# Wallpaper Engine changelog > Wallpaper Engine release notes. - Vendor: Wallpaper Engine - Category: Games - Official site: https://store.steampowered.com/app/431960 - Tracked by: What's New (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine) - Harvested from: Steam (app 431960) - Entries below: 25 of 30 (newest first; the rest are on https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine) What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog. ## Releases ### Wallpaper Engine 2.8.42 - Removal of Application Wallpapers from the Workshop - Date: 2026-06-29 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/699894448411116924 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-699894448411116924 Hey everyone, this update introduces a security change to Wallpaper Engine. In the next week, we will be permanently removing the "Application" wallpaper type from the public Steam Workshop. **While this sounds drastic, it affects merely 0.5% of all wallpapers** with actual user numbers being much lower than even that. The overwhelming majority of users never used any applications wallpapers at all, since they are hidden by default in the app. As part of this transition, we are currently cleaning up the Workshop. Most application wallpapers will start to be set to friends-only for the transition period. If there are any Application-type wallpapers you actively use and want to keep, **you have a grace period of around one week to back them up locally.** ##### Why did Application Wallpapers exist in the first place? We got this question a lot, so we want to answer this quickly. The "Application" wallpaper type is a legacy feature from the very earliest days of Wallpaper Engine's development. Back then, our thought process was heavily inspired by the "sideloading" concept on platforms like Android. We wanted to give power-users maximum freedom to create truly custom solutions. The idea was that as long as we provided unskippable warnings and hid these wallpapers from default searches, users who understood and accepted the risks could run custom executables (_.exe_ files) as their background. Looking back, the assumptions we made back then were well intended but quite naive. Wallpaper Engine has since then evolved into a fully-fledged, highly capable rendering engine. Today, you can achieve almost anything you want to create within Wallpaper Engine itself that was previously only possible with external app wallpapers. App wallpapers are simply not necessary anymore and offer too many downsides and risks for very little benefit. ##### Why are we removing them now? Application wallpapers are essentially just ordinary Windows apps that have full access to your computer. While that allows for some really cool creations, it also opens the door for people with bad intentions. The reality is that executable files cannot be reliably secured with automated systems. There will always be blind spots and ways for people to bypass them. As many of you know, we recently saw people trying to use this old feature to spread malware. At the end of the day, keeping a feature around that lets anyone easily share random .exe files on the Workshop is a risk we are no longer willing to take. You might wonder why we do not just "freeze" the currently existing safe app wallpapers and leave them up. The simple answer is that the Steam Workshop does not have a feature to lock items from being updated. If we leave an item up, there is always a risk that the original creator gets their Steam account hacked down the line. If that happens, the hacker could easily push a malicious update to a previously safe and popular wallpaper. Even if Steam had advanced security measures like two-factor authentication for Workshop updates, complete removal is the only way to be sure a safe wallpaper does not suddenly turn into a harmful one in the future. We want to be clear that no such case has happened, it is simply a theoretical risk that we considered when making this decision. The recent news regarding the malware outbreak actually impacted a very tiny number of people due to the safeguards we already had in place (app wallpapers were hidden by default, they required clicking through scary-looking warnings and it is an overall unpopular wallpaper type). Unfortunately, many media reports lacked this nuance, leaning into alarming headlines that misrepresented the scale of the issue. Once those headlines are out there, it becomes a losing battle for us to correct the record and calm things down. Even though the actual threat was highly contained, the panic it caused was very real, and we do not blame anyone for feeling anxious. We want everyone to feel completel _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/699894448411116924]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.8 - Dynamic Model Generation & Text Rendering Improvements - Date: 2026-05-28 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/705520776093106485 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-705520776093106485 While Wallpaper Engine 2.8 was primarily planned as a maintenance release with various bug fixes and improvements under the hood, we also found the time to add some cool new features which you should soon start seeing on new wallpapers. ##### Switch to 64-bit We have been performing a lot of background maintenance recently to improve performance, fix issues and overall future-proof the app. While some Wallpaper Engine processes were already available in 64-bit, we are now largely moving to 64-bit executables. Because of this, we have renamed the user interface process from **ui32.exe** to **wallpaperui.exe**. If you run into any issues with updating the app, be sure to exclude the _wallpaper_engine_ directory and specifically _wallpaperui.exe_ from any antivirus app or firewall. ##### New Features ##### Dynamic Models The first new feature we are introducing is dynamic model generation as part of Wallpaper Engine's SceneScript language. This allows wallpaper creators to generate custom 2D and 3D shapes and models entirely from code. Up until now, you had to import pre-made 3D models, but with this update, wallpapers can draw and animate geometry completely on the fly. For everyday users, this means you can look forward to wildly new types of dynamic, interactive and audio-reactive wallpapers hitting the Workshop. _Generate 3D models via SceneScript code, including full support for advanced materials with lighting._ _3D models can also be altered dynamically as shown in this 3D audio bars example._ As shown in the examples above, you now have the ability to create not just very basic models but even procedural and interactive geometry. If you are interested in learning more about this functionality, be sure to check out our designer documentation on the new SceneScript-based dynamic model feature: - [Click here to learn more.](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/scenescript/tutorial/models.html) ##### Text Rendering Improvements Text layers have received some major new features. You can now enable smooth font scaling to keep your text perfectly crisp at any size. We have also added a bunch of new styling options, including blur, drop shadows, letter spacing, and the highly requested font outline support to really make your text stand out. All of these properties can also be animated on the fly: Because font files are notoriously complex, the new rendering techniques might have occasional quirks with specific custom fonts, but the new system, msdf, is optional and can either be enabled manually on a text layer or by using any of the new styling features. ##### Video Improvements: True HDR Video Support & More We have also introduced a new video framework option. Behind the scenes, this switches video rendering to the custom video renderer we already use for video textures. On top of that, we have also added true HDR support to our renderer. This results in a much improved video rendering system which supports HDR videos along with the ability to flip videos and apply image filters directly to them. While we are very confident in the new system, we did not want to risk introducing any stability issues for existing setups, which is why the new framework remains disabled by default for existing users for the time being. However, it will be enabled by default for new installations. If you want to try it out now, head over to the "General" tab in the Wallpaper Engine settings and change the **"Video framework"** option to **"Scene DX11 (HDR Support)"**. ##### Additions / Changes ##### General Changes & Updates - The user interface is now a 64-bit application and the executable has been renamed to wallpaperui.exe. - Added a new video framework option with a DirectX 11 video backend based on the Scene video texture system. This supports true HDR videos, flip functionality, and image filters. It is disabled for existing users for now, but you can opt in by selecting the new "Scene DX11" video framework option in _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/705520776093106485]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.7 - Particle Editor Updates, User Shortcuts & Image Filters - Date: 2025-09-04 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/528730392279122594 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-528730392279122594 With the release of Wallpaper Engine 2.7, we are introducing a large number of improvements and new features for particle systems and to the particle editor itself. Additionally, the update also introduces a new concept of _**user shortcuts**_, which allow wallpaper creators to create clickable elements which open a local user-defined shortcut on the system and we have added a set of image filters, allowing you to quickly alter the look and feel of many wallpapers by modifying their color palette in a single click. ##### Particle System Updates ##### New Particle System Features This update introduces over a dozen new particle system components and features. The following examples are just a small preview, for the full list of changes and additions, take a closer look at the changelog further down below. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Collision Operators:** Add collision physics to your particles. **Boids Operator:** Add flocking behavior to your particles (organic grouping of particles). [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Inheritance:** Copy values from particles to child particles (see color inheritance here). **Particle Lighting:** Particles now also support real-time lighting. ##### New Stock Particle Assets We have also taken the opportunity to update some of the standard assets and added a handful of new ones. Be sure to take a look at the asset list in the editor to see all the new assets that are included in the app. Here is a small preview: [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Ember Beams:** A new asset which features organically moving embers of fire. **Thunderbolt:** A new, thunderbolt asset which can be positioned precisely on both ends. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Screen Rain Drops:** A new set of rain drop particles which appear to run down the screen. **Vortex:** A new sample asset to showcases more complex scenarios with Timeline Animations. ##### Particle Editor Previews & Descriptions Previously, the particle editor was a bit difficult to get started with since none of its features were really shown off or explained in great detail. We went back and created previews, descriptions and lengthier explanations for each particle editor feature, which should help users to get started with the particle editor. We have also created an extensive documentation of every single particle editor feature and all their options. If you have not tried working with the particle system editor before, now is a good chance to give it a try. Be sure to try out our new "Getting Started" tutorial, it will teach you all the basics to start tinkering with your own particle systems: - [Getting Started with Particle Systems](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/particles/tutorial/getting_started.html) ##### User Shortcut Property User shortcuts are the next major addition to Wallpaper Engine. They allow wallpaper creators to define clickable elements that serve as system shortcuts. With these shortcuts, users can choose local apps, folders, websites or console commands that are opened on their system when clicking on the wallpaper. This choice is limited to users only. Wallpaper Engine will also attempt to provide an icon for the app, folder or website so that it can be made part of the overall wallpaper design. Take a look at the following short snippet, where we add Steam as a shortcut to our wallpaper: After adding the shortcut, the Steam icon and the executable name appear in our wallpaper and it becomes clickable like a desktop symbol in this example. The look and feel of this is fully customizable and up to wallpaper creators. User shortcuts were designed with security in mind: They are never shared with other users, they will also not execute when moving the config file to a new computer and wallpaper creators have no way to control what is launched - creators can only choose which user shortcut property is opened during a cursor _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/528730392279122594]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.6 - New Effects, Clipping Masks, Rope Physics & Bug Fixes - Date: 2025-02-10 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/519704171274829825 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-519704171274829825 Hey everyone, Wallpaper Engine 2.6 comes with several new features for the wallpaper editor, the update also fixes some bugs and improves compatibility with Windows 11 24H2. ##### Clipping Masks for Puppet Warp Animations Clipping masks are a useful tool to implement certain animations which were not easily possible previously. With clipping masks, you can define certain areas of a puppet model which only become visible when they are hovering over the area that you have defined. This can be used to implement some unique effects and is especially useful for creating the appearance of animated shadows or shading on an object. