HueForge FAQ

1. Go to the HueForge store and sign in with the same email you used to purchase (you'll get a one-time code by email or phone).
2. Click on the Download button on the front page of the store under the Plugin information.

You can also use the Downloads portal: Downloads

If Download Files isn't there, email steve@thehueforge.com with your order number.

Same path as a new purchase: sign in with your purchase email at → Downloads.

Current shipping version is listed on the store homepage (currently 0.9.4.2 for Windows, macOS 12+, and Linux).

If you use ColorDrop, redownload ColorDrop 1.1.0 from Download Files after updating HueForge when the store notes a metadata fix for that release.

The private Discord invite is on your download page (same place you get the app builds).

Sign in with your purchase email, click the Download button in the top menu bar.

See I Just Bought HueForge, How do I download it? above if you need the full download path.

Important Note All versions below 0.9.5 will be available to anyone with an existing purchase. You do not need to buy maintenance updates for 0.9.4.2->0.9.4.x

HueForge has always shipped with the promise that the application will never stop working, but only 2 years of updates are guaranteed.

Part of that promise was that you would continue to be able to download the last version you were entitled.

Also, that maintenance updates would very affordable. You can get Maintenance Updates for $12/$10/$9 a year for 12/24/36 month periods respectively

Charging for Maintenance Updates helps support continued work on HueForge and means there won't be a sudden "New Version" that must be purchased again.

Maintenance Updates are always added on in the way that makes expiration the latest possible date. Add after expiration and it starts from the date of purchase. Add during an active period and it gets added to the end instead.

Buying Plugins does the same thing which is why ColorDrop and FlatForge will both increase your maintenance window by 6 months - once each - on purchase. So buying HueForge plus both plugins would start you with 36 months of Updates.

None of the first party plugins do. ColorDrop, FlatForge, and HugeForge will continue to get updates forever. They are not always guaranteed to be backwards compatible with older versions of HueForge

The 3rd Party 3MF Export Plugin requires a lot of constant updates and as such, it's creator has set a 2 year policy there as well.

HueForge annual subscriptions do not auto-charge you on the anniversary of your purchase. There is nothing you need to cancel.

Windows
Run the installer and follow the prompts (it handles the install location for you). A zip build is still available if you prefer portable: Extract All, then run HueForge from that folder (don't launch it from inside the zip, and don't move only the .exe).

macOS
Unzip, move HueForge into Applications, then launch. Grant permissions on first run when asked.

Linux
HueForge ships as an AppImage (no installer). Make it executable if needed. Some distros want the file named like HueForge_vX.Y.Z.AppImage.

Updates
Download the latest build the same way, then re-run the Windows installer, or replace the Mac app / Linux AppImage. Your filaments and settings stay in the configuration directory across updates.

Where do my filaments, settings, and logs live?
After 0.8.0, filaments and settings live in a separate configuration directory, not inside the app install folder. Projects are saved where you choose — not inside the HueForge app folder.

If you moved the configuration directory (ConfigWizard / Manage Configuration), use that location instead.

No. HueForge does not auto-pick or auto-paint your filament colors for you.

You choose which filaments to use and in what order/stack. HueForge predicts how those choices will look (using Transmission Distance and your mesh mode), lets you adjust with sliders, and tells you where to make layer swaps in your slicer.

The creative color decisions stay yours — HueForge is the crystal ball and the swap list, not an automatic colorist.

OS-specific install paths, graphics, permissions, and crash steps:

• Windows troubleshooting
• macOS troubleshooting
• Linux troubleshooting

Please include:

1. HueForge version and OS (Windows / macOS / Linux + version)
2. What you were doing when it crashed (short repro) — or note if it dies on startup
3. A log from File → Export Log File when HueForge will still open (saves something like hueforge_<hostname>_<timestamp>.log)
4. If there was a crash report file, grab it manually from your Logs folder (Export Log File does not include crash reports yet)

Windows startup crashes: also send a dxdiag.txt. Startup crashes are almost always video driver issues.

1. Press Windows key, type dxdiag, press Enter
2. If Windows asks to check drivers, you can click Yes or No
3. Click Save All Information… and save dxdiag.txt
4. Attach that file with your email

Logs folder (unless you moved configuration):

• Windows: %AppData%\Roaming\HueForge\Logs
• macOS: ~/Documents/HueForge/Logs
• Linux: often ~/.local/share/HueForge/Logs

Email steve@thehueforge.com (attach images if useful).

If the crash started right after a plugin update: quit HueForge, clear the Plugins folder inside your configuration directory, reinstall the current plugins from your downloads, then try again.

More detail: Windows · macOS · Linux.

Most of the time this is filament data or slicer setup, not “HueForge lying.”

1. Check Transmission Distance (TD) for the filaments you used — wrong TD is the #1 cause. Remeasure with the Seashell test (Standard) or a TD1.
2. Match layer height / base layer in HueForge to your slicer (including first layer).
3. Judge the result in Front Lit preview when that's how you'll view the print.
4. Don't uniformly scale the model in the slicer in a way that changes Z — adjust size in HueForge instead.

