Wallpaper Engine News

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.

[h2]Clipping Masks for Puppet Warp Animations[/h2]
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.

To learn more about how to utilize clipping masks, take a look at our designer documentation.

[h2]New Editor Effects[/h2]
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.

[h2]Rope Physics Simulation[/h2]
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.

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.



[h2]Texture Variants[/h2]
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.

Take a look at our full changelog to get an overview of all additions, changes and bug fixes:


[h2]Additions & Changes[/h2]

• Added clipping mask system to puppets.
  
• Added new effects: glitter, shimmer, water caustics, cloud motion.
  
• Added texture variant system.
  
• Added generic vertex editing gizmos to make rotating/scaling multiple vertices at once possible.
  
• Added blend shape bone modulation.
  
• Added puppet warp rope simulation with global gravity and wind properties.
  
• Added an option to control the cycle interpolation in water flow effect to reduce blurriness/image copies.
  
• Added low FPS preview option to editor. Especially relevant for physics simulations.
  
• Added wallpaper transition option for wallpaper previews. The option can be found in the "General" tab of the app settings.
  
• Added ability to disable color overrides on child particles.
  
• Added missing interpolation filter initialization for layers without reference texture.
  
• Faster puppet animation editor undo.
  
• Enabled editor degree conversion rounding for generic properties and physics constraints.
  
• Disabled color override on fireworks refract particle to fix background tinting.
  
• Changed mip map streamer to load third detail level first for slightly faster render start.
  
• Added automated puppet mesh depth generation. You can find the option in the Geometry settings after locking the geometry. Click on Edit Deformation, select a limb or an entire model by double-clicking it and then use the "Auto Depth" button at the bottom.
  
• Added masked default shader snippet to shader editor.
  
• Added sampler generator to shader editor.
  
• Added new perlin and uniform default textures.
  
• Added diffuse light blend mode to shader blend modes.
  
• Removed light layer limit and changed light system to render the closest lights only if light limit is reached.
  
• Added 64 bit compiler to resolve crashes on very large textures.
  
• Added texture size on disk to texture info page.
  
• Added VRAM and genre hints to publish dialog.
  
• Added position offset to puppet warp reference overlay.
  

• Fixed lockscreen override and clone functionality on certain multi-screen environments.
  
• Fixed Windows 11 24H2 update breaking screensaver detection.
  
• Fixed Windows 11 24H2 update causing freezes on web wallpaper transitions.
  
• Fixed editor degree conversion to work without rounding too.
  
• Fixed visibility property in asset packs losing meta data when uploading.
  
• Hide parallax settings on child layers since the parent element controls parallax in this case.
  
• Fixed precomposed children not rendering last effect pass with alpha writing enabled, thus being invisible.
  
• Fixed VHS effect mask.
  
• Fixed particle drag behavior on high settings when FPS are very low.
  
• Fixed paint message dead lock when importing multiple videos in editor.
  
• Fixed puppet compiler crash when model is missing initial weight data.
  
• Fixed sprite trail length fps compensation.
  
• Fixed user property main panel reload on inline binding change.
  
• Fixed scene script storage not properly separating data store between Workshop wallpapers.
  
• Fixed layer move to bottom/position with parent layers.
  
• Fixed crash with light cookies when using media integration album art.
  

The Android update is being processed by all app stores. Please note that mobile app stores tend to release updates with a significant delay, so it might take a few days for the update to be accepted and finally reach you.

If you have installed the APK file directly, you can grab the latest APK on our website right now:

[h3]Download the latest version of Wallpaper Engine on Android[/h3]

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.

[h2]Retiring Support for Windows 7 and Windows 8[/h2] 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:
[h3]

• Windows 7 / 8 Users: Reverting to Wallpaper Engine 2.4

[/h3]
[h2]New Features[/h2][h3]New Playlist Transitions[/h3]
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.

