View source for Blender (software)

{{short description|3D computer graphics software}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Overly detailed|date=February 2022}}
{{Primary sources|date=February 2023}}{{Overlinked|date=September 2024}}}}{{Infobox software
| title = Blender
| name = Blender
| logo = Logo Blender.svg
| logo_caption = The logo designed by [[Ton Roosendaal]]
| logo_size = 200px
| screenshot = Blender 3.5 beta screenshot.jpg
| caption = Blender version 3.5.0 (2023)
| author = [[Ton Roosendaal]]
| developer = [[Blender Foundation]], community
| released = {{Start date and age|1994|1|2}}<ref name="25th">{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/press/blenders-25th-birthday/|title=Blender's 25th birthday!|website=blender.org|date=January 2, 2019|access-date=January 7, 2019}}</ref>
| programming language = [[C++]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| operating system = [[Linux]], [[macOS]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[IRIX]],<ref name="https://download.blender.org/release/Blender1.0/">{{cite web|title=Index of /release/Blender1.0//|url=https://download.blender.org/release/Blender1.0/|access-date=2024-11-04|website=download.blender.org}}</ref> [[BSD]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.freshports.org/graphics/blender/|title=FreshPorts -- graphics/blender: 3D modeling/rendering/animation/gaming package|website=www.freshports.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://openports.se/graphics/blender|title=OpenPorts.se &#124; The OpenBSD package collection|website=openports.se|access-date=2019-06-19|archive-date=2020-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726075240/https://openports.se/graphics/blender|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pkgsrc.se/graphics/blender|title=pkgsrc.se &#124; The NetBSD package collection|website=pkgsrc.se}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/DragonFlyBSD/DPorts|title=The dedicated application build system for DragonFly BSD: DragonFlyBSD/DPorts|date=July 23, 2019|via=GitHub}}</ref> [[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/haikuports/haikuports|title=GitHub - haikuports/haikuports: Software ports for the Haiku operating system.|date=July 27, 2019|via=GitHub}}</ref>
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q173136|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q173136|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| latest preview version = 4.4.0
| latest preview date = {{start date and age|2024|10|02}}
| size = 294–934 [[Mebibyte|MiB]] (varies by operating system)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://download.blender.org/release/Blender4.1/|title=Blender 4.1 Release Index|website=blender.org|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/download/|title=Download — blender.org|website=blender.org|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>
| language = Abkhaz, Arabic, Basque, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English (official), Esperanto, French, German, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kyrgyz, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
| language count = 36
| genre = [[3D computer graphics software]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0 or later]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/about/license/|title=License - blender.org|access-date=May 17, 2014}}</ref>
| alexa = <!--{{Increase}} 3,605 {{small|{{nowrap|(Global, {{as of|2020|9|1|alt=Sept. 2020}})}}}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/blender.org|title=blender.org Traffic, Demographics and Competitors|website=[[Alexa Internet]]|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref>-->
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}

[[File:Blender 3.6-splash screen.png|alt=Art by Blender Studio|thumb|304x304px|Blender 3.6.0 LTS splash screen]]
'''Blender''' is a [[Free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[3D computer graphics]] software tool set that runs on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[MacOS]], BSD, [[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]], [[IRIX]] and [[Linux]]. It is used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, [[3D printing|3D-printed]] models, [[motion graphics]], interactive 3D applications, [[virtual reality]], and, formerly, video games.
==History==
[[File:Cube in Blender Editor.png|250px|thumb|right|A cube in Blender (version 3.6.2)]]
Blender was initially developed as an in-house application by the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo (no relation to the [[Neo Geo|video game brand]]), and was officially launched on January 2, 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.blender.org/2013/12/how-blender-started-twenty-years-ago/|title=How Blender started, twenty years ago…|website=Blender Developers Blog|publisher=Blender Foundation|language=en|access-date=2019-01-10}}</ref> Version 1.00 was released in January 1995,<ref name=":19">{{cite web|url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Doc:DK/2.6/Manual|title=Doc:DK/2.6/Manual - BlenderWiki|work=Blender.org|access-date=2019-01-11}}</ref> with the primary author being the company co-owner and software developer [[Ton Roosendaal]]. The name ''Blender'' was inspired by a song by the Swiss electronic band [[Yello]], from the album ''[[Baby (Yello album)|Baby]]'', which NeoGeo used in its [[showreel]].<ref name=":20">{{cite web|date=2021-10-19|title=Ton Roosendaal Reveals the Origin of Blender's name|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2021/10/19/ton-roosendaal-reveals-the-origin-of-blenders-name/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/3CdA_NMw7lc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190216080628/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CdA_NMw7lc&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CdA_NMw7lc|title=NeoGeo — Blender|publisher=YouTube|date=2011-10-28|access-date=2019-06-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mopi.nl/blogo/p1.html|title=Brief history of the Blender logo—Traces|last=Kassenaar|first=Joeri|date=2006-07-20|access-date=2010-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122234804/http://www.mopi.nl/blogo/p1.html|archive-date=2010-01-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some design choices and experiences for Blender were carried over from an earlier software application, called Traces, that Roosendaal developed for NeoGeo on the [[Amiga|Commodore Amiga]] platform during the 1987–1991 period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zgodzinski.com/blender-prehistory/|title=Blender's prehistory - Traces on Commodore Amiga (1987-1991)|website=zgodzinski.com}}</ref>

