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Changelog

What's new

Stay up to date with the latest GenPBR updates, new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

Coming Soon: API Improvements

  1. Featurev2.7.1

    Clearer Height, a Preview That Moves, and a Simpler Trial

    Height maps keep the big shapes (mortar, seams, faces) and drop the speckle that looked like fur. The 3D preview now pushes the surface in and out with that map. The public demo is quicker, and pricing tells you the trial is $0 today.

    New features

    • Height maps with real depth. Grooves stay visible. Tiny grain that made the map look fuzzy or furry is smoothed out. The site, the demo, and the API all build the same height map.
    • The 3D model actually moves. Bright areas rise and dark areas sink. Mid-gray stays on the original surface, so the whole model does not shrink. The Displacement slider still sets how deep it goes, and it starts a bit stronger so you can see it.
    • [Public demo](/demo).Public demo.** A brick example runs in the browser: color shows up first, then the other maps fill in. You can flip the height map without rebuilding everything.
    • Roblox export. Download one ZIP with color, metalness, normal, and roughness images ready for Roblox.
    • Sharper downloads from the API. Normal, roughness, metallic, ambient occlusion, and height maps are PNG, so they are not softened the way JPEG is.

    Improvements

    • Normal maps default to the OpenGL direction used by Roblox and Unity. Choose DirectX when you need the Unreal green-channel flip.
    • Metal looks less muddy, and roughness matches between the generator and the API.
    • Ambient occlusion no longer crushes to pure black. You can bake it into the color map for Roblox.
    • Only the base color is treated as a photo in the viewer. The other maps stay as plain data, so the lighting stays honest.
    • Making a normal map larger no longer bends the shading.
    • The demo control panel can scroll, the preview is taller, and it pauses when it is off screen.
    • Trial buttons say $0 today and show the monthly price after the trial. The pricing page answers when you are charged, how free differs from Starter, and how to cancel.
    • The commercial-use reminder waits three days before it asks again.

    Bug fixes

    • Height edges are less fuzzy and less interlaced, without washing out the large height differences.
  2. Majorv2.7.0

    GenPBR Capture, Chrome Extension & Windows Explorer

    Convert images to full PBR material packs from wherever you find them. GenPBR Capture for Chrome adds a right-click context menu on webpage images; Capture for Windows adds the same workflow inside File Explorer. Both share the GenPBR Capture API with 3 free conversions per install, then optional plan API keys.

    New features

    • [Chrome / Edge / Opera extension](/chrome-extension)Chrome / Edge / Opera extension**, right-click any webpage image → Convert to PBR Material → download a ZIP (`normal_map.png`, `metallic_map.png`, `roughness_map.png`, `ao_map.png`)
    • Extension popup, free-use counter, tunable normal / metallic / roughness / AO parameters, optional `gpbr_…` API key, and API base URL (defaults to genpbr.com)
    • [Windows Explorer Capture](/windows-shell)Windows Explorer Capture**, lightweight PowerShell context menu (no Electron, no admin). Double-click `Install.cmd` to register Convert to PBR Material for PNG, JPG, WEBP, BMP, TIF, TGA, and GIF
    • Windows parameters dialog, dark GenPBR-styled UI with rememberable defaults, Reset / Cancel / Generate, and ZIP saved beside the source file (`name_pbr_YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.zip`)
    • Quiet / scriptable Windows mode, `GenPBRCapture.ps1 -Quiet` plus `Set-ApiKey.ps1` / `Set-Options.ps1` for pipelines
    • Shared freemium Capture API, `POST /api/v1/extension/generate` with install ID quota (3 free uses per install) and plan quota when an API key is present
    • Marketing & install guides, product pages with real UI previews, Load unpacked instructions (Chrome Web Store pending), and one-click ZIP downloads

    Improvements

    • Nav and footer now surface Capture (Chrome) and Windows alongside API and Blender
    • Packaged downloads: `/downloads/genpbr-capture-extension.zip` and `/downloads/genpbr-capture-windows.zip` (`npm run capture:pack`)
    • Sitemap, SiteNavigation JSON-LD, and llms.txt updated so assistants and crawlers can discover Capture workflows