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] _Self-shadowing example achieved with a clipping mask_ To learn more about how to utilize clipping masks, take a look at our [designer documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/puppet-warp/clippingmasks.html). ##### New Editor Effects We have also added four new effects which you can apply to image layers in the editor. As always, effects can be used in more than just one way and we are looking forward to some creative uses of these effects. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **(https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/shimmer.html)** A recurring line of light moving across your image. **[Water Caustics](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/watercaustics.html)** Mimics light rays reflecting off of water. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **(https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/glitter.html)** Bright spots of light which appear briefly. **[Cloud Motion](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/cloudmotion.html)** A new option to simulate cloud movements. ##### Rope Physics Simulation Another feature we have added is a new rope physics simulation for puppet warp animations. The new rope physics can also be used with a new global wind setting, allowing you to create objects that appear to be dangling in the wind. To learn more about this feature, see the **Rope Physics with a kinematic chain** section on the following page of our designer docs: - [**Click here to learn more.**](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/puppet-warp/boneconstraints.html#rope-physics-with-a-kinematic-chain) _Please note that this feature is not to be confused with the old **Simple Rope Physics** guide which is also outlined on the same page._ ##### Texture Variants A relatively common feature which users like to implement is to offer multiple designs for individual wallpaper elements. However, this is often done by duplicating layers which is a pretty inefficient way to approach this problem. With the new texture variants feature, you can define multiple textures for the same image layer, as long as the textures all have the same dimensions. Users can then choose their favorite texture through user properties. This allows for efficient loading and unloading of textures and keeps the editor project in a clean state. The feature is the right choice for you if you want to replace the look and feel of certain wallpaper elements (such as characters, objects or even entire background layers) but retain all effects, scripts and customizations on the layer. In our very simple example below, we are changing the apple from a red texture to a green texture. In a more realistic scenario, you could also think of this as a character changing their entire set of clothes or the background scenery changing. You can also easily add new elements to a texture by using the alpha-blending feature which we showcase by adding a price tag to the apple. - [**Click here to learn more about texture variants.**](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/userproperties/texturevariant.html) Take a look at our full changelog to get an overview of all additions, changes and bug fixes: ##### Changelog ##### Additions & Changes - Added clipping mask system to puppets. - Added new effects: glitter, shimm _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/519704171274829825]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.5 - Playlist Transitions & Editor Update / Retiring Windows 7 - Date: 2024-05-30 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4182233099913077312 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-4182233099913077312 Wallpaper Engine 2.5 adds new features for end-users and content creators alike. The update also includes a lot of bug fixes and overall maintenance work. In anticipation of upcoming changes to the desktop experience on Windows 11, we have upgraded many parts of the app for better compatibility. ##### Retiring Support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 Since Steam has officially dropped support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 in January 2024, we are now following suit for the same reason: third-party libraries that we require are not being updated for these older versions of Windows anymore. Maintaining ongoing support would prevent us from providing complete updates for Windows 10 and 11. If you are one of the 0.5% Steam users running Windows 7 or Windows 8, we have prepared a way for you to roll back to Wallpaper Engine 2.4. This allows you to continue to use the previous version of the app. To learn more, see this article on our FAQ website: ## - **[Windows 7 / 8 Users: Reverting to Wallpaper Engine 2.4](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/general/deprecated.html)** ##### New Features ##### New Playlist Transitions As part of our clean-up process, we have completely overhauled the way transitions work for playlists and implemented almost 30 different transition animations that you can use to customize your playlist even further. Here is a selection of some of our favorites. While these are a little bit eccentric, the app also features much simpler fade animations. Be sure to check all transitions out by clicking on the **Configure** button in the playlist area of the **Installed tab**. You can also set the playlist animation to **Random** to create a selection of your favorite transitions. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **"Bullets"** **"Black Hole"** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **"CRT Screen"** **"Ice"** ##### Improved Display Clone Functionality We have also overhauled the display clone functionality to future-proof it for upcoming versions of Windows 11. The clone functionality now also allows you to horizontally mirror a cloned display which enables you to easily achieve a symmetrical look and feel on a dual screen setup, for example. To mirror a cloned display, navigate to the **Displays** tab in the app, then select the **Clone single wallpaper** option from the list. Then right-click on a display and select **Flip clone display**: ##### New Editor Features ##### New Light Shafts Asset / Effect One of the most frequently-used assets are the so-called **Light shafts**. We weren't particularly happy with the quality and the customizability of this asset which is why we have created an entirely new version of it that allows you to fine-tune and arrange it much more precisely than the old version: To learn more about the new asset / effect, take a look at our designer documentation: - [Light Shafts - Wallpaper Engine Designer Docs](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/effects/effect/lightshafts.html) ##### Puppet Warp Improvements For puppet warp animations, we have improved various details which you can find in the changelog below. One critical aspect to note is that we have overhauled the underlying system in which puppet warp models are stored. If you now open an old project in the latest version of the app, you are asked to start a conversion process. While the conversion should work well in most cases, we still highly recommend to create a backup of your project before attempting this to ensure that you will not corrupt your project files. The editor will show an appropriate warning to give you a heads-up. ##### Character Sheet Improvements One improvement we want to highlight is the ability to better connect individual limbs in character sheets as shown in the following video snippet: You can now define weights across individual limbs which will allow Wallpaper Engine to better merge them during animation scenarios as shown in the example above. We have summed up t _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4182233099913077312]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.4 - Lighting & Shader Improvements, Local Storage & More - Date: 2024-02-15 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4062878835622722556 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-4062878835622722556 Hey everyone, Wallpaper Engine 2.4 largely builds on top of the new 3D features we have added with the previous update but also improves on the existing 2D wallpaper feature set. ##### New 3D Features ##### Real-time Shadows As an extension to the new lighting features we have added in the last updates, we are introducing real-time shadows for 3D models. You can enable shadows for your lights and models with just a few simple steps. ##### Volumetric Lighting Another addition to the lighting features of Wallpaper Engine is a new volumetric lighting system. This works especially well in combination with Bloom and Display HDR, as it allows you to create very scenic scenarios with lights. As always, we have prepared a tutorial on our designer documentation website which you can use as a step-by-step guide: - [3D Advanced Lighting - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/models/lighting.html) ##### Model Shaders We also took some time to experiment with shaders for model textures. We have added three shaders which you can make use of: [table noborder=1 equalcells=1] **Vegetation shader** This shader allows you to mimic gusts of wind in trees and adds the ability to create double-sided lighting for leaves and other similar materials. **Fur shader** This shader enables you to add volumetric hair to a model and can be tweaked for a wide variety of use-cases. Also works well with real-time shadows. **Chroma Shader** The Chroma shader adds a two-colored metallic shine to an object that changes depending on the viewing angle and distance. Take a look at our designer documentation to learn more about these shaders and how to utilize them: - [3D Model Shaders - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/models/shader.html) ##### Distance Fog Another small yet useful addition are the new fog features. The new distance and height fog settings allow you to improve the visuals your environment. Take a look at the following guide to learn more: - [3D Distance Fog - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/models/fog.html) ##### Additional New Features ##### Texture Projections One more addition to lights, which is available in 2D and 3D wallpapers, is the new texture projection feature. It allows you to project an image, a video or even an entire layer including all effects using a spot light which enables some interesting new approaches to lighting. Learn more about this in our designer docs: - [Texture Projection - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/lighting/lights.html#texture-projection) ##### SceneScript: Local Storage Previously, it was not possible to store data in Scenescript across system restarts. We are now adding the ability to store data in a local storage so that it can be accessed again from the same wallpaper even after a system or program restart. This allows you to store some data and re-use it again at a later time. As a showcase, we have updated the existing **Dino Run** default wallpaper with a new high-score element in the upper right corner. To learn more about this feature, see our Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation: - [Local Storage in SceneScript - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/scenescript/tutorial/localstorage.html) ##### 2D - Puppet Warp: Vertex Editing & Blend Shapes Another new feature that we have created is the ability to animate the shape of puppet warp textures. This allows for very precise facial animations along the geometry of a puppet warp