My larger color-development work continues toward v0.6. But reliable saving, clear errors, and persistent settings should not have to wait for that work to finish. That is the reason for a smaller stability release first.
What V0.5.5 focuses on
The stability work improves how CMYKForge handles replacing an existing 3MF export. Saving involves more than writing a new file: the application also needs to protect the previous file, handle failures, and explain what happened.
The updated handling preserves a successfully validated export if cleanup of the old backup fails. It also provides the backup or recovery location when attention is needed. Those messages remain visible through the export-completion workflow, including when opening a slicer.
Printer preset storage receives similar attention. An empty library, unavailable storage, unreadable data, and an unsupported data version are different situations. CMYKForge now distinguishes those cases more clearly, protects unreadable or newer-format data, and avoids reporting certainty when it cannot confirm a saved setting.
The work also adds regression coverage for storage and export failures and corrects parts of the macOS build-check workflow. These improvements help me catch problems before they reach users.
This is focused stability work. It does not introduce a new color model or claim improved printed color.
Why stability comes before the larger color update
Color development depends on trustworthy comparisons. I need to know which settings produced a print, which recipes were exported, and whether the slicer received the intended materials.
If those steps are unreliable, a disappointing print becomes harder to diagnose. Was the mixture wrong? Did the settings change? Was an older file printed? Did an export fail?
Strengthening that foundation makes the application more useful now and makes the next stage of color development more meaningful.
What I am working on for V0.6
The central challenge is making CMYKForge’s predicted appearance agree more closely with real layered filament.
A filament’s color and transmission distance provide useful starting information, but they do not fully describe every printed stack. Layer thickness, material order, backing, surface appearance, and the opacity of individual filaments all affect what I see.
Black is a particularly important example in my current testing. The black filament being tested has a low transmission distance, and my printed samples show why its placement needs careful attention. I cannot assume that colored material underneath an opaque surface will contribute as much as a simplified prediction suggests.
I am using numbered comparison plates to connect visible results to exact material sequences. Repeated patches and unchanged references help me distinguish consistent differences from variations in lighting, photography, or printing.
The latest 96-patch plate keeps the established layout and changes ten patches to mixtures selected by the current application. The remaining patches provide comparison references. This is a test of the app’s output, not a claim that all ten mixtures are better.
I also have a narrow experimental cyan-placement option based on repeated printed observations. Its scope is deliberately limited. It does not currently improve the flower test’s recipes, and the existing simulation reports no color-score gain for that order change. That exposes another important task for v0.6: improving the agreement between the preview and the physical evidence.
What success will mean
A better-looking preview alone is not enough. I want changes that produce more accurate prints, preserve reliable geometry and exports, and remain useful across more than a single favorable sample.
The purpose of V0.5.5 is to strengthen the dependable parts of that process while v0.6’s color work continues through controlled experiments and physical comparison. That lets me deliver practical fixes without presenting unfinished color research as a proven upgrade.
V0.5.5 strengthens the foundation for CMYKForge’s next chapter. My goal for V0.6 is CMYKForge’s most significant color improvement yet, with progress guided by real prints, careful testing, and results I can demonstrate.