    Bug fixes

    • Chrome Web Store listing is still under review, public installs use Developer mode → Load unpacked until approval (also works via `opera://extensions`)
  3. Majorv2.6.0

    Marketing Site UI Overhaul

    GenPBR’s public marketing experience has been rebuilt around a single design system, zinc surfaces, amber CTAs, and editorial layouts that feel like a graphics utility, not a generic SaaS template. Every major marketing page now shares the same fast, server-rendered chrome.

    New features

    • Unified GenPBR marketing design system, shared tokens, cards, buttons, and typography across /, pricing, resources, blog, API docs, Blender, compare, legal pages, and more
    • MarketingPageShell + MarketingSiteHeader, lightweight server-rendered header/footer on all public routes; removed the heavy dashboard client shell from marketing pages
    • Homepage, new editorial hero, map specimen preview, and a performant fixed WebGL height-field background (with reduced-motion fallback)
    • Distinct page layouts, product-focused free tools, story-driven about, developer-style PBR API, magazine blog index, curated resources directory, and accessible legal reading columns
    • SEO channel pages, consistent chrome on PBR generator landing pages (normal, roughness, metallic, height, image-to-PBR, etc.)
    • Changelog timeline, vertical release history with version badges and one-click copy for release notes

    Improvements

    • Replaced purple-pink gradient templates, floating blur orbs, and neon card effects sitewide on marketing routes
    • Contact and support forms keep bot shield and honeypots; support tiers shown as a compact comparison table
    • Blog posts use genpbr prose styling with restored dark-mode rendering for markdown and code blocks
    • Lifetime and purchase success pages use clean scarcity and confirmation UI without animated gradient widgets
    • Announcement bar no longer blocks header navigation clicks before dismiss
    • Footer Discord link uses a direct external URL to avoid Next.js prefetch CORS errors
    • Faster first paint on marketing routes by deferring dashboard-only client bundles

    Bug fixes

    • Fixed header nav links being unclickable while the top announcement banner was visible
    • Fixed blog post crash (`useDarkMode must be used within a DarkModeProvider`) after the marketing migration
    • Fixed console CORS errors from prefetching the `/discord` redirect
  4. Featurev2.5.2

    Roughness Map Quality Overhaul

    Roughness maps no longer default to an overly glossy, plastic look. The generator now uses a unified multi-scale variance algorithm across Canvas, WebGL, and API paths for more realistic dielectric materials.

    New features

    • Rewritten roughness algorithm using multi-scale local variance (micro + meso detail) instead of inverted edge detection
    • Laplacian micro-contrast analysis replaces the old “sharp edges = glossy” logic that made most textures look wet or plastic
    • Material floor (~0.35 roughness) so dielectric surfaces stay physically plausible instead of mirror-smooth
    • Percentile-based contrast stretch (8th–92nd) for natural variation without harsh histogram equalization
    • Unified implementation shared across /generate, the PBR dashboard, and the RESTful API

    Improvements

    • S-curve remapping and perceptual gamma for smoother intensity slider response
    • Rec.709 luminance weighting for consistent analysis across all generation paths
    • Slightly faster WebGL path (removed heavy Sobel pass in favor of a 4-neighbor Laplacian)
    • Flat uniform regions can still read slightly smoother, but with a capped reduction so they no longer dominate the map
  5. Featurev2.5.1

    MaterialX Export & Height Maps - Professional Export Formats

    Export your PBR materials in industry-standard MaterialX format for seamless integration with modern rendering pipelines. Plus, generate height maps for advanced displacement mapping and more detailed 3D surfaces. All export formats available now - MaterialX support coming to API soon!

