized, and turned into reusable game content.

This matters because games are built from reusable pieces: prefabs, models, materials, textures, scripts, terrain data, characters, scene objects, UI assets, and more. NHUE needs a strong place where those pieces can be worked on directly.

The Resource Editor already has resource handling, prefab edit sessions, preview support, hierarchy/inspector integration, save/apply/revert work, prefab construction commands, component commands, hierarchy editing, live transform editing, screenshot tools, and folder performance work.

How Resource Handling Works

Different resource types need different tools.

A prefab, model, material, texture, script, terrain file, avatar, or UI layout should not all open the exact same way. The Resource Editor is being built so different resources can show the right preview, properties, and editing options for that type of content.

That means the Resource Editor can keep growing as NHUE adds more resource types.

Already In Place

• resource-type handling work
• prefab preview/edit session work
• View/Edit mode workflow
• Save / Apply / Revert work
• preview host
• inspector host
• Universal Hierarchy integration
• Universal Inspector integration
• model/material/texture/resource handling
• Scene Editor bridge work
• resource selection state
• prefab command system
• component command system
• prefab child creation and editing actions
• prefab copy, paste, duplicate, delete, reset, hide, show, group, and ungroup actions
• multi-selection and rectangle selection support
• live transform strip and transform type-in direction
• clean screenshot / viewport-only workflow
• Resource Editor options window
• dedicated Resource Editor diagnostics
• drag/drop objects into prefab sessions
• add, remove, and reorder prefab children
• component editing workflows
• nested prefab/resource handling foundation

Active Development

The next big Resource Editor plan is making prefab and resource editing more complete.

Active areas include:

• stronger prefab editing
• better hierarchy editing inside prefab sessions
• better resource preview
• better edit-mode workflow
• better connection to Scene Editor
• better connection to other NHUE modules
• safer large-folder handling
• better resource panel performance
• drag/drop resource assembly polish inside prefab sessions
• material owner preview behavior
• component editing workflow polish

Coming Later

• deeper nested prefab polish and edge-case handling
• better material/resource editing
• stronger asset construction tools
• better send-to-editor workflows
• stronger project resource management
• more complete drag/drop assembly polish across more resource types
• tighter connection with Scene Editor, 3D Editor, Image Editor, Avatar Editor, and terrain tools

Safer project navigation for large resource sets.

The Resource Editor is also getting major work on its folder/resource panel behavior.

Large Unity projects can have a lot of folders and assets. If an editor tries to expand or scan too much at once, it can stall the whole editor. The Resource Editor folder system is being updated so larger projects can be navigated more safely.

The goal is to make folder browsing feel more responsive while still letting users dig into deep project structures when they need to.

Already In Place

• Expand +1 behavior
• Root behavior that returns to Assets and collapses open folders
• scoped folder deep expand
• scoped folder deep collapse
• safer collapse-all behavior
• cancelable deep expand work
• queue-based incremental expansion
• large folder paging
• Show More behavior for large folders
• folder child caching
• scan timing diagnostics
• cache hit/miss diagnostics
• safety limits for large folder operations

Active Development

Current folder system work includes:

• making expansion safer
• avoiding full-project recursive stalls
• improving folder cache behavior
• improving large folder display
• improving Root and collapse behavior
• tracking slow folder scans through diagnostics
• making project navigation feel more responsive

Coming Later

• even better folder caching
• better search/filter behavior
• better context actions on folders/assets
• better create/rename workflows
• better integration with Resource Editor editing sessions
• smoother project organization tools

A simpler way to build game interfaces inside NHUE.

One future Resource Editor plan is a visual Game UI Builder.

The goal is to make it easier to create game interfaces such as menus, HUDs, buttons, panels, inventory screens, health bars, dialogue boxes, settings screens, and other UI pieces.

The idea is to let users build the interface in a focused NHUE window, place and edit GUI elements visually, preview the layout, and then generate a Unity-compatible UI prefab from the finished setup.

Instead of building every UI piece through scattered object setup, this would give users a cleaner place to design the interface first, then turn it into real project content.

Planned Direction

• visual UI layout window
• add buttons, panels, labels, images, sliders, bars, and custom UI pieces
• hierarchy of UI elements
• grid/snapping/layout helpers
• selection, move, resize, duplicate, delete
• test/preview mode
• reusable UI templates
• generate Unity-compatible UI prefabs
• Resource Editor integration
• send UI prefabs into Scene Editor or project resources

This would make the Resource Editor even more important because it would not only edit existing resources. It would also help create new game-ready interface assets.

Scene hierarchy, viewport tools, object creation, and world assembly.

The Scene Editor is NHUE’s scene-building workspace.

It is being built for hierarchy management, viewport navigation, object creation, object organization, grid tools, scene icons, inspector workflows, clean screenshots, terrain import work, and stronger resource placement.

The goal is to make it easier to build and inspect scene content while keeping the rest of NHUE connected.

