Texture Baking Assistant

Texture Baking Assistant is a feature-packed add-on for Blender, explicitly designed to optimize and simplify the texture baking workflow. This tool is a perfect fit for users who primarily utilize Blender's built-in texture baking but find the procedure too complex or time-consuming. The add-on significantly automates the process, ensuring a fast, efficient, and user-friendly experience.

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Texture Baking Assistant 1.4.0 Release Notes

(This version is very stable, I tried to eliminate all possible bugs with the plugin's operation and interface (for example, if you do not select baking types before baking, the plugin will warn you that you have not selected texture types, and so on). So far, I have received only positive feedback in personal messages about the plugin, if this continues, I think I will add the function of automatic packaging of UV maps for 3.6 version of Blender and remove the Beta status)

I am excited to announce the latest update to the Texture Baking Assistant plugin - version 1.4.0 Stable Beta. This is a significant update that brings numerous improvements and features.

💿 To install this update, please uninstall the plugin, restart Blender, and then install the plugin again.

What's New in Version 1.4.0:

• PBR Texture Baking: The plugin now supports PBR texture baking based on the Principled BSDF. All inputs of the Principled BSDF are available for baking.
• Bug Fixes: A number of bugs related to incorrect usage of the plugin have been fixed. Here are some examples:
  • If a user tries to bake an object without selecting it, an error message will now be displayed.
  • If a user does not select a texture type for baking, an error message will indicate what went wrong.
  • If a user tries to bake textures on an object that's disabled for rendering, the plugin will enable the object for rendering and then disable it after baking.
  • If textures are attempted to be baked in a new file, the plugin will default to baking the textures in the temp folder.
  • And more similar bug fixes have been implemented.
• Folder Organization: The plugin now bakes textures not into a single selected folder but creates separate folders with the name of the baking object in that folder. This is especially useful for batch baking.
• Improved Object Handling: If any selected objects have no polygons after conversion, the baker will skip these objects.
• OpenEXR Texture Baking: I've added the ability to bake textures in OpenEXR.

Version 1.4.3:

Mainly fixing interface bugs, duplicating the plugin interface of the all-in-one editor shader, added error output if a person bakes a node without a selected object

This is a big update, and while I've done my best to fix all potential bugs that I've found, I'm releasing it as a beta. If you encounter any issues, I strongly encourage you to write to me. I will certainly help you resolve them.

Thank you for your support. If you like the plugin, please leave a positive review – it's very important to me.
Do not hesitate to contact me in case of any issues with the plugin. I appreciate your feedback!

Version 1.4.4:

Transition from the "Stable Beta" version to the "Stable" version 

I am happy to say that over the past month I have caught only one bug that occurred with the processing of materials if you had a material slot in the material of the object but no material itself - then the plugin would give an error, I fixed this bug. Of course, if the plugin has grown a lot and now has a fairly wide functionality, so I ask you if you encounter any bugs - please let me know - it is very important. Thank you :)

Version 1.4.5:

Fixed an issue with baking embedded images in individual material bake mode, related to a peculiar behavior in image updates for baking. Occasionally, Blender3D would replace one of the embedded images with the render.

Version 1.4.6:

Small bug fix for an issue encountered when baking in 'Selected to Active' mode. If the object had an empty material slot, it caused the program to hang. The bug has been fixed; now a temporary material is created during the bake in such cases.

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Version 1.2.2 - Release Notes

🦾 I'm excited to announce a new update for the Texture Baking Assistant add-on for Blender. This version includes a host of enhancements and bug fixes that I've been working hard to implement.

Here are some of the key highlights:

• Introduced separate modes for Individual Material Baking, Selected to Active, and All Materials to One, offering a more intuitive experience.
• A progress bar has been added for the baking process. It showcases the number of baked textures, overall progress, and percentage readiness, conveniently replacing the baking button during baking.
• Most importantly, baking can now be cancelled using the ESC key or the right mouse button. While it might not react immediately, Blender will catch the event after a few presses and the ongoing baking process will be halted as soon as the currently baking texture is completed.
• Made improvements to metallic baking; it now works correctly with any material based on the Principled BSDF.
• Added a "Bake from Applied" function in the Selected to Active mode. This significantly speeds up the baking process for complex objects.
• In Selected to Active mode, I've added a function that removes the material from the active object before baking.
• Additionally, I've introduced a feature that allows baking onto a duplicate of the active object in Selected to Active mode. This is extremely handy when adding details from other objects.

