Take your visuals further with VS 2
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The wait is over! VS 2 has arrived, bringing a host of new features and optimizations. This update includes a revamped interface designed for a better workflow, new material types to expand your visual palette, and a preset playlist for smooth playback of your visual show. VS 2 improves upon VS based on your feedback and requests over the last few years.
You’ll also find optimized performance and several quality-of-life improvements, all working together for an easier and more inspiring experience.
What’s new?
User Interface
The UI has been redesigned to feel instantly familiar, taking cues from the workflows of popular media-editing software. The Layer Properties panel consolidates everything you need in one place — from MIDI and audio input to color settings, blend modes, the modulation matrix, text properties, and video triggering/loop options — making adjustments faster and more intuitive. At the bottom, you’ll find the Mixer, Player, and other control panels, while the Modulation Sources are neatly tucked into the corner, giving you a clear overview of all active elements simultaneously.
Preset Playlist
You can now create a playlist of presets that play back in sequence, each for a defined duration. Smooth transitions are supported with fade-in and fade-out.
Since every playlist slot is interactive and MIDI-mappable, you can also trigger presets manually, either with MIDI messages or directly with your mouse.
This gives you effortless control to prepare a live set or a looping visual installation, with flexibility over preset transitions.
Audio Visualizers & Oscilloscope
Shaders can now receive audio waveform and spectrum data directly, opening the door to a range of detailed visualizers. A variety of these is available in the new Visualizerscategory of the Material Browser, giving you instant access to new creative tools. You’ll also find the new Oscilloscope material, emulating classic hardware oscilloscopes and their peculiar approach to audio visualization.
Live Input
Layers can now receive Syphon and Spout input, making it easy to connect VS 2 with a wide range of other media applications in real time. This opens up possibilities for mixing workflows across different tools. In addition, layers can take in live video directly from your connected camera devices, letting you capture performances, blend real-world footage into your visuals, and add reactive elements to your streams.
Text Material
After many requests from you, we’ve added the ability to insert text into your visual creations.
VS 2.0 introduces a brand-new Text material, which transforms your layer into a text generator. You can create a pool of texts with customizable properties such as font, size, alignment, and more.
With just a single layer, you can cycle through multiple texts — great for live messages and lyrics. And since it works like any other material, you can modulate its parameters to bring your words to life with rhythmic movement.
Render Output Material
You can now route your visual output back into your layers, turning simple visual elements into mad fractals and endless recursive effects.
When paired with blend modes and precise control of layer position, scale, and rotation, this feature opens up a very unique range of possibilities, among them flowing trail effects, dynamic flickering patterns, and visuals that almost seem alive.
Improved MIDI Mapping Manager
We’ve improved VS’s MIDI mapping capabilities, adding more flexibility and customization to your mappings. In addition to channel and message, you can now define the range of the mapping message, and the resolution, letting you use your 14-bit MIDI controllers with VS.
With the new link feature, you can use even a small controller to manage material parameters across all layers, as the mapped parameter will control the currently selected layer. Combined with the ability to MIDI map layer selection, this makes for a powerful setup. Perfect for live performances.
Media Manager
You can now easily see which media is being used by each layer, along with its location. With a right-click, you can open the containing folder for quick access to the file, making it very easy to manage your directories and find assets. If any media is missing, the new relink function lets you easily replace it with its updated location.
Up to 4K Output
You can now export videos in resolutions up to 4K, giving your projects all the crisp detail they may need. Both landscape and portrait formats are supported, so preparing visuals for social media platforms or mobile displays is much easier.
Compatibility
VS 2 is available only on Windows and macOS for now.
All VS expansion packs are fully compatible with VS 2, so any expansions you’ve purchased will carry over automatically when you upgrade.
Your existing presets are also supported, you’ll just need to import them into the new version. Keep in mind that there have been a few internal changes to how shaders operate. If you’re using custom-made shader materials, you may need to adjust their code to ensure full compatibility with VS 2. Step-by-step instructions on updating shaders can be found in here the manual.
Price and Upgrade Discount
VS 2 will be priced at €129, with an upgrade available for €49 to existing VS desktop owners. Until December 31st, 2025, however, you can purchase VS 2 at the current price of €99, and existing customers can upgrade for only €39. To claim the discount, simply log in to your Imaginando account on our website and add VS 2 to your cart, where the upgrade price will be applied automatically. We are grateful for all the feedback and support you have shared over the years to help us improve VS, and this limited-time offer is our way of saying thank you.
Thank you
It has been a pleasure working on VS 2 and shaping it into the product it is today. None of this would have been possible without our supportive and active community, always eager to share feedback, improvements, and suggestions. We love hearing your thoughts and treating Imaginando’s software as a collaborative effort, striving to deliver the best tools for your needs while keeping your creative flow alive.
We still have many plans for VS, and we truly hope you’re enjoying this ride as much as we are.
Stay creative,
Team Imaginando