Changelog

Release Notes: Material Randomizer Pro v1.10.0

We are excited to announce the first official release of Material Randomizer Pro, an advanced toolkit designed to streamline look-development and procedural variation within Blender's Shader Editor.

🌟 Version 1.10.0 Highlights

This initial release establishes a robust framework for material randomization, moving away from simple random values toward a sophisticated, seed-based system with distribution controls and smart heuristics.

🎨 Core Randomization Engine

• Seed-Based Logic: Every randomization is deterministic based on a global material seed, with the ability to "re-roll" specific nodes or individual sockets using local seed offsets.
• Distribution Modes:
  • Uniform: Equal probability across the range.
  • Gaussian: Natural, bell-curve distribution centered between your limits.
  • Stepped: Quantized values for indexed or "stepped" procedural looks.
• HSV Color Logic: RGBA sockets are randomized in HSV space to ensure more artistic and intuitive color variations compared to raw RGB shifts.

🖼️ Specialized Node Support

• Texture Swapping: Added directory-based texture swapping for Image Texture nodes. Simply point to a folder, and the add-on will cycle through available images.
• ColorRamp Jitter: Introduces "Chaos" mode for ColorRamps, allowing for random jittering of stop positions and color values.
• Smart Vector Mapping: Four distinct modes for Vector inputs: Free, Uniform Scale, Snap 90° (rotation focus), and Integer.

🧠 Intelligence & Workflow

• Smart Limits Engine: Automatically detects logical ranges for standard PBR inputs (e.g., automatically setting 0.0–1.0 for Roughness or Metalness) to minimize manual setup.
• Node Group Integration: Dedicated tools to "Store Limits to Node," allowing randomization ranges to be saved directly inside Node Group definitions for reuse across files.

🖥️ Advanced UI & Organization

• Filtered Node List: A custom UI list with real-time search and sorting (by Name, Type, Active status, or Lock status).
• Property Filtering: Search and sort through individual socket properties within a selected node.
• Locking System: Protect specific properties from randomization with a single click.

💾 Preset Management

• Internal Storage: Save your entire randomization configuration directly into the Material's custom properties.
• External JSON: Export and import settings as .json files for pipeline integration and sharing with other artists.

🔧 Installation & Compatibility

• Blender Version: 5.0.0 and newer.
• Installation: Install via Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install.
• Location: Found in the Node Editor > Sidebar (N-Panel) > Randomizer tab.

📩 Feedback & Support

This is the first public release. If you encounter bugs or have feature requests, please contact the author at lambdawalker@isdavid.com.