What features does Goxel 3D Voxel Editor offer?

Updated

Goxel is an open-source 3D voxel editor whose defining trait is making 3D editing feel like 2D drawing: it constrains volume to a 3D grid, so each voxel works like a pixel in three dimensions. Its core features are unlimited scene size, layers, cross-platform support, and a wide range of export formats. It suits artists and game developers who want voxel art as a standalone style or as assets for games, and it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Core features

Unlimited scene size

You can make your scene as large as you want. Goxel uses sparse matrices internally, so there are no restrictions on how big a model can be. In practice, this means large or mostly empty scenes don't force you to work within an arbitrary grid limit.

Layers

Layers let you separate parts of a scene into independently editable 3D models. This is useful when you want to work on one element — a character, a prop, a terrain block — without disturbing the rest, then combine them into a final scene.

Cross-platform

Goxel runs on virtually any OS: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The same editor is available across desktop and mobile, which matters if you want to sketch on a tablet and continue on a desktop.

Many export formats

Goxel can export to many formats, including:

Format Typical use
MagicaVoxel Voxel art pipelines and interchange
Qubicle Voxel modeling workflows
glTF2 Real-time 3D and game engines
obj General 3D modeling and rendering
ply 3D scanning/mesh interchange
Build Engine Classic Build-engine game assets

How to judge whether it fits your work

  • If you need voxel art as a standalone style, Goxel's grid-based editing and layer separation cover the basic creative workflow.
  • If you need game-ready assets, the glTF2, obj, and Build Engine exports are the relevant paths to check against your engine or pipeline.
  • If you work across devices, the Windows/Mac/Linux/iOS/Android coverage is the deciding factor.
  • If your scenes are large, the sparse-matrix design is the feature to weigh, since it removes fixed size limits.

For a look at how the editor behaves on a tablet, the official site points to a video by French artist Thibault Simar using Goxel on an iPad Pro. The desktop version is available from the download page.