texture. As part of the update, we have also overhauled the geometry setup for puppet warp models and added the ability to precisely reposition each element of the geometry. To learn more about these changes, take a look at the relevant [designer documentation](https://docs.wallpapere _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4062878835622722556]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.3 - New 3D Model Support, Improved Lighting, Asset Hierarchy - Date: 2023-09-28 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3705955877849593062 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3705955877849593062 Hey everyone, Wallpaper Engine 2.3 completely overhauls support for 3D wallpapers, improves real-time lighting with additional light types and adds a new hierarchy and attachment system. ##### New 3D Model Features ##### Model Editor We are introducing a brand new model editor that allows you to import FBX model files with skeletal and vertex animations. Models can now also have a much more complex material setup similar to what can already be done in 2D wallpapers for puppets, including physical-based rendering _"PBR"_ through various texture maps. In simple terms, you can now configure model materials to properly represent different substances like a shiny piece of metal or a piece of clothing. The model editor allows you to organize animations inside the model data and turn them into clips that you can use in your wallpaper. On top of that, you can configure individual model bones as physics (jiggle) bones and add custom logic via SceneScript events. We have created a series of 3D-related tutorials, be sure to check them out on our [designer documentation website](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/models/introduction.html). ##### New Camera System Wallpaper Engine also introduces a new camera system that brings it in line with all of the improvements we have made to the editor in the latest updates and allows for much more complex and smoother camera movements through timeline animations. ##### Improved Lighting We are also expanding on the real-time lighting features for puppet warp layers. Real-time lighting works well in both 2D and 3D scenarios, so these changes are useful for all types of wallpapers. Wallpaper Engine was previously limited to 4 real-time lights per wallpaper, we have increased this limit to 12 which enables more complex scenarios. We are also introducing three new types of lighting. Previously, all lights were simple **point lights** that are comparable to light bulbs emitting their light evenly from one spot. Take a look at all the light types that are now available in the editor: [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Point Light** **Spot Light** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Tube Light** **Directional Light** - [Click here](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/lighting/lights.html#light-types) to learn more about the new light types. ##### Asset hierarchy and attachments This update also introduces a new hierarchy system in the asset list. This allows you to attach an asset to another parent asset. If the parent asset is moved, rotated or scaled, so will all its children. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] This is yet another feature that is useful in both 2D and 3D scenarios, as it greatly simplifies the way that you can link multiple objects with each other, even across complex animations. Take a look at the following example, where we have attached a light to a moving model with just a few button clicks: To learn more about the new hierarchy and attachment system, take a look at the following tutorials: - [Basic Asset Hierarchy Guide](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/first/assets.html#asset-hierarchy) - [2D Puppet Warp Attachments Guide](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/puppet-warp/attachments.html) - [3D Model Attachments Guide](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/models/attachment.html) Be sure to check out the full changelog here: ##### Wallpaper Engine 2.3 Changelog ##### 3D model improvements - Added skeletal animation and blend shape animation support to models imported from FBX files. - Added bone constraints / physics simulation support for models with a skeleton. - Made 3D models automatically scale on import if their scaling doesn't match Wallpaper Engine. - Added new model shader with physically based rendering _("PBR")_ settings. - Added pre-rendering system to compose layer, so that image effects can be applied to 3D models and particles on 2D wallpapers. - Added new camera system that allow _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3705955877849593062]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.2 - Album Cover Integration, Fluid Simulation & More - Date: 2022-10-07 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3275829772736032225 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3275829772736032225 Hey everyone, today we are releasing Wallpaper Engine 2.2 which comes with new editor effects, support for dynamic album covers and song data in wallpapers and a large set of improvements throughout the app and the wallpaper editor. ##### Media & Album Cover Integration A long standing feature request was to implement the ability to have song data and album covers to be part of wallpapers. With Wallpaper Engine 2.2, we have now made this possible, as long as your media player provides this data to the Windows media overlay that appears in the upper left corner. Take a look at the following sample wallpaper we created. The vinyl record will change the album cover to the currently playing album from Spotify: _Interested in using this record player as a wallpaper or screensaver? **[Click here to download it.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2872351452)**_ This functionality will work with any music player as long as it sends its album cover data to the Windows media overlay (visible in the upper left of the showcase above). You may need to enable this in the settings of your media player. If you want to utilize this feature in your own wallpapers, be sure to check out our designer documentation which covers this topic in great detail: - [Album Cover Integration](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/audiovisualizer/albumcover.html) If you are using a wallpaper with this feature but the album covers do not appear for you or if you have another question or issue, be sure to first check out our help website, as it helps you to resolve the most common problems regarding this feature: - [Help with Wallpaper Engine: Album Cover & Media Data Feature](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/audio/mediaintegration.html) ##### Dynamic Fluid Simulation A new effect in the editor allows you to easily add dynamic fluid simulation to your wallpapers. The fluid simulation makes it possible to create interactive fluid, fire or smoke-like effects. Support for interactivity with the mouse cursor is included and you can create a collision mask, which allows the simulated fluid to bounce off of objects in the wallpaper. As usual, we have created an extensive documentation for this effect on our designer documentation website, be sure to check it out and give it a try: - [ Advanced Fluid Simulation Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/advancedfluidsimulation.html) ##### Even More New Effects On top of the other changes we have already showcased, we have added a bunch of additional effects to the editor that you can utilize in your wallpapers. ##### Cursor Ripple The new cursor ripple effect allows you to make certain parts of your wallpaper react to the mouse cursor by giving off water ripples in its movement path. Make sure to check out the effect documentation to learn more on how to implement it into your wallpapers: - [Cursor Ripple Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/cursorripple.html) ##### Chromatic Aberration This effect was mainly added because previously, users often used the VHS effect for its Chromatic Aberration. We wanted to add a simpler and more performant alternative to it. If you just want to add chromatic aberration to your wallpaper, you can use this effect from now on instead of using the VHS effect instead. You can learn more about it in our designer documentation: - [Chromatic Aberration Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/chromaticaberration.html) ##### Gradient Blend Effect The Gradient Blend effect allows you to create more complex transitions between two images. To learn more about it, check out its documentation page: - [Blend Gradient Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/blendgradient.html) ##### Radial Blur Effect The Radial Blur effect creates a rotational blur on an image layer. We have used it in the vinyl example in the album cover section above to create a slight _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3275829772736032225]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.1 - Inverse Kinematics Animations, User Texture Import & More - Date: 2022-06-04 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3219522887324586493 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3219522887324586493 Hello everyone, today we're introducing Wallpaper Engine 2.1 for Windows and Android with a wide range of new features, overall improvements and bug fixes. We will walk you through some of the most impactful new features in this update. ##### User Texture Imports Another highly requested feature was the ability to allow for users to import their own images and even videos into existing wallpapers created with the Wallpaper Engine editor. These altered versions of a wallpaper can then also be shared on the Steam Workshop as so-called wallpaper presets. We are sure this will lead to a whole new series of popular and highly customizable wallpapers, so be on the look out for new and updated wallpapers with this feature! _Credits for the sample video files go to (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2807194539) and (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2706567827)_. To learn more about how to add customizable textures to your own wallpapers, be sure to check out our designer documentation: ## - [Texture User Property - Wallpaper Engine Designer Documentation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/userproperties/texture.html) ##### New Editor Gizmo for Perspective Effects Previously, when you wanted to utilize certain perspective effects in the editor, the process was rather tedious and required manual number input. We have now released a new set of editor "gizmos" that you can use to change the perspective of certain effects more intuitively. _Resizing the **Perspective** effect using the new perspective editor gizmo. Shout-out to (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2798072874)._ You will find the new gizmo when using the following effects with the **Perspective** option enabled (if applicable): - Perspective Effect - Cloud Effect - Water Ripple Effect - Water Waves Effect - Reflection Effect ##### New Editor Effects In addition to the improvements to the perspective effects, we have also added two new effects to the editor with their own highly-customizable gizmo. These two effects can be utilized in a wide area of use-cases and make certain animations much easier to implement: [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **[Swing Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/swing.html)** Swings an object back and forth. **[Twirl Effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/twirl.html)** Applies a configurable a spiral effect. ##### Inverse Kinematics Animations With Wallpaper Engine 2.1, we are further improving on the puppet warp animation system in the wallpaper editor. One of the main new features are inverse kinematics animations. Inverse kinematics are an advanced functionality which allow you to create complex animations for limbs and joints of a character. _Inverse kinematics animation in the Wallpaper Engine editor_ Alongside inverse kinematics, we have also added **blend rules** for bones. This allows you to attach a bone from one limb to another for example. Take the knight animation above, where the sword becomes attached to the hand once the knight pulls it out of the stone - this is one possible application of blend rules. You can learn more about inverse kinematics and blend rules in the following two tutorials: ## - [Limb Animations with Inverse Kinematics](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/puppet-warp/inversekinematics.html) - [Blend Rules for Bones](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/puppet-warp/blendrules.html) ##### Discover Section Improvements To make it even easier to find new wallpapers and content creators, we have overhauled some aspects of the **Discover** tab in the app. You