Changelog

Full version history for Light Wrangler. Newest releases first.

v4.2.9

March 12, 2026
  • Separate Glossy Color: Set a different color for glossy (specular) reflections independent of diffuse color.
  • Scrim Preview: Preview now renders both diffuse and glossy lights when Diffuse/Glossy split is active, showing the combined color appearance.
  • Fix: Rare crash on first install when background thumbnail downloads access Blender's online_access setting from worker threads.

v4.2.8

March 12, 2026
  • Fix: Add Light keyboard shortcut (F9) resetting to default after addon update or reinstall. User shortcut customizations now persist across updates.
  • Change: Default Add Light shortcut changed from F9 to F7 to avoid conflict with Blender's Adjust Last Operation (F9).
  • Fix: Custom IES folders showing only a subset of profiles instead of all files.
  • Change: IES local folder label renamed from "textures" to "Profiles" in addon preferences.
  • UI: Hide category dropdown when folder has no subcategories.

v4.2.7

March 11, 2026
  • False Color: Zone System and ARRI now show full Look options (Punchy, Greyscale, contrast controls) matching Blender's built-in False Color.
  • False Color: Improved OCIO config descriptions.

v4.2.6

March 7, 2026
  • Fix: Console error when opening a fresh file with a custom cache path set.

v4.2.5

March 6, 2026
  • Fix: Scrim texture duplication when creating new scrim lights after Snapshot addon restore.

v4.2.4

March 6, 2026
  • Fix: Error messages when adding scrim lights ("Unable to pack file, source path not found").

v4.2.3

March 4, 2026
  • Scrim Textures: Externalize packed scrim images to cache directory to reduce .blend file size.
  • Auto-Repair: Automatically restore dead V4 texture paths on file load (gobo, HDRI, IES). Relinks to current cache or downloads missing assets in background.

v4.2.2

March 2, 2026
  • Fix: Textures not populating new cache directory without restart when cache path is changed.
  • Fix: Gobo panel UI error.

v4.2.1

March 2, 2026
  • Fix: Custom cache path not applying for zip-installed users.

v4.2.0

March 1, 2026
  • Fix: Default cache directory being recreated on every startup when custom path was set.

v4.1.9

February 28, 2026
  • Custom Cache Directory: Redirect downloaded textures (gobos, HDRIs, IES) to a NAS, external drive, or any custom location. Existing cache content is automatically copied to the new location.

v4.1.7

February 27, 2026
  • V3 Texture Repair Tool: Scans scenes for broken v3 Light Wrangler texture paths, downloads originals from the server, and relinks references.
  • Fix: Duplicate image datablocks accumulating in Image Editor after node group loading.

v4.1.5

February 27, 2026
  • Internal packaging improvements.

v4.1.4

February 25, 2026
  • Fix: Performance lag when using custom texture folders.
  • Fix: Scrim preview transparency bleed-through.
  • Fix: Scrim background process error when running Blender in headless mode.

v4.1.3

February 13, 2026
  • Copy/Paste Light Settings: Added to right-click context menu.
  • Blender 5.1 Support: Extended max supported Blender version to 5.1.9.

v4.1.1

February 10, 2026
  • HDRI Contrast Slider: Added Contrast slider to HDRI light customization panel.
  • Fix: Addon freeze on activation when Scrim preview process fails to start.

v4.1.0

February 7, 2026
  • Mouse Drag Adjustment Mode: New "Adjustment Method" preference. Hold modifier keys and drag left/right to adjust light properties. Positioning is activated by holding 1/2/3 keys, eliminating accidental position jumps.
  • Fallback Positioning: Lights, flags, and reflectors now appear at the cursor position along the view ray when no geometry is under the mouse.
  • Camera Visibility Shortcut: V key now toggles camera visibility for Cycles area lights.
  • Fix: S shortcut toggling to Ellipse instead of Disk for square/disk area lights.

v4.0.5

February 6, 2026
  • Adaptive Power Scaling: Adaptive Initial Size now also scales light power using inverse square law for consistent illumination at adaptive distances.
  • Shift Toggle: Hold Shift while adding a light to temporarily toggle Adaptive Initial Size on or off.
  • Fix: Scrim preview rendering incorrectly when a diagnostic view transform was active.

v4.0.4

February 5, 2026
  • IES Scale Control: Added Scale slider for IES lights.
  • IES Rotation Fix: IES light direction now properly respects the light object's rotation.

v4.0.3

February 2, 2026
  • Scrim Light v3: Updated Scrim Light node group to version 3. Imperfection slider at zero now fully eliminates imperfections.