This update also includes many other enhancements and fixes. For a more detailed view, please refer to the updated documentation.

Thank you for using the Texture Baking Assistant!
I eagerly look forward to hearing your feedback on these updates.

Version 1.2.2 - Hotfix Update:

-- My goal is to make the most convenient and simple plugin for baking in Blender3d - so fixing bugs and adding new functionality or improving the interface is normal. --

⚙️ This is a hotfix update for version 1.2.0, primarily aimed at addressing baking issues and significantly enhancing baking stability. Here are the key changes:

• Improved Baking Performance: The baking process is now faster, providing an improved user experience and efficiency in your workflow.

• Key Interruption Enhancements: The ESC and right mouse button inputs, used for cancelling the baking process, have been refined. They are now guaranteed to always respond appropriately, giving you more control during the baking process.

• Fixed Bug for Repeated Baking: We've addressed a bug that occurred when Blender tried to remove temporary files during repeated baking. This fix ensures that Blender no longer crashes under these circumstances.

• Interface Bug Fix: Fixed an interface bug where, during baking in "all materials to one" mode, items from "selected to active" mode were being displayed. Now, only the relevant items pertaining to the current baking mode will be shown.

This update further solidifies the reliability and usability of the Texture Baking Assistant. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we thank you for helping us make this tool even better!

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Version 1.1.5 - Hotfix Release Notes

⚙️ In version 1.1.5, I addressed workflow efficiency and error reduction:

• Bug Fixes: Fixed an issue with handling non-Mesh objects during iteration.
• All Materials to One: Non-Mesh objects are now automatically converted to Mesh for baking.
• Modifier Application: Added functionality to apply modifiers to duplicates before baking in "All Materials to One" mode.

Your feedback has been invaluable in making these improvements, and I continue to welcome your suggestions.

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Version 1.1.0 - Major Release
(Exclusive for Standard Pack and Patron Pack)

This major release brings several significant new features, improvements, and workflow enhancements. We've focused on streamlining the user experience and enhancing functionality to create a smoother and more efficient baking process.

New Features:

• All Materials to One: This new functionality allows you to create a single object and bake all different materials from multiple objects into one texture-material.
  
  
• Create Material After Baking: A handy feature that automatically generates a material for the object once baking has completed.
• Hide Original After Baking: An optional feature to hide original objects after executing "Selected to Active" and "All Materials to One" baking operations.
• Open Save Folder: A new button that allows quick access to the texture save folder from within your computer's file system.

Improvements:

• Added Automatic UV Unwrapping for "Selected to Active" and "All Materials to One". This significantly improves the overall baking process by ensuring all objects are properly unwrapped.
• Smart UV Unwrap: This function has been enhanced and now individually unwraps each material across all selected objects.
• Albedo Baking: This process has been improved to provide more accurate results by disabling metalness parameters during the bake.
• Metallic Baking: Improved this baking feature by automatically re-connecting nodes in the node system before baking.

Workflow Enhancements:

• Addition of "Selected to Active" and "All Materials to One" buttons for more straightforward navigation.
• Baking types can now be collapsed or expanded, leading to a cleaner workspace and better workflow.
• Upon starting the baking process, the texture save folder is now automatically opened.

This release aims to significantly enhance the overall user experience and workflow within the application, ensuring efficient and effective baking procedures.

Remember, this major update is available exclusively to users of the Contributor Pack and Patron Pack. We value your feedback and look forward to bringing you even more improvements and new features in the future.

Thank you for your continued support!

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What's new in version 0.9.7

• Added bake active node feature, allowing to bake textures directly from the active material node for more flexibility and control over the baking process.
  
  
• Introduced bake with reconnect option. When enabled, this reconnects the output of the freshly baked texture node to where the active node was previously connected, ensuring material continuity.
  