will can now find new collection elements in the discover tab that allow you to find popular authors and wallpaper collections more easily. We also added new "Best of 20XX" collections which allow you to easily find the most popular wallpapers of a given year - all the way back to 2016 when Wallpaper _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3219522887324586493]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.0.97 - Android Improvements & Fixes, Display HDR Support - Date: 2022-01-27 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3133943554973045544 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3133943554973045544 Hey everyone, today we are releasing a new update for the Windows & Android version of Wallpaper Engine. The updates mainly add some new features that we did not finish for the initial release of the Android app, and fixes issues that were reported to us over the last few weeks. ##### Android-related Improvements ##### Free Alignment on Android Allowing for the free alignment of wallpapers was one of the most common requests we received. We have now added the ability to do this. To free align your wallpaper, change the alignment option from "Cover" to "Free", you can then rotate and zoom the wallpaper with your fingers to freely position it on your mobile device just the way you want it. [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] This feature is mainly useful for wallpapers that have a widescreen resolution for computer screens. Make sure to use the "High Quality" or "Balanced" quality export option if you want to make proper use of this feature. ##### High-Performance Export Improvements In the Windows app, we have improved the high-performance export for Android. It will now take your wallpaper settings into account so that you can first adjust the wallpaper to your liking and then export it with these settings. The high-performance export allows you to cut the wallpaper size to exactly fit the screen of your device. We have added a new "automatic" option for the export resolution which will use your actual device resolution to fit your display exactly. The high-performance export will now also show a preview image where you can align the part of the wallpaper that you want to transfer to your Android device more easily: Keep in mind that for the "High-Quality" and "Balanced" export options, the wallpaper is always transferred in its full resolution. ##### Additional Notes about the Android Update The Android app update will start to roll out across all app stores now. Please note that mobile app stores tend to release updates with a delay, so it might take a few days for the update to reach you. If you have installed the APK file directly, you can grab the latest APK on our website now: ##### [Download the latest version of Wallpaper Engine on Android](https://www.wallpaperengine.io/android) ##### Windows App Improvements ##### Experimental Display HDR Support This update also introduces new support for true display HDR support. For now this option will stay disabled by default but you can manually enable it by changing the post-processing quality option to "Ultra (Display HDR)". Please note this option will only appear when a screen with HDR enabled is connected to your system. HDR support can significantly improve image quality in in certain lighting conditions on wallpapers. If you have a screen with HDR support, feel free to enable the option and share your feedback with us. ##### Other Improvements Read the full changelog below to get a complete overview on all additions, changes and fixes this update brings to both the Windows and Android version. ##### Full Changelog ##### Windows App ##### Additions / Changes - Added Display HDR support. - New puppet warp limb sorting controls. - Added new block user dialog where all blocks can be checked. - Improved wallpaper blocking by grouping blocked wallpapers into a single tile. - Redesigned the top section of the Discover tab, now shows your profile avatar and offers a menu with more options related to your account. - Replaced "relevance" search with "top rated" to show better quality results when using the search functionality. - Renamed "fullscreen layer" to "post-processing layer", "composition layer" to "adjustable composition layer" and added new "full composition layer" that scales automatically to project resolution. - Improved puppet warp weight coloring. - Added auto generated scheme color for videos in editor. - Added script [emitParticles()](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/scenescript/reference/class/IParticleSystem.html) function wh _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3133943554973045544]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.0.44 - Windows Firewall Detection and Android Fixes - Date: 2021-12-03 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3139567980458838947 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3139567980458838947 Today's update addresses the most common problems related to the Android release and we are updating both the Windows and the Android version of the app. ##### Connecting the Android & Windows App The most common issues we received were related to connecting the Android app with the Windows app to download more wallpapers. We have looked into this and in many cases was caused by the Windows firewall. If Windows has previously asked you to give Wallpaper Engine ("ui32.exe") permission to access your network and you simply closed the window or did not grant the permissions for Wallpaper Engine, then Windows will automatically block Wallpaper Engine's process from properly communicating with your local network: _If you clicked "Cancel" here or just closed the window, then Wallpaper Engine is blocked in your Windows firewall._ We have now added a new check that will try and detect issues like that and will offer you a way to automatically fix the Windows firewall. However, if you do not get any notification about the Windows firewall or if you use any other firewall application, then Wallpaper Engine cannot fix your local network automatically. If you have any additional firewall or antivirus applications installed, you need to ensure that **ui32.exe** is not being blocked. Wallpaper Engine on Windows will now also use additional methods to broadcast itself on your network which will also make it more accessible to Android devices under certain network configurations. If your connection issues persist, please read the following help page: - [Android App Connection Troubleshooting](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/mobile/pairing-fixes.html) Keep in mind that you can always use the export functionality as a backup and simply transfer your wallpapers to your mobile device via USB or another method. When placing wallpaper files on your mobile device, always make sure to use the **Downloads** directory on your phone or tablet. Android is very restrictive for security reasons and Wallpaper Engine cannot access every Android folder, but the Downloads directory is usually the most reliable. ##### Lock-screen Wallpapers on Android Since it is a very common request that we received via email and on our forums, we just wanted to re-iterate this here: **Wallpaper Engine fully supports live wallpapers on the Android lock-screen.** However, a lot of phones and tablets do not support live wallpapers on the lock-screen. If you are not given the option to set a live wallpaper on your lock-screen, then this is a limitation set by your phone manufacturer. Wallpaper Engine has no control over this and this cannot be fixed by us or any other live wallpaper app. The best thing you can do in such a case is to send feedback to your phone manufacturer and let them know that this is a feature you care about, it's something that could be added in an Android update. ##### Android App Update The latest Android app may take a few days until it reaches everyone, as mobile stores tend to roll out updates more slowly. If you have installed the Android APK directly, make sure to download the latest version from our website: - ## [Wallpaper Engine for Android ](https://www.wallpaperengine.io/android) If you have installed the app through an official app store, there is nothing you need to do and the update will be installed on your device automatically within the next few days. ##### Changelog ##### Additions / Changes ##### Windows App - Added firewall rule check to pairing screen and a button to automatically delete any rules that block Wallpaper Engine. - New: High-performance exports of wallpapers can now also be uploaded in their original aspect ratio, which is useful for usage on tablets. - Fixed high-performance mobile conversion getting stuck. - Fixed video wallpaper upload not working without Windows Explorer thumbnails being available. - Fixed editor aspect ratio not resetting when clicking on wallpaper while a preview mode is act _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3139567980458838947]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 2.0 - Free Android App, New Logo, New Features and More! - Date: 2021-11-26 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3101285480922069754 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3101285480922069754 Hello everyone, today we are releasing **Wallpaper Engine 2.0**! The update brings support for Android, a new logo, a new 3D depth effect and a handful of other additions and improvements to Wallpaper Engine. ##### Wallpaper Engine Android Companion App We are happy to finally release the _**free** Wallpaper Engine Android companion app_. Some key features of the app are as follows: - No hidden costs, no advertisements, no user tracking or data collection. - Transfer **Scene** and **Video** type wallpapers from Wallpaper Engine on your computer to Android wirelessly. - Import any compatible files from your device as a wallpaper: _Videos, GIFs, images & Wallpaper Engine wallpapers_ - Create a playlist of your wallpapers and use different playlist modes - Automatically pauses when power saving mode is enabled, offers FPS and quality settings. - Full support for dynamic audio visualizers, clocks & other dynamic wallpaper elements - Let wallpapers move along with the motion of your device _(devices with gyroscope)_ - Support for automatic theme colors based on the current wallpaper, including Android 12's **Material You** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Real-time interactive wallpapers on Android** **Customize your wallpapers to your liking** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Visualize your music with audio responsive wallpapers. Credit: [Cube Visualizer](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2406911626)** **Let wallpapers react to the motion of your device _(devices with gyroscope)_** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Customize the app by configuring playlists, performance settings and more** **Wirelessly transfer your Workshop wallpapers from your computer** ##### Download Wallpaper Engine for Android We recommend installing the app through an official app store, however, we also offer a direct APK download for more advanced users. View our website for all installation options here: - ## _**[Download the Wallpaper Engine Android Companion App](wallpaperengine.io/android)**_ ##### Adding new Wallpapers to Android Directly connecting to the Workshop from a mobile device is not possible from a technical and legal point of view. However, we built a convenient system that allows owners of Wallpaper Engine on Windows to transfer their wallpapers to Android devices with ease: **Step 1:** Click on the new **Mobile** button in Wallpaper Engine on Windows, then select **Connect new device**. Wallpaper Engine will show you a 4 digit PIN that you can use to connect to your mobile device now. **Step 2:** Open Wallpaper Engine on your Android device and click on the **Add** button in the lower right corner. Select **Pair with Computer**, your computer should now be visible in the device list. Select it and enter the 4 digit PIN from step 1. **Step 3:** Your devices should now be connected. Right-click on any compatible wallpaper and click on **Send to mobile device**, then select your mobile device from the list. Your wallpaper will now be transferred. **If you are unable to connect to Android:** Right-click on any wallpaper and select **Send to mobile device**, then select **Export .mpkg**. You can then transfer the exported mobile package file to your mobile device via cable or by transferring it to your mobile device in another way. - [Click here to read our Android connection guide.](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/mobile/pairing.html) _Tip: You can also transfer folders or multiple wallpapers at the same time by multi-selecting them by holding the CTRL key. Clicking **CTRL + A** in the **Installed** tab selects all installed wallpapers and lets you