Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Over 10 years ago I asked a simple question: is there an ideal texel density for a game model? Turns out there is, and the math is publicly available. So I turned it into a tool.
In this video I walk through MechaPaint's Ideal Texels Tool: enter your character's real-world height (or use the 1-meter scale for props and vehicles), set how close and how far the model typically appears on screen, and the tool paints your mesh to show exactly where your texture density is ideal, stretched, or wasted.
I run it on two professionally made game characters and one of my own kit-bashed vehicles. The pros nailed it almost everywhere. My vehicle... did not. Dense texels on transparent windows, stretched red patches where it matters most. That's the point: you find out before you ship.
No guessing. No spreadsheets. Bring your model in, click a few buttons, done.
Download MechaPaint for Mac or PC: MechaPaint.com
Half off right now until PBR support lands, then pricing changes.
Discord: [your link] - there are three people in it. Be the fourth.
Try it on your own model and let me know how it goes in the comments.
Over 10 years ago I asked a simple question: is there an ideal texel density for a game model? Turns out there is, and the math is publicly available. So I turned it into a tool.
In this video I walk through MechaPaint's Ideal Texels Tool: enter your character's real-world height (or use the 1-meter scale for props and vehicles), set how close and how far the model typically appears on screen, and the tool paints your mesh to show exactly where your texture density is ideal, stretched, or wasted.
I run it on two professionally made game characters and one of my own kit-bashed vehicles. The pros nailed it almost everywhere. My vehicle... did not. Dense texels on transparent windows, stretched red patches where it matters most. That's the point: you find out before you ship.
No guessing. No spreadsheets. Bring your model in, click a few buttons, done.
Download MechaPaint for Mac or PC: MechaPaint.com
Half off right now until PBR support lands, then pricing changes.
Discord: [your link] - there are three people in it. Be the fourth.
Try it on your own model and let me know how it goes in the comments.