On January 1, 1998, Blender was released publicly online as [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]] freeware.<ref name="25th"/> NeoGeo was later dissolved, and its client contracts were taken over by another company. After NeoGeo's dissolution, Ton Roosendaal founded Not a Number Technologies (NaN) in June 1998 to further develop Blender, initially distributing it as [[shareware]]<!--did the c-key make it shareware?--> until NaN went bankrupt in 2002. This also resulted in the discontinuation of Blender's development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/foundation/history/|title=Blender History|website=Blender.org|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2002, Roosendaal started the non-profit [[Blender Foundation]], with the first goal to find a way to continue developing and promoting Blender as a community-based open-source project. On July 18, 2002, Roosendaal started the "Free Blender" campaign, a crowdfunding precursor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2002072201226OSBZCY|title=Blender Foundation Launches Campaign to Open Blender Source|publisher=Linux Today|access-date=2017-01-22|archive-date=2020-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128082249/https://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2002072201226osbzcy|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blender3d.com/campaign.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021010045558/http://www.blender3d.com/campaign.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-10-10|title=Free Blender campaign|date=2002-10-10|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref> The campaign aimed at open-sourcing Blender for a one-time payment of €100,000 (USD 100,670 at the time), with the money being collected from the community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blender3d.com/members.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021010174347/http://www.blender3d.com/members.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-10-10|title=members|date=2002-10-10|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref> On September 7, 2002, it was announced that they had collected enough funds and would release the Blender [[source code]]. Today, Blender is free and open-source software, largely developed by its community as well as 26 full-time employees and 12 freelancers employed by the Blender Institute.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/institute/|title=Blender.org About|location=Amsterdam|access-date=2021-02-01}}</ref>

The Blender Foundation initially reserved the right to use [[Multi-licensing|dual licensing]] so that, in addition to [[GNU General Public License|GPL 2.0-or-later]], Blender would have been available also under the "Blender License", which did not require disclosing source code but required payments to the Blender Foundation. However, this option was never exercised and was suspended indefinitely in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/BL/|title=Blender License|access-date=January 19, 2007|last=Roosendaal|first=Ton|date=June 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090101/https://www.blender.org/BL/|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Blender is solely available under "GNU GPLv2 or any later" and was not updated to the [[GPLv3]], as "no evident benefits" were seen.<ref name="libredwg-gplv3-opinion">{{cite web|url=http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/whats-up-with-dwg-adoption-in-free-software|title=What's up with DWG adoption in free software?|last=Prokoudine|first=Alexandre|date=26 January 2012|access-date=2015-12-05|publisher=libregraphicsworld.org|quote=[Blender's Ton Roosendaal:] Blender is also still 'GPLv2 or later'. For the time being we stick to that, moving to GPL 3 has no evident benefits I know of. My advice for LibreDWG: if you make a library, choosing a widely compatible license (MIT, BSD, or LGPL) is a very positive choice.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109103037/http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/whats-up-with-dwg-adoption-in-free-software|archive-date=9 November 2016}}</ref> The binary releases of Blender are under GNU GPLv3 or later because of the incorporated Apache libraries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=License |url=https://www.blender.org/about/license/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>

In 2019, with the release of version 2.80, the integrated [[Blender Game Engine|game engine]] for making and prototyping video games was removed; Blender's developers recommended that users migrate to more powerful open source game engines such as [[Godot (game engine)|Godot]] instead.<ref name="bge-removed">{{cite web|title=rB159806140fd3|url=https://developer.blender.org/rB159806140fd33e6ddab951c0f6f180cfbf927d38|website=developer.blender.org|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref><ref name="OSgodotRec">{{cite web|title=Blender 2.80 release|url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-80/|website=blender.org|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>

==Suzanne==
[[File: Suzanne.stl|250px|thumb|right|Preset Low poly 3D mesh]]
In February 2002, the fate of the Blender software company, NaN, became evident as it faced imminent closure in March. Nevertheless, one more release was pushed out, Blender 2.25. As a sort of [[Easter egg (media)|Easter egg]] and last personal tag, the artists and developers decided to add a 3D model of a chimpanzee head (called a "monkey" in the software). It was created by Willem-Paul van Overbruggen (SLiD3), who named it Suzanne, after the orangutan in the [[Kevin Smith]] film ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet Suzanne, the Blender Monkey |url=https://www.dummies.com/article/technology/software/animation-software/blender/meet-suzanne-the-blender-monkey-142918/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=dummies |language=en}}</ref>

Suzanne is Blender's alternative to more common test models such as the [[Utah Teapot]] and the [[Stanford Bunny]]. A [[Low poly|low-polygon model]] with only 500 faces, Suzanne is included in Blender and often used as a quick and easy way to test materials, animations, rigs, textures, and lighting setups. It is as easily added to a scene as [[Geometric primitive|primitives]] such as a cube or plane.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Primitives — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/meshes/primitives.html#monkey|access-date=2023-08-26|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref>

The largest Blender contest gives out an award called the '''Suzanne Award''',<ref>{{cite web|author=Blender Foundation|url=https://conference.blender.org/2019/festival/|title=Suzanne Awards 2019|publisher=Conference.blender.org|date=2019|accessdate=2022-07-19}}</ref> underscoring the significance of this unique 3D model in the Blender community.

==Features==
===Modeling===
[[File:Steps of forensic facial reconstruction - Virtual Mummy - cogitas3d.gif|right|194x194px|thumb|Forensic facial reconstruction of a mummy by [[Cícero Moraes]]]]Blender has support for a variety of geometric primitives, including [[polygon mesh]]es, [[Bézier curve]]s, [[Non-uniform rational B-spline|NURBS]] surfaces, [[metaballs]], [[icosphere]]s, text, and an n-gon modeling system called B-mesh. There is also an advanced [[Polygonal modeling|polygonal modelling]] system which can be accessed through an edit mode. It supports features such as extrusion, [[Chamfer|bevelling]], and subdividing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Editing — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/surfaces/editing/|access-date=2022-03-18|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref>

====Modifiers====
Modifiers apply non-destructive effects which can be applied upon rendering or exporting, such as [[subdivision surface]]s.

====Sculpting====
Blender has multi-resolution digital sculpting, which includes dynamic topology, "baking", remeshing, re-symmetrization, and decimation. The latter is used to simplify models for exporting purposes (an example being game assets).

====Geometry nodes====
[[File:Pebble scattering - Blender Geometry Nodes fields.png|thumb|Geometry Nodes Editor in Blender 3.2]]
Blender has a [[Node graph architecture|node graph system]] for [[Procedural generation|procedurally]] and non-destructively creating and manipulating geometry. It was first added to Blender 2.92, which focuses on object scattering and instancing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender 2.92 Release Notes|url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-92/|url-status=live|website=blender.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225175316/https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-92/|archive-date=2021-02-25}}</ref> It takes the form of a modifier, so it can be stacked over other different modifiers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geometry Nodes Modifier — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.93/modeling/modifiers/generate/geometry_nodes.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref> The system uses object attributes, which can be modified and overridden with string inputs. Attributes can include [[Position (geometry)|positions]], [[Normal (geometry)|normals]] and [[UV mapping|UV maps]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Attributes — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.93/modeling/geometry_nodes/attributes_reference.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref> All attributes can be viewed in an attribute spreadsheet editor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spreadsheet — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.93/editors/spreadsheet.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref> The Geometry Nodes utility also has the capability of creating primitive meshes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mesh Primitive Nodes — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.93/modeling/geometry_nodes/mesh_primitives/index.html|access-date=2021-10-08|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref> In Blender 3.0, support for creating and modifying curves objects was added to Geometry Nodes;<ref name=":7">{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Procedural Curves in 3.0 and Beyond |url=https://code.blender.org/2021/09/procedural-curves-in-3-0-and-beyond/ |access-date=2021-09-27 |website=Blender Developers Blog |language=en}}</ref> in the same release, the Geometry Nodes workflow was completely redesigned with fields, in order to make the system more intuitive and work like shader nodes.<ref name=":8">{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Attributes and Fields |url=https://code.blender.org/2021/08/attributes-and-fields/ |access-date=2021-10-02 |website=Blender Developers Blog |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":9">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Yci5ouEmnLI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20211002130722/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yci5ouEmnLI Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|title=Geometry Nodes Fields: Explained!| date=30 September 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yci5ouEmnLI|language=en|access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Simulation===
[[File: Cloth on suzanne.ogv|alt= A cloth simulation made in Blender|thumb|Cloth simulation]]Blender can be used to simulate smoke, rain, dust, cloth, fluids, hair, and [[Rigid body dynamics|rigid bodies]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Introduction to Physics Simulation — Blender Reference Manual|url=https://www.blender.org/manual/physics/introduction.html#introduction-to-physics-simulation|website=www.blender.org|access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

====Fluid simulation====
[[File:Physics-Fluid-Simulation-Blender.gif|thumb|Physics fluid simulation]]The [[Fluid simulation|fluid simulator]] can be used for simulating liquids, like water being poured into a cup.<ref>{{cite web|title=Create a Realistic Water Simulation – Blender Guru|url=http://www.blenderguru.com/tutorials/create-a-realistic-water-simulation/|website=Blender Guru|date=9 November 2011 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref> It uses [[Lattice Boltzmann methods]] (LBM) to simulate fluids and allows for plenty of adjustment of particles and resolution. The particle physics fluid simulation creates particles that follow the [[smoothed-particle hydrodynamics]] method.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fluid Physics — Blender Reference Manual|url=https://www.blender.org/manual/physics/particles/physics/fluid.html|website=www.blender.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208070913/https://www.blender.org/manual/physics/particles/physics/fluid.html|archive-date=2015-12-08|access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

Blender has simulation tools for [[soft-body dynamics]], including mesh [[collision detection]], LBM [[fluid dynamic]]s, smoke simulation, [[Bullet (software)|Bullet]] rigid-body dynamics, an ocean generator with waves, a particle system that includes support for particle-based hair, and real-time control during physics simulation and rendering.

In Blender 2.82, a new fluid simulation system called Mantaflow was added, replacing the old FLIP system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reference/Release Notes/2.82 - Blender Developer Wiki|url=https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/2.82|access-date=2020-06-10|website=wiki.blender.org}}</ref> In Blender 2.92, another fluid simulation system called APIC, which builds on Mantaflow,{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} was added. Vortices and more stable calculations are improved from the FLIP system.

====Cloth Simulation====
Cloth simulation is done by simulating vertices with a rigid body simulation. If done on a 3D mesh, it will produce similar effects as the soft body simulation.

===Animation===
Blender's keyframed animation capabilities include [[inverse kinematics]], [[skeletal animation|armatures]], hooks, curve- and [[lattice-based deformation]]s, [[Morph target animation|shape keys]], non-linear animation, constraints, and [[vertex weighting]]. In addition, its Grease Pencil tools allow for 2D animation within a full 3D pipeline.

===Rendering===
[[File:Architectural render 02 (Blender).jpg|thumb|An architectural render showing different rendering styles in Blender, including a photorealistic style using Cycles]]
Blender includes three render engines since version 2.80: EEVEE, Workbench and Cycles.

Cycles is a [[path tracing]] render engine. It supports rendering through both the CPU and the [[GPU]]. Cycles supports the [[Open Shading Language]] since Blender 2.65.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cycles support OpenSL shading|url=https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-265/|publisher=blender.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125141121/https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-265/|archive-date=January 25, 2013|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref>

Cycles Hybrid Rendering is possible in Version 2.92 with Optix. Tiles are calculated with GPU in combination with CPU.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developer.blender.org/rBbfb6fce6594e|title=RBbfb6fce6594e}}</ref>

EEVEE is a new [[physically based rendering|physically based]] real-time renderer. While it is capable of driving Blender's real-time viewport for creating assets thanks to its speed, it can also work as a renderer for final frames.

Workbench is a real-time render engine designed for fast rendering during modelling and animation preview. It is not intended for final rendering. Workbench supports assigning colors to objects for visual distinction.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Blender Documentation Team|title=Rendering - Workbench - Introduction|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/workbench/introduction.html|access-date=2023-02-07|website=Blender Manual}}</ref>

====Cycles====
[[File:Rendering using Cycles in Blender.webm|thumb|Rendering of different materials using the Cycles render engine]]
Cycles is a [[Path Tracing|path-tracing]] [[Rendering (computer graphics)|render engine]] that is designed to be interactive and easy to use, while still supporting many features.<ref name="manual-cycles-intro">{{cite web|title=Introduction — Blender Reference Manual|url=http://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/introduction.html|website=www.blender.org|access-date=2015-10-18}}</ref> It has been included with Blender since 2011, with the release of Blender 2.61. Cycles supports with AVX, [[AVX2]] and [[AVX-512]] extensions, as well as CPU acceleration in modern hardware.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jaroš|first1=Milan|last2=Strakoš|first2=Petr|last3=Říha|first3=Lubomír|title=Rending in Blender Cycles Using AVX-512 Vectorization|url=https://www.ixpug.org/documents/1520629330Jaros-IXPUG-CINECABlender5.pdf|access-date=March 2, 2023}}</ref>

=====GPU rendering=====
Cycles supports [[GPU]] rendering, which is used to speed up rendering times. There are three GPU rendering modes: [[CUDA]], which is the preferred method for older [[Nvidia]] graphics cards; [[OptiX]], which utilizes the hardware ray-tracing capabilities of Nvidia's [[Turing (microarchitecture)|Turing architecture]] & [[Ampere (microarchitecture)|Ampere architecture]]; [[Heterogeneous-compute Interface for Portability|HIP]], which supports rendering on [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]] [[Radeon]] graphics cards; and [[oneAPI (compute acceleration)|oneAPI]] for [[Intel]] and [[Intel Arc]] GPUs. The toolkit software associated with these rendering modes does not come within Blender and needs to be separately installed and configured as per their respective source instructions.

Multiple GPUs are also supported (with the notable exception of the EEVEE render engine<ref>{{cite web|title=Limitations — Blender Manual|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/eevee/limitations.html#multiple-gpu-support|website=www.blender.org|access-date=2023-01-12}}</ref>) which can be used to create a [[render farm]] to speed up rendering by processing frames or tiles in parallel—having multiple GPUs, however, does not increase the available memory since each GPU can only access its own memory.<ref>{{cite web|title=GPU Rendering — Blender Reference Manual|url=http://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/gpu_rendering.html|website=www.blender.org|access-date=2015-10-18}}</ref> Since Version 2.90, this limitation of [[Scalable Link Interface|SLI]] cards is broken with Nvidia's [[NVLink]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender3darchitect.com/blender-cycles/blender-2-90-cycles-updates-in-multi-gpu-nvlink/|title=Blender 2.90: Cycles updates in Multi GPU (NVLink) • Blender 3D Architect|date=10 August 2020}}</ref>

Apple's Metal API got initial implementation in Blender 3.1 for Apple computers with [[Apple M1|M1]] chips and [[AMD graphics processing units|AMD graphics cards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/3.1/Cycles|title=Reference/Release Notes/3.1/Cycles - Blender Developer Wiki}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Supported features <ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/cycles/gpu_rendering.html|title=GPU Rendering — Blender Manual}}</ref>
! Feature
! CPU
! CUDA
! OPTIX <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/issues/69800|title=Cycles Optix feature completeness|website=Blender Projects}}</ref>
! HIP
! oneAPI
! Metal
|-
| Hardware Minimum for 3.0
| x86-64 and other 64-Bit<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=blender|title=Debian -- Package Search Results -- blender|website=packages.debian.org}}</ref>
| Cuda 3.0+: Nvidia cards Kepler to Ampere (CUDA Toolkit 11.1+)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Building_Blender/CUDA|title=Building Blender/CUDA - Blender Developer Wiki}}</ref>
| OptiX 7.3 with driver 470+: Full: Nvidia RTX Series; Parts: Maxwell+
| AMD RDNA architecture or newer, Radeon Software Drivers (Windows, Linux)
| Intel Graphics Driver 30.0.101.3430 or newer on Windows, OpenCL runtime 22.10.23904 on Linux
| Apple Computers with Apple Silicon in MacOS 12.2, AMD Graphics Cards with MacOS 12.3
|-
| Basic shading
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Shadows
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| [[Motion blur]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Hair
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Volume
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| [[Subsurface scattering]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| [[Open Shading Language]] (1.11) (OSL 1.12.6 in 3.4)
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{partial}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/osl.html|title=Open Shading Language - Blender 4.1 Manual}}</ref>
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| Correlated multi-jittered sampling
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Bevel and AO shaders
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Baking <ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/cycles/baking.html|title=Render Baking — Blender Manual}}</ref>
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Can use CPU memory
| {{Clear}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| Distribute memory across devices
| {{yes}} render farm <ref>{{cite web|url=https://rentaflop.com|title=rentaflop}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sheepit-renderfarm.com/index.php|title=SheepIt Render Farm}}</ref>
| {{yes}} with NVLink
| {{yes}} with NVLink
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
! colspan="67" |Experimental features
|-
| Adaptive [[Subdivision surface|subdivision]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/cycles/object_settings/adaptive_subdiv.html|title=Adaptive Subdivision — Blender Manual}}</ref>
| {{table-experimental}}
| {{table-experimental}}
| {{table-experimental}}
| {{table-experimental}}
| {{table-experimental}}
| {{table-experimental}}
|}

=====Integrator=====
The integrator is the core [[rendering algorithm]] used for [[Rendering equation|lighting computations]]. Cycles currently supports a [[path tracing]] integrator with direct light sampling. It works well for a variety of lighting setups, but it is not as suitable for [[Caustic (optics)|caustics]] and certain other complex lighting situations. [[Ray tracing (graphics)|Rays are traced]] from the camera into the scene, bouncing around until they find a light source (a lamp, an object material emitting light, or the world background), or until they are simply terminated based on the number of maximum bounces determined in the light path settings for the renderer. To find lamps and surfaces emitting light, both indirect light sampling (letting the ray follow the surface [[Bidirectional scattering distribution function|bidirectional scattering distribution function, or BSDF]]) and direct light sampling (picking a light source and tracing a ray towards it) are used.<ref>{{cite web|title=Integrator — Blender Reference Manual|url=http://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/settings/integrator.html#integrator|website=www.blender.org|access-date=2015-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009124836/http://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/settings/integrator.html#integrator|archive-date=2015-10-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The default path tracing integrator is a "pure" path tracer. This integrator works by sending several [[light rays]] that act as [[photon]]s from the camera out into the scene. These rays will eventually hit either: a light source, an object, or the world background. If these rays hit an object, they will bounce based on the angle of impact, and continue bouncing until a light source has been reached or until a maximum number of bounces, as determined by the user, which will cause it to terminate and result in a black, unlit pixel. Multiple rays are calculated and averaged out for each pixel, a process known as "sampling". This sampling number is set by the user and greatly affects the final image. Lower sampling often results in more noise and has the potential to create "fireflies" (which are uncharacteristically bright pixels), while higher sampling greatly reduces noise, but also increases render times.