Already In Place

• scene hierarchy
• viewport
• object creation menu
• grid tools
• scene icons
• Icon Manager
• selection highlight
• Universal Inspector bridge
• clean screenshot mode
• clipboard screenshot support
• hierarchy right-click actions
• terrain RAW import support
• prefab/resource bridge work

Active Development

Current Scene Editor work includes:

• better object management
• better hierarchy actions
• stronger inspector workflows
• better scene viewport behavior
• stronger prefab/resource connection
• better terrain placement work
• more useful clean screenshot behavior

Coming Later

• stronger Add Component workflows
• better prefab actions
• better object grouping
• better lock/freeze/isolate tools
• stronger terrain handoff from Height Map/FTP
• better material assignment workflows
• better lighting/environment tools
• better resource placement from Resource Editor
• more scene-building tools

Character creation, creatures, zones, sliders, avatar texturing, and future rigging.

The Avatar Editor is being built for character and creature creation inside NHUE.

The current work starts with reference bodies, body sliders, head and face controls, influence zones, texture zones, source mesh import, avatar save formats, and procedural texturing foundations.

The long-term goal is much bigger than one base body. NHUE should eventually support human characters, fantasy characters, creatures, monsters, clothing, hair, armor, body parts, custom avatar resources, and character-ready workflows.

The Avatar Editor will also get character-focused rigging and auto-rigging later. This will be separate from the general 3D Editor rigging work, but both systems should eventually support the larger goal of preparing game-ready animated characters.

Already In Place

• reference body work
• body slider foundation
• head/face slider work
• influence zones
• texture zones
• .nhavatar support
• .nhzone support
• source mesh import
• Avatar Builder work
• procedural/reference body systems
• avatar texturing foundation
• diagnostics

Active Development

Current Avatar Editor work includes:

• more body sliders
• more head/face sliders
• better zones
• better texturing workflow
• better source mesh handling
• better save/load behavior
• better viewport and diagnostics behavior

Coming Later

• more complete character presets
• creature and monster bases
• blend shape support
• clothing systems
• hair systems
• armor systems
• body-part resources
• stronger avatar material/texturing tools
• character-focused rigging
• avatar auto-rigging
• pose and preview tools
• better export workflows
• stronger Resource Editor connection

Project navigation and file access.

The File Browser is the project navigation side of NHUE.

Its job is to make files and project content easier to reach, open, preview, and send into the correct editor.

Over time, some of this workflow may become more connected with the Resource Editor, especially where asset handling and editing overlap.

Already In Place

• file navigation
• project file access
• preview/open support
• send-to-editor support

Coming Later

• better editor routing
• better project organization tools
• better resource handoff
• tighter connection with Resource Editor where it makes sense

Custom formats for NHUE workflows.

As NHUE grows, some systems use their own save formats so they can store editor-specific data cleanly.

Some current and planned NHUE file works include:

• .nhavatar — NHUE avatar save format
• .nhzone — saved avatar influence zone layouts
• .nhtp — terrain package preset format
• .nhtplib — terrain preset library support
• .nh — 3D Editor format support
• future UI/resource formats — for systems like GUI layouts and other Resource Editor workflows

These formats help NHUE save more than just a raw mesh or image. They can store the extra editor data needed for presets, zones, terrain packages, avatars, and future resource workflows.

Built-in testing while NHUE is being built.

Diagnostics may sound boring, but they are important for a project this large.

NHUE has a lot of systems that need to stay responsive: viewport previews, terrain generation, image effects, selection tools, import/export, texture previews, prefab editing, folder navigation, gradient preview building, UV tools, unwrap tools, and more.

Diagnostics help track things like:

• preview speed
• editor repaints
• import/export results
• selection performance
• terrain generation time
• image effect processing
• backend behavior
• prefab edit session state
• folder expansion and scan time
• gradient ramp preview state
• 3D mesh health
• Editable Mesh 2.0 status
• final Mesh2 Modify tool parity status
• Mesh2 shortcut and legacy-command routing
• modifier stack behavior
• Surface Forge UV health
• unwrap and packing reports
• character source mesh reports
• object clone and Mesh2 preservation status
• pivot-only gizmo behavior
• screenshot and viewport capture status
• view lighting state
• errors and warnings
• heavy operations that need optimization

The 3D Editor also has a top-level Diagnostics menu so useful reports can be refreshed and copied faster without always digging through a side panel.

In plain words:

Diagnostics help keep NHUE honest while it grows.

They show what is working, what is slow, and what needs to be improved before release.

The goal is a real game-development editor suite inside Unity.

NHUE is still in active development, but the plan is clear.

By 1.0, the goal is for NHUE to have the core tools needed to build real game content inside one connected editor suite.