[h2]Improved Display Clone Functionality[/h2]
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:



[h2]New Editor Features[/h2]
[h3]New Light Shafts Asset / Effect[/h3]
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

[h3]Puppet Warp Improvements[/h3] 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.

[h4]Character Sheet Improvements[/h4]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 these changes in our designer documentation. To learn about how to utilize this new feature, check out the "Blending across weight islands" section on the following docs page:

• Character Sheets - Wallpaper Engine Designer Docs

For a full list of all changes, improvements and bug fixes, see the full changelog ahead:


[h2]Additions / Changes[/h2]

• Added new light shafts effect and preset.
  
• Added new clone system with improved Windows 11 compatibility and ability to flip each clone horizontally.
  
• Added new playlist transition system with improved Windows 11 compatibility with 27 shader-based transition animations.
  
• Added puppet warp deformation/blend shape smudge brush.
  
• Added animatable puppet bone depth ordering.
  
• Added puppet reference overlay for i.e. reference pose editor.
  
• Made it possible to add additional content to an existing puppet warp character sheet. Click here to learn more.
• Added FOV slider to 2D scenes which also contain 3D assets.
  
• Improved puppet warp reference pose blend system for smoother limb transitions.
  
• Added bone multi select to animation editor.
  
• Added property group view to curve editor.
  
• Added puppet warp depth order to reference pose editor.
  
• Made bone names editable in animation editor.
  
• Added bone selection list to animation editor.
  
• Added preview toggle to blend shape editor.
  
• Added new puppet shading overlay to edit blend shapes/deformation more easily.
  
• Improved animation editor scaling.
  
• Changed playSingleAnimation script function to apply in/out blending of animation and made it configurable.
  
• Changed playSingleAnimation to sort animation dynamically before permanent additive layers.
  
• Added clean local storage button to editor.
  
• Added point filter option to adjustable composition layer.
  
• Made zooming in preview mode be multiplied with current camera zoom value for easier previewing.
  
• Added effect script support to clear intermediate buffers by script (i.e. fluid simulation).
  
• Added script functions to manipulate puppet blend shapes and local bone transforms per frame.
  
• Changed renderable center function on child layers to center to parent layer.
  
• Updated CEF.
  
• Implemented new scene rendering in-editor for compatibility with new CEF version and best possible performance.
  
• Improved mouse capturing for camera input.
  
• Updated Freetype/Harfbuzz.
  
• Updated V8.
  
• Added Media Foundation failsafe for video textures if Windows is lacking Media Foundation libraries.
  
• Improved device loss stability.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed morph blend weight for models and puppets being blended incorrectly over multiple layers.
  
• Fixed numerical property inputs being marked as incorrect by HTML.
  
• Fixed match loop animation interpolation for 3D models.
  
• Fixed base translation of prerendered layer causing frame buffer reads to be offset.
  
• Fixed light renderable importing from Workshop assets.
  
• Fixed "Media Foundation stutter fix" not being visible in the app settings under certain conditions.
  
• Fixed startup service executable being rewritable.
  
• Fixed property group height not being unset after group animation finished.
  
• Fixed android external storage permission dialog not showing up again after being cancelled.
  

[h2]Additions / Changes[/h2]

• Added numerical input to brush direction.

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed web-based wallpaper screensavers requiring a mouse click to leave screensaver
  
• Various fixes for display cloning on multi-monitor systems
  
• Fixed various issues regarding desktop and lockscreen wallpaper override functionality
  
• Improved wallpaper playlist transitions
  
• Fixed transform layer duplication not working
  
• Fixed memory leak on glass shatter transition
  
• Fixed next wallpaper hotkey sometimes not working on first execution.

The Android update is being processed by all app stores. Please note that mobile app stores tend to release updates with a significant delay, so it might take a few days for the update to be accepted and finally reach you.

If you have installed the APK file directly, you can grab the latest APK on our website right now:

[h3]Download the latest version of Wallpaper Engine on Android[/h3]

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.

