Substance Designer 4.6 is now available as a free update!
Here is the full changelist:

FEATURES

• New license system
  
• [3D View] Setting wrapping mode per sampler in glslfx
  
• [3D View] Use "F" to focus on the object
  
• [3D View] Add specular level channel for dielectrics in metal/rough PBR shader
  
• [3D View] Set the save image shortcut to alt+S instead of ctrl+S (same for copy Viewport alt+c)
  
• [3D View] Change default background color
  
• [Bakers] New Thickness baker
  
• [Bakers] New Opacity Mask baker
  
• [Graph] duplicate a link from an input pin using ctrl+click (cmd click on mac)
  
• [Graph] Store the output export path per graph
  
• [Functions] Do not create getfloat node when creating a new input

BUG FIXES

• [Parameters] Clicking and dragging on parameter slider does not set value to 0.
  
• [Parameters] pinned parameter tab gets overridden
  
• [Parameters] Alpha value is set to 1 when picking a color in the color widget
  
• [Parameters] FloatX with Sbsar display wrong values in the UI
  
• [Parameters] create/delete input hides the + button
  
• [Parameters] Crash when deleting a function input
  
• [Graph] Can't plug overlay node when using compact link mode
  
• [Graph] Can't "Export all as Bitmaps" when the destination directory does not exist
  
• [Graph] set "display connectors name" on by default
  
• [Bakers] Can't use a psd layer as normal map resource
  
• [Bakers] Selected material IDs not saved in Bake model information
  
• [Bakers] Export path is saved as absolute
  
• [Library] Potential random crash when browser large amount of items
  
• [Library] folders with name containing "resources" are ignored
  
• [Functions] Can't drag&drop a function onto a frame
  
• [Functions] Duplicating a node gives an incorrect comment position
  
• [Engine] SSE does not support opacity greater than 1 for image input in fx-map

A hotfix for 4.5 has just been released:

• [Mac]Crash when opening graph
  
• [Mac] When creating a new Substance
  
• [Library] Icons broken when using Aliases
  
• [Library] Creating a new filter with a folder selected does not put the filter inside the folder
  
• [Library] use "keyword" data in sbsar as "tag" for the library
  
• [Preferences] projects files urls are not stored in relative in the configuration file
  
• [Preferences] use alias for tangent plugin
  
• [Preferences] Can't open a configuration file in readonly mode
  
• [3D View] diffuse lighting is black for PBR shaders
  
• [3D View] render artefacts on mac using blinn shader
  
• [2D View] Flow and Opacity slider do not work
  
• [Graph] Exporting graph outputs is extremely long
  
• [Graph] Autoplug does not work if outputs have 2 usages
  
• Crash when trying to reopen old .sbs

This new release comes with an updated baking interface, plugin support for custom tangent basis (mikkt is now available in the preferences) and tons of useful tweaks and fixes!

Main Changes

• [Bakers] Common Settings
  
• [Bakers] custom tangent basis plugins
  
• [Bakers] Dilation radius option
  
• [Bakers] Multi High poly meshes baking
  
• [Bakers] Add an option to change how Ambient Occlusion is attenuated with distance (use Linear to get XNormal like results)
  
• [Bakers] Expose the Spread angle for the AO from mesh and Bent normals bakers
  
• [Bakers] Set the default bake names in the preference
  
• [Bakers] Automaticaly close the dialog box when double clicking on a resource in the resource dialog selection
  
• [Bakers] Add possibility to add custom Bake Name macros in preferences
  
• [Bakers] Tooltips and parameters order adjustments
  
  
• Add "basecolor" usage. Replaces the Diffuse usage when using the Metalness workflow to fit with UE4 naming convention.
  
• [Preferences] Set the default resources path to .exe path
  
• [Preferences] version control settings adjustments
  
• [Preferences] Split the settings into two files / solution settings
  
• [Graph] Use the first plugged or first visible output to generate node thumbnail
  
• [Graph] Change the node instance color in case it belongs to a sbsar file
  
• [Library] Assign filters to project
  
• [Library] Use alias if possible for filter icons
  
• [Projects] Store watched Path and Aliases in relative to the project file
  
• [Explorer] Display warning in explorer when resource has invalid linked file
  
• Auto reload sbsar files
  
• Don't use the registry key "installDir" in SD to detect where SD is installed
  
• Node Instance 'BaseColor' identifier updater

We are thrilled to announce our first big Substance Contest! The goal is to have fun, create amazing art and of course win awesome stuff!

An all-inclusive week for 2 in Paris or LA, next-gen consoles, Maya and Modo licenses, a lifetime of Substance software and much more are at stake.
($45,000 worth of prizes to win)!

The contest is open to all until July 7th and a team of talented artists from top AAA studios will judge the submissions and choose the winners on July 21st.

Click HERE to read all the details and sign up!

If you guys have any questions regarding the contest, feel free to use this thread.

Substance Designer 4.2 is now available along with the free Substance Engine plugin for Unreal Engine 4!

SD 4.2 Main Features

• Automatic and continuous export - Allows you to see updates to your substance in real time in any hot-reload enabled software (Toolbag2, Unity, Maya, etc.)
  
• sRGB/Linear switch both for 2D and 3D visualization.
  
