Lumen Tool
Version 1.0.6

What's new

Every notable change to Lumen Tool, newest first.

  1. v1.0.6September 28, 2026

    Hand Reference is here

    • Added Studio 07: Hand Reference, a flexible 3D hand study for exploring gesture, perspective, form and light.
    • Archive backups now include Reference Lab work, keep photos at high resolution and come in a cleaner ZIP file.
    • Buttons, spacing and other shared details now feel more consistent from one studio to the next.
    • Several minor fixes.
  2. v1.0.5September 23, 2026

    Color Lab is here

    • Added Studio 06: Color Lab. Light a full model with up to six colored lights, spots and patterns, and compare up to four looks.
    • Color Lab work saves to the Archive and reopens exactly as you left it.
    • Saving to the Archive now recovers cleanly when the connection drops.
  3. v1.0.4September 21, 2026

    New head added

    • Added Head 12: Grumpdalf to the Lighting Simulator.
    • Studio 01 and Studio 02 now remember your work more reliably between visits.
    • Minor fixes.
  4. v1.0.3September 13, 2026

    The Archive is here

    • The Archive is included in Lumen Tool: keep setups, comparisons, photos and notes together, with collections, favorites and backups.
    • Sharper previews, clearer light settings and more room around saved work.
    • Fixed comparison reopening, save choices, photo viewing and backup downloads, with more consistent text and controls across Lumen Tool.
  5. v1.0.2September 12, 2026

    General improvements

    • Reference Lab hands setups to the Lighting Simulator more reliably.
    • The Account page is simpler and focuses on email, plan and subscription management.
    • Lumen Tool overview images and head thumbnails load more neatly.
    • The Archive and account recovery are a bit more robust.
    • Several small fixes across Lumen Tool, caching and deployment.
  6. v1.0September 3, 2026

    Out of beta

    • Lumen Tool is out of beta. This is the first real version, and it is live.
    • Lumen Tool is now subscription-based: one price, every current studio and module, with future studios and modules included as they are released.
    • Sign in with a code we mail you, on any machine. No password to remember.
    • New: Value Study. Look at the same lighting as tone alone, in grayscale or in three, five or seven steps, so you can read the shapes without the colour getting in the way (Lumen Tool).
    • A long list of small fixes and safety work across the tool and the site.
  7. v0.9 betaSeptember 2, 2026

    The Reference Lab is ready

    • Drop in a portrait and it reads the light: key side and height, shadow depth, back light, backdrop and the classic pattern (Lumen Tool).
    • The same light set up on the studio's own head, next to your picture, with a view from above.
    • All the details on request: angle, height, the difference in stops, the catchlights, and the camera settings if the file carries them.
    • One click hands the setup to the Lighting Simulator, your portrait alongside the head while you work.
    • Your picture stays on your own machine.
  8. v0.8.1 betaAugust 29, 2026

    The numbers now match what you see

    • The readings, the diagram and the picture agree with each other. The key/fill ratio takes distance into account, so moving a light further away changes the number.
    • Clearer readings: intensity in stops below full power, falloff measured against the middle of the distance scale, and backdrops with plain names like Dark grey.
    • Rim Light and 3-Point moved to Advanced Mode, where the back light they need is available. Every preset now sets all four lights, so nothing carries over from your last setup.
    • Pattern recognition is sharper: it only names a setup after lights that really light the scene, and the colour reading now notices gels.
    • Saved setups, project files and share links remember which head you used and the Surface you had it on, and comparisons draw each setup on its own head (Lumen Tool).
    • A head that will not load no longer takes your work with it (Lumen Tool).
    • Plus smaller fixes and clearer wording throughout the tool and the help pages.
  9. v0.8.0 betaAugust 26, 2026

    New public site and contact form

    • New design for the public pages (help, blog, changelog, about and legal pages).
    • Added a contact form.
    • Moved to a new server for a smoother, faster experience.
  10. v0.7.0 betaMay 23, 2026

    Polish and consistency pass

    • Every pop-up window in the tool now looks the same.
    • Tidied up the Saved Setups area.
    • Compare View now reads like a proper contact sheet.
    • The last of the plain browser alerts are gone, replaced by windows that match the tool.
    • Clearer warning before starting a new project, and a smoother reset.
    • Nicer screen for the message that shows when you open the tool on a phone.
    • Removed the version number from the top bar.
    • Fixed odd symbols that were showing up in a few places on screen.
    • Shared setup links and the share buttons are more reliable now.
  11. v0.6.0 betaMay 21, 2026

    Compare Saved Setups

    • Saved States renamed to Saved Setups for clearer wording.
    • Empty setup slots can now be clicked directly to save the current setup.
    • Added Compare Saved Setups for visual side-by-side comparison before export.
    • Compare view shows large high-resolution setup previews instead of stretched thumbnails.
    • Compare view supports up to four setups at once.
    • Setup comparison captions were simplified to keep focus on the images.
    • Download Screenshot renamed to Download Current 3D View for clarity.
  12. v0.5.0 betaApril 25, 2026

    Stability fixes

    • Fixed the top bar in Advanced Mode overlapping the 3D / Diagram / Setup buttons, so they stay clickable.
    • The tool now handles it gracefully when the 3D head fails to load.
  13. v0.4.0 betaApril 8, 2026

    Analysis layer and project saving

    • Practical Analysis Layer (Advanced Mode): live Key:Fill ratio, light pattern detection with names, one-line pattern descriptions and a contrast assessment (Flat / Balanced / Dramatic / Harsh).
    • Project saving (Advanced Mode): name your projects, a New / Open / Save menu, your work saved automatically in your own browser and picked up again on your next visit, plus a project list with names and dates you can delete from.
    • Export and print: previews are no longer stretched, they're sharper now, and the blank first page when printing is gone.
    • Also: saved previews take up less space, tighter spacing around the Presets, and a handful of rare crashes fixed.
  14. v0.3.0 betaMarch 31, 2026

    Help page and welcome overlay

    • New Help page added.
    • New welcome overlay for first-time visitors.
    • Help link added inside the tool.
  15. v0.2.0 betaMarch 29, 2026

    Renamed to Lumen Tool, own domain

    • LightLab was renamed to Lumen Tool.
    • The tool moved from a page at geartakes.com to its own dedicated domain at lumentool.com.
    • The 3D head is no longer built into the page itself. It loads separately now, which keeps the tool light.
    • Fixed saved setups coming back facing the wrong way after you used Flip.
    • Fixed dragging in the diagram staying stuck when you let go outside the drawing area.
    • Share links now carry almost the whole setup with them: lights, gels, skin tone, backdrop, flip, your own light names, camera angle, which view you were in and whether Advanced Mode was on. Older links still work.
    • Backdrop names and the Advanced Mode panels behave more consistently.
  16. v0.1.0 betaMarch 2, 2026

    Advanced Mode arrives

    • Saved States: keep up to 5 setups, each with a preview image, the date you saved it and your own note. Export them all in one go.
    • Download the current 3D view or diagram as a JPG.
    • Gel filters: add colour gels to any light.
    • Hair light: a fourth lamp for hair or background lighting.
    • Kelvin colour dot and EV (stops) readout for each light.
    • Flip model left-to-right (click or F), and rename Key / Fill / Back / Hair.
    • Keyboard shortcuts: Space for front view, R to reset, F to flip.
    • Setup tab: a clean overview of all settings on one page, with print support.
    • Automatic pattern recognition: Rembrandt, Butterfly, Loop, Broad, Short and more.