[h2]New 3D Features[/h2][h3]Real-time Shadows[/h3] 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.[h3]Volumetric Lighting[/h3] 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

[h3]Model Shaders[/h3] We also took some time to experiment with shaders for model textures. We have added three shaders which you can make use of:



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

[h3]Distance Fog[/h3] 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

[h2]Additional New Features[/h2][h3]Texture Projections[/h3] 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

[h3]SceneScript: Local Storage[/h3] 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

[h3]2D - Puppet Warp: Vertex Editing & Blend Shapes[/h3] 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.

[h2]Miscellaneous Improvements[/h2][h3]Debugging User Properties in Editor[/h3] This update adds the ability to test user properties while previewing the wallpaper in the editor. Up until now, this was only possible when actually applying the wallpaper and we hope this change will speed up the testing process for you. You can find the new User Properties tab at the bottom of the editor for scene wallpapers, if it is missing for you, you can get it back by resetting the editor layout or opening it from the view menu.

[h3]New User Property Group Functionality[/h3] This update also introduces a new grouping feature for user properties, allowing for a less cluttered wallpaper configuration, as multiple related properties can be hidden away in a group:


Learn more about this feature in our designer documentation.

[h3]Windows Insider Support[/h3]This update adds support for Microsoft's latest changes to Windows Insider Editions and future stable releases of Windows.

Be sure to check out the full changelog here:

• Added shadow mapping for spot/point/directional lights.
  
• Added light volumetrics for spot and point lights.
  
• Added projected texture for spot lights.
  
• Upgraded lighting system to use more intuitive radius/intensity controls and added new falloff control for custom falloff settings per light.
  
• Added distance and height fog.
  
• Added puppet warp vertex editing and vertex animation.
  
• Added alpha to coverage blending for shadow mapping of i.e. foliage.
  
• Added post-processing controller layer to adjust volumetrics rendering order.
  
• Added lookAt script function for renderables.
  
• Added getChildren script function to iterate hierachies.
  
• Added localStorage to Scenescript (added highscore to stock Dino Run wallpaper).
  
• Added vector min/max/mix functions to Scenescript.
  
• Added renderable world matrix access to get directional vectors easily.
  
• Added user property edit and preview window.
  
• Added user property "group" type to add foldable groups to the browser.
  
• Added shader program count statistic to judge wallpaper load times.
  
• Added new 3D shaders: foliage, fur, chroma.
  
• Added support for new desktop window hierarchy on Windows Insider.
  
• Added camera up/down keys (q/e) for 3D scenes.
  
• Added texture import support for tif/tiff.
  
• Added frustum culling for 3D layers to main viewport and multi viewport shadow rendering.
  
• Added render bounds additionally to base bounding box which takes animation volumes into account.
  
• Added new auto bezier key frame method to create smooth animations more easily.
  
• Updated assimp model import library.
  
• Upgraded Android app to target Android 14 and updated libraries.
  

• Fixed missing noise option for pulse effect.
  
• Fixed transparency cropping issues on puppets.
  
• Fixed position picker.
  
• Fixed model clip animations with single frame.
  
• Fixed old submissions using a bug to render text behind 3D models and added a proper option to control this for new submissions.
  
• Fixed parallax property being hidden on transform layer since it's still required when building a hierarchy of layers.
  
• Fixed timeline animation resetting relative animation components (i.e. origin) when linking multiple properties.
  
• Fixed text layer padding being ignored when text layers are rendering without effects, but opaque background.
  

[h3]Wallpaper Engine 2.4.82 Hotfix Changelog[/h3]

• Added best of 2024 collection to discover tab.
  
• Made mini mode resizable in height.
  
• Various fixes and improvements regarding the "High Performance" texture setting.
  
• Fixed "Cast shadow" option not being stored properly on 3D models.
  
• Fixed web wallpaper publishing issues.
  