Still off? Export a log (File → Export Log File) and contact support with version, OS, and filament names/TDs.

HueForge ships with a large library of community-measured TDs. For filaments that aren't in the library (or batches that differ):

• Seashell test — free calibration print / workflow (Standard method)
• TD1 — hardware meter for more precise measurements

After measuring, save the filament into your library and use those values in the project. For TD photo help, the purchase Discord's seashell-related channel is the usual place. The invite file is on your Download Files page — see How do I join the private Discord?

No for standard HueForge. Any FDM printer that can pause for filament swaps works — manual swaps are fine. HueForge is designed to keep swap counts manageable.

ColorDrop and FlatForge workflows generally expect an automatic filament changer (AMS, MMU, CFS, tool-changer, etc.). You can still buy HueForge without one.

HueForge is not a slicer. It exports:

• an STL, and
• a *_describe.txt (Describe.txt) with layer-swap instructions

Enter those color changes in your slicer at the listed heights (mm). Use HueForge's Slicer View to compare what the slicer should look like versus the color prediction.

Also confirm layer height / base layer match between HueForge and the slicer. If the STL export option is grayed out, you probably loaded an STL as input (e.g. a test STL) — there's nothing new to export.

Start here: Mesh Modes (also linked from About HueForge).

• Standard / Combo — best starting point for most images (brightness → height)
• Color Aware / Color Pop — when you care about color separation, not just brightness
• Color Match (+ Mesh Core workflows) — map specific colors to heights; more advanced

There's no single “correct” mode for every image — if Standard looks muddy, try Combo or a color-aware mode before you blame filaments.

On 0.9+, update your GPU driver from the vendor, reload the image, then send a log if it still fails. Older AMD Compatibility was 0.8.1 only.

Full steps: Windows troubleshooting.

Permissions can be granted for folders everywhere now. If HueForge keeps refusing and isn't prompting: Preferences → Reset, then Add the folders you need.

Full steps: macOS troubleshooting.

Not by itself. Built-in HueForge exports an STL plus a Describe.txt with layer-swap instructions. It is not a slicer and does not auto-color for you.

Want a print-ready .3mf with color stack / printer profile baked in? That's the optional 3MF Export plugin by Additive Atom — separate from HueForge.

On Windows and macOS the easiest way is to drag and drop the zip file onto HueForge.

On Linux go to the Plugin Menu → Install Plugin and point it at the downloaded .tgz file.

Download plugins from your account/order downloads first. If a plugin misbehaves after an update, clear the Plugins folder inside your configuration directory and reinstall the current builds.

SpotFix is built into HueForge (not a plugin) since 0.9.3, with improvements in 0.9.4. The control is at the top-left of the preview. It cannot be used with HugeForge currently.

Use it sparingly. Large numbers of SpotFixes can have persistence issues between sessions (fixes may not all come back cleanly when you reopen a project).

0.9.4.2 should improve this situation dramatically. Until then, prefer a few careful SpotFixes over peppering the whole image.

If the 3D view goes blank after you exit SpotFix, set File → Settings → Model → Render Backend → Vulkan, click Save and Apply, then restart HueForge when prompted (OpenGL path). This is a renderer issue, not a plugin problem.

• ColorDrop (plugin) — nests same-direction color runs to reduce height / swaps. Shipping plugin version follows the store/account download (currently 1.1.0). After some HueForge updates you may need to redownload ColorDrop for a metadata-only fix.
• FlatForge (plugin) — flattens / facedown-style HueForge models (bookmarks, coasters, etc.). FlatFill is related but pickier (fills with transparent). Automatic filament changing is strongly preferred for these workflows.
• HugeForge — tiling large prints across plates; see its product/page for current details. SpotFix cannot be used with HugeForge currently.

See How Do I install a Plugin? above for install steps. Clear the Plugins folder inside your configuration directory and reinstall if a plugin misbehaves after an update.

Deep plugin troubleshooting is best in the purchase Discord or email with logs attached.

Yes. PayPal is available at checkout through PayPal Wallet via Shopify Payments.

If you have another payment method that works for you (card, etc.), prefer that — PayPal takes a significantly larger cut of revenue, so it's not my preferred processor.

Some customers in Mexico have reported PayPal payments failing to go through. If that happens, try another payment method or email steve@thehueforge.com.

Yes — you can upgrade without paying full price twice.

Add the tier you want in the cart, then apply one of these coupons:

• PUUPGRADE — if you currently have Personal Use
• LCUPGRADE — if you currently have Limited Commercial
• PROUPGRADE — if you currently have Professional

NOTE: If your market has alternate pricing, add a D in front of the coupon code (so PUUPGRADE becomes DPUUPGRADE).

Each coupon code can be used once, so you can step up Personal Use → Limited Commercial → Professional → Lifetime Professional over time.

If you upgrade to Limited Commercial, you cannot use PUUPGRADE again for annual re-enrollment or another upgrade. Upgrading from Limited Commercial → Professional restarts the clock on your year.

Full terms: License Terms.