Product Updates

Improved

• Fonts now show the text you’re inserting in the font selection dropdown menu, rather than a generic preview of the font name. This will provide a clearer and more accurate representation of how your text will look in each font instead of clicking through them one by one.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where Sim Preview wasn’t working on the Opera GX browser because it was expecting a Local Network Access prompt similar to other browsers.

New

• Added a “Refresh List” button to the My Uploads screen. This way, if you send a layer to Paint Builder via Number Builder, you can quickly reload your list of uploads without the need to reload the entire Paint Builder app.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where an error message appeared when attempting to clone a project.
• Fixed an issue where text layers were not loading reliably in Firefox.
• Fixed an issue where links were not styled properly in the What’s New display.

We’ve released a new update for Paint Builder to make painting even better!

New

• Added Number Set functionality from Number Builder. You can use the Number Builder Showroom to create a Number Layer and send a race-ready layer right to Paint Builder with your number positioned, rotated, and sized in all the correct areas. Find your Number Set layers in My Uploads under Number Sets. Number Set layers are assigned per vehicle.

Improved

• If you’ve selected a layer group where all items within the group can be edited in the same way (e.g. color fill), you can now apply that property to the group to change all items within the group.
• Added a new Paint Builder-specific favicon so you can more easily distinguish your Paint Builder browser tabs and bookmarks from other Trading Paints links.
• Improved default empty input appearances in text fields so it is easier to see when you are using a default value.
• Duplicating a layer now tries to respect its original order in the layers list.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where Shadow blur and offset were not applied correctly when rotating a scaled text layer.
• Fixed an issue where text placement could appear differently for the same layer in different browsers.
• Fixed an issue where the Custom Number selection appeared when racing a Helmet or Suit project. This could have resulted in racing a Custom Number helmet or suit, which iRacing does not support.
• Fixed an error message that was displayed when a project that had too many layers.

Cleanup

• Added a reminder note that you’ll need to enable Local Network Access if prompted by your browser in order to use Sim Preview.
• Added an indicator to the What’s New button when there’s a new Paint Builder release.

We’ve added some updates to make Paint Builder even better.

New

• My Uploads Categories: You can now manage your uploads into categories for better organization if you have a lot of custom-uploaded layers.
• You can now rename uploaded files in My Uploads.

Improved

• Improved the reliability of ordering within layer groups. Sometimes layer order was not being considered.
• Improved the reliability of Finish values being applied to shape layers.
• Improved the reliability and performance of projects with many layers. (Note that performance is still dependent on the capabilities of your hardware.)

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where clipping masks on polygon shapes were not being applied correctly to exported TGA files.
• Fixed an issue where a resizing shape without a stroke would sometimes add a stroke to the shape.
• Fixed an issue where uploaded file names with multiple . characters in their name were not being named correctly.

The latest update to Paint Builder adds some new features and bug fixes.

New

• Layer masking/clipping has been added. This feature will let you erase a portion of a layer — most useful if you’re inserting a graphic or logo that “spills over” onto other panels of your car. To use a clipping mask, select a layer on your project, and then choose “Add Clipping Mask” in the properties panel (right column). You can then draw a shape for the portion of your layer you’d like to hide. You can choose to turn the mask on and off, and lock the size if needed. Clipping masks also work on layer groups.

Improved

• Removed the Profile Image layer from the Clone Car Parts menu, which always displayed as a broken image.
• On Helmets and Suits projects, removed the ability to enable Finish options (spec maps). iRacing helmets and suits do not support custom finishes.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where uploads with extremely long file names would break and not upload correctly.
• Fixed some issues relating to duplicating, rotating, and mirror cloning layers with skew values applied.
• Fixed an issue where layers with skew applied may have changed appearance when refreshing Paint Builder.
• Fixed an issue where some shapes reset their scale value when resizing after a custom scale value was set.

Cleanup

• Improved reliability of undo and redo actions when changes are made in the project.
• Improved speed and efficiency of actions taken to grouped layers.

We’ve released an update to Paint Builder, adding numerous new features and bug fixes!

