After building a new PC and re-installing everything, I've gone to make some parts.

So using version 25.3, I've generated the build scripts for some resistors - my go to sanity check that I have the settings right.

For some reason, the reference designator text is appearing as .Designator2. I am looking to get the designator onto the assembly outline layer, sized and centered appropriately. I can't seem to figure out why I am getting the 2 suffix, I don't remember that before.

No doubt I've missed something obvious, but I can't find it.

One for Silkscreen .Designator and one for Assembly .Designator2

You can turn then on/off in Tools > Options > Drafting > Silkscreen/Assembly 

Are you using V25.03 that was released 12 hours ago? 

I didn't realise Altium would take a .Designator2 when creating assembly/draftsman outputs. I'll give it a try tomorrow. Is this a new feature?

I've been using PCBLibraries for a few years and not seen before.

I'm rebuilding my 5 year old database library, trying to get everything into a common format. It's grown organically over the years. If I only knew what I do about Altium back then!

But you have on/off control in Tools > Options > Drafting

The docs just say..

When I'm back in the office tomorrow I'll see if Altium treats them both the same and replaces them with the actual component designator when generating the outputs.

Unfortunately Altium doesn't seem to accept .Designator2 as valid, and doesn't replace the text with the component designator. 

If I edit the text and remove the 2 suffix, Altium renames the field correctly.

I think the the 2 suffix needs to be removed from the field created in the footprint.

While I'm here, has the footprint name changed in 25.03?

Previously, if I had a manufacturer set on a part, the generated Altium footprint would have that prefixed onto the footprint name. That doesn't seem to be happening now.

For example, I've previously generated a footprint for a MCP2221A-ST, and the name generated was

MICROCHIP_SOP8P65_300X640X120L60X24N

Now the MICROCHIP_ prefix is missing if I generate the same part. Is this an options thing I'm missing?

Took me a few moments to wonder why things weren't updating until I spotted the name change.

It you use the Mfr. Recommended Pattern or FP Designer or rename the footprint to something other than the IPC footprint name, there is no IPC Density Level Suffix. 

The .Designator2 needs fixing though. Easy enough to manually edit the created footprint to remove the 2 at the end.