Ucupaint 2.3, the latest update to the free Blender texturing add-on by ucupumar, introduces several new features aimed at enhancing the workflow for artists working with Blender’s Eevee and Cycles renderers.

The update includes real-time Ambient Occlusion (AO) that can be used as a layer or mask. This feature automatically updates the AO effect when edits are made to the mesh, allowing for immediate visual feedback.

A new “Rebake All Images” operator has been added, enabling users to rebake all baked layers and masks in a single operation. Additionally, the “Paste Layers” function now includes an option to rebake baked images upon pasting.

Other notable changes in version 2.3:

• Real-time Edge Detect can now be used as a layer.
• Real-time Edge Detect, AO, and Fake lighting layers are now bakeable as images.
• A new Dither option for bake channels helps avoid color banding.
• An OSL (Open Shading Language) option for bake channels addresses the “Out of SVM stack” error that can occur with complex materials.
• A “Fill selected geometry” option is available when ColorID or vertex color is added in Edit mode.
• Users can now copy and paste custom bake targets.
• The “Open Images from Material” function now checks node connections by default, rather than relying on image names.
• The “Paste Layer” function is now compatible with Ucupaint nodes that have different channel lists.

These enhancements are designed to improve the efficiency and flexibility of texture painting workflows within Blender. As with any new software update, it’s recommended to test these features thoroughly before integrating them into production environments.

For more information and to download Ucupaint 2.3, visit the official Blender Extensions page.

The post Ucupaint 2.3: Baking Bad Gets Better first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.