ShaderMap Version 4 R3
What's New in ShaderMap 4
F1 Help - As of ShaderMap 4, most of the documentation has been moved into ShaderMap. Press and hold the F1 Key then click on any control to read the documentation.

ShaderMap 4 is here and it's a major update. It brings with it a lot of new features changes and bug fixes. Most exciting is PBR (Physically Based Rendering) Map creation, PBR Materials, and Multi Angle Light Scan nodes. The latest version is ShaderMap 4 Revision 3 (R3). Read below for a full list of changes and features in ShaderMap 4.


Version 4.3.8 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Multi page property control failed to update child controls when changed.
    • Error running lua scripts using maps that add the property page control.


Version 4.3.7 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Features

    • Support for 4K, UHD monitors. Options to scale main interface and external Material Visualizer independently.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • External Material Visualizer input errors when placed on secondary monitor.


Version 4.3.6 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Features

    • Option to select a different location for the user Documents directory. Remove to return to default. Found in the Environment page of Options and Settings.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash when unable to find user Documents folder. This can happend when the Documents folder has been moved or deleted. A prompt to select a new Documents folder will be shown at start.


Version 4.3.5 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Features

    • Added alpha sliders to all materials.
    • Added new Maps \ Project Option for scaling normal components to the range 0 - 1 when saving floating point image file formats.
    • Updated splash screen graphics
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash when adding Pre-Filter to Node with no Map Type parents. Disabled Pre-Filter button for such map nodes.
    • Bug in "Save Map to File" dialog. Map File Format was reset to default when new map save location set.


Version 4.3.4 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Language Select causing crash, disabled until further development.
    • Normal Editor crash when saving in Editor mode.
    • Model Setup showing the Right Click rotate model grid when in a Orthoginal view.
    • Project_XX folders not deleted from the AppData cache on clear cache.


Version 4.3.3 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Internal font request error caused crash in some cases. This caused batch processing to fail.


Version 4.3.2 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Features

    • New default font - this is compatible with UHD scaling (still being implemented). Additional fonts will be added after UHD scaling is complete.
    • Added Mask Height / Level property to the following maps:

      • Diffuse to Displacement
      • Diffuse to Metalness
      • Diffuse to Roughness
      • Diffuse to Gloss
      • Diffuse to Specular
      • Diffuse to Specular Color
      This sets the color of the map pixel where mask pixels are black. Gray mask pixels blend the Mask Level color with the final map.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Incorrect mask rendering on several map types.


Version 4.3.1 - Revision 3 (R3)
  • Features

    • New logo and various theme changes.
    • License support for Basic, Pro Student, Pro Personal and Pro Commercial.
    • Added map names to the channel mixer via tooltip button.
    • Clickable news thumbnail and online news link.
    • Updated FBX to version 2019.5.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash when embedding a child map into a parent map.
    • Map mouse over tooltip not always showing. Caused by tooltip not set in LUA script add_map_node().
    • RMAD had the same export name as RMA.
    • Maps not connected to batch source node but have embedded maps connected to a batch source node were not being exported on batch. (RMA, RMAD).
    • Batch filename on multiple versions of same map were being corrupted.


Version 4.2.5 - Revision 2 (R2)
  • Features

    • New Option - Default External Editor. The default external editor filepath is used for all external map edits. Map specific edit filepaths will override this option.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • D3D Reset error causing crash at startup on some systems.


Version 4.2.4 - Revision 2 (R2)
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash when saving node properties in PRO version. All node properties have been reset to default in this version.


Version 4.2.3 - Revision 2 (R2)
  • Features

    • Filter Stack now only displays filters compatible with map type.
    • New Filter: Normal Gradient - Isolates a gradient from an existing normal map which can be subtracted or added to the base normals. Great for uneven light scan normal maps.
    • Enabled multiple instances of SM4.2. Modified the caching system to be named according to the process ID ensuring no instance conflicts.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash when loading an EXR normal map -1 to +1 into a color source or disp source map.
    • When batching images, _0 is added to maps even if there aren't multiples. Removed _0 and only add when multiple of that name.
    • Certain situations caused a normal map to be used as an input which returned non rasterized values.
    • User Defined Env Maps not loaded from project file.
    • Crash on load default project from start with <= 16px source image.