v4.0.2

January 31, 2026
  • Adaptive Initial Size: New preference that sets initial light distance and size based on the largest dimension of selected objects. Also applies to flags and reflectors.
  • IES Fixture Names: Built-in IES profiles now show their real fixture name in labels.
  • Fix: IES profile download failing after selection.
  • Fix: Undo reverting downloaded textures when undoing unrelated actions.

v4.0.1

January 15, 2026
  • Server-Based IES Profiles: IES profiles now downloaded on-demand from the server, matching the gobo/HDRI system.
  • Scrim Preview Default: Scrim preview is now enabled by default.
  • Unified Online Access: "Allow Online Access" button now downloads gobos, HDRIs, and IES previews together.
  • Fix: Upside-down gobo texture on flags with Keep Upright enabled.

v4.0.0

January 23, 2026
  • Online Catalog System: Textures now downloaded from a server instead of being bundled.
  • Diffuse/Glossy Balance: New slider to control a light's contribution to diffuse and glossy material components.
  • Gobo Mode for Flags: Blockers renamed to "Flags" with stencil gobo support.
  • EEVEE Spotlight Gobos: Gobo support now available in EEVEE.
  • HDRI Light v2: Added Hue Shift and Saturation controls.
  • ARRI False Color & Zone System: New view transform options.
  • IES Library Integration: Online IES browser with manufacturer/tag filtering, favorites, and search.
  • Auto IES Strength: Automatically adjusts strength based on IES profile data.
  • Terminology Updates: Blockers renamed to Flags. Transparency renamed to Opacity (inverted logic).
  • Keep Upright Toggle: New constraint-based rotation toggle (U key).
  • Tracking Support: Flags and reflectors now support object tracking.
  • Orbit Method Preference: Choose from three light rotation modes.
  • Z-Axis Rotation Step: Reduced from 5° to 2° for finer control.
  • IES Color Temperature Presets: Easy selection of common color temps.

v3.3.6

January 5, 2026
  • Fix: Distance reversal issue in Reflect/Direct modes after pause/resume.
  • Fix: Custom IES folders now correctly load from ies_paths collection.
  • Fix: Corrected HDRI rotation speed for Polydome.

v3.3.5

January 4, 2026
  • New preference: Initial spread setting for area lights.

v3.3.4

January 3, 2026
  • Fix: Resolved interactive mode failure caused by third-party addon interference.
  • New: Added flicker effects.

v3.3.2

December 23, 2025
  • Fix: Blocker and reflector visuals could be deleted when renaming the parent light.

v3.3.1

December 23, 2025
  • Blender 4.4 Compatibility: Updated light temperature API.
  • Fix: Gimbal lock — resolved 180° Z-axis rotation flip on vertically oriented lights.
  • Third-party HDRI addon support: Detect nodes with rotation inputs (e.g., PolyDome).
  • Overlay Visibility Respect: Overlays now correctly follow user gizmo and overlay visibility settings.

v3.3.0

December 17, 2025

New Features

  • Introduced blockers and reflectors.
  • Added node group controls for Scrim, HDRI, Gobo, and IES modes to the Light Customization panel.
  • Experimental Scrim light interactive preview.
  • Gobo customization mode now partially supports Blender asset libraries.
  • Custom texture slots are now dynamic — add or remove as many as needed.
  • Preference to disable obstacle avoidance.
  • Visual feedback for light linking operations.
  • HUD panel position preference (left/right).
  • Customizable color preferences for help values.
  • S-shape toggle for switching between SQUARE and DISK shapes.
  • Viewport gizmos can now enter interactive mode with a single click.
  • Gobo Stencil material panel with gobo selection UI for converted planes.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed Blender 5.0 auto-keying crash.
  • Fixed crash when using Scrim lights with external ACES/OCIO color configurations.
  • Fixed inverted light positioning and incorrect distance calculations.
  • Fixed orbit center not moving with duplicated lights.
  • Resolved TrueSKY add-on conflict.
  • Reduced Scrim node group size (TIFF → WebP).
  • Fixed IndexError in convert-to-plane operator.
  • Fixed animated gobo driver detection and dependency cycle.
  • Fixed video gobo thumbnails not being detected when already generated.

v3.2.6

September 30, 2025
  • Auto Power: Gobo mode excluded from automatic power changes.
  • Fix: TypeError when resuming with TAB key.
  • Blender 5.0 compatibility fixes.
  • Viewport: Added feathered border for modal operation feedback.

v3.2.5

September 25, 2025
  • New: Enable Tracking button for muted tracking constraints.
  • Font: Switched to Blender's native monospace font.

v3.2.4

September 19, 2025
  • Tracking: New confirmation dialog before disabling; constraints are now muted instead of removed.
  • Auto-Adjust Light Power now works for Point lights.
  • Bug fixes: Fixed crashes during animation playback.