    New features

    • ✨ MaterialX Export - Export complete PBR material sets in MaterialX (.mtlx) format, ready for Arnold, RenderMan, USD, and other modern rendering engines
    • 🏔️ Height Maps & Displacement - Generate height maps as the 5th PBR map type for advanced surface detail and displacement mapping
    • 🎨 Multi-Layer Height Algorithm - Advanced height map generation with configurable coarse, medium, and fine detail layers
    • 🔧 3D Viewer Displacement - Full displacement mapping support in the 3D viewer with adjustable displacement scale
    • 🔜 API Height Maps Coming Soon - Height map generation will be available via RESTful API in an upcoming release

    Improvements

    • Enhanced ZIP export organization for cleaner material sets
    • Better displacement visualization in 3D viewer with proper geometry subdivision
  6. Majorv2.5

    RESTful API + Blender Plugin Released, Credit System & Subscription Overhaul

    A complete reimagining of our credit and subscription system. Monthly credits, flexible credit packs, and a powerful billing dashboard make it easier than ever to manage your PBR texture generation workflow. RESTful API access is now available for paid plans. Our Blender plugin is now available (paid plan required for use at the moment). Check out our new YouTube channel for tutorials and updates!

    New features

    • Our pricing model and licensing have completely changed to keep this tool sustainable.
    • Foundational features added for enterprise team management
    • Monthly subscription credits - automatic credit distribution on your billing date
    • Credit packs - purchase additional credits in convenient sizes (125 to 10,000) from the billing dashboard
    • Never-expiring purchased credits - credits you buy directly never expire
    • Enhanced billing dashboard - complete transaction history and usage analytics
    • Smart credit management - automatic tracking of free, monthly, and purchased credits
    • RESTful API Access - API keys for paid plans are now available for our robust RESTful API
    • Improved API key management - better tracking and quota monitoring
    • Blender extension/plugin released - now you can generate PBR textures directly from Blender powered by our API
    • Purchase receipts - automatic email confirmations for all transactions

    Improvements

    • Various UI improvements
    • New sign-up/login flow
    • Completely overhauled the premium channel packer tool
    • Enhanced security and data integrity
    • Further support added for enterprise teams
    • Improved web renderer
    • Improved algorithm speeds
    • Improved error handling and messaging
    • Improved Lifetime Founder benefits

    Bug fixes

    • Various bug fixes and improvements
  7. Majorv2.4

    New Unified PBR Dashboard

    The biggest usability upgrade since launch. The former Canvas + WebGL workflows are now combined into one clean, compact dashboard at /dashboard/pbr. The entire flow of "upload → tweak → preview → export" is now smoother and far more usable.

    New features

    • Unified interface - no more switching between generators
    • Less scrolling, faster workflows
    • Improved generation controls
    • Compact material preview
    • More efficient texture outputs panel
    • Better theme consistency & polish
    • Clearer loading and render feedback
    • Ctrl+V paste support for base colors - quickly paste images into the file picker
  8. Featurev2.3.5

    Enhanced Normal Maps & Free Generation

    Major quality improvements to normal map generation with dramatically improved realism and reduced artifacting. Plus free texture generation for everyone and upcoming plugin support infrastructure.

    New features

    • Completely rewritten normal map algorithm matching WebGL quality across all generation methods
    • Eliminated extreme intensity and artifacting issues - smooth, realistic normal maps even at low strength values
    • Proper tangent-space normal calculation with individual vector normalization for professional results
    • Normal strength slider standardized: 0-10 range with sensible defaults (5) across all interfaces
    • Free texture generation at /generate - create all PBR maps up to 512x512 resolution without logging in
    • Backend infrastructure deployed to support upcoming plugin integrations for software like Blender
    • Enhanced roughness map generation with improved surface analysis and multi-factor evaluation

    Improvements

    • Normal maps now produce smooth, artifact-free results at all strength settings
    • Consistent normal map quality between Canvas, WebGL, and server-side generation
    • Fixed brightness normalization ensuring realistic depth perception
    • Roughness maps show significantly more detail with better contrast and dynamic range
    • Better material distinction between smooth reflective surfaces and rough matte areas

    Bug fixes

    • Fixed Canvas normal map algorithm causing intense saturation and artifacts
    • Corrected missing tangent vector normalization in all generation modes
    • Fixed inconsistent behavior between client and server-side normal map generation
  9. Featurev2.3.0

    API Support for Texture Generation

    Introducing programmatic access to GenPBR's texture generation capabilities through a robust REST API. Integrate PBR texture generation directly into your workflows, applications, and pipelines.