Version 4.2.2 - Revision 2 (R2)
  • PRO Features

    • Template Albedo Metal Rough to Diffuse Spec Gloss.
    • New Template Diffuse Spec Gloss to Albedo Metal Rough.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Light Scan MODE (Start) not marked as PRO.
    • Template Input filters not being loaded.
    • Template Pre / Post filters not being loaded.
    • Template Alpha State not being loaded.
    • Docs PAGE_TITLE in new pages.


Version 4.2.1 - Revision 2 (R2)
  • Features

    • Added Map Input Filter with R Y G C B M, level, hue, and saturation adjustments. This replaces Input Channel selection on most maps.
    • Added Alpha State droplist added to all map nodes. Allows the user to use alpha channel with Standard, Suppress alpha, and remove alpha from a map alltogether.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Displacement V4 - Added support for Input Filter and removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state.
    • New Map: Displacement to AO V3 - Added support for Input Filter and removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state.
    • New Map: Displacement to DUDV V2 - Added Scale control and support for Input Filter. Removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state.
    • New Map: Displacement to Normals V3 - Added support for Input Filter and removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Specular - Creates grayscale specular from diffuse map. Replaces Displacement to Specular on default Start projects.
    • New Material: Standard - Added additional controls and allow for color specualar.
    • New Material: Displacement - Added additional controls and allow for color specualar.
    • New Material: Parallax - Added additional controls and allow for color specualar.
    • Increased AO Scale Slider range on all materials.
  • PRO Features

    • New Map: Diffuse to Gloss - Creates a grayscale gloss map from diffuse map. Includes detail generation and blending. Supports new input filter control.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Metalness V2 - Added support for Input Filter and removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state. Improved detail generation and blending.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Roughness V2 - Added support for Input Filter and removed old controls for channel selection and alpha state. Improved detail generation and blending.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Specular Color - Creates a color specular from diffuse map. Includes detail and color blending. Supports new input filter control.
    • New Map: Albedo, Metal to Diffuse - Creates a standard diffuse map from PBR albedo and metalness maps.
    • New Map: Albedo, Metal to Specular - Creates a standard color specular map from PBR albedo and metalness maps.
    • New Map: Diffuse, Metal, Specular to Albedo - Creates a PBR albedo map from diffuse, PBR metalness and color specular maps.
    • Changes to LUA API:

      • Added map alpha state function to setup a map node's alpha state.
      • Added input filter state function to setup input filter values per map input.
      • Updated map definitions in sm4.lua to include new map nodes.
    • New Templates in the Template Lib to easily use the (Albedo, Metal to Diffuse) and (Diffuse, Metal, Specular to Albedo) conversion maps.
    • New Material: PBR Specular - Takes a color specular and gloss map to render a PBR material.
    • New Start Mode: PBR Specular - Creates a default project for generating color specular and gloss maps.
  • Misc. Changes

    • Updated the AppData and Documents folder names to SM4_2 to match version 4.2. This will require your user templates to be copied from the SM4 or SM4_1 folders.
    • Updated Map / Filter / Geo Plugins SDK to 4.2.
    • Update Material SDK to 4.2.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Fixed Missing Non Commercial PRO star glyph - replaced with "PRO •".
    • Pre 4.1 support news items were not displaying.
    • Optimized alpha pixel expansion. Was running slow in OTPX image library.


Version 4.1.4 - Revision 1 (R1)

  • Updates and Fixes

    • Fixed issues viewing paint changes in the Normal Editor. This was caused from Mip Map generation on the normal map. Mips are now removed when the Map is moved into the editor and generated again on exit.