v3.2.3

September 18, 2025
  • Scrim Light v2.1: Added slider to control Scrim edge sharpness.
  • N-Panel Awareness: HUD and controls adjust positions when N-panel is open.
  • Fix: Rare AttributeError when reopening Blender files.

v3.2.2

September 17, 2025
  • Blender 5.0 Compatibility: Fixes for HDRI and Scrim render operators.
  • Keymap improvements: Prevented keymap changes during addon registration.
  • Fix: Resolved conflict with Render Toolbox (and possibly ZenUV).

v3.2.1

September 16, 2025
  • Light Pie Menu: Added pie menu configuration to preferences UI.
  • Direct Mode Entry Keys: Now off by default; restores default collection hiding behavior when disabled.
  • Blender 5.0 Alpha: Initial support.

v3.2.0

September 9, 2025
  • Precise Mode: Press Space for exact surface positioning without normal averaging.
  • Axis Snapping for Orbit: New World/View axis snapping with smooth Ctrl transitions.
  • Texture System Overhaul: Improved reliability with automatic folder detection.
  • Texture Preview Upgrades: Adjustable preview size, popup scale, and toggle for labels.
  • 1/2/3 Key Control: Option to enable or disable number keys for direct mode access.
  • Scrim HDRI Export: Export procedural Scrim as HDRI (EXR) image.
  • Scrim Version Selection: Choose between Version 1 and Version 2.
  • Blender 4.5 Compatibility.
  • Adjustable gizmo placement via preferences.

v3.1.11 – v3.1.15

August 11, 2025
  • Improved Shift+Mouse Wheel support in Blender 4.5.
  • Streamlined Logging: Default log level now shows only critical messages.
  • HDRI Spread Retention: Option to keep spread values when switching HDRIs.

v3.1.10

April 5, 2025
  • Fix: Blender 4.4 crash when dragging lights on macOS.
  • TAB key now respects the "Always Start Paused" preference.
  • Fix: Cursor disappeared in paused mode after using Orbit.
  • Fix: Remote repository install failure on Blender 4.4.

v3.1.9

April 3, 2025
  • Scrim Preference: "Use Scrim for New Area Lights" checkbox added.
  • Soft error handling for context switch exceptions.
  • Fix: Crash due to special character in update_light_visibility.
  • Lights now correctly retain paused state across TAB entries/exits.

v3.1.8

March 26, 2025
  • Preferences: Introduced checkbox "Use Scrim for New Area Lights".

v3.1.6

March 20, 2025
  • Fix: Lights spawned at ceiling height in enclosed spaces — now appear near target surface.

v3.0.8

March 3, 2025
  • Fix: Persistent keymap reset issue.
  • Blender 4.5 Alpha Support.

v3.0.5

March 1, 2025
  • Workaround: Disabled override of Blender's 1/2/3 view-layer keymaps to prevent keymap resets.

v3.0.4

February 28, 2025
  • Fix: Crash when duplicating lights.
  • Known issue (regression): Updating to this version resets many custom Blender keymaps.

v3.0.3

February 27, 2025
  • Fix: Shortcuts now remain visible and editable in Preferences.
  • Fix: Spacebar no longer causes exception during light adjustment.

v3.0.2

February 27, 2025
  • Fix: Black frame issue on Scrim Light.

v3.0.1

February 27, 2025
  • Fix: Orbit center behavior when starting in paused mode.

v3.0.0

February 26, 2025
  • Complete Rewrite: Rebuilt from the ground up for improved stability and performance.
  • Smoother Light Positioning: Refreshed positioning modes.
  • Updated UI: Cleaner and more intuitive interface.
  • New Scrim: Enhanced feathering and improved gradient control.
  • Improved Auto-Adjust Light Power.
  • Local Z-Axis Rotation: Z + mouse wheel.
  • Separate Area Light Scaling: Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift for independent width/height.

v2.4.2

January 11, 2025
  • Video GoBo Textures: Playback speed now matches Blender's project frame rate.
  • Light Isolation: Minor fixes and new gizmo icon.
  • New animated GoBo textures added.

v2.4.1

June 1, 2025
  • Fix: Compatibility issue with Physical Starlight and Atmosphere addon.

v2.4.0

December 16, 2024
  • Fix: "Convert to Plane" error in Gobo caused by missing shadow_method attribute.

v2.3.9

December 13, 2024
  • Auto Keying: Enhanced compatibility with Blender's Animation Preferences.

v2.3.8

December 11, 2024
  • HDRI Scene Rendering: Added support for emissive mesh objects.
  • Auto Keying: Light Wrangler operations now add changes to keyframes when Auto Keying is enabled.