  
• A compact panel added in the Shader Editor, named "Texture Baking Assistant". This panel duplicates some of the plugin's functionality for easy texture baking directly in the shader editor. It includes image settings, save location, sample count, and even provides an operator for a smart UV project and returning to object mode, making the baking process more accessible and efficient.

These updates are designed to streamline and automate your texture baking workflow in Blender. Enjoy!

For more details, see the video at the link...

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Workflow:

Main Features of Texture Baking Assistant

Comprehensive Texture Types Support:

The plugin supports an extensive range of texture types, such as Combined, Diffuse, Glossy, Transmission, Albedo, Emit, Specular, Ambient Occlusion, Shadow, UV, Environment, Roughness, and Normal, offering versatile options to suit your specific needs.

Customizable Baking Settings:

The add-on offers flexible baking options, allowing you to tailor the image size, sample count, file format, and other parameters according to your project requirements.

Selected to Active Modes:

Choose between baking textures from one object to another (Selected to Active) or baking textures for a single object, giving you flexibility in different workflow scenarios.

Automatic Material Creation:

Save time and effort with the plugin's automatic material generation feature. With baked textures, the add-on simplifies the setup process, allowing you to focus on creativity rather than manual technical adjustments.

Intuitive User Interface:

Texture Baking Assistant boasts a user-friendly interface that streamlines the texture baking process. Its design is straightforward and accessible, ensuring both beginners and seasoned users can effectively operate it.

Streamlined Workflow:

Operating the plugin is quick and simple. Select the object you wish to bake, choose the texture types to bake, pick a save location for the baked textures, and click 'Bake.' It's texture baking made hassle-free.

Smart UV Project:

Fast track your UV unwrapping process with a Smart UV Project feature. A single click on the button will unwrap the selected mesh using Blender's Smart UV Project, switching automatically to the edit mode if necessary. This feature also provides access to the Smart UV Project settings, allowing for customization.

Texture Baking Assistant is not just a tool; it's a game-changer that aims to provide a seamless and efficient texture baking experience to Blender users. Elevate your 3D texturing workflow today with the Texture Baking Assistant add-on.

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• Demo Images and Videos:

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Texture Baking Assistant: User Guide and Documentation

The Texture Baking Assistant is a Blender add-on designed to streamline and simplify the texture baking process within Blender. It's perfect for users who primarily use Blender's built-in texture baking but find the process inconvenient. This add-on automates the process, making it fast and easy with just a few clicks.

Installation:

1. Download the .zip file containing the Texture Baking Assistant add-on.
2. Open Blender and navigate to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
3. Click the Install button and locate the downloaded .zip file.
4. Enable the add-on by ticking the checkbox next to it.

Usage:

1. In Blender, switch to the Render Properties tab in the properties panel.
2. Locate the Texture Baking Assistant panel.
3. Set your desired baking options:
   • • Bake Mode: Choose the bake type, such as Combined, Diffuse, Glossy, etc.
   • • Selected to Active: Enable this option to bake textures from selected objects to the active object.
   • • Cage Extrusion: Set the distance to extrude the cage object along its normals (used when 'Use Cage' is enabled).
   • • Use Cage: Enable this option to use a cage object for baking.
   • • Cage Object: Specify the object to be used as a cage for baking.
   • • Samples: Set the number of samples to use for baking.
   • • Margin: Set the distance in pixels between the texture and its border.
   • • Width & Height: Set the size (in pixels) of the baked texture image.
4. Click the Bake Textures button to start the baking process.
5. After the baking is complete, you can click the Create Material button to automatically generate a material using the baked textures.

Tips and Recommendations:

• Ensure your objects are properly set up and configured for baking. For example, pay attention to proper UV unwrapping.

• Save your project before using the add-on to avoid any potential loss of data due to unexpected issues.

• The quality of the baked texture may depend on various factors, including render settings, lighting setup, and more.

• Experiment with different settings and parameters for the best results.

The Texture Baking Assistant add-on is developed to make the texture baking process in Blender more convenient. However, as with any tool, the best results come when the user fully understands the process and uses the appropriate settings. Always check your settings and results to achieve the desired effect.

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Support:

If you have any questions or issues with Texture Baking Assistant, please feel free to contact me, and I'll be glad to help you.

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Also my other products: