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If you've ever thought about making professional-quality animations but decided not to because of the cost of the software, your excuse just got up and walked out the door. Blender is a free, open-source 3D rendering program that puts the power of the medium back into the hands of the artist.
Blender features a laundry list of animation essentials that can be broken down into categories: Interface, Modeling, Rigging, Rendering, Animation, UV Unwrapping, Shading, Physics and Particles, Imaging and Compositing, and Real Time 3D/Game Creation. The interface, though loaded with complicated tools, is remarkable for neither obscuring nor interfering with the image being worked on. A brief sampling of tools and functions includes 3D paint for vertex weighing, polygon meshes, 2D and 3D procedural brushes, edge rendering, textures, collision simulation, and support for around two dozen 2D and 3D file formats. Extras can be added with Python scripting, and since it's open source, many scripts can be easily found for download in the user forums.
Blender is not for the faint of heart. Learning to use it is time-consuming and best done by following the detailed tutorials available on the Blender Web site. There is also an extensive online Blender community, making familiarization with the app less painful--if not pain-free. However, none of these detracts from the overall experience or usefulness of the program, and we strongly recommend it for advanced users.
Publisher's Description
From Blender:
Blender is the open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.
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All versions:
4.0 starsout of 142 votes
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Current version:
4.4 starsout of 18 votes
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My rating:
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"I don't know how to make animation"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
All I like is the 3d
Cons
I don't understand it
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"almost as good and somtimes better than pro software, without even considering $"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Its seam based uv unwrapper is extreamly easy to use, Ive used maya's non seam based unwrapping(auto projection) and it dosent even begin to compare, all you get is tons of chunks that you have to pice together and it takes hours to finish assembling a proper uv map compared to minutes that it takes in blender(which i wish i knew befor i wasted all that time in maya, you can export the uv maps from blender into maya and i could have saved alot of hard work).
Blender also has all the modeling tools that maya has even though they be slightly harder to use than their maya couter parts. Finally its physics engine is almost nearly identical to maya's.
Overall without even considering the fact that its free blender can almost go head to head with any of the leading commercial 3d packages(ive used maya 7 a good bit, and 3d max a little, trust me its close).
The lastest version can be downloaded on their web site which is currently 2.42 and soon to be 2.43 which will have a zbrush like sculpting tool:)
Cons
Blenders biggist weaknesses are with rendering and special effects. It lacks a intergrated solution for photon mapping that renders at a reasnable speed(yaf ray takes to long), but its use of ambient occlusion is a good solution for global ilumination.
It also lacks support for sub surface scattering which is important for rendering semi translucent materials like skin.
Another waekness of blender is that its particle based effects arent usally powerful as maya's, the problems being
particle collision and variety of particle types(smoke, liquid, meta, etc).
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"Get the new version now at Blender3d.org!!!"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Listen to me when I say, AWESOME!!! AWESOME!!! AWESOME!!! If you can find a better 3D application for FREE, I'm missing out! But don't download this version from download.com instead go to blender3d.org/cms/Download.13.0.html and get the new better version(7mb zip file). And remember that if you need help with Blender 3D, go sign up at blenderartists.org/forum and just ask a question. It's that simple!!! You should be on your way to becoming a 3D artist or special effects master in no time, sort of.
Yes you can do blue screen FX for movies with this FREE program. Imagine doing your own Star Wars!!! (Lightsabers can be a piece of cake when you know how!!!) You could if you and your friends mastered the multitude of features this program offers. (by "this program" I mean blender 2.42 not 2.41) I bet you wouldn't mind being able to make an animated movie like Final Fantasy Advent Children or Shrek(with alot of help, of course). Well, go try this out before you spend thousands of dollars on a "pro" app. Start small, don't try your epic trilogy until you get aquainted with the hotkeys based interface Blender uses.
By the way you have to start somewhere so visit the "BLENDER 3D NOOB to PRO" (write this down or google it after you get Blender on your computer!)tutorial guide for Blender 3D. en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D/Noob_to_Pro (copy/paste) You'll thank me later . . . PEACE
P.S. Again, blenderartists.org/forum is THEE best place to get quick answers to your beginner questions.
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"Not for newbies"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
This program is good for animation and rendering. It can be save in various formats.
Cons
Too complicating. You kinda have to know the whole program by heart.
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"With this software you can make cartoons 3d model save them as mpeg jpeg etc"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Everything is good about it. It has so many functions. If you visit the website and read the tutorials you will be able to make animation that you be seeing on tv, and be able to make 3d model. The best part is that you can save them as mpeg and more.
Cons
Too many function. It needed to be a little like google sketech up but to be able to save them in various format makes this the best software.
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"hard but great!"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
this is a good modeler but hard to get the hang of but when you do you unlock the world of making stunning models
Cons
i would not reccomend this to a new moddeler new modelers should start with wings or animator then move on to this
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"Great."
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Blender is great...
completely free...
Cons
The interface can be daunting to new users, i highly recommend the online tutorials.
This isn't the newest version, though.
Version 2.42a is available at blender3d.org
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"Feel the power of free open source 3D modeling"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Great tool for anyone wether just interested in 3D modeling and/or animation, or in need for free tool to get the job done. For a free tool, Blender is amazingly well designed program. It's extendable with Python scripts. It has almost all functionality of commercial products.
It intergrates well with Yafray and couple other renderers, so there's some choice how you render whatever you're rendering :)
Interface isn't what most people are used to, but doesn't matter. It's actually very intuitive when you get to know all the keyboard shortcuts. Ofcourse it takes some time to get hang of it, but isn't that the case with every 3D modeling tools out there.
Cons
Takes some time to get used to the UI if already used to Windows like user interface.
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"Great Product, well on its way to competing with the likes of Maya"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Many many options, ability to render to many different formats, built in IPO editor and sequence editor, Raytracing, UV image mapping, Game Engine, Fluid Simulation is coming along nicely.
Cons
The learning curve is kinda steep. Once you've got the hotkeys down, you'll love it though.
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"Amazing"
Version: Blender 2.41
Pros
Its a fairly simple program to use and has meany tools to create loads of 3D shapes and its FREE!! NO virus's found yet! :)
Cons
nothing really
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