Since MagicaVoxel 99.4 was released back in 2019, there have been tons of great new features added to MagicaVoxel. In fact there have been 2 major versions since: 99.5 and 99.6. Each version has introduced new tools and abilities to take your voxel art to the next level. In this post we will cover some of the biggest changes and improvements covered in each release.
Before we start, If you are using MagicaVoxel for production purposes we recommend keeping a backup of your work using the 99.4 version. Currently MagicaVoxel 99.4 is considered a stable version whereas 99.5+ contain a lot of experimental features. So without further ado let’s gets started!
Features Introduced in MagicaVoxel 0.99.5
Almost a year after version 99.4 was released @ephtracy released a new version of MagicaVoxel with version number 0.99.5. This update introduced some much requested improvements including a larger model size and multi-selection in the palette window.
Canvas Size Increased
In this version a larger canvas size for models was introduced. Artists can now construct voxel models with a max size of 256x256x256 as opposed to the previous limit of 128x128x128.
Increased Undo and Redo Limit
New compression techniques were introduced on the backend allowing for less memory usage. The end result is now you can undo up to 100 commands. This also applies to redo commands.
Ability to Import and Export JPEG Images
In previous versions of MagicaVoxel PNG images were the only way to import images into MagicaVoxel. They were also the only format supported for exporting an image as well. In this version you can now import and export JPEG images just like PNG images.
Multiple Color Selection
Previously, only one color could be selected or modified at any given time inside of the Palette window. Now multiple colors can be selected at the same time. This allows you to edit the material of multiple colors at the same time. Other commands such as copy, paste, and rand also work in conjunction with multiple selection.
Features introduced in MagicaVoxel 0.99.5.1
Not long after 0.99.5 was released another quick update unloaded a large amount of new features for MagicaVoxel. Some notable improvements in this update included new shortcuts for the scene editor, brush modes for selecting voxels and new import/export options.
Scene Editor Shortcuts
In this version a larger canvas size for models was introduced. Artists can now construct voxel models with a max size of 256x256x256 as opposed to the previous limit of 128x128x128.
Features introduced in MagicaVoxel 0.99.6
Currently the latest version of MagicaVoxel, 0.99.6 added some great tools and features for improving the visuals of voxel models. Some big additions include the new SSS Material and tools for making custom voxel shaders.
SSS Material
This new material option stands for Sub Surface Scattering. This also includes a transparency property for controlling the amount of light transmitted and a density property for controlling the light scattered.