Version 4.1.3 - Revision 1 (R1)

  • Updates and Fixes

    • Changed the AppData and Documents folder names to SM4_1. This will require your user templates to be copied from the SM4 to SM4_1 folders. This change was made to overcome a persistent start up crash after updating.


Version 4.1.2 - Revision 1 (R1)

  • Updates and Fixes

    • Flush AppData directory on version update.
    • Disable ALL watermarks for Pro users - whoops!
    • Add version check to all plugins and alert users if using an outdated plugin (map, filter, geo, material).
    • Updated installers to include option to uninstall at start.


Version 4.1.1 - Revision 1 (R1)

  • Features

    • Allow import of 3D Model Material IDs and Material Colors. Used to be Pro only feature.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Displacement V3. Added sub pixel accuracy to blurs.
    • New Map: Blank. Used to embed map channels into. For example: PBR RMA and RMAD textures.
    • New Map: Normal to Displacement V2. Greatly improved the normal to displacement conversion. Now with multipass control.
    • New Filter: Blur V2. Addes sub pixel accuracy.
    • New Filter: Normal Blur V2. Addes sub pixel accuracy.
    • New Filter: Auto Edge. Smooths sharp edges. Same functionality as the Diffuse to Displacement Map.
    • New Filter: High Pass. Edge detection filter with a number of different blend methods. Great for detail map creation.
    • New Material Visualizer Environmental Controls for Lighting

      • Ambient Light moved to Environment dialog. Only used by default standard materials.
      • Environment Maps from Equarectangular images. Default env maps are included and can be rendered in scene with optional blur.
    • Added reset camera button to the Material Visualizer.
    • Camera Rotation in the Material Visualizer. Right Click drag the camera in the Material Visualizer. Improved strafe at close range.
    • Added XZ plane grid on rotate camera to Material Visualizer and Model Setup.
    • New Standard Materials. Updated to support the new environment map system. Optionally light materials with the scene irradiance map.
    • Added Legacy folder for old materials - not shown on the Add Material drop-down control. Still available for projects and scripts to load.
    • Added geo distance modifier control to the Material Visualizer. Set the distance between instances with a slider.
    • New Channel Mixer dialog. Resizes based on number of maps embedded. Toggle embed in scene Texture (in ShaderMap) and embed on Export.
    • Support page moved to support popup in the lower left of the app.
    • Added Mode drop-down list to the Start Page. Select from Standard, PBR, and Light Scan Modes for loading source files.
    • Added Execute LUA Script link to Start Page.
  • PRO Features

    • New Node Type: Light Scan. A stack of photos taken of an object lit from up to 64 evenly spaced angles. Set the start angle with the Light Scan Setup interface.
    • New Map: Light Scan to Normals. Generates a tangent space normal map from a properly setup Light Scan node.
    • New Map: Light Scan to Albedo. Generates an evenly lit color map from a properly setup Light Scan node.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Metallic. Contains metalness values for a PBR material.
    • New Map: Diffuse to Roughness. Contains roughness values for a PBR material.
    • New Material: PBR (Physically Based Rendering).
    • New Material: PBR - RMA (uses Roughness/Metalness/AO texture).
    • New Material: PBR - RMAD (uses Roughness/Metalness/AO/Displacement texture).
    • Screen Shot dialog lets you save images of the Material Visualizer canvas.
    • Changes to LUA API:

      • Added lighting setup functions.
      • Added environment setup functions.
      • Added material setup functions.
      • Added Material Visualizer geo load functions.
      • Updated Export Project to Script button to include new features.
      • Updated material definitions in sm4.lua.
  • Misc. Changes

