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BLBlender

Quickbake

by Ernesto·Workflow

Images © Ernesto. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

QuickBake earns a look for how it collapses Blender's usual baking setup into a single Bake Selected Objects click, working over the native Cycles system rather than replacing it.

What is Quickbake?

Blender's built-in baking system uses the Cycles renderer to create textures from models, but getting an output image out of it can be cumbersome and typically requires fiddling with materials. QuickBake works over that same system with a simpler aim: get baking done with as little setup as necessary. In Cycles, it automatically performs the preparation work before handing the bake to Blender.

You can run multiple baking modes at once, such as diffuse and roughness, and bake several objects into a single texture, or into several textures when baking multiple modes. It can create new UVs based on existing ones, and baked images are set as fake users so you don't need to save them externally, though external saving can be done automatically.

Version 1.1 adds material creation: after a bake, the material set as Base Material is copied to each baked object with the baked textures assigned to its Image Texture nodes according to the baking mode. QuickBake requires Cycles, at least one baking mode selected, and at least one selected mesh object.

Who is Quickbake best for?

Quickbake is best for blender users baking multiple objects or multiple texture modes in Cycles, where the task is more involved than a single texture from a single object using a single UV.

How much does Quickbake cost?

Quickbake is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Automatically performs the preparation work required before baking in Cycles
  • Runs multiple baking modes at once, such as diffuse and roughness
  • Bakes multiple objects into a single texture, or into several textures when baking multiple modes
  • Creates new UVs based on existing ones using Blender's Pack Islands function
  • Sets baked images as fake users, with optional automatic external saving
  • Material creation (v1.1): copies a Base Material to baked objects with textures assigned to Image Texture nodes by baking mode
  • Documentation included

Tags

#baking#texture baking#baking automation#Cycles#Blender#UV#materials#workflow

Frequently asked questions

Does QuickBake work with Eevee or only Cycles?

QuickBake works over Blender's own baking system, which means it only runs in Cycles. It uses the same baking settings you'd find in the usual Bake panel, apart from the baking mode options like Combined and Diffuse, which it controls itself. To bake, you need to be in Cycles, have at least one baking mode selected, and have at least one mesh object selected. When those conditions are met, clicking Bake Selected Objects hands the prepared job to Blender and returns the results in the Image Editor.

How do I install QuickBake in Blender?

QuickBake installs like a standard Blender addon. In Blender, open Edit, then Preferences, then Add-ons, click the downward arrow in the upper right corner, and select the downloaded addon .zip file. Once enabled, QuickBake's settings appear in the 3D viewport's side tab, while it continues to use the usual baking settings in the Render tab. When a bake finishes, the results show up in the Image Editor, with image names using the Base Output Name property as a prefix.

Do I need to create UVs before baking with QuickBake?

QuickBake does not require you to create new UVs before baking. It can generate new ones based on the UVs it would normally use, building them from scaled versions with Blender's Pack Islands function in the UV Editor. These new UVs do not overwrite your existing one; both stay available in the UV Maps panel under the object's Data tab. Creating UVs yourself is still recommended for greater control, but the automatic option covers cases where you'd rather skip that step.

How do I fix the 'Save failed to load image buffer' error in QuickBake?

QuickBake can sometimes return a 'Save failed to load image buffer' error during baking. When this happens, retrying the bake with a different Base Output Name will fix the issue, since that property is used as the prefix for the resulting image names. This is worth noting because the Base Output Name is set in QuickBake's own settings, so changing it takes only a moment before you click Bake Selected Objects again to run the bake once more.

Is QuickBake free to use?

QuickBake is listed as free here in our catalog. For current licensing terms and any conditions attached to its use, check the developer's page, since those details can change over time. Installation follows the standard Blender addon route through Edit, Preferences, Add-ons, and the resulting textures are set as fake users so you don't have to save them externally to keep them, though automatic external saving is also available.

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