v2.3.7

December 10, 2024
  • Initial Light Positioning States: Choose Active (default) or Inactive (adjustments only, no position changes).
  • HDRI Rotation Scale: Visual scale showing exact rotation in degrees during Alt + right mouse drag.

v2.3.6

December 5, 2024
  • Light Direction Inversion: "I" key to invert light direction relative to the hit point.
  • Viewport text hints: Improved positioning to avoid T-panel overlap.

v2.3.5

December 5, 2024
  • Blender 4.3+ Compatibility: Fixed use_contact_shadows error.

v2.3.4

December 3, 2024
  • New Orbit Sensitivity Setting: Adjustable values between 0.1 and 2.0.
  • Shift key modifier: Reduces orbit sensitivity to one-fifth for precise adjustments.

v2.3.3

December 3, 2024
  • False Color Mode: F key shortcut to toggle between current view transform and False Color.
  • Isolate Light Gizmo: Now shifts with the N-panel.

v2.3.2

December 3, 2024
  • Optimized light placement for scenes with extremely high polygon counts.

v2.3.0 – v2.3.1

December 2, 2024
  • Partial Blender 4.4.0 Alpha compatibility.
  • Optimized light placement for high-poly scenes.
  • v2.3.1: Reverted optimizations due to identified bugs; fixed positioning on collection instances.

v2.2.7 – v2.2.9

November 2024
  • Alt + Right Mouse Drag: Rotation of world HDRIs and dome objects.
  • Light Visibility System: Improved manual visibility handling.
  • ColorTemp Slider: Integer mode for smoother drag adjustments.
  • Partial Lens Sim compatibility.
  • Blender 4.3 EEVEE fix for use_contact_shadow.

v2.2.0 – v2.2.5

October – November 2024
  • Orbit Mode Snap: Hold CTRL to snap to left, right, top, bottom, behind, or in front.
  • Clear Tracking: Remove light tracking to adjust positions in interactive mode.
  • Light Isolation fix: Emissive geometry states reverted properly.
  • Major fix: Objects with camera clipping no longer obstruct light placement.
  • Intelligent manual visibility detection.

v2.1.0 – v2.1.9

August – September 2024
  • Light Linking Control: L key to add/exclude/remove objects from light linking. Shift+L for shadow linking.
  • Updated viewport text hints with mode highlighting and value display.
  • H/I keys now function as toggles for hide/isolate.
  • Enhanced light isolation in non-active mode.
  • Fix: Non-mesh Geometry Nodes outputs.
  • Fix: Duplicated lights sharing texture changes.
  • ColorTemp 0 enables plain RGB emission.
  • Trackpad scroll support.
  • Smart Light Adjustments off by default.

v2.0.0

July 15, 2024
  • Blender 4.2 compatibility.
  • Improved light positioning algorithm: rewritten from scratch.
  • Custom GOBO textures: Add your own folders in settings.
  • Custom IES profiles folder support.
  • Numerous stability enhancements.

v1.9.2 – v1.9.11

March – June 2024
  • Custom HDRI Textures: Personal HDRI texture folders.
  • Auto Light Visibility: Toggles with selection.
  • Organize Lights: Auto-arrange into 'Lights' collection.
  • Interactive Scrim Preview in customization panel.
  • Convert to Plane button in Gobo mode.
  • Enhanced Gobo Controls: Invert toggle and rotation slider.
  • Convert to HDR: Replaces 'Render Scrim to EXR'.
  • HDRI Scene Rendering: 360° HDRI render in one click.
  • Shortcut customization via addon preferences.
  • Orbit mode mouse cursor wrap.

v1.7.5 – v1.8.5

February 2024
  • New visual gizmos for Reflect, Orbit, and Direct modes.
  • 1/2/3 keys for instant mode activation.
  • Quick Adjust: Click and drag on any gizmo for temporary adjustment mode.
  • Hide Viewport Overlays during light adjusting mode.
  • Renamed positioning modes: Reflect Mode and Direct Mode.
  • Adjust Light shortcut changed to TAB from F10.
  • HDRI image sorting improvements.

v1.5.0 – v1.6.1

November – December 2023
  • Light Customizations: Scrim, HDRI, Gobo, and IES modes (early access).
  • Animated GoBos: Introduction of animated gobo textures.
  • Normal positioning mode (perpendicular light placement).
  • Spacebar to switch positioning modes.
  • 14 beta animated vegetation gobos.

v1.4.4

November 19, 2023
  • Auto Light Visibility Toggle.
  • Manual Ground Level Setting.
  • Duplicate Light Option.

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