New

• Layer grouping is now supported! You can now select multiple layers to combine into a single unit. This makes moving, rotating, and resizing much quicker across areas of a car or logo lockup. Use Shift or Ctrl/Cmd while clicking the layers you want to group, and then group them together by right-clicking and selecting “Group Layers” or pressing Ctrl/Cmd + G.
• You can now change the assigned car on an existing project from within the project settings. This is useful if you’re building a duplicate of a paint and want to use its existing layers as a basis for a paint on a different car.
• The right-click context menu is now available in the Layers list, instead of just on the painting canvas.
• Added support for the %BLUESKY_NAME% shortcode for text layers. If you insert the text %BLUESKY_NAME%, your Bluesky username will be automatically displayed on the project, similarly to the way you can for %NAME%, %TWITTER_NAME%, %FACEBOOK_NAME%, %INSTAGRAM_NAME%, %TWITCH_NAME%, %YOUTUBE_NAME%, and `%WEBSITE_URL%.
• .webp images are now supported for uploaded layers.

Improved

• By popular request, the Layers list is no longer separated into groups by Graphics, Logos & Text, and Shapes. This means that by default, you can now organize all layer types (except Base Paints) in the order you wish.
• Shape-drawing performance has improved significantly. You’ll notice less lag when inserting a shape or drawing with the pen or polygon tools.
• Improved performance on projects with many layers.
• Improved memory usage when Paint Builder’s browser tab was moved out of focus and then made active again.
• Under-the-hood architecture changes have been implemented with the goal of improving overall speed and performance.

Fixed

• Fixed a bug where the Custom Number option was available when racing Helmets and Suits.
• Fixed a bug where, when right-clicking a shape when another shape is already selected, the wrong context menu would appear.
• Fixed an issue where all projects of a particular vehicle wouldn’t load if the Number Blocks painting guide couldn’t be found.

Cleanup

• Improved app behavior when the connection between the server and the app is interrupted.
• Updated Paint Builder to use new Trading Paints and Paint Builder logos!

New

• On selected cars, your profile photo will be automatically loaded into your project’s pit sign board by default as a Car Parts layer for new projects. This functionality will be rolling out to more cars over the coming weeks.
• You can now use the following shortcodes in text layers to dynamically insert the following: %NAME%, %TWITTER_NAME%, %FACEBOOK_NAME%, %INSTAGRAM_NAME%, %TWITCH_NAME%, %YOUTUBE_NAME%, %WEBSITE_URL%.
• Added 297 new original vector illustrations to the Graphics menu so you can make your paints your own.

Improved

• If you clone a project, it will now note which project that the new project is based off on the Projects List screen.
• When viewing a shared project with view-only (no editing) permissions, improved clarity over which tools are enabled.

Fixed

• Fixed a bug where Helmets and Suits were being saved as an unsupported resolution. If you raced or exported a helmet or suit from Paint Builder that does not show up in iRacing, try re-opening the project and racing it again.
• Fixed a bug where “Sort By” was not working on the Favorite Projects screen.
• Fixed a bug where some complex layers’ Finish options were not being saved correctly in the Spec Map file.
• Fixed a bug where project preview thumbnails were not generating when using Paint Builder on mobile browsers.
• Fixed a bug where view-only users of a shared project could enable or disable painting guides on a project by using keyboard shortcuts.

Cleanup

• Improved error-message verbiage in the unlikely event a layer’s image cannot be loaded when a project is opened.
• Various improvements intended for better performance and reliability.

Improved

• When using Mirror Clone on a layer with a skew or shadow offset applied, the X value of the skew and shadow are now taken into consideration.
• If a driver’s name contains a number at the end of the name, the number won’t be included on the car in cases where we stamp the name on the signature rail or door, mainly on oval cars.
• On projects with Finish (spec map) options enabled, we now include a link with information on how to generate the iRacing MIP file required to race with the Finish options in place on the Project Settings, Submit to Showroom and Race screens.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where Paint Builder would crash when trying to load a project where an invalid layer shadow color was entered, and improved validation of entered colors to prevent errors.
• Fixed an issue where shapes’ positions slightly moved after being drawn and inserted, particularly when the canvas was rotated.
• Fixed an issue where some font layers caused excessive use of system memory that would sometimes result in freezing.

