How to Update BlenderGIS Safely
The latest stable release is v2.2.15 (Dec 20, 2025). Updating takes three minutes: remove the old version from Blender’s preferences, restart Blender, then install the new zip. Do not install the new version over the old one.
Before You Update: What to Check
- Which version do you have now? Check in Preferences > Add-ons > BlenderGIS. If you’re already on v2.2.15 and everything works, there’s no reason to update.
- Match the release to your setup. Read the version table below — a Mac ARM user updating from v2.2.8 needs v2.2.10+, a Blender 4.2+ user needs v2.2.12+.
- Save your work and close projects before removing the addon and restarting Blender, since preferences changes don’t fully apply until the restart.
- Note your cache folder path from the addon preferences. You’ll re-confirm it after the update, and you’ll want to clear its contents if downloads misbehave afterward.
Step-by-Step: Updating BlenderGIS
- Download the new zip from the download page — keep it zipped, do not extract it.
- In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, search for “GIS”, expand the BlenderGIS entry, and click Remove. This clears the old version and its files.
- Restart Blender completely. A fresh restart guarantees no old modules stay loaded in memory.
- Back in Preferences > Add-ons, click Install… and select the new .zip.
- Enable the “3D View: BlenderGIS” checkbox again.
- Press F3, search “GIS”, and confirm the operators appear.
Why remove first instead of installing over the top? Blender merges addon files on a direct reinstall, which can leave stale modules from the old version mixed in with the new ones. A clean remove-and-restart avoids duplicate installs, phantom menu entries, and cryptic import errors. Your cache folder setting and API keys live in Blender’s preferences, so they survive the update.
Version History
| Version | Release date | Key update |
|---|---|---|
| v2.2.15 | Dec 20, 2025 | Bugfix release; latest stable |
| v2.2.13 | Dec 2025 | MapTiler Coords API migration |
| v2.2.12 | Dec 2025 | MapTiler Coords API migration; minimum for Blender 4.2+ |
| v2.2.11 | Dec 6, 2025 | Bugfix for Blender 5 |
| v2.2.10 | May 2024 | ImageIO fix on Mac ARM |
| v2.2.8 | May 2022 | Older stable release |
Which Version Should You Use?
- Blender 4.2 or newer: use v2.2.12 or newer (v2.2.15 recommended).
- Blender 5: use v2.2.11 or newer for the Blender 5 bugfix.
- Apple Silicon Macs: use at least v2.2.10, which fixed the macOS ImageIO crash (“struct.error: unpack requires a buffer of 4 bytes”).
- Everyone else (Blender 2.83 LTS – 4.1): v2.2.15, the latest stable, is the safe pick.
After updating, if basemap or elevation downloads start throwing errors, check the troubleshooting page — stale cache files from the old version can cause this, and clearing the cache folder usually resolves it. New to the addon? Start with the installation guide instead.
Post-Update Checks and Rollback
Once the new version is enabled, run through these quick checks. First, press F3 and search “GIS” to confirm the operators load. Then open Preferences > Add-ons > BlenderGIS and verify your cache folder path and your OpenTopography and MapTiler API keys are still in place. Finally, do a small test import — fetch a basemap tile over a small area. If it loads, the update is good.
If something broke that worked before (for example, HTTP 403 errors from a tile server that used to respond), the cause is usually stale cache files or an API change on the provider’s side rather than the addon itself — see the troubleshooting page. As a last resort you can roll back: keep the old version’s zip file around, remove the new addon, restart Blender, and install the older zip using the same steps.
Update FAQ
What is the latest BlenderGIS version?
The latest stable release is v2.2.15, released on Dec 20, 2025. Download it from the /download/ page on this site.
Should I uninstall the old version before updating?
Yes. Remove the old addon in Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, restart Blender, then install the new zip. Installing over the old version can leave stale modules behind and cause errors.
Will I lose my API keys and cache settings when I update?
No. Your cache folder path and API keys are stored in Blender’s preferences, which survive removing and reinstalling the addon.
Which BlenderGIS version do I need for Blender 4.2+?
Use v2.2.12 or newer for Blender 4.2 and up. Blender 5 users need v2.2.11 or newer, and Apple Silicon Mac users need at least v2.2.10.
Basemap downloads broke after I updated. What do I do?
Clear the cache folder — stale files from the old version are a common cause. Also confirm your OpenTopography and MapTiler API keys are still entered in Addon Preferences.
How often should I update BlenderGIS?
BlenderGIS releases are infrequent — roughly one or two a year. Update when a release fixes something that affects you (like the Blender 5 bugfix or the Mac ARM ImageIO fix) or when the version history lists a change relevant to your setup.