    • Check for missing D3DCompiler_42.dll and (d3dx9_42.dll) at startup. Output relevant messages.
    • Update to FBX 2018.
    • Added warning when models without texture coordinates are used by maps that require them.
    • Added Version Numbers to LEGACY node names and descriptions.
    • Allow only one instance of ShaderMap (per user) at a time - this solves possible caching conflicts.
    • Material Map Setup dialog now resized on open to fit number of maps required.
    • Improved the Channel Toggle in the Material Visualizer to allow one click viewing of a single channel in grayscale.
    • Change Displacement Map name to Grayscale.
    • Removed XML Setup support - use LUA scripts instead to setup projects from command line.
    • Optimized texture updating from rendered map.
    • Improve sub pixel accuracy of floating point blurs and optimize speed.
    • Improved the quality of Displacement to Specular map.
    • Added Light Scan to the Select Source Modal.
    • Watermarks rendered over Pro features when using NC version.
    • Now using stars instead of a lock icon for Pro features.
    • Non invasive Pro popup when trying to use a Pro feature in the NC version.
    • Added link to HDRi Haven in the Environment dialog. Get free equirectangular maps at https://hdrihaven.com/hdris/.
    • Added new example template projects to the Template Library. PBR Pebbles and PBR Metal Plate. See the Projects and Templates section in these docs.
    • Updated Help Files
    • Updated Map / Filter / Geo Plugins SDK to 4.1.
    • Update Material SDK to 4.1.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Default Coordinate System not changing default until restart of ShaderMap.
    • Disp to AO V2 map crashing when restarting in some instances.
    • Memory usage output display in Map Preview - was 8 times actual.
    • Z Fighting issue on MatViz Cylinder Geometry.
    • Misaligned scaling of nodes and embedded nodes in project grids.
    • Color artifacts in Map: Diff to Albedo, Photos to Albedo.
    • Color artifacts in Filter: Shadow / Highlight.
    • Brightness / Contrast filter giving unpredictable results at times.
    • Not alphabetizing Map Nodes on Node Setup.
    • Drag and drop files on to Project Grid not always accurate when dropping on to node.
    • Color Box control for maps updating without delay.
    • Crash on Save template project (while still in template mode) and have a Source 3D Model.
    • Not always checking for CA <-> RGBA change on post render.
    • On import from External Edit - not checking channel display state reset.


Version 4.0.8

Color ID Map from 3D Model now allows Cage Projection. PRO users can now choose to import material diffuse color or have unique material colors assigned.
  • Features

    • Cage Projection baking method added to the Color ID from 3D Model node.
  • PRO Features

    • New Option in Maps / Projects page - Import material colors. If enabled triangles are colored based on file diffuse colors.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Failed to load projects with auto cage geometry.


Version 4.0.7

Generalized node caching system speeds post filter rendering, New options for configuring Default Projects, and bug fixes.
  • Features

    • Generalized Node Caching system.
    • New option to set max cache size in Megabytes (MB).
    • Cache Map Nodes for Post Filter Passes. Greatly speeds up post filter rendering.
  • PRO Features

    • New Options Page - Default Projects. Enable / disable default maps. Toggle auto render and auto filename generation.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Batched Source Images didn't have filters applied.
    • Memory leak on delete Filter.
    • Crash when Adding MASK to Albedo (DIFF), Blend Maps, Blend Normals, and Albedo from Photos.
    • Crash on New Project after Project with Filters.
    • Crash is certain situation on Normal Map Render Fail.


Version 4.0.6

A number of new features have been added, 2 new maps for PRO users, and bug fixes.
  • Features

    • Added Smoothing Properties into AO from Displacement Map. Those using LUA scripts should update the indices for map_disp_to_ao2. Export the map to script to see the changes.
    • Ability to reset node properties to default values. Use the property config button found to the right of the node properties.
    • Updated the default project layouts to include the new maps, norm to cavity and norm to curve.
    • Various UI improvements.
  • PRO Features

    • New Map: Normal to Cavity. Convert tangent space normals to cavity maps.
    • New Map: Normal to Curve. Convert tangent space normals to curve maps. Includes a number of options to export curves to various channels.
    • Ability to save node property values as default. Separate option to save property page as default page.
    • Ability to reset node properties to saved property values. Use the property config button found to the right of the node properties.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash on Loading 10K + maps.
    • Channel Select in Maps generated from Displacement was out of order.
    • Memory Leak on Project Load - Some material_ids auto generated were left hanging.
    • Distance returned from ray casting at models was sometimes negative, throwing off baking results. All better now.


