It’s been a while since the latest release in September 2025. This long-awaited update is one of the largest improvements to SimPictures so far. It is so big that I decided to turn it into a major one - so 1.3.0, instead of the previously planned minor 1.2.2 release.
This release introduces On-Board Image Optimization, Custom Watermark Positioning, and reworked Guidelines, making SimPictures more consistent and powerful for users, and easier to maintain and expand in the future.
Platform & Performance
A significant amount of work went into modernizing the foundation of SimPictures.
The application now runs on the latest version of Next.js. The project has also been migrated into a monorepo, providing a cleaner architecture that will simplify future development and improve maintainability. Monorepo includes discord bot, image processing lambda function and more.
Across the platform I've improved data fetching, loading states, form validation, and common components, resulting in a more responsive and consistent experience.
Other interface improvements include:
Removed feed scrolling animations to improve feel on mobile devices and browsers.
Reworked settings page with improved organization.
New Sessions section for managing active logins.
New Connections section, currently including Discord account linking.
Reworked profile settings.
Picture Categories and Updated Guidelines
Guidelines now list Rejection reasons, each one is in its own category, has a number and a description. Each rejection reason under a Rejected submission is now standardized and includes the rejection reasons with descriptions.
Screening strictness now directly depends on a category. Aircraft category has the most strict requirements, requiring aircraft to be perfectly centered, shot to be leveled, have a good lighting, contrast and quality. Environment category, on the other hand, may be more free-form. You can read more about new categories in . Please note that pre-1.3.0 pictures are being migrated to new categorizing system.
Picture drafts are now available, allowing you to save unfinished metadata entry.
The upload form has also been reorganized with inputs grouped into logical categories and now includes a built-in watermark application feature. New users are shown a modal reminding them to read the Guidelines before uploading their first screenshot.
The updated upload form also makes it easier to add possible automations to metadata enter and other possible enhancements in the future.
Faster Gallery & Picture Viewing
Viewing screenshots is now significantly smoother, especially on larger lists.
I've replaced the masonry layout with a fixed grid using consistent 16:9 preview thumbnails, reducing layout shifts and making browsing more predictable.
The picture grid has also received a complete overhaul:
Faster image loading and switching.
Improved picture fetching.
Better infinite scrolling.
Larger navigation controls positioned to the sides of the modal.
Keyboard navigation using arrow keys.
Fullscreen viewing for blog images.
Fixed occasional errors when opening pictures.
SimPictures CDN v2
One of the biggest additions in this release is the new SimPictures CDN.
Images are now served through a new image pipeline capable of generating optimized image sizes automatically. This reduces bandwidth usage, speeds up loading across the site, and improves performance on slower connections.
The CDN also introduces Custom Watermark Positioning, allowing photographers to choose:
Watermark position.
Watermark size.
White or black watermark.
Custom opacity.
This provides much greater flexibility to keeping images protected.
Home Page Improvements
The home page has been redesigned to present more information while using less space.
VATSIM, IVAO and Where2Fly information now appears alongside blog posts, creating a cleaner layout that works particularly well on mobile devices.
Additional improvements include:
Combined multiple API requests into one for faster loading.
Prevented stale event data from appearing.
Highlighted screenshots now open directly in a modal.
Event pagination by date.
Fixed image aspect ratios to eliminate page jumping during loading.
Better Notifications
Email notifications have received a visual refresh and now contain much more useful information. Rejection emails now include rejection reasons - something that wasn’t previously there, which may surprise some.
Discord Integration
Starting today, you have to connect your Discord account with SimPictures to access to channels on our Discord server . Your server username now syncs with SimPictures too.
Screening & Moderation
The screening system has undergone its biggest redesign yet.
Instead of immediately opening submissions, screeners now pull items from the queue before reviewing them. A dedicated screening page displays queue information.
Additional improvements include:
Multiple screener opinions required before a final decision.
Dedicated escalated review queue for administrators.
Automatic discussion threads for submissions.
Built-in centering tool.
Predefined rejection reasons with descriptions that users can read alongside each reason.
Richer moderation logs heading toward a full Audit Log.
Security event logging and action rate limiting.
Temporary categorization tools to support migration.
Automated GDPR requests and improved data export handling.
Highlight Suggestions poll system replacing the previous Highlights calendar.
Accessibility
Accessibility has been improved throughout the platform, including better semantic HTML, improved ARIA support, and a new Skip to content button.
Looking Ahead
This update lays the technical foundation for future SimPictures development. Many of the biggest changes are invisible and are behind the scenes, but they make the platform faster, more reliable, and significantly easier to extend.