• Improved stability during and after driver updates and other critical moments in which the graphics card drivers might reset.
  
• Adjusted auto bezier values.
  
• Added bloom tint parameter.
  
• Disabled bezier feature buttons based on current bezier mode.
  
• Added light source size option to point lights so they can be placed inside geometry more easily.
  
• Made invisible video textures pause decoding to improve video texture performance in scenes with many optional video textures.
  
• Improved default light values for 2D scenes.

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 right now:

[h3]Download the latest version of Wallpaper Engine on Android[/h3]

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.

[h2]New 3D Model Features[/h2]
[h3]Model Editor[/h3]
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.

[h3]New Camera System[/h3]
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.


[h2]Improved Lighting[/h2]
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:

• Click here to learn more about the new light types.

[h2]Asset hierarchy and attachments[/h2]
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.



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
• 2D Puppet Warp Attachments Guide
• 3D Model Attachments Guide

Be sure to check out the full changelog here:

[h2]3D model improvements[/h2]

• 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 allows toggling between multiple cameras and paths. Allows controlling the camera like an object. Click here to view a tutorial.
  
• Added hitboxes and click events to models.
  
• Added automatic transparent object sorting to 3D scenes. Useful if you have a lot of transparent objects and a moving camera, that shows them from different angles.
  
• Added new 3D scene editor grid.
  
• Added button to switch between local space and world space rotation and translation.
  

[h2]General Editor Improvements[/h2]

• Added scene layer hierarchy system. Click here to read a tutorial.
  
• Puppet models now feature attachment points that can be used to bind other assets to them. Click here to read a tutorial.
  
• Added new lighting system that supports more lights and new light types, including spots, tube and directional lights. Click here to see an overview of all new light types.
  
• Added search box to effect and asset list.
  
• Implemented support for Steam's new content rating system during the upload process. Adjust your Steam age rating preferences for your Steam account here.
  
• Added transform layer type.
  
• Added model/puppet attachment to image layer projection so certain image effects can be attached to objects behind them.
  
• Changed puppet animations to use more generic angular interpolation and match 3D skeletal animations.
  
• Added new shader rebuild overlay to clearly show when the editor is busy rebuilding the shader cache.
  
• Added normal map import x and y flip option so normal maps can be matched more easily.
  
• Added ability to select any layer by clicking in the scene. Select underlying layers by holding the left mouse button continuously.
  
• Made physics bones behave more stable when they are chained.
  
• Improved physics bones torque simulation.
  
• Added dual wave option to water waves effect so more interesting effects can be achieved with a single wave layer.

[h2]App improvements[/h2]

• Various Discover tab improvements, now highlights popular wallpapers.
  
• Optimized performance on 2D scenes by disabling anti-aliasing automatically if a scene doesn't contain 3D elements.
  
• Added warning when a Windows slideshow or Windows spotlight is set as a Windows wallpaper, since it causes the live wallpaper to disappear momentarily.
  
• Anti-aliasing compatibility improvements for latest versions of Windows 11.
  
• Improved virtual desktop compatibility for latest versions of Windows 11.
  
• Fixed various crashes related to Windows Copilot, though it remains somewhat unstable as it significantly alters the desktop. We recommend turning Windows Copilot off for the time being.

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed finished sounds playing after unpause in scenes.
  
• Fixed puppet texture channel animations when textures are auto cropped.
  
• Fixed shader preprocessor not recognizing certain commands correctly when spaces were missing, added support for #elif.
  
• Fixed clean project deleting files with capitalized file extension when it shouldn't.
  
• Fixed inversed culling mode on flipped wallpapers not being reverted during pre-render steps, causing layers to disappear.
  
• Fixed engine forward vector being flipped in shaders.
  
• Fixed "lighting 3" particle having artifacts on its border.
  
• Fixed particle oscillate alpha blending not being applied.
  

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 right now:

[h3]Download the latest version of Wallpaper Engine on Android[/h3]