Version 4.0.5
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Fixed problem loading Help Files on new Installations.


Version 4.0.4

A number of PRO only features have been added as well as some optimizations and bug fixes.
  • PRO Features

    • Import material IDs with Model Node Import.
    • Auto color material IDs with Model Node Import.
    • Auto Cage dialog for generating simple cage geometry sized to models.
    • LUA Script API - Export projects to script / batch script. Run scripts from the main interface.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Order of Pre Filters being altered on select node.
    • Improved the font rendering for the default font.
    • Removed copy of localization files to user Documents directory.


Version 4.0.3
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Fixed a crash with multisampling enabled in maps from 3D models.


Version 4.0.2
  • Optimized 16 bit Calculations - Greatly increased the speed of map rendering throughout the entire system. Maps will now generate up to 250% faster.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Activation issue for some PRO License users
    • Documentation: Updated installation instructions
    • Telemetry issues during activation
    • AO from Disp Map: Crash in some instances


Version 4.0.1
  • New 3D Formats - Added support for 3DS and DAE (Collada) when loading 3D models.
  • 16 Bit Images - All map rendering is now using 16 bit floating point numbers. Maintains precision while reducing memory.
  • Color Tool - Model Setup color tool is used to paint triangles or subsets. This information can be passed to map plugins such as the Color ID map.
  • Color ID Map - New map renders colors of 3D Models to generate Color ID maps for painting applications.
  • Normal Map Plugin - Version 2 of the Normal Map from Displacement has been added. It adds controls for low, mid, and high detail normal angles.
  • Tilt Vector Transform - Rotate any layer in the Normal Editor by selecting it with the Transform Tool and using the interface in the Transform Panel.
  • Data Panel - The Map Preview now has a right panel which displays information about the selected map. A histogram is displayed for standard maps and a normal radar for normal maps.
  • New Project Format - Removed single compressed file format in favor of a separate data folder saved next to the project file. Individual data files (locked maps, models, etc) are compressed and stored in the folder.
  • Toggle Map Channels - A new control in the Map Preview allows toggling of individual map channels.
  • New Activation Method - Pro and University versions of ShaderMap are now activated by double clicking a license key file.
  • Help System - A built in help system is now available. The user can press and hold F1 while clicking any control to learn about it.
  • Theme Update - Removed drop shading, using new fonts, updated interface graphics.
  • Localization - All text in ShaderMap is now stored in external text files for easy translation.
  • Select Language - Added option to select language in the Options and Settings screen. Currently only support for English.
  • Optimized Tiling - Increased speed and decreased memory usage when rendering tiled maps.
  • Disable Auto Render - Right click on any map node to disable auto render, an additional control is shown to start and stop rendering.
  • Filters Moved - The filter stack for each map is now located on a separate tab with the map properties.
  • Model Setup History - Triangle and subset selections now saved in history.
  • Model Setup Tooling - Applied a damper scalar value to tooling amounts and camera strafes / rotations. This improves tooling accuracy when zoomed close to a 3D Model.
  • Missing Normals - If a model is loaded without normals then they are quickly auto generated.
  • Legacy Plugins - Added option to show legacy plugins in the Add Node dialog.
  • Animated Render Progress - In some cases where the render progress bar seemed stuck before, now it will continue to animate.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Crash on select normal layer name text from left to right
    • Crash when saving template with too many 4096x4096 textures and filters
    • Crash when creating new material in certain conditions
    • Selecting individual triangles (push, scale) was off sometimes, had to do with selecting closest triangle
    • Disable cage tools when in source model mode
    • Crash in N Editor TPF threads conflicting with history listbox render on finish history event


Version 3.0.9
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Save maps to UNC Network Path was failing
    • TGA image save of type RGBA_8 had an incorrect header value


Version 3.0.8
  • New OBJ 3D Model Importer - Replaced old OBJ model importer with a stable and fast loader based on the FBX SDK for OBJ models.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • 3D model loading from older (pre 3.0.6) projects causing a crash on load.
    • Conversion of older (pre 3.0.6) project data failed in some cases to properly convert 3D model UV indices.