I've published a public roadmap for you to follow ongoing development. Planned features for next updates include a public API for third-parties to use pictures from SimPictures, Airport Pages, possible SimBrief and VATSIM integration for importing flight data, and more. Open-sourcing the SimPictures codebase is also planned for later this year.
As always, thank you to everyone who continues to upload screenshots and support the community. I'd love to hear your feedback, so I've created a feedback form where you can report bugs, request features, or share any other suggestions.
Support the Project
Working on SimPictures takes a lot of time and effort. On top of that, there are ongoing costs to keep the website online and pay for the services it depends on, so I’d like to ask for your help.
To help cover those costs, I've created a Patreon page . There aren't any supporter perks yet because I wanted to focus on getting this update out first, but I already have a few ideas for the future. Don't worry though, SimPictures is and always will be completely free to use.
Complete changelog
Codebase updates:
Upgraded: Next.js to the latest version
Upgraded: Tailwind CSS to the latest version
Updated: Font Awesome icon pack
Improved: Reorganized the project into a monorepo
Improved: Data fetching and form error handling across many pages and forms
Improved: Loading states across layouts and pages
Improved: Refactored common components
Improved: Header
Improved: Reduced header height
Improved: Simplified sticky behavior for a smoother experience
Improved: Sidebar
Improved: Sticks while scrolling
Improved: Closes automatically on mobile after selection
Removed: Feed scroll animations to improve performance on mobile devices and some browsers
Improved: Reworked settings page
New: Sessions section in Account Settings
New: Connections section in Settings
Improved: Reworked Profile settings
Improved: Reworked upload page and workflow
New: Picture drafts
New: Introductory modal for new users
Removed: 21:9 aspect ratio support
Improved: Grouped inputs into logical categories
Improved: Replaced masonry layout with a grid and standardized picture thumbnails to a 16:9 aspect ratio
Reworked picture list and modal:
Fixed: Occasional error when opening a picture
New: Navigate between pictures with keyboard arrow keys
New: Fullscreen view for blog post images
Improved: Completely reworked picture fetching
Improved: Faster opening and switching between pictures in modals, especially on large lists
Improved: Enlarged and repositioned previous/next buttons for easier navigation
Improved: Infinite scrolling
Removed: Metadata synchronization
New: Added a comment likes modal, similar to picture likes, to see who liked a comment
Improved: Roles system
Reworked home page:
Improved: VATSIM, IVAO, and Where2Fly data is now displayed alongside blog posts for a more compact layout, especially on mobile
Improved: Combined multiple data requests to improve loading speed
Improved: Stale event data is no longer displayed
Improved: Clicking a highlighted screenshot now opens it in a modal
Improved: VATSIM and IVAO events are now grouped by date
Improved: Standardized highlighted image aspect ratios to simplify the layout and prevent page jumping
Improved: Email notifications
Improved: Refined layout and styling
Improved: Added more information, including rejection reasons
Minor changes:
Improved: Submitted and rejected pictures now display rejection reasons correctly for authors and screeners across all pages
Fixed: Increased maximum aircraft registration length to 10 characters
Fixed: Brief flash when opening a member page in some situations
Fixed: Blog post author links now point to the correct URL
Improved: Added BlurHash placeholder for the default profile picture
Improved: Rejection appeal instructions are now shown for all rejected submissions
Improved: Replaced the generic Home icon with the SimPictures logo in the mobile navigation
Reworked image store:
New: SimPictures CDN with the v2 image store
New: Built-in image optimization with multiple image sizes for faster loading
New: Custom watermark positioning with adjustable size, color, opacity, and placement
Discord:
New: Link your Discord account to your SimPictures account
New: Authenticate with SimPictures before accessing the Discord server
Improved: Improved Discord roles and permissions
Screening and moderation:
Improved: Richer moderation logs as part of the transition toward a dedicated Audit Log
New: Security event logging and action rate limiting
New: New screening workflow where submissions must be pulled from the queue before review
New: Dedicated screening page with queue information
Improved: Updated submission review card layout
New: Skip and Escalate actions, with a dedicated escalated review queue for administrators
New: Multiple screener opinions required before a final decision
New: Automatic discussion threads for new submissions with links shown on submission cards
New: Built-in centering tool for screeners
New: Predefined rejection reasons for screening decisions
Removed: Highlights calendar
New: Highlight Suggestions poll system
New: Temporary Categorization page to support migration to the new category system
New: Automated GDPR requests and improved GDPR data export handling
Accessibility improvements:
Improved: Better semantic HTML and ARIA support
New: "Skip to content" button
New: Confirmation prompt after every five batches of loaded pictures to prevent accidental endless scrolling
Guidelines and documentation:
New: Picture categories and subcategories
Improved: Reworked guidelines
New: Predefined rejection reasons are now shown instead of custom rejection messages