The alternative is a branched path tracing integrator, which works mostly the same way. Branched path tracing splits the light rays at each intersection with an object according to different surface components,{{Clarify|reason=|date=December 2019}} and takes all lights into account for shading instead of just one. This added complexity makes computing each ray slower but reduces noise in the render, especially in scenes dominated by direct (one-bounce) lighting. This was removed in Blender 3.0 with the advent of Cycles X, as improvements to the pure path tracing integrator made the branched path tracing integrator redundant <ref>{{cite web |title=Cycles X |url=https://code.blender.org/2021/04/cycles-x/#deprecation |website=Blender Developer Blog |access-date=2024-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706015139/https://code.blender.org/2021/04/cycles-x/#deprecation |archive-date=2024-07-06}}</ref>

=====Open Shading Language=====
Blender users can create their own [[Node (computer science)|nodes]] using the [[Open Shading Language]] (OSL); this allows users to create stunning materials that are entirely procedural, which allows them to be used on any objects without stretching the texture as opposed to image-based textures which need to be made to fit a certain object. (Note that the shader nodes editor is shown in the image, although mostly correct, has undergone a slight change, changing how the UI is structured and looks. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/index.html|title=Shader Nodes — Blender Manual}}</ref>
[[File:Blender shader node editor showcasing a Moldy Gold Materiel.png|thumb|400x400px|Using the node editor to create a moldy gold material]]

=====Materials=====
Materials define the look of [[polygon mesh|meshes]], [[Non-uniform rational B-spline|NURBS curves]], and other geometric objects. They consist of three [[shader]]s to define the mesh's surface appearance, volume inside, and surface displacement.<ref name="manual-cycles-intro" />

The ''surface shader'' defines the light interaction at the surface of the mesh. One or more bidirectional scattering distribution functions, or [[Bidirectional scattering distribution function|BSDFs]], can specify if incoming light is reflected, refracted into the mesh, or absorbed.<ref name="manual-cycles-intro" /> The [[Alpha compositing|alpha value]] is one measure of translucency.

When the surface shader does not reflect or absorb light, it enters the volume (light transmission). If no volume shader is specified, it will pass straight through (or be refracted, see [[Refractive index|refractive index or IOR]]) to another side of the mesh.

If one is defined, a ''volume shader'' describes the light interaction as it passes through the volume of the mesh. Light may be scattered, absorbed, or even emitted{{Clarify|reason=|date=December 2019}} at any point in the volume.<ref name="manual-cycles-intro" />

The shape of the surface may be altered by ''displacement shaders''. In this way, textures can be used to make the mesh surface more detailed.

Depending on the settings, the displacement may be virtual-only modifying the [[surface normals]] to give the impression of displacement (also known as [[bump mapping]]) – real, or a combination of real displacement with bump mapping.<ref name="manual-cycles-intro" />

====EEVEE{{anchor|Eevee}}====
EEVEE (or Eevee) is a [[Real-time computer graphics|real-time]] [[Physically based rendering|PBR]] renderer included in Blender from version 2.8.<ref>{{cite web|date=2017-03-23|title=Eevee Roadmap|url=https://code.blender.org/2017/03/eevee-roadmap/|access-date=2019-06-11|publisher=Code.blender.org}}</ref> This render engine was given the nickname EEVEE,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ton Roosendaal - EEVEE|url=https://twitter.com/tonroosendaal/status/809474433903722496|first=Ton|last=Roosendaal|publisher=Twitter|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> after the Pokémon. The name was later made into the [[backronym]] "Extra Easy Virtual Environment Engine" or EEVEE.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender Developers Blog - Viewport Project – Plan of Action|url=https://code.blender.org/2016/12/viewport-project-plan-of-action/|date=2016-12-15|publisher=Code.blender.org|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

With the release of Blender 4.2 LTS<ref>{{Cite web |title=4.2 LTS - Blender Developer Documentation |url=https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.2/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=developer.blender.org}}</ref> in July 2024, EEVEE received an overhaul by its lead developer, Clément Foucault, called EEVEE Next. EEVEE Next boasts a variety of new features for Blender's real-time and [[Raster graphics|rasterised]] renderer, including screen-space [[Global illumination|global illumination (SSGI)]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=EEVEE's Future |url=https://code.blender.org/2021/06/eevees-future/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Blender Developers Blog |language=en}}</ref> virtual [[Shadow mapping|shadowmapping]], sunlight extraction from HDRIs, and a rewritten system for reflections and indirect lighting via light probe volumes and cubemaps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=blender |title=EEVEE-Next |url=https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/issues/93220 |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Blender Projects |language=en-US}}</ref> EEVEE Next also brings improved volumetric rendering, along with support for ''displacement shaders'' and an improved [[depth of field]] system similar to Cycles.

Plans for future releases of EEVEE include support for hardware-accelerated [[Ray tracing (graphics)|ray-tracing]]<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=EEVEE Next Generation in Blender 4.2 LTS |url=https://code.blender.org/2024/07/eevee-next-generation-in-blender-4-2-lts/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Blender Developers Blog |language=en}}</ref> and continued improvements to performance and shader compilation.<ref name=":5" />

====Workbench====
Using the default 3D viewport drawing system for modeling, texturing, etc.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Ton Roosendaal on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/tonroosendaal/status/991709311293448192 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |website=Twitter}}</ref>

====External renderers====
Free and open-source:<ref>{{cite web|title=External Renderers|url=https://www.blender.org/download/external-renderers/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309054241/https://www.blender.org/download/external-renderers/|archive-date=2018-03-09|access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref>

* Mitsuba Renderer<ref>{{cite web|title=Mitsuba Renderer|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2010/11/24/mitsuba-renderer/|website=BlenderNation|date=24 November 2010}}</ref>
*YafaRay (previously Yafray)
*[[LuxCoreRender]] (previously LuxRender)
* Appleseed Renderer<ref>{{cite web|title=Appleseed Renderer|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2012/05/02/appleseed-renderer/|website=BlenderNation|date=2 May 2012}}</ref>
*[[POV-Ray]]
* NOX Renderer<ref>{{cite web|title=Getting started with NOX Renderer in Blender|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2014/09/03/getting-started-with-nox-renderer-in-blender-2/|website=BlenderNation|date=3 September 2014}}</ref>
*Armory3D – a free and open source [[game engine]] for Blender written in [[Haxe]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Armory - 3D Engine|url=https://armory3d.org/|access-date=2022-01-05|website=armory3d.org|language=en}}</ref>
*[[Radeon Pro#ProRender|Radeon ProRender]] – Radeon ProRender for Blender
*Malt Render – a [[non-photorealistic rendering|non-photorealistic renderer]] with GLSL shading capabilities<ref>{{cite web|url=https://malt3d.com/#/|title=malt-render|access-date=2022-01-01|website=malt3d.com}}</ref>

[[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]:
* [[Pixar RenderMan]] – Blender render addon for RenderMan<ref>{{cite web|title=RenderMan for Blender 24.0|url=https://rmanwiki.pixar.com/display/RFB24/RenderMan+for+Blender+24.0|access-date=2022-01-05|website=Renderman Documentation}}</ref>
* [[Octane Render]] – OctaneRender plugin for Blender
* Indigo Renderer – Indigo for Blender
* [[V-Ray]] – V-Ray for Blender, V-Ray Standalone is needed for rendering
* [[Maxwell Render]] – B-Maxwell addon for Blender
* Thea Render – Thea for Blender<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender Add-on for Thea Render|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2013/10/03/blender-add-on-for-thea-render/|website=BlenderNation|date=3 October 2013}}</ref>
* Corona Renderer – Blender To Corona exporter, Corona Standalone is needed for rendering<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender & Corona Renderer Tutorial|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2014/11/13/blender-corona-renderer-tutorial/|website=BlenderNation|date=13 November 2014}}</ref>

====Texturing and shading====
Blender allows procedural and node-based textures, as well as [[3D paint tool|texture painting]], projective painting, [[vertex painting]], [[weight map painting|weight painting]] and dynamic painting.

===Post-production===
[[File:Blender 28 Editing Workspace.png|alt=|thumb|The Video Sequence Editor (VSE)]]
Blender has a node-based compositor within the rendering pipeline, which is accelerated with [[OpenCL]], and in 4.0 it supports GPU. It also includes a non-linear video editor called the Video Sequence Editor (VSE), with support for effects like [[Gaussian blur]], [[color grading]], fade and [[Wipe (transition)|wipe]] transitions, and other video transformations. However, there is no built-in multi-core support for rendering video with the VSE.

===Plugins/addons and scripts===
Blender supports [[Python (programming language)|Python]] scripting for the creation of custom tools, prototyping, importing/exporting from other formats, and task automation. This allows for integration with several external render engines through plugins/addons.  Blender itself can also be compiled & imported as a python library for further automation and development.

===File format===
Blender features an internal file system that can pack multiple scenes into a single ".blend" file.