Version 3.0.7
  • XML Filename Override File - New XML file overriding default directories, filenames, and suffixes for batch naming and default projects. See the section Filename Override XML for more details.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Project Templates not saving Locked Source Map filepath in Project File.
    • Source Template node removing Channel Mixer data on load Source from file.


Version 3.0.6
  • UV Channel Selection in Visualizer - Allow selection of Geo UV channel in Material Visualizer. Control is under the 3d preview window.
  • UV Channel Selection for 3D Nodes - Allow selection of UV channel in 3D node properties. Controls for main and cage type models.
  • Optimizations - Decrease ray casts when picking models in the Material Visualizer. Increased speed of tessellation algorithm using multi-threading.
  • SDK Geo Import Changes - SDK 3D Import plugins can now import multiple UV channels to ShaderMap. The gp_create_render_geometry() and gp_create_node_geometry() function parameters have changed to allow for this. See the SDK geo import examples.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Memory Leak - Filter Dialog not released if open when app is closed.
    • Project Grid model reload button sometimes disabled when should be enabled.
    • Normal corruption/loss when importing some models into ShaderMap as nodes.
    • Getting extra subsets in 3D Model Setup for scenes with multiple objects.
    • Crash on toggle overlay in Normal Editor when template nodes are in the project.


Version 3.0.5
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Critical Error when attempting to use Advanced Setup in Version 3.0.4.
    • Fixed a memory leak in Feedback System.


Version 3.0.4
  • Auto Update - Optional auto updating of ShaderMap. Requires internet connection and downloads happen in the background when they are made available.
  • Usage Feedback - Optional feedback system reports usage of nodes, layers, tools, etc and is sent to Rendering Systems anonymously. This feature should help us know which features to improve as ShaderMap continues to grow. Internet connection is required.
  • Project Templates - Can now save a project as a Template project file. All unlocked source nodes will be empty when the Template is loaded. The user can then load source nodes to complete the project.
  • Start Screen Template Library - A new drop down control has been added to the Start screen. Project Templates saved in the folder "C:\Users\[USER]\Documents\ShaderMap\SM3\Libs\Template" will appear in the drop down control. Select a Template from the drop down list to load it.
  • Option to Toggle Auto Update - New option to enable / disable Automatic Updates.
  • Option to Toggle Usage Feedback - New option to enable / disable Usage Feedback reporting.
  • Node Context Menu - Added Clone Model and Delete Model to the 3D Model node context menu.
  • Delete Node Shortcut - Users can now delete a node simply by pressing the Del key.
  • Smart Assign Node Inputs - When selecting inputs for new nodes ShaderMap will choose the most recently added matching input (if found) else will assign the most recently added node.
  • Option to Choose Node Input Assignment - New option to choose from smart input assign or most recent input assign.
  • Project Grid Swap Inputs - For maps with multiple inputs, the Project Grid interface now allows the easy swap of two inputs by dragging and dropping the input over another input.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Error saving project to file with empty normal editor layer.
    • Tile in material not being loaded correctly from project file.
    • Save/Load paths not always remembered when setting up save path in maps.
    • Additional error catching and reporting in project save/load archive functions.
    • Memory Leak on drag replace source model.
    • Memory Leak on drag replace cage model.


