Universal Asset Library
Your 3D assets. One library panel.
Search, preview, organize, and import assets from inside Blender and Houdini.
1
Add your asset folders once. UAL indexes them.
Most of us have a folder full of assets somewhere. Finding the right one is usually the slow part. Point UAL at the drives and shares you already use, then search them from the panel without uploading files to a vendor cloud.
Index more than one root. Folder layout on disk stays yours.
Previews generate in the background so the viewport stays usable.
Keyword and type filters across large libraries.
Local browse and import do not need the network.
Cache ≠ library
Staging vs library
Temporary download staging stays separate from Online Downloads and your library roots. Do not mix the two.
- Favorites + MRU order
- Rescan / rebuild index
- Virtualized grid / list
Search supported online sources from the same panel.
Some sources are public. Others need your own API key or account. Third-party assets stay under the provider's license and terms. Blender Community includes eight public sources. Fab / Megascans is Blender Pro and Houdini Pro. UAL connects to supported third-party services. Assets remain subject to the provider's own licenses and terms. UAL does not claim ownership of third-party assets.
Poly Haven
No login · Textures
ambientCG
No login · Materials
GPUOpen MaterialX
No login · MaterialX
LazyTextures
No login · Materials
Three D Scans
No login · 3D Scans
PBRPX
No login · Textures
Poly Pizza
Key in add-on · Models
Sketchfab
Key in add-on · Models
Fab / Quixel Megascans
Key in add-on · Models
Hover preview
Not sure which asset is the right one? Hover it. UAL shows a larger preview and the useful details before you download or import.
Drag & drop
Move an asset from the library into the viewport. In Houdini you can also drop into the network editor.
Materials
Blender wires Principled BSDF and Material Blend. Houdini builds Karma / MaterialX, Redshift, Arnold, Mantra, and other supported renderers.
Reference Manager
In Houdini, scan the hip for library paths, replace a folder prefix, or localize copies into your project. Shelf and Actions.
UAL for Blender and Houdini
Two DCC editions. Blender is GPL. Houdini is proprietary and Pro-only.
Universal Asset Library for Blender
Browse local folders and public online sources from the View3D N-panel. Community is free. Pro adds Fab, the GPU asset bar, and cloud metadata backup.
Universal Asset Library for Houdini
Dockable panel, Asset Library shelf, viewport drop, SOP and Solaris import, Reference Manager, and Fab / Megascans via your Epic access. Paid Pro only. There is no free Houdini ZIP.
Pricing
Start with Blender Community for free. Monthly prices shown below — yearly plans save more on the full pricing page.
UAL connects to supported third-party services. Assets remain subject to the provider's own licenses and terms. UAL does not claim ownership of third-party assets.
FAQ
What is Universal Asset Library?
UAL is a visual asset library inside Blender and Houdini. You index local folders, search supported online sources, preview an asset, and drop it into the scene. It does not sell or own third-party catalogs.
What is UAL for Blender?
A View3D Sidebar (N-panel) extension, v0.3.97, for Blender 4.2+ (tested on 5.2). Community includes Library, Favorites, eight public online sources, Material Blend, Downloads, and the status footer. Pro adds Fab / Megascans, the GPU asset bar, and cloud metadata backup. Licensed GPL-3.0-or-later.
What is UAL for Houdini?
A dockable panel plus shelf tools under the Asset Library tab, for Houdini 19.5–22.x. Import into Object / SOP or Solaris Stage, with multi-renderer materials. Reference Manager scans and repairs library paths in the hip, including optional LOP / USD, and can localize copies into your project. Proprietary / commercial. Pro only. There is no Community Houdini ZIP.
What is Reference Manager?
A Houdini-only tool on the Asset Library shelf and in Actions. It scans the current hip for library file paths, with optional full scene and LOP / USD passes. You can replace a path prefix or localize copies into your project. Blender UAL does not include Reference Manager.
What versions are supported?
Blender 4.2+ (tested on 5.2). Houdini 19.5+, 20.x, 21.x, and 22.x.
Can I use my existing asset folders?
Yes. Add them as library roots. Both products support more than one root. Temporary download cache stays separate from those folders.
Where are my downloaded assets stored?
Cache is for staging (UAL CACHE on the same drive as the library, unless you set another cache directory). Permanent copies live under your library roots, typically Online Downloads / <source> / Type / Name. Cache and library are two stores. They are not the same folder.
What online sources are supported?
Nine connectors: Poly Haven, ambientCG, GPUOpen MaterialX, LazyTextures, Three D Scans, PBRPX, Poly Pizza, Sketchfab, and Fab / Quixel Megascans. Blender Community includes the first eight. Fab is Blender Pro and Houdini Pro, using your own Epic access.
Ready to try it?
Get the Blender Community ZIP, or look at Pro if you need Fab, the GPU asset bar, or Houdini.