transfer them all at the same time._ ##### New Wallpaper Engine Logo Along with the release of the Android version of Wallpaper Engine, we felt it was time to update our logo. The old logo mainly consisted of a computer screen - which does not make much sense on a mobile device. A major release _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3101285480922069754]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 1.7 - FREE Android App Coming Soon - New Features & Bug Fixes - Date: 2021-09-23 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/5526469539382355775 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-5526469539382355775 Hello everyone, today we are happy to announce that we will soon be releasing a free Android version of Wallpaper Engine. On top of that, we are also releasing Wallpaper Engine 1.7 today which brings a new set of features including video-based textures and support for web wallpapers with video livestreams. ##### Wallpaper Engine Android Companion App In the past few months, we have developed an Android app of Wallpaper Engine that offers support for dynamic scene and video wallpapers. The Wallpaper Engine companion app will be available for free to everyone, users of Wallpaper Engine on Windows will be able to share their wallpaper collection wirelessly with their Android phones and tablets. We developed an easy way to securely transfer your Workshop wallpapers to your mobile devices. Since accessing the Workshop is not possible on Android, the Windows version of Wallpaper Engine will serve as a hub to take your wallpapers on the go. Just like the Windows app, the Android app will also not contain any sort of hidden costs or advertisements and it will also not collect any personal data - we consider the app a free add-on for existing Wallpaper Engine users. Developing the new Android app was quite an intensive undertaking. However, when it came to porting Wallpaper Engine to any new additional platforms, it was the most rational platform to add next due the huge user base of Android around the globe. The work we have done to support Android will also benefit any future potential ports to other platforms, though Android was still comparatively simple compared to other operating systems. If you are hoping to see Wallpaper Engine on other platforms in the future, please be patient, it is simply not possible for us to port Wallpaper Engine to every single platform at once since it is a tremendous amount of work to do so. ##### Sneak Peek of Wallpaper Engine for Android We have prepared a small preview of what Wallpaper Engine looks like on Android. The feature set is very extensive and just like Wallpaper Engine for Windows, the wallpapers are fully dynamic and allow for a great level of user customization. You can also configure a wallpaper playlist, set an FPS limit and configure other battery-saving features and import local videos and GIFs straight into the app. Wallpapers created in the Wallpaper Engine editor will first be converted into a mobile-compatible format before being sent to your phone. The process is pretty straight-forward for end-users but a more extensive description of this will follow at the time of the release. Check out the following previews of the Android app: [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Real-time dynamic wallpapers on Android** **Customize your wallpapers to your liking** [table equalcells=1 noborder=1] **Visualize your music with audio responsive wallpapers. Credit: [Cube Visualizer](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2406911626)** **Wirelessly transfer your Workshop wallpapers from your computer** ##### Steam Workshop Agreement Accessing the Steam Workshop from mobile devices is not possible since this is not supported by Steam. However, we developed a convenient way to allow you to transfer compatible wallpapers from your desktop computer to your mobile device with ease, as long as both devices are using the same local network connection. Since this has never been done before on Steam, we require all content creators to agree to our addendum to the Steam Workshop agreement before their content can be transferred to mobile devices, otherwise Wallpaper Engine will not allow users to transfer their wallpapers. If you have uploaded any wallpapers to Wallpaper Engine, please review and accept the addendum to the Steam Workshop Agreement for Wallpaper Engine here so that your users can use your wallpapers on Android once the app has been released: - [View in web browser: Workshop Agreement](https://store.steampowered.com/workshope _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/5526469539382355775]_ ### Wallpaper Engine 1.6.22 - Minor Improvements & Bug Fixes - Date: 2021-06-21 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3021333905690122239 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3021333905690122239 Hello everyone, this is mainly a maintenance update which introduces a few minor improvements and mainly fixes a few issues that were reported to us after the previous Wallpaper Engine 1.6 release. You can find the full changelog here: ##### Full changelog ##### Additions / Changes - Added Dota / Counter-Strike Collection highlight - Improved normal map generator. ##### Bug Fixes - Added workaround for flickering wallpaper when native mouse input is disabled. - Fixed playlist not skipping missing wallpapers. - Fixed intro wallpaper playback not being reliable when the timer is too short. - Improved playlist state persistence. - Improved puppet warp sheet generation speed. ##### Support Notes If you have any questions or issues with the update, please have a look at our help site as it covers the most common issues with Wallpaper Engine: ##### [help.wallpaperengine.io](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/) ### Wallpaper Engine 1.6 - Real-Time Lighting & Reflections, Screensavers, Mini Mode - Date: 2021-06-12 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3058487332673524242 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3058487332673524242 Hey everyone, **Wallpaper Engine 1.6** adds a couple of cool features for users and wallpaper creators alike. Wallpaper Engine now allows you to use your wallpapers as screensavers, introduces real-time lighting and reflections on 2D images, comes with a brand new mini mode and allows you to set a wallpaper that plays only once as an intro wallpaper when you start your computer. ##### Real-time Lighting and Reflections Wallpaper Engine 1.6 introduces real-time lighting and reflections to 2D scene wallpapers which can have a major impact on the visual quality of wallpapers and can really bring images to life. The underlying technology relies on **physically based rendering (PBR)** to make this feature as performance-friendly and easy to use as possible. The lights are rendered in real-time and can also dynamically move around the wallpaper. See the following example where we have attached a light source to the mouse pointer: All of this also comes with a brand **new normal map generator** that we created so that anyone could create normal maps for their images with relative ease. Normal maps are commonly found in video games and allow flat surfaces (such as 2D images that most people use in Wallpaper Engine) to be perceived as if they are 3D. If you want to learn how to utilize these features for your own wallpapers, be sure to check out our designer documentation. We have created a couple of guides on lighting and reflection which you can use to get started with your own ideas: - [Real-time Lighting & Reflections](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/lighting/introduction.html) ##### Foreground Separation Another cool feature we added is a new functionality that we call **foreground separation**. It allows you to cut out a character or object from the foreground of your image and then dynamically fill the space behind it. This makes animating characters much easier as it makes them their own separate layer so that you will not have to worry about character effects and animations having an unintended effect on your background image. See the following slideshow that shows the original image and the separated images that we created from it (filled-in background and foreground character): If you would like to make use of foreground separation for your own wallpapers, you can learn more about how to use it on our designer documentation website here: - [Foreground Separation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/image-preparation/foreground-separation.html) ##### Character Sheet Creation You can also take this one step further and use our new **character sheet creation** functionality which allows you to cut your character into different pieces that you can then use for a very clean **puppet warp animation**. If you are interested in learning more about this, we have also prepared a tutorial for that here: - [Character Sheet Creation](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/image-preparation/character-sheet.html) ##### Screensavers Wallpaper Engine 1.6 introduces a new way to use your wallpapers: You can now configure them as a Windows screensaver with proper multi-screen support. You can either choose your screensaver to be exactly the same as your actively running wallpapers or configure a completely new setup just for your screensavers. You will now find that the **Installed** tab comes with two sub-menus, one for configuring wallpapers and one for configuring your screensaver. Once you click on the screensaver option, you will be asked to install the Wallpaper Engine screensaver module, which you can then enable as your current screensaver in Windows. For more infos, see our help page here: - [Screensavers with Wallpaper Engine](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/functionality/screensaver.html) ##### Mini Mode Previously, Wallpaper Engine had an opacity slider at the bottom of the window that you could use to lower the opacity of the window. Initially we thought this would be a good way to help users to con _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3058487332673524242]_ ### Patch released - New Iris Effect, Resolution Preferences & More (Build 1.5.2) - Date: 2021-02-08 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3056224940528722240 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3056224940528722240 Hey everyone, today we're releasing **Wallpaper Engine 1.5**. With this update we are introducing some important changes to how resolution tags are handled and we're bringing a brand new effect to the wallpaper editor. Aside from that, we have made various minor improvements to the app and ironed out a few bugs. ##### New Effect: Iris Movement We have created a new effect called **Iris Movement**, which allows wallpaper creators to create realistic eye movements with relative ease. Multiple effects can also be stacked to create synchronized eye and head movements, such as shown in the example below: A similar effect was already possible to achieve with the use of tweaked versions of the **Shake effect**, however, this new effect simplifies the process significantly and makes this type of effect much more easy to use for casual users. Detailed documentation and a quick-start guide on how to achieve the effect as shown in the preview image above can be found on our [designer documentation website](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/en/scene/effects/effect/iris.html). ##### Wallpaper Resolution Recommendations This update also contains some significant changes on how we handle resolutions on new projects and a new resolution suggestion feature. ##### Automatic Image Resizing and Cropping When importing a new image into the editor that does not match any real screen resolution, Wallpaper Engine will now automatically suggest to crop and resize the image for you to the optimal resolution. Overly large images have a negative impact on the performance of wallpapers and they are tagged as **Other Resolution** which is not particularly helpful when looking for wallpapers. This feature especially useful and convenient for casual and new users of the app who are more likely to import images with resolutions that do not match any real resolutions For example, if importing an image with a resolution of _6000 x 4000_ pixels will cause Wallpaper Engine to suggest to resize it to 3840x2160 which is what is commonly found on many 4K UHD displays. This ensures the wallpaper is tagged properly and can also significantly improve performance. _On an image sized _1920 x 1285_, Wallpaper Engine will not suggest to crop it to Full HD._ This update also introduces a new **Editor Settings** menu where you can disable the automatic resizing of wallpaper images if you are regularly importing larger images on purpose (for example, for parallax effects or similar). The new editor settings also offer a way to turn off autosaving for most actions