Version 3.0.3
  • Source Model Batching - Can now batch process maps for source models. Cage model batching is not yet supported.
  • Improved Batch Saving - Only maps with save filepaths that are children of the source node are saved to file.
  • Bake Alpha Channel from 3D Models - Maps that are created from 3D Models now have a property to allow the storing of alpha in the final map.
  • Improved Normal Editor Layer Surface - Layer profiles that apply surface now maintain edges even when using large blur sizes.
  • Major Improvement to Blur Quality - Fixed issue with boxed edges at large blur radius sizes, also optimized blur memory usage.
  • Greatly Improved Map Edge Expansion - New algorithm is many-many times faster with far less memory requirements.
  • Unique DEMO Support Feed - Demo users now have a separate support feed loaded into the ShaderMap support UI.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Resize Normal Editor shape crash - when null rect.
    • Normal Editor crash on delete certain layer pixels.
    • Memory leak on Normal Editor render layer profile.
    • Memory leak on Normal Editor generate displacement normals.


Version 3.0.2
  • Forward Model to Material Visualizer - Users can now push send a Source Model to the Material Visualizer from the Project Grid by right clicking the Source Model.
  • UDIM Support for Model Maps - Maps that use Source Models as input can now use a UDIM ID to generate the map for the offset UV coordinates.
  • Option to use 127 or 128 as Zero in Normals - This option allows the user to force exported 8 bit Normal Maps to use 128 as zero instead of the default 127.
  • Option to set Max U - This allows the user to define the maximum number of horizontal tiles in for UDIM enabled maps.
  • Option to set UDIM Postfix - This allows the user to set the postfix format used by UDIM enabled maps.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • Linear Filtering was disabled for some textures in the Material Visualizer.
    • Some file formats loaded as mask were being flipped vertically.
    • Preserve Alpha, when disabled, had no affect on Albedo [Diff] map.
    • Fixed UV coordinates on Cylinder default geometry.
    • Pre Filters were not working on Normal Maps with non normal map inputs.


Version 3.0.1
  • High Precision Floating Point Maps - All image calculations are now done using high precision floating point values. This allows for HDR (linear color space) work flow and removes the Force 16 bit option.
  • 16 / 32 Bit Image Load and Save - Added support for EXR and HDR 16/32 bit floating point load and save.
  • 32 Bit Image Loading - Added support for loading 32 bit PSD and TIFF images.
  • 3D Models as Source - Maps can now be generated from a 3D Model. Additional maps have been added to take advantage of this feature. See the New Maps section.
  • Map Filter Stack - Each map node can now have a number of filters applied in a sortable stack. Filters can be applied pre and post map generation if the map has inputs. See the New Filters section.
  • Tessellated Displacement Material - Replaced Parallax Mapping with a new Displacement Material. The material displaces vertices along their normals. Tessellation can now be applied to any model in the Material Visualizer.
  • New Maps

    • Albedo Map from Diffuse - Create an albedo map to be used in PBR. Control shadow and highlights as well as average luminosity.
    • Ambient Occlusion from Displacement - A greatly improved method of generating Ambient Occlusion from displacement maps.
    • World Space Normals from 3D Model - Generate world space normals from source model or using cage projection method.
    • Tangent Space Normals from 3D Model - Generate tangent space normals using cage projection method.
    • Displacement from 3D Model - Generate displacement map using cage projection method.
    • Ambient Occlusion from 3D Model - Generate ambient occlusion maps from source model or using cage projection method.
    • Curvature from 3D Model - Create Convex / Concave from the source model or using a cage projection method.
  • New Map Filters