• New wear and tear filters
  
• Environment map can be displayed in the viewport
  
• Improve antialiasing in bakers

Full Changelog

[Graph] Export outputs continuously
[3D View] display environment map in the viewport
[3D View] Allow to drag & drop images from the Library to the Viewport
[3D View] move the environment map/parameters to the scene parameters
[3D View] Handle rays going below the horizon in PBR shaders
[3D View] Control exposure instead of environment intensity
[2D View] switch to view image as srgb/linear
[Bakers] Improve antialiasing in bakers from high poly mesh
[Graph] Add the export output buttons in the graph toolbar
Deprecate the DirectX9 engine

Bug fixes

[Bakers] World Space normal map is not look normalized
[Bakers] Baked map has a wrong name
[Bakers] Display material name instead of id index
[Bakers] UV to SVG: Grayscale Mode: Black is a valid ID.
[Bakers] Image resource not reloaded after baking update
[Bakers] Auto-normalization of baked height maps with cages
[Cooker] Wrong SBSAR code generation
[3D View] Default material is still visible when using the "view outputs in 3D view" function
[3D View] 3d view is empty
[3D View] 4k textures are always displayed in 2K
[3D View] Cubemaps loaded from HDR panoramas are downgraded to 8bpc
[Library] Default filters are not sorted correctly
[Explorer] Export with dependancies does not keep default library path
[Explorer] crash when moving a graph inside a package
[Explorer] Crash when reloading package
[Explorer] Crash when unloading a package
[Graph] Editing a FX-Map creates a "Parameter" tab
[Graph] adding nodes in a frame deselects currently selected nodes
[Graph] Duplicating a node display the graph parameters instead of the new node ones
[Mac] Thumbnails of subgraphs are not correctly rendered
[Parameters] Step option does not work

Substance Designer 4.1 is now released, with lots of cool stuffs!
Find more information at http://www.allegorithmic.com/products/substance-designer


** Features

- Graph: Frames to group Nodes / Comment
- Graph: Action to create Inputs/Outputs nodes from node instance inputs/outputs connectors
- Explorer: export package with dependencies
- Explorer: Set Read Only files to a locked state in SD
- Explorer: Make "Close" action on package support multitple selection
- Explorer: Manage Version Control on packages
- Graph: delete unused nodes / clean graph
- 2D View: Reexport all outputs images
- 3D View: correct gamma management
- Gradient: delete key by moving it up only
- Bakers: new Bent normals baker
- Bakers: new Ambien Occlusion from mesh baker
- Bakers: bake multiple maps at once
- Bakers: Disable Ok button if high poly mesh is not set
- Bakers: Override or Rename resources with same name
- Bakers: use underscores instead of spaces in output file name
- Library: Add a condition "does not contain" in the filter definition
- Library: search by tags
- Parameters: TAB functionality in the parameter UI
- Use middle mouse button to close Tab Widget
- Console widget
- Add a F9 keyboard shortcut for the "Switch Engine" dialog
- Add aliases to custom library paths



** Bug Fix

- Crash when adding a new node after removing one just before
- Crash when using the create input/output feature on fxmaps
- Crash when creating graph inclusion cycles
- Crash when editing the value of a channel shuffle parameter that has been made into a constant
- Graph: Contextual menu spawned with Space bar is not sorted correctly
- Graph: Selection rectangle still displayed after Space menu displayed
- Graph: actions still gray when doing a checkout on package
- Engine build numbers are reported as 0 in the Switch engine dialog box
- Library: Performance Issue
- Preferences: "View outputs when opening graphs" does not work anymore
- Cannot go into the function graph of a parameter
- When opening ReadOnly packages, some modification actions are still available
- Bakers: loading a file containing "." in the name generate an error
- Bakers: Connectivity problem on fbx second UV
- Performance issue when linking PSD file
- 3D View: PBR shader does not set the default environment map
- Unable to export grayscale TGA in non indexed format
- [Mac Only] Pick color feature is broken / crash
- [Mac Only] Gradient Color picker don't get the right color

Release Note:

Fixes:
- Crash when creating a function
- Crash when clicking on node input
- Crash when opening specific sbs file
- Bakers: mesh ID selection does not work properly when UVs are overlapped
- Bakers: boundingbox related parameters are reset to 1
- Bakers: restore default sets the normal map orientation to OpenGL
- Bakers: using a cage produce incorrect result
- Sliders: double clicking to edit the value also change the slider position
- Functions: Swizzle Integer 1 Crash
- 32b images not converted correctly
- Bad performances on Explorer
- Removed "Infinite Loop Detected" when D&D a node in the same graph with right button
- Remove default "diffuse" usage on new grayscale input nodes
- Change range for the SVG Quality slider
- Added new Mask Generators (Mesh Adaptive / Mask Generators)
- Samples Download creates endless recursive folder structure
- Library Thumbs are no generated anymore
- Remove D3D9 Engine


Library Updated:
- Added Material Selector (Mesh Adaptive / Utilities)
- Added Material Adjustment Blend (Material Filters / Blending)
- fixed splatter_circular (pattern specific, position random), added features (pivot position, scale)
- added splatter_circular_color

Substance Designer 4 is the first announcement of the Substance 4 program.

The 2nd part will be revealed next wednesday, stay tuned!

http://www.allegorithmic.com/substance4

Rejoice, Substance users! Substance Designer 4 is out, and it's a free upgrade for all of you!

Lots of exciting new features in this update:

• Material layering workflow - full materials can be collapsed, blended and processed as one single element.
  
• PBR preview - the 3d preview now uses the same lighting model as UE4
  
• Dynamic inputs and outputs - Activate node inputs and outpus on the fly for cleaner faster graphs.
  
• Revamped filters library - material wide weathering filters, masks generators,material blending and transformation, etc.
  
• Expose all the parameters of a node at once
  
• Support for substance presets
  
• Drag and drop any node in the 3d view for a instant preview
  
• Many, many workflow improvements and small features...

Only 24h left to get your hands on the commercial upgrade with a 50% discount. Don't waste another minute :)