if you just quickly want to test something in the editor. ##### New Dynamic Resolution Tag Some wallpaper types such as 3D scenes, web and application wallpapers tend to dynamically scale on any resolution. Previously they have been categorized as _Other resolution_ which meant they would be grouped together with improperly sized wallpapers. To differentiate these wallpapers better, we are now introducing a **dynamic resolution** tag that is enabled by default. In the near future, we will automatically change the tags on all relevant wallpapers from our end. However, in the long run this will be a significant improvement to the resolution tags and make it easier to find high-quality submissions that scale well across all screen resolutions. ##### Automatic Resolution Filter Suggestions Another feature we have added is a new automatic resolution filter suggestion. In the **Resolution** filter section, you will now find a new button that opens a new **Resolution Settings** menu. When enabling the **Recommended** option, Wallpaper Engine will automatically select and store resolutions that make sense for your screen setup. We hope this feature will make it easier to find wallpapers that match a specific screen setup. We found that many users tend to only set the exact resolution of their screen in the resolution settings while it may make sense to slightly expand this list. For example, a 2560x1440 screen _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3056224940528722240]_ ### Patch released - Minor Improvements and Bug Fixes (Build 1.4.172) - Date: 2021-01-11 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2958268923676456592 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-2958268923676456592 Hey everyone, today we are releasing a small update to fix some issues and add a few minor improvements to the app. ##### User Interface Improvements As part of this update, we have made various small changes around the user interface to make it more approachable. One thing we are doing is to highlight the **Approved** tag a little more by moving it to the top of the filters sidebar. On the **Installed** tab, you will now also find a new **My Favorites** button to find your installed favorite wallpapers more quickly: The top of the Wallpaper Engine user interface will now also show the currently installed version and will inform users if they are using the beta. This serves as an easy reminder if you have enabled the beta in the past and forgotten about it and make it easier for verify the currently running version of the app. In the Steam Workshop search, whenever you type multiple words, a new option for **exact phrase matching** will appear. Valve has made some changes to the Steam Workshop search in the past and it returns much more relevant results than it used to, but in rare cases it might still be useful if you want to look for something very specific and want to get rid of unrelated wallpapers that might show up in your search. We have also added a new **Brightness** option to the LED plugin for Razer Chroma and Corsair iCUE so that you can lower the brightness of your LED hardware if you find it a little bit too bright for you. ##### Other Fixes This update also fixes a few issues that were reported to us in the last few weeks, including a crash issue introduced with the last update that could occur when running multiple playlists across multiple screens. You can read the entire changelog below for the full list of addition, improvements and fixes: ##### Full changelog ##### Additions / Changes - Moved approved filter to the top of the filter sidebar. - Added "My favorites" filter to the top of the filter sidebar in the "Installed" tab. - Added LED brightness option. - Extended winter seasonal theme and discover tab recommendations to the end of January. - Added parallax options to 3D models in 2D scenes. - Added version info to window title. - Added "exact match" option to search field when multiple words are typed into the Workshop search. - Added "Playlist" prefix for playlists in recent list. - Added automatic scheme coloring for static wallpapers. - Added ability to log SceneScript debug code into file by setting the log level to "Verbose". - Added shake/flow map painting brush to paint in a fixed direction. - Added new design for navigation header in the editor. - Added links for "audio disabled in display settings" warning text to make it easier to find the unmute button. - Update Steamworks API to 1.50. ##### Bug Fixes - Fixed rare crash when multiple scene wallpapers are in multiple playlists across multiple screens 🤯. - Fixed mouse event click collision for layers with parallax. - Fixed recent wallpaper list showing deleted wallpapers. - Fixed sprite sheet time going beyond next frame duration. - More workarounds for Monaco code editor freezing the entire application. - Fixed Steam Workshop error when searching for a single quotation mark. - Fixed download percentage of pending wallpapers being wrong when subscribing from Steam. - Removed DirectX 2010 SDK files. - Fixed HDR bloom when a timeline animation or SceneScript is attached to its properties. ##### Hotfix 1.4.173 Changelog - Fixed occasional crashes when static wallpapers are in a playlist. ### Patch released - Puppet Warping, Timeline Animations & HDR Bloom (Build 1.4.107) - Date: 2020-12-15 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2943629688065292643 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-2943629688065292643 Hey everyone, today we are releasing **Wallpaper Engine 1.4** with a ton of new features, various improvements and bug fixes. On top of that, we are launching our new designer documentation website, which provides in-depth guides for the Wallpaper Engine Editor and should make wallpaper creation much more accessible to newcomers and existing users alike. ##### Puppet Warping The first major new feature we are introducing is **Puppet Warping**. With the new puppet warp feature, Wallpaper Engine can analyze the geometry of imported character cutouts (and even character sheets). Wallpaper Engine allows you to define the skeleton and the limbs of your character and then apply complex animations to them. This is a multi-step process that opens up completely new ways to animate characters and we are very much looking forward to seeing what users will do with this new feature: Puppet Warping even includes physics simulations for objects and advanced users are even able to create interactive wallpaper elements with it, like the following jelly which can be grabbed by the mouse cursor: Puppet Warping is usually reserved for complex professional applications. We have adapted it for Wallpaper Engine while trying to make it as accessible as possible and created a set of in-depth tutorials on it. If you are interested in giving a try, please have a look at our new tutorial series: [Puppet Warp Tutorials](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/puppet-warp/introduction.html) _(Only in English for now)_ ##### Timeline Animations We have also added a completely new key-frame based timeline animation system to the editor. This new system is used in puppet warp animations but we have also enabled it to work with all properties in the editor. This allows you to configure effects to change over time, you can also move, resize and turn elements across the screen on a predefined interval. In the example preview above, you can also see the new **[Refraction effect](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/effects/effect/refraction.html)** freezing over a window with a timeline animation. The new refraction effect is especially well-suited to simulate frozen glass or similar surface patterns - just in time for the winter season! Just like with Puppet Warping, we have created a series of extensive tutorials for the new timeline animation system that you can find on our new documentation website: [Timeline Animation Tutorials](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/timeline/introduction.html) _(Only in English for now)_ ##### HDR Bloom Another new feature is **HDR Bloom** that allows for more advanced light glow effects on wallpaper elements. The effect is especially visible when bright and dark objects meet. We have updated the existing Razer Bedroom wallpaper to support HDR Bloom. If you would like to give it a try, set **Post-Processing** to the new **Ultra** setting which is turned off by default for now: HDR Bloom is a new option in the editor scene options, if you would like to learn more about how to use it in your own wallpapers, please have a look at our new bloom tutorial: [Bloom HDR Tutorial](https://docs.wallpaperengine.io/scene/effects/bloom.html) _(Only in English for now)_ ##### New Wallpaper Customization Options We have added a few new customization options to all Scene and Video wallpapers. You can now choose more alignment options, including a **Free Alignment** option, which gives you the ability to freely position a wallpaper on your screen and zoom it in and out as needed. Additionally, we have implemented another popular feature request to give you the ability to change the brightness, contrast and saturation. On top of that, we have added a hue shift functionality which allows you to completely change the colors of any wallpaper if they don't happen to fully match your taste. You can find these options on the right-hand side when selecting any installed Scene or Video wallpaper: In the video clip above you may have _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2943629688065292643]_ ### Patch released - Static Wallpapers, Better Brush Panel, Fixes (Build 1.3.136) - Date: 2020-09-14 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/5278738040560037322 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-5278738040560037322 Hey everyone, today we're releasing a maintenance update with a few feature additions and user interface improvements and bug fixes. ##### Mass Import of Static Images One feature that has been regularly requested by some users over the years is the ability to mass import images without adding animations to them. We have now added the ability to do this so that you can add your private image collection to your playlist without having to go through the Wallpaper Engine editor. Keep in mind that this is only possible for local image files, you cannot mass-publish static wallpapers on the Workshop. We never intended Wallpaper Engine to run images without animations but if you really want to, you can now incorporate private images into a playlist of yours, for example. The easiest way this can be achieved is to dragging and dropping images into the **Installed** tab where you are now given the choice to open an image with the editor or to just add it to Wallpaper Engine in its original state. ##### New Brush User Interface As part of some exciting upcoming new features in a future release, we have slightly improved the brush tools and given added preview of how changing each option changes the behavior of the brush. The changes highlight some of the lesser known brush features better, such as the different brush types on flow maps: _Using a spin type brush on a water flow map allows for circular movement to be created easily._ ##### Full changelog ##### Additions / Changes - Added possibility to mass-import static images. - Added new brush types for flow maps in the editor. - Added a 2 GB file size limit for video wallpapers published on the Workshop and 1 GB for all types besides videos. ##### Improvements - Redesigned brush panel in the editor. - Improved drag and drop user interface for new wallpapers. - Added new labels for the Settings and Display settings buttons, removed redundant editor button. - Redesigned "Open Wallpaper" button to account for new static wallpaper feature. - Added video wallpaper validation to editor to prevent broken uploads. - Crashes in Razer Synapse will now automatically disable the LED plugin when safe start is enabled. ##### Bug Fixes - Fixed diagnostics tool not saving a log file. - Fixed a rare decoding error with GIF files. - Fixed user interface being broken for a very small number of users. - Fixed particle instance properties disconnecting from editor on refresh. - Fixed a bug in our "unofficial Steam re-download fixer tool" that caused it to not work for some users. ##### Support Notes If you have any questions or issues with the update, please have a look at our help site as it covers the most common issues with application: ##### [help.wallpaperengine.io](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/) Should you run into any issues with the update or Wallpaper Engine in general, you can always write us on [our Steam Discussion board](https://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/) and we'll gladly help you out. If you run into any issues or bugs, please post on our forums rather than commenting on the news as it's difficult to provide support in the news