That includes:

• creating and editing 3D models
• preparing UVs and surfaces
• checking UV health, packing, unwraps, and surface layout
• using core Mesh2 modeling tools for real edit workflows
• generating and packaging terrain
• editing images and textures
• building material maps and packed textures
• editing prefabs and resources
• managing scene content
• creating avatars and creatures
• importing and exporting useful formats
• taking clean screenshots for previews, galleries, blogs, and updates
• building toward rigging, animation, and game-ready asset preparation

NHUE is being built piece by piece, but it is already becoming much bigger than one Unity tool window.

It is becoming a full creative workspace for making real game content.

Short-Term Focus

• Test and polish the finished 3D Editor EM2 Modify arc
• Continue Editable Mesh 2.0 modeling polish
• Test Cut, Slice, Slide, Edge, Vertex, Face, General, Attach, and Detach tools on more meshes
• Continue EM2 delete, dissolve, inset, bevel, smoothing, and cleanup workflows
• Improve Surface Forge UV and unwrap workflows
• Continue Character Layout 2 and character source reporting polish
• Continue Surface Forge health scans, packing, seams, pins, relax, stretch, and heatmap tools
• Improve hard-surface, character, strip, and multi-tile unwrap workflows
• Expand Resource Editor prefab/resource editing
• Improve Resource Editor folder performance and large project navigation
• Strengthen Height Map Generator landforms
• Improve Terrain Signals, TAM, and AMG workflows
• Improve Gradient Ramp / Color Ramp workflows
• Improve Final Terrain Package previews and screenshots
• Continue Image Editor texture/material workflows
• Expand Scene Editor object and prefab tools
• Continue Avatar Editor sliders, zones, and texturing

Mid-Term Focus

• Better cross-editor asset flow
• Better material and texture handoff
• Stronger terrain-to-scene workflows
• More complete prefab construction tools
• Better prefab hierarchy reparent/reorder workflows
• Better drag/drop resource assembly in prefab sessions
• More EM2-native modeling operations
• Better import/export coverage
• Stronger Mesh2 modifier workflows
• Better procedural object output
• More reliable FBX selected and scene export workflows
• More terrain masks and control maps
• Stronger editable gradient and terrain color workflows
• More avatar body/head/creature systems
• Early planning for 3D Editor rigging and animation systems
• Early planning for Resource Editor Game UI Builder workflows

Long-Term Focus

• More complete Unity project resource workflows
• Stronger worldbuilding pipeline
• More complete character and creature creation
• More procedural content systems
• Better scene assembly tools
• Better game-ready asset preparation
• 3D Editor rigging and animation workflows
• Avatar Editor auto-rigging workflows
• Visual Game UI Builder workflows
• More polished 1.0 release workflow

These are the screenshots that would help the Roadmap page the most.

Highest Priority

• Wide NHUE workspace screenshot
• 3D Editor modeling screenshot
• Editable Mesh 2.0 Cut / Slice / Slide tool screenshot
• Editable Mesh 2.0 Edge / Vertex / Face tools screenshot
• Surface Forge UV + 3D preview screenshot
• Surface Forge unwrap tools screenshot
• Surface Forge Character Layout 2 screenshot
• 3D Editor Screenshot Mode clean viewport capture
• Final Terrain Package clean terrain screenshot
• Resource Editor prefab editing screenshot
• Resource Editor folder system / large folder screenshot
• Gradient Ramp Editor / Ramp Browser screenshot
• Scene Editor hierarchy/viewport screenshot
• Image Editor normal/material map screenshot
• Height Map Generator terrain screenshot

Second Priority

• 3D Editor Diagnostics menu screenshot
• 3D Editor View Lighting popup screenshot
• 3D Editor right-click modeling menu screenshot
• Affect Pivot Only Universal Gizmo screenshot
• FBX scene export / format IO screenshot
• Surface Forge character source mesh report screenshot
• Surface Forge stretch heatmap screenshot
• Surface Forge mechanical atlas screenshot
• Surface Forge character unwrap screenshot
• Surface Forge quad strip / rectify screenshot
• Surface Forge UDIM / multi-tile layout screenshot
• Resource Editor live transform or prefab hierarchy drag/reorder screenshot
• Editable Gradient 2 Workbench screenshot
• Relief preview screenshot
• TAM / AMG mask screenshot
• Terrain Signals preview screenshot
• Colormap editor screenshot
• Normal/Light Map terrain screenshot
• Avatar Editor zones/sliders screenshot
• Pack Lab screenshot
• Multi-editor collage screenshot

Future Screenshot Ideas

• 3D Editor rigging tools once started
• 3D Editor animation tools once started
• Avatar auto-rigging once started
• Resource Editor drag/drop prefab construction
• Game UI Builder once started
• Scene Editor terrain placement
• Final Terrain Package fog/water/scatter preview

NHUE is being built in public as it grows toward release.

More tools, screenshots, blog posts, roadmap updates, and development notes will be added as the editor continues to come together.

This roadmap will keep changing as systems are finished, tested, polished, and connected into the larger NHUE workflow.