ArmorPaint Architecture: Editable PBR Dataflow

Overview

ArmorPaint is examined as an integrated dataflow centered on an editable PBR project. The series follows one surface decision from project entities and runtime timing through node parsing, generated shader contexts, GPU painting, live previews, history, persistence, export, plugins, baking, and alternate renderers. Its thesis is that continuity comes from preserving relationships while representations change, not from treating the surface as one bitmap. This integration supports reusable materials, coordinated channels, reversible edits, and multiple consumers, but it also creates resource pressure, target-specific feature gates, build and file dependencies, and cross-subsystem coupling. The repository establishes these implementation mechanisms and configured boundaries, not universal performance, compatibility, or user-experience claims.

Learning outcomes

ArmorPaint keeps editable PBR meaning in a project model that feeds rendering, history, persistence, export, and alternate consumers.
A surface edit crosses coordinated representations: project entities, runtime dirty state, shader contexts, backend resources, and visible output.
Shared GPU and build layers preserve a common contract across targets, while feature gates and resource limits make behavior platform-dependent.
Integration enables reusable materials, reversible painting, and multiple workflows, but costs memory, rebuild work, portability complexity, and coupling.

Keywords

ArmorPaintPBRArchitectureDataflowLayersMaterialsShadersGPURenderingPortability

Chapters

ArmorPaint: From Edit to Export

How one surface decision crosses project, GPU, and file boundaries

10 min · How one surface decision crosses project, GPU, and file boundaries

10 min

How ArmorPaint Builds a Frame

Startup, dirty state, render paths, and presentation in one update cycle

9 min · Startup, dirty state, render paths, and presentation in one update cycle

9 min

ArmorPaint Across GPUs and Platforms

Shared contracts, target backends, shader builds, and feature gates

10 min · Shared contracts, target backends, shader builds, and feature gates

10 min

ArmorPaint’s PBR Project Model

How layers, graphs, meshes, channels, and assets stay linked

9 min · How layers, graphs, meshes, channels, and assets stay linked

9 min

ArmorPaint’s Intent-to-Pixels Model

Which owner changes project, runtime, render, and backend state

9 min · Which owner changes project, runtime, render, and backend state

9 min

How ArmorPaint Turns Nodes into Shaders

Typed PBR expressions, resources, contexts, and target artifacts

11 min · Typed PBR expressions, resources, contexts, and target artifacts

11 min

How ArmorPaint Executes a Stroke

From brush input and surface tests to PBR targets and undo

9 min · From brush input and surface tests to PBR targets and undo

9 min

ArmorPaint Project Files and Exports

What stays editable, what gets flattened, and how assets resolve

10 min · What stays editable, what gets flattened, and how assets resolve

10 min

ArmorPaint Extensions and Alternate Renderers

Plugins, scripts, path tracing, and baking share project-state contracts

10 min · Plugins, scripts, path tracing, and baking share project-state contracts

10 min

ArmorPaint Architecture: Leverage and Costs

Why shared project meaning helps—and complicates—every boundary

11 min · Why shared project meaning helps—and complicates—every boundary

11 min

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Plans

Ch.1-3 FreeCh.4-10 Premium

FAQ

What is ArmorPaint’s core architectural model?

ArmorPaint is an integrated dataflow centered on an editable PBR project, not a bitmap canvas with a renderer attached afterward. Project meaning flows through runtime state, shaders, GPU work, saved projects, and exports.

How does ArmorPaint keep a material edit consistent across the viewport and project file?

ArmorPaint keeps the material relationship in project state, refreshes dependent fill, shader, preview, and render data, and serializes the graph and layer links so the relationship can be reconstructed.

How portable is ArmorPaint across GPUs and platforms?

ArmorPaint uses shared application and GPU contracts across targets, but it does not promise identical features or behavior everywhere. Backends, build tools, shader artifacts, feature gates, and resource limits shape each target’s execution.

What is the difference between saving an ArmorPaint project and exporting textures?

Saving preserves editable graphs, layers, relationships, and assets; exporting flattens selected project state into target channel images. An export can preserve chosen appearance and PBR meanings but cannot restore discarded editability.