comment section. ##### Razer Synapse Crashes The latest Razer Synapse update causes Wallpaper Engine to crash at startup when the **high-priority** startup option is enabled in the Wallpaper Engine settings. On some systems, it also causes crashes when the computer wakes up from hibernation. It is not an issue with your computer and technically not an issue in Wallpaper Engine. We have informed Razer about this and they are currently urgently working on a Razer Synapse fix which is to be expected to be released later this month. For the time being, most users can fix it by disabling the **high priority** option for the automatic startup of Wallpaper Engine and instead rely on the _normal priority_ startup only. Alternatively, you can also disable the "iCUE and Chroma SDK" plugin in the Wallpaper Engin _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/5278738040560037322]_ ### Patch released - Easier Anime Filter, Script Sharing & Fixes (Build 1.3.75) - Date: 2020-08-08 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2760096678556180414 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-2760096678556180414 Hey everyone, we have just released Wallpaper Engine **1.3.75** which brings a number of improvements to the application and the editor and contains some important bug fixes. ##### Anime Filter One of the changes we want to highlight is the new anime filter we have added to the application. Right now, about one quarter of wallpapers on Wallpaper Engine is anime. It was always possible to filter this out using the tag filters but this seems to not have been clear enough for a lot of users which is why we have created a simple way to hide this type of content. One issue of the past was also that that some similar categories such as _MMD (Miku-Miku Dance)_ were also often overlooked, the new anime filter takes this into account and hides these other categories as well. New users will now be asked if they would like to see or hide anime content when visiting the Workshop tab for the first time. For existing users, this option will be automatically checked depending on if the **Anime** filter is turned off or on the first time you use the app after installing the update. You can always access this by using the "Filter Settings" button in the filter sidebar as shown in the short video clip below. From our testing this greatly reduces the amount of anime content even though it's certainly not perfect. If you use the **Show Anime** option, Wallpaper Engine will be just like it was before and nothing will change for you at all. Your choice will also be remembered even when using the **_Reset Filters_** button, as we think it's important your preferences will be saved over a longer period of time. You can always just temporarily enable the anime tags again if you would like to take a peek into the anime sections after all. If you come across content that is not tagged correctly, you can actually use the report functionality in the application to suggest a new tag, this helps to keep the Wallpaper Engine Workshop organized. Constructive feedback is, as always, greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind that Wallpaper Engine caters to a global audience and we always try our best to find compromises to make different user groups happy which is not always easy, especially as we are partially limited by Steam itself. ##### Editor Improvements We have made a few quality-of-life improvements in the Wallpaper Engine editor. One new feature is the ability to share SceneScript code snippets in the Workshop, which allows for easier sharing of more complex scripts with users and should help to make SceneScript more accessible to users who lack the knowledge to create scripts themselves. In addition to that, we have reworked the foliage sway effect which now allows for more realistic wind sway effects on elements like trees and clothing. Due to popular demand, we have also added the ability to add up to 6 blend textures to the _Blend_ effect. With some clever SceneScript usage, this allows for easier "time of day" wallpapers to be created in the future, we expect to see some cool implementations of this and will also prepare a tutorial for this in the near future. Stay tuned for more updates in the future, we plan to add some very exciting new features to the Wallpaper Engine editor with the next major update. You can find the complete changelog with all changes and bug fixes below: ##### Full changelog ##### Additions - Created simple Anime filter interface in Workshop tab - Added SceneScript asset sharing in Workshop - Added multiple blend textures to blend effect to make it easier to create background images depending on the time of day - Added zoom amount to scene options (which can be used in combination with SceneScript) ##### Improvements - Improved per pixel foliage sway effect - Increased max brush size to 2000 to make it easier to paint effects on 4K wallpapers - Added automatic highlighting of log tab when a script error occurs in the editor - Made user property key field editable while creating new user prop _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2760096678556180414]_ ### Patch Released - Wallpaper Flipping, Mute per Monitor & Much More (Build 1.3.2) - Date: 2020-07-11 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2536038699720181923 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-2536038699720181923 Hey everyone, we're happy to release Wallpaper Engine **1.3**. The update brings a large number of new features, performance improvements and various bug fixes. ##### Scene Wallpaper Flipping One of the update highlights is the new ability to flip _Scene_ wallpapers. You can now click on the **Flip** button in the properties list of your Scene wallpapers and it will flip the wallpaper horizontally. This was a common feature request and may be useful if you feel like a wallpaper might suite your room better in a flipped state or if you are using multiple monitors and want to use the same wallpaper twice, facing different directions. Keep in mind that due to technical limitations, this is only possible for Scene wallpapers. _[(Swimming Pool Car wallpaper by 孟婆干杯)](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2143757223)_ ##### Launching Wallpapers per Application We have extended the **Application rules** of Wallpaper Engine so that it's now possible to open a wallpaper, a playlist or a complete multi-monitor profile when a certain .exe is launched on your system. This lets you choose the right wallpapers for what you are doing at a given time. For example, this allows you to automatically open an audio visualizer whenever you launch your favorite music player or switch to a less distracting wallpaper on your secondary monitor whenever you launch a certain game. This option can be found as part of the **Application Rules**, keep in mind that for multi-monitor setups, you need to assign a profile to an executable which defines which wallpapers are visible on which screen. ##### Improved Multi-Monitor Experience This update improves the ability to configure multi-monitor setups and adds some quality-of-life improvements to these types of setups. We have reworked the multi-monitor setup and added **a mute button to each monitor** (speaker icon in the lower left corner of each screen). This effectively lets users choose a main monitor responsible for playing audio rather than wallpapers across all monitors producing sound at the same time. Users of Razer Chroma and Corsair iCUE hardware are now also able to choose a monitor within the LED plugin which is responsible for the colors sent to their hardware. Previously the main monitor was forced to be responsible here though this may not have always been what users wanted. Another change we have made is that Scene wallpapers with a parallax effect are now limited to the constraints of the screen they are on. Previously, if you had moved your mouse across multiple monitors, wallpapers with a parallax effect would often break. We think this change will increase the popularity of wallpapers with parallax effects on multi-monitor setups. ##### Local Author Blocking A frequent request we have received over the years was to add the blocking of individual authors. One issue with this is that Steam does not support this kind of functionality but due to the demand for this, we have now implemented a local blocking functionality in Wallpaper Engine. You can now right-click on a wallpaper to block its author, which will always move all wallpapers to the bottom of the search results page and darken them. It's not possible for us to remove authors from the results altogether but this should be a good compromise. The following screenshot shows a row of blocked wallpapers at the bottom: _Be sure to check out [historyk's wallpapers](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198268929778/myworkshopfiles/) rather than blocking them as in the screenshot above! :eaglegag:_ ##### User Interface Improvements As with the previous updates, we have made improvements all throughout the user interface of Wallpaper Engine. The most noticeable change of this update is the revised wallpaper info section on the right-hand side which has been cleaned up and modernized according to some user feedback we have received. Other user interface changes include a new page selection when clicking on t _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2536038699720181923]_ ### Patch Released - Performance Improvements & Bug Fixes (Build 1.2.41) - Date: 2020-05-24 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/2212902255736086959 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-2212902255736086959 ##### Additional Fixes in Verison 1.2.70 - Added effect copying for single effects and all effects on a layer. - Added script properties to count down preset for easier use. - Added better error message when Steam subscription limit of 15k is hit. - Fixed playlist scroll bar disappearing on some languages when the resolution is too small. - Fixed update not re-starting as x64 (will only work *after* this update). - Fixed pagination in asset browser. - Fixed thumbnails not rebuilding if source file is newer. - Fixed font rendering sometimes showing messed up characters. - Fixed imported masks not being editable and being reset on paint. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey all, after the creator's update, we are releasing a smaller patch today to fix some issues and improve the performance of the user interface. ##### Preview image cache We have added a thumbnail cache to the browser of Wallpaper Engine which can improve performance quite a lot if you have a lot of wallpapers with large thumbnail images. When opening the browser for the first time, it will have to generate all thumbnails from scratch, so it may perform poorly for a minute on some systems but the performance will improve drastically afterwards. ##### Fix for unusual Windows user names The last update caused some issues for users that have used some unusual characters in their Windows user name or in the installation path of Steam or a game library. This caused issues with the instant wallpaper cache and the loading of the Wallpaper Engine config file. If you have had this issue, this patch will fix that - but unfortunately you will have to go through the issue one more time as Wallpaper Engine and Steam will fix any broken paths. This process may take up to a minute because Steam can be slow to respond on some systems affected by this issue. This does not require any downloading of files, you just need to wait for Steam to respond to Wallpaper Engine which can take up to a minute. ##### Full Changelog - Fixed issue with unusual paths / user names. - Added preview image performance cache. - Improved Water Flow effect. - Fixed approved trophies not showing up in asset browser. - Changed default asset browser sorting to top rated. - Fixed local wallpapers without preview not showing no preview image anymore. - Fixed gif/jpg extension issue when importing previews. - Added automatic cropping and resizing of imported project previews. - Added alert to asset publish modal to further try and reduce wrong uploads. - Fixed user votes not being returned to UI. - Added viewport options to particle editor. - Forced layers from asset packs to be visible on import and unlocked. - Fixed help menu being disabled. - Translation updates. ##### Support Notes - If Wallpaper Engine is turned off while playing PUBG, Rainbow Six or other games with the BattlEye anti-cheat, it is due to an issue in BattlEye itself which causes it to terminate Wallpaper Engine when Nvidia's low-latency mode is enabled on your systems. On some systems, this does not seem to be easily fixable, you should contact BattlEye support directly. - If you have any issues, please have a look at our FAQ which covers the most frequent support requests we receive: [help.wallpaperengine.io](https://help.wallpaperengine.io/) ### Patch