New

• Seamless saving! Paint Builder will no longer appear to stop and refresh the project view every few minutes, which it did previously to update the project’s preview image for the Project List screen. Instead, this process now happens silently in the background, making for a more seamless painting experience.
• Added the option for assigning a corner radius when applying a background color to a logo. This means you can easily add a rounded-edge rectangle as a “sticker” effect.
• Added 50 new fictional brand logos: 4-Corners, Ah Potato!, Allen Energy, Apex Air Filters, AutoFortress, Baatu, Bella’s Umbrellas, B-Main Brewing, Bukub Pumps, Camshaft Coffee Co., Check-Up Brake Inspection, Claw Oil, Clyde’s Paint, Coche Cola, Control-R Refinishing, Cornering Driving School, Delta Glass Repair, Dusty’s Truck Centers, DWOD, Eesto Records, EYV Networking, Fearless Tires, Gemini Gears, Hank’s Hardware, Hosta Performance Parts, HP4 Spark Plugs, Journeyman Tools, Lightning Wireless, Lollipop Quick-Stop, Net Cod, No Chill Antifreeze, Nyoom, OOLID Tires, Oversteer Oil, Oznot Shocks, Pole Position Polish, Satellite Secondhand Parts, Scholar Dollar, Scorpio Tire & Auto Centers, Sea Bounty, Sesame Smart-Home System, Skid-Mark Sponges, Slipstream Lubricants, STFU Hearing Protection, Tepid Water Heaters, Tempest Wiper Blades, Turbo Tree Service, Urmuted Mufflers, VISE Tools, and Wildcat Welding.

Improved

• If ”Show when editing” is enabled on Painting Guides, those guides will now appear when using the arrow keys to move a layer.
• Changed the default behavior of the Wireframe painting guide to show the inverse color of the items below, making it easier to see the wireframe on any color car. This option can be turned off in the properties panel.
• Cloned Car Parts layers can now have a color fill value applied via the properties panel.
• User-uploaded logos can now have a color fill value applied via the properties panel.
• After uploading a new logo, the My Uploads screen will now jump to show the newly-uploaded logo instead of remaining at the top of the list where Favorites appear.
• Made some improvements with how alpha-channel transparency is handled on vehicles with paintable window portions.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where some layers were changing their order when Combine Layer Groups was enabled and a Car Parts layer was cloned.
• Fixed an issue where projects containing a font that couldn’t be loaded caused the project to display an infinite-loading spinner, and also corrected four incomplete font files that were causing this issue.
• Fixed an issue on the My Uploads screen where if the screen height was too low or if the browser zoom level was set very far, a scrollbar would not appear for accessing logos you’ve uploaded.

New

• With the new Share Uploads feature, you can copy a code to share an item you’ve uploaded with other Paint Builder users. This will be particularly useful not only for sharing logos with friends and teammates, but also for those who design car add-on layers and wish to share with others across the web.
• Added Mirror Clone (Duplicate + Rotate) feature. When this option is selected on a layer, Paint Builder will make a copy of the layer and rotate it to the other side of the template, while taking its existing rotation into consideration. This makes replicating items on the opposite side of the car a bit easier.
• We’ve added 111 new original vector graphics to the Add Graphics menu. Find the new flame, checkered flag, and tribal patterns to make your Paint Builder projects your own.
• You can now save your favorite colors to copy and reference later in the Default Shape Settings window.
• This What’s New window will share new features and improvements to Paint Builder as we release new features.
• We’ve added the Combine Layer Groups feature in Project Settings. When this option is enabled, all editable layer types — shapes, graphics, logos and text — can be reordered as desired without separate layer group separations for each item type. This means that with the Combine Layer Groups option enabled, you can place shapes and graphics above logos and text if you wish.

Improved

• Improved validation for the color picker to accept hex, name, rgb, rgba, hsl, and hsla formats throughout Paint Builder.

Fixed

• Fixed a bug that caused Paint Builder to crash when a shape layer was assigned a negative position value.
• Fixed an issue in Firefox where submitting a project to the Trading Paints Showroom triggered a pop-up blocker message.
• Fixed a bug on the new project dialog where fully deleting the existing text caused it to reappear.
• Fixed a bug where double-clicking a logo or graphic from the insert screen would insert the new layer twice.

Cleanup

• We reformatted the My Uploads screen to make better use of space for new features and show bigger previews.
• A friendlier error message is now shown when you attempt to upload more than three logos at once.