What it does
headus UVLayout is a desktop editor for UV coordinates, which place flat textures on a 3D model. Artists define seams, flatten the resulting pieces and inspect colour feedback for stretching. Permanent Professional and Hobbyist licences sit alongside a time-limited Student option.
UVLayout works through three stages: choose seams, flatten the cut pieces and refine the layout using distortion colours. Edge-loop detection and symmetry tools help with repeated or matching parts. Packing and stacking arrange the pieces within texture space, and OBJ files carry models into and out of the editor.
Licence choices
| Edition | International price | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | US$330 dongle or US$400 floating | Permanent; all tools; Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Hobbyist | US$200 | Permanent; most tools; Windows and macOS |
| Student | US$35 or US$100 | Expires after 4 or 12 months; non-commercial individual use |
Professional and Hobbyist purchases include 12 months of updates. Anyone may buy Student if they accept its restrictions; the name does not require student status.
Professional's dongle is a physical USB key that can move between computers. Its floating option instead depends on a local network licence server.
The free demo starts with basic tools. Selecting Hobbyist Trial or Professional Trial reveals those tools but disables saving. UVLayout currently does not work natively on macOS 26 Tahoe, so check the operating-system warning before buying.
Strengths
- Symmetry detection can match repeated parts of a model.
- Professional adds map repainting and advanced packing tools.
Watch out for
- The full-tool trial modes cannot save work.
- The current macOS build is incompatible with macOS 26 Tahoe.
Best for
- Texture artists correcting stretched UV layouts
- Studios sharing a specialist UV editor
Sources
- About UVLayout | headus (Oct 28, 2026)
- Buy UVLayout | headus (Oct 28, 2026)
- UVLayout Professional Licences (Oct 28, 2026)
- Try UVLayout (Oct 28, 2026)