The texturing add-on Ucupaint for Blender has reached version 2.4.0. According to the official release notes, the update introduces a substantial number of new features, UI enhancements, and bug fixes aimed at improving performance and workflow stability across Blender versions 2.76 through 5.0.
What’s new for artists
Among the most notable additions is the introduction of a dedicated alpha channel, which provides a separate transparency layer instead of relying on background or alpha toggles. A new decal constraint system allows decal objects to stay fixed to the surface of a mesh, improving the projection workflow for labels and surface markings. The add-on now also detects files with a “Smoothness” suffix automatically and loads them into a single layer, while “other object” colour baking can be used to generate more precise masks.
Sculpting with vector displacement maps (VDMs) has been refined: when Mirror U/V is active, the Mirror modifier is temporarily applied, enabling symmetrical sculpting directly on mirrored geometry. A new operator in the normal-channel cog menu allows artists to apply all VDM layers at once to the multiresolution modifier. Baking options have expanded as well, with support for Open Shading Language (OSL) and an additional Ambient Occlusion channel that can be added after Quick Setup. Transparency can also now be used for missing rays during “other object” normal baking, and users can select the layer alpha as a channel source.
UI and workflow updates
Ucupaint 2.4.0 introduces a new sponsors panel that displays current supporters of the project, alongside a refreshed info panel showing contributor icons. A convenient button has been added to switch to material view when working in solid or wireframe mode. The software now displays a warning when creating realtime Ambient Occlusion or Edge Detect layers, clarifying that the viewport preview may differ from the baked result.
When the main channel list is collapsed in layer preview mode, the active channel name remains visible, aiding navigation in complex scenes. Material-specific settings such as render method or alpha blending have been moved into a new material dropdown, reducing clutter and improving workflow consistency.
Performance improvements
Version 2.4.0 also improves performance across multiple fronts. Transform operations within Blender experience noticeably less lag when the Ucupaint interface is visible, and UI sliders now respond more smoothly. Native VDM baking has been optimised for Blender 5.0, and the baking process in general has become faster since unrelated objects are automatically hidden during the operation.
Bug fixes
The update resolves a long list of stability issues. Blender’s built-in icons are now used more consistently to prevent missing icon errors. Baking a channel with multiple objects no longer causes incorrect colours when vertex-colour data is absent, and sculpting a VDM image with Flip Y/Z disabled now produces the correct mesh.
Errors when baking masks to images, particularly when the active object was hidden, have been fixed. Blender 5.0’s lack of an automatic output node, which previously caused baking errors, is now handled correctly, and mask baking with blur enabled works as intended. Other fixes address disappearing “Refresh Linear Color Space” buttons, eraser-tool crashes when using Erase Alpha blending, incorrect mask loading from colour ID attributes, and leftover baked masks when deleting layers. Additional bug fixes include resolving preview node disconnections, animation playback errors in Blender 5.0, incorrect default values for custom bake targets, and missing extrusion or ray-settings controls when “Use Cage” was disabled.
Caveats
No independent third-party testing of key features such as the new alpha-channel workflow or decal constraint system was available at press time, so users are advised to test thoroughly before deployment in production.
