xatlas

What it is and what it does

xatlas is a Python binding for the xatlas C++ library, which solves the texture coordinate generation problem for 3D triangle meshes. It takes raw mesh geometry (vertices and face indices) and produces UV coordinates suitable for texture mapping, along with a potentially modified vertex list and face indices to accommodate the parametrization. The library handles both single-mesh parametrization and multi-mesh atlas generation, where multiple meshes can be packed into a shared texture space.

The package is used in graphics pipelines where meshes need texture coordinates for rendering or baking. It offers two main workflows: direct parametrization of a single mesh, or incremental atlas construction where meshes are added one at a time and then generated together. It also supports repacking already-parametrized meshes and provides query methods to inspect atlas properties like utilization and chart structure. The library has no runtime dependencies and ships prebuilt wheels for common platforms.

Use it for:

• Automatically generate UV coordinates for 3D models loaded from OBJ or other formats before rendering or texture baking.
• Pack multiple game assets into a single texture atlas to reduce draw calls and memory overhead.
• Prepare mesh geometry for machine learning pipelines that require texture coordinates as input features.
• Repack existing UV-mapped meshes to optimize texture space utilization across a shared atlas.
• Debug mesh parametrization by exporting chart images to visualize how the atlas divides geometry.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Generates UV texture coordinates for 3D triangle meshes, enabling texture mapping through parametrization and atlas packing.

Yes, if you need automatic UV generation for 3D meshes. The package is stable (MIT licensed, no known vulnerabilities), has prebuilt wheels for modern Python, and fills a specific niche in graphics and geometry processing. Install friction is moderate due to compiled bindings, but wheels eliminate most friction for standard platforms. Maintenance is aging but the library is not archived and the underlying algorithm is mature.

Install

xatlas on PyPI

pip install xatlas

uv add xatlas

poetry add xatlas

Installing xatlas

Before you install

Medium install friction due to compiled bindings; prebuilt wheels cover modern Python versions and major platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM64), but source builds require a C++ compiler and recursive git clone.

License in practice

MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal obligations—only requiring preservation of copyright and license notices.

Quickstart

import xatlas

# Parametrize a mesh
vmapping, indices, uvs = xatlas.parametrize(vertices, faces)

# Or use an atlas for multiple meshes
atlas = xatlas.Atlas()
atlas.add_mesh(vertices, faces)
atlas.generate()
vmapping, indices, uvs = atlas[0]

Requires a 3D mesh as input (vertices and face indices); no built-in mesh loading—use another library to load geometry first.

Verify before relying

• Performance characteristics or scalability limits for very large meshes.
• Whether parametrization preserves mesh topology or can introduce artifacts in specific cases.
• Supported Python versions below the stated minimum of 3.8.

Package facts

Evidence: xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_14_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_14_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_i686.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_14_x86_64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; xatlas-0.0.11-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl

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