    New features

    • RESTful API endpoint for server-side PBR texture generation
    • Support for all texture types: Normal, Metallic, Roughness, and Ambient Occlusion maps
    • API key management system with tiered access levels (Free, Starter, Pro, Enterprise)
    • Comprehensive usage tracking and analytics for API consumption
    • Deployed globally on the edge - for fast, scalable processing
    • Base64 image input/output for seamless integration
    • Configurable generation parameters (strength, intensity, radius) for fine-tuned results

    Improvements

    • Server-side texture generation with efficient image processing
    • Usage history and statistics tracking for API keys
    • Team-based API key assignment and quota management
  10. Featurev2.2.0

    2x Upscaling with GPU Acceleration

    Blazing fast texture upscaling feature with automatic WebGL/CPU selection for optimal performance and quality.

    New features

    • Client-side 2x upscaling for all PBR texture maps with bicubic interpolation
    • Dual implementation: WebGL GPU-accelerated upscaling (10-50x faster) with automatic CPU fallback
    • Premium feature for Base and Plus users with beautiful toggle control
    • Smart progress tracking: 0-50% for generation, 50-100% for upscaling
    • Integrated into both Canvas and WebGL generation pages
    • Double GPU acceleration on WebGL page: GPU texture generation + GPU upscaling

    Improvements

    • Enhanced performance for large texture processing (4K → 8K in ~600ms with WebGL)
    • Better quality output with Catmull-Rom bicubic kernel
    • Memory-safe with automatic dimension validation
  11. Patchv2.1.1

    Feedback System & Dashboard Improvements

    Enhanced user communication with integrated feedback system and dashboard refinements.

    New features

    • Added bug report and feedback modal directly in the dashboard sidebar

    Improvements

    • Various improvements and bug fixes
  12. Featurev2.1.0

    Bulk Upload & Download

    Revolutionary bulk processing capabilities for efficient batch texture generation and download.

    New features

    • Bulk upload support: Free users can process up to 4 textures at once
    • Premium bulk processing: Base and Plus subscribers can handle up to 10 textures simultaneously
    • Batch download functionality for efficient workflow management
    • Parallel processing for faster generation times
    • Enhanced bulk texture manager with progress tracking
  13. Patchv2.0.3

    Copy & More Features

    Enhanced user experience with quick copy functionality and comprehensive changelog tracking.

    New features

    • Added copy image features to generated textures for quick clipboard copying
    • Implemented comprehensive changelog system to track all updates
    • Added sidebar collapse functionality to the dashboard
  14. Featurev2.0.2

    Live Preview Integration

    Real-time preview capabilities for generated maps with enhanced visualization.

    New features

    • Added live preview functionality to generated maps on canvas generator page
    • Integrated live preview on WebGL generator page for real-time material visualization
  15. Minorv2.0.1

    Resolution Upgrades

    Significant resolution improvements across all subscription plans for higher quality outputs.

    New features

    • Free plan: Upgraded from 512px to 1024px resolution
    • Base plan: Enhanced from 2K to 4K resolution
    • Plus plan: Boosted from 4K to 8K resolution
  16. Majorv2.0.0

    GenPBR.com Launch

    The official launch of GenPBR.com with comprehensive PBR texture generation capabilities.

    New features

    • Launch of GenPBR.com platform
    • Support for Ambient Occlusion map generation
    • Advanced map packing functionality
    • Multiple generation algorithms and techniques
    • User authentication and subscription management
    • Canvas and WebGL rendering engines