Picking the right piece of software is critical, whether you are a professional or just starting out. That’s because it can largely determine how effective your output is no matter what your familiarity with the rudiments of the art. That said, it has never been easier to make 3D animation, and programs like Blender demonstrate why – and fast.
Not only is Blender an incredibly powerful open-source tool, but it is also extremely accessible to people of all skill levels. Whether you are a veteran of the animation industry or you’re just dipping your toes into the pool to see what’s up, Blender is a great way to get started as well as create some awesome animation in the process.
How to Download Blender
To download the program for your operating system, click on the Download button located below this review.
The Program Review
One of the first things that many people will notice about Blender is its interface which is comprehensive yet avoids being esoteric. Like many other pieces of software in this field, it takes some time to get your bearings but, after that, it is incredibly intuitive, well designed, and easy to read. But if you don’t like what you see, no problem because Blender is totally customizable.
Even its interface is customizable with your own definable functions as well as hotkeys. For those of us that prioritize speed and efficiency during workflow processes, Blender is a great piece of software to have. And, again, it goes without saying that all of this being an open-source kit is more than a huge plus in its column.
In terms of features, Blender comes with a well-rounded set of functions including rendering, modeling, sculpting, animation and rigging, grease pencil, VFX, simulation, pipeline, video editing, and scripting.
The first three features are likely to be of great interest to people who want to get into 3D animation. These allow you to manipulate, create, and modify things you make yourself as well as files you upload to the program. It is incredibly powerful and a great way to start making customized 3D models. Animation and rigging, as the name would suggest, involve bringing these creations to life.
3D aside, there’s the grease pencil feature that lets you draw out animations and storyboards. VFX, or video special effects, is, as the name implies, a way to jazz something up in post-production with added effects, edits, and other movie magic. Again, we can’t stress enough how powerful Blender is.
Beyond these features, the pipeline integration tool is likely to be of interest to people currently in production. This can interface with some of the most popular pipeline software out there such as Collada and Alembic, among others. We recommend that you check it out for yourself and see how it works with your current workflow. It may improve it in many ways and, thanks to constant updating, will only get better with time.
As one of the darlings of the industry, Blender’s excellence is recognized across multiple fields and by many major companies such as Microsoft. The team’s commitment to being open source forever, combined with an active update schedule, makes it a great option for 3D animation software and beyond.