released - Creator's Update: Asset Sharing & UI Improvements (Build 1.2.6) - Date: 2020-05-15 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4658356326293932896 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-4658356326293932896 Hey everyone, Wallpaper Engine 1.2 brings one of the biggest additions to application since its release by adding the sharing of wallpaper assets to the Wallpaper Engine Editor! The update also brings numerous user interface improvements and various other optimizations throughout the application. ##### Asset Sharing This update introduces **Asset Sharing** in the Wallpaper Engine Editor which allows users to share custom effects and resources which can be used to create wallpapers! We consider this to be a complete game changer because it will now be possible for power users to easily share complex effects or other custom wallpaper elements with the rest of the community. Assets can be anything that can be placed into a layer, including SceneScript code and complete custom particle systems, but it also includes sound effects, image files or 3D models. ##### Browsing Assets Inside of the Wallpaper Engine Editor, you will now be able to find an asset browser which lets you browse, subscribe and use assets similar to browsing wallpapers. You can find the _Browse_ buttons through the "Steam" menu item in the editor or through the "Browse Workshop" buttons in the "Add asset" and "Add effects" lists: ##### Asset Packs Just like existing assets, community assets can also contain variants of a specific element which we call asset packs. For creators who have subscribed to an item, this will appear like a drop-down in the asset list and allows them to make slight changes to a specific asset: ##### Asset Creator Mode If you are interested in publishing your own assets, you first need to enable the asset creator mode via the "View" menu item in which you will now find the _"Enable Asset Creation"_ option. We have added this extra step to ensure newcomers do not accidentally publish wallpapers as assets and to simplify the editor, as the asset creator mode adds a few new buttons in a few places. Publishing assets then becomes very easy, rather than clicking on the button to publish your wallpaper, you use the button to publish assets, then select the layers or effects you want to publish. If you select multiple elements, you are given the choice to either publish them as a pack (which allows users to choose between them) or to publish them as a whole so that all layers are always added at the same time. - [Click here to learn more about asset creation](https://wallpaper-engine.fandom.com/wiki/Asset_Creation) ##### Shader Editor In the previous sections, we have talked about sharing custom effects. Effects are fundamentally different from other layers, as these are placed onto layers and up until now, it was not possible to actually create new effects in Wallpaper Engine. With this update, enabling the asset creation mode will create a "New" button in the effects list, allowing users to either create complete effects from scratch or use existing effects as a basis. The creation of effects requires custom shader programming which only advanced users will be familiar with. However, it only takes a few power users to create something cool for the community which is why we have implemented this and Wallpaper Engine offers a great playground to get into shader programming. - [Click here to check out a beginner shader tutorial for Wallpaper Engine](https://wallpaper-engine.fandom.com/wiki/Shader_tutorial_desaturation) - [Click here to see the reference on shaders and custom effects in Wallpaper Engine](https://wallpaper-engine.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Shaders) ##### User Interface Improvements We have also taken some time and improved the Wallpaper Engine user interface. We have re-worked a lot of prominent buttons in the playlist area, the filter section and the wallpaper detail section to make them more easily understandable and give them a more unified look. The wallpaper gallery now also has a more modern hover effect and will zoom into the preview image and fade out the text to give you a clearer view at the preview ima _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/4658356326293932896]_ ### Patch Released - Razer Chroma Support, Razer Wallpapers and more (Build 1.1.341) - Date: 2020-02-14 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3586491361621633497 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3586491361621633497 Hey everyone, we are happy to announce that we have partnered up with **Razer** to bring you support for LED hardware powered by Razer Chroma, new default wallpapers and new features in the Wallpaper Engine Editor and overall LED hardware improvements! ##### Razer Chroma Support Razer Chroma hardware now works out of the box on all wallpapers of the type "Scene" and "Video" - just like the previous implementation, "Web" wallpapers need to be programmed by their creators to specifically support it though no code changes are required and existing code works just fine with Razer Chroma. The team at Razer has created two very cool new wallpapers which will be automatically rolled out to all users - you will automatically find them in your _Installed_ wallpaper list after the update. ##### Razer Bedroom wallpaper The **Razer Bedroom** wallpaper is a nice showcase of one of the features we are adding to the editor with this update: **It's now possible to specify a layer which is to be used for LED hardware**. In this wallpaper, the color flow on the bedroom walls is represent on Razer Chroma hardware: ##### Razer Vortex wallpaper The Razer Vortex wallpaper is a little more abstract and radiates a rainbow from the center which works very well to create a nice background ambience with Razer Chroma hardware: We also want to make clear that all Razer Chroma wallpapers and Corsair iCUE wallpapers are completely compatible - you will not have to worry about using either platform with Wallpaper Engine from this point on. **Important:** Wallpaper Engine requires Razer Synapse 3. If you are using Razer Synapse 2 or lower, please completely uninstall it and upgrade to Razer Synapse 3 if possible. It's also important that you first uninstall older versions, as our beta tests has revealed some issues if some remnants of older versions are left installed on your system. ##### New Wallpaper Editor Features ##### Limit LED hardware to layer You can now specify that a layer is exclusively used for LED hardware lighting. This allows to really have full control over how a wallpaper lights up LED hardware. From now on we will take a closer look at this and show-case good example of this use in the "Discover" tab. If you would like to know how this was used in the Razer wallpapers we showcased above, you can copy and paste the _razer_vortex_ and _razer_bedroom_ wallpaper directory from _wallpaper_engine\projects\defaultprojects_ into the _wallpaper_engine\projects\myprojects_ and open the projects in the Wallpaper Engine editor yourself! If you need any help with that, don't hesitate to reach out to us on [our Steam Discussion board](https://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/). ##### VHS effect We have added a new effect to the Wallpaper Engine editor which allows to recreate the effects of old video tapes with configurable artifacts, chromatic aberration and distortions, as this has been a rather frequent request: ##### Miscellaneous additions ##### LED Boost We have added a new "LED Boost" feature which will make the colors of your Razer Chroma and Corsair iCUE hardware more vibrant. If you don't like this change, you can always disable it in the LED Plugin settings: ##### LED wallpaper showcase Since we have received a lot of positive feedback about the seasonal wallpapers and all-time classics lists at the top of the "Discover" tab, we are introducing a new section which will showcase wallpapers which work especially well on LED hardware: If you have created a wallpaper which works great with LED hardware out of the box or if you have made the effort specifically adding advanced LED effects through the LED layer feature described above, share it on our [Showcase Board](https://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/9/), there is a good chance we will feature your wallpaper there! ##### Full changelog ##### Additions - Added support for [Razer Chroma](https://www.razer.com/chroma) hardware. - Added new default wa _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3586491361621633497]_ ### Patch Released - Winter skin, Command Line Controls, Video LEDs (Build 1.1.301) - Date: 2019-12-13 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/431960/view/3997439124950139872 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/wallpaper-engine/releases/steam-3997439124950139872 ##### Update 13-01-2019 We have extended the Windows Insider Build warning so that it will be shown until the existing Windows bug affecting Insider users has been fixed. This build does not allow Wallpaper Engine to work, [See here for more infos](https://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/2/3124867129984837299/#c3124867129984877065). This patch also fixes a bug with video wallpaper cycling in playlists and updates some translations. ##### Update 20-12-2019 We added a warning to the browser that will be shown if you are using the Windows Insider build 19536. This build does not allow Wallpaper Engine to work, [see here](https://steamcommunity.com/app/431960/discussions/2/3124867129984837299/#c3124867129984877065). Several stability issues with the new LED integration should be fixed now, the Chroma SDK should work when you enable it manually and if you use Synpase 3. Both iCUE and Chroma currently have some half-supported devices (K55, Nanoleaf and a few more) which just turn off, this is not a bug in Wallpaper Engine unfortunately, you cannot use the LED integration with them and need to switch it off. ##### Update 16-12-2019 Fixed the program crashing when old versions of Razer Chroma are installed, even when not in use. To use the beta Chroma integration, make sure to enable Chroma in the plugin options, by default it is disabled! It requires Synapse 3 because we experienced those crashes with older versions so for now only the latest version of Synapse will work. Hey all, this patch adds a new Winter skin, a command line control system, a lot of minor quality of life improvements and better support for your LED peripherals. ##### Winter Skin The new winter skin is applied automatically during December if the seasonal theming option is enabled. The program will now also tell you about this and allow you to disable it right away if you don't like the skin. ##### Command Line Controls Wallpaper Engine can now be controlled from the command line. This means that you can control or automate wallpaper changes, playback, playlists or even wallpaper properties from other applications or for streaming multiple wallpapers from different pop-out windows. The full reference to the command line arguments can be found here: https://wallpaper-engine.fandom.com/wiki/Command_Line For example, you could create buttons in Rainmeter to control the wallpaper or hotkey macros or you could pop-out several wallpapers for streaming on Twitch. ##### Video LED Support Video wallpapers can now drive your iCUE devices as well and they will do so by default. If you don't like this, you can disable this in the wallpaper settings or even for specific wallpaper types in the new plugin options. We will also release support for LED peripherals for **Razer Chroma** devices in January 2020, stay tuned! We already invite you to test the RGB features for Razer Chroma peripherals by enabling the Chroma SDK integration in the plugin options of the Wallpaper Engine settings. Should you have any questions about this or encounter an issue with this, don't hesitate to reach out to us through the Steam Discussions or via email, we would really appreciate feedback on this upcoming feature! ##### Quality of Life Improvements A checkbox to disable the automatic monitor selection dialog if you have multiple wallpapers/monitors active: []({STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/26312799/fb08224ddada7b3db066b461cba654e4826adc31.png) Playlists can now be configured to always show the first wallpaper when they are started: The Discover tab now has a search button which brings you to the Workshop tab, where you can search the Workshop: A warning dialog will be shown if Wallpaper Engine things that your Steam has an issue and is re-downloading a lot of wallpapers: ##### PSA Wallpaper Engine among lots of other programs (Discord, Nvidia Control Center, Skype, Windows Explorer) is being terminated by BattlEye if you have Nvidia Low-Latency Mode enabled globally. 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