    • Blur - Gaussian blur the map pixels.
    • Threshold - Create white pixels where pixel luminance is above threshold.
    • Flip - Invert the map vertically / horizontally.
    • Exposure - Control pixel exposure.
    • Normalize - Normalize pixel brightness between a given range.
    • Brightness/Contrast - Control map brightness and contrast.
    • Color Overlay - Overlay a color with a set opacity and blend mode.
    • Color Balance - Adjust Red, Green, and Blue in the map.
    • Black & White - Convert the map to grayscale using a selected weighting.
    • Invert - Invert the map pixels around a given center line.
    • Shadow/Highlight - Control the intensity of shadows and highlights.
    • Normal Blur - Blur a normal map. Ensures normalization of vectors.
  • Map Masks - Added optional image masks to all map plugins. Each map and filter plugin has the option to enable / disable and invert mask during processing.
  • New Layout and Style - This includes solid backgrounds, resized controls, changes in placement of some controls.
  • New Project Grid Control - This replaces the old Map Grid interface and is now compatible with 3D models. Additional buttons have been added to the Project Grid to allow adding and deleting of maps and models directly using the grid interface.
  • Manually Set Project Grid Resolution - New controls to increase or decrease the number of node cells in the Project Grid.
  • Drag / Replace Source Node - The user can now drag a source file (image or 3D Model) to an existing node in the project grid. The user is then given the option to replace the current node or add the file to the project.
  • Persistent Normal Editor Layers - Layers created by the Normal Editor are not destroyed on Map Unlock state. This allows the user to make adjustments to the underlying map while retaining layer pixels.
  • Delete Normal Editor Layers - Deletion of all Normal Editor Layers can be done in a node's Context Menu.
  • Map Setup Page Removed - No longer need the Map Setup page as this is now done using the Project Grid control.
  • Info Popup Dialogs - Each node has a new control to display an info popup that describes the node information.
  • Drag and Clone - Clone a selected map by pressing SHIFT and dropping on empty grid cell.
  • Delete Node Warning - A Messagebox warning appears when deleting a node (turn off in settings).
  • Display Node Name or Source Path - Node name or Source file name are displayed in the node properties as well as in tooltips.
  • Updated Map Context Menus - Added additional options to open Map Filter Stack, Clone Map, Delete Map, (also on context over map in Map Preview)
  • Aligned Context MenusContext menus are now left or right aligned - option is in settings.
  • Material Number System - A numbering system in the material setup now displays the corresponding map in the Project Grid.
  • Channel Select on Mono Input Maps - Most maps that require a single channel map for input (such as displacement) now offer a channel selection control.
  • Force Coordinates and Tile Mode - Forcing the Coordinate System and Tile Mode in the options now act as default initial values rather than forced throughout the work flow.
  • New Normal Blend Modes - Added 4 additional blend modes to the Normal Blend Map. These modes are similar to the blend modes used in the Normal Editor.
  • Add and Delete Materials - To match the new Project Grid interface the Material Grid now offers controls to add and delete materials directly in the control.
  • Start Screen Changes - Added 3D Model option to default project setup. Also added previous files drop list.
  • Simplified Batch Map Naming - Now use a numbering system if filename conflicts occur. This replaces the long file names used previously.
  • Batch Map Save Locations - Batched maps now save to the directory in which the batch source images are located rather than the project source location.
  • Last Save / Load in Project - Added the last save and load directories to the project file so they can be loaded with a project.
  • Command Line XML Setup - A project can now be setup (maps, save paths, etc) by passing an XML file to the binary. This should help with users who would like to better integrate ShaderMap into their work flow tools.
  • Bugs Fixed

    • User mouse control was failing to update if pointer was off the window.
    • Map Preview Zoom was being reset when a map render was interrupted.
    • Per vertex tangents had errors causing slight artifacts in mesh rendering with normal maps.
    • Specular Map brightness was not working for all 16 bit maps
    • Displacement from Diffuse Map blending detail was fixed so lower values result in a darker image.
    • Tool Tips when a dialog box is on top of controls the bottom tool tip still popped up.
    • Normal intensity had too big of a jump between values 12-13 for certain sized images.
    • Sometimes failed to recover the graphics device after another app goes full screen.
    • OBJ import plugin now creates subsets from a material file if defined or by face group. Before was only creating by face group.

ShaderMap Software Documentation
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