* Most of Blender's ".blend" files are forward, backward, and cross-platform compatible with other versions of Blender, with the following exceptions:
** Loading animations stored in post-2.5 files in Blender pre-2.5. This is due to the reworked animation subsystem introduced in Blender 2.5 being inherently incompatible with older versions.
** Loading meshes stored in post 2.63. This is due to the introduction of BMesh, a more versatile mesh format.
** Blender 2.8 ".blend" files are no longer fully backward compatible, causing errors when opened in previous versions.
** Many 3.x ".blend" files are not completely backwards-compatible as well, and may cause errors with previous versions.
* All scenes, objects, [[materials system|materials]], textures, sounds, images, and post-production effects for an entire animation can be packaged and stored in a single ".blend" file. Data loaded from external sources, such as images and sounds, can also be stored externally and referenced through either an absolute or relative file path. Likewise, ".blend" files themselves can also be used as libraries of Blender assets.
* Interface configurations are retained in ".blend" files.

A wide variety of import/export scripts that extend Blender capabilities (accessing the object data via an internal [[Application programming interface|API]]) make it possible to interoperate with other 3D tools.

Blender organizes data as various kinds of "data blocks" (akin to [[glTF]]), such as Objects, Meshes, Lamps, Scenes, Materials, Images, and so on. An object in Blender consists of multiple data blocks&nbsp;– for example, what the user would describe as a polygon mesh consists of at least an Object and a Mesh data block, and usually also a Material and many more, linked together. This allows various data blocks to refer to each other. There may be, for example, multiple Objects that refer to the same Mesh, and making subsequent editing of the shared mesh results in shape changes in all Objects using this Mesh. Objects, meshes, materials, textures, etc. can also be linked to other .blend files, which is what allows the use of .blend files as reusable resource libraries.

====Import and export====
The software supports a variety of 3D file formats for import and export, among them [[Alembic (computer graphics)|Alembic]], [[Autodesk 3ds Max|3D Studio]] (3DS), [[FBX]], [[AutoCAD DXF|DXF]], [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]], [[STL (file format)|STL]] (for 3D printing), UDIM, [[Universal Scene Description|USD]], [[VRML]], [[WebM]], [[X3D]] and [[Wavefront .obj file|OBJ]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/dev/files/import_export.html|title=Importing & Exporting Files — Blender Manual|website=docs.blender.org}}</ref>

===Deprecated features===
====Blender Game Engine====
The Blender Game Engine was a built-in real-time graphics and logic engine with features such as [[collision detection]], a dynamics engine, and programmable logic. It also allowed the creation of stand-alone, real-time applications ranging from architectural visualization to video games. In April 2018, the engine was removed from the upcoming Blender 2.8 release series, due to updates and revisions to the engine lagging behind other game engines such as [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] and the open-source Godot.<ref name="bge-removed" /> In the 2.8 announcements, the Blender team specifically mentioned the Godot engine as a suitable replacement for migrating Blender Game Engine users.<ref name="OSgodotRec" />

====Blender Internal====
Blender Internal, a biased [[Rendering (computer graphics)#Scanline rendering and rasterization|rasterization]] engine and [[Scanline rendering|scanline renderer]] used in previous versions of Blender, was also removed for the 2.80 release in favor of the new "EEVEE" renderer, a realtime [[Physically based rendering|physically based renderer]].<ref name="bi-removed">{{cite web|title=Blender Internal renderer removed from 2.8|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2018/04/19/blender-internal-renderer-removed-from-2-8/|date=April 19, 2018|website=BlenderNation}}</ref>

==User interface==
[[File:Blender Version 2.570.jpg|300px|thumb|Blender's user interface underwent a significant update with Blender 2.57, and again with the release of Blender 2.80.]]

===Commands===
Most of the commands are accessible via [[Keyboard shortcut|hotkeys]]. There are also comprehensive graphical menus. Numeric buttons can be "dragged" to change their value directly without the need to aim at a particular widget, as well as being set using the keyboard. Both sliders and number buttons can be constrained to various step sizes with modifiers like the {{mono|Ctrl}} and {{mono|Shift}} keys. [[Python (programming language)|Python]] expressions can also be typed directly into number entry fields, allowing mathematical expressions to specify values.

===Modes===
Blender includes many modes for interacting with objects, the two primary ones being ''Object Mode'' and ''Edit Mode'', which are toggled with the {{mono|Tab}} key. Object mode is used to manipulate individual objects as a unit, while Edit mode is used to manipulate the actual object data. For example, an Object Mode can be used to move, scale, and rotate entire [[polygon mesh]]es, and Edit Mode can be used to manipulate the individual vertices of a single mesh. There are also several other modes, such as Vertex Paint, Weight Paint, and Sculpt Mode.

===Workspaces===
The Blender GUI builds its tiled windowing system on top of one or multiple windows provided by the underlying platform. One platform window (often sized to fill the screen) is divided into sections and subsections that can be of any type of Blender's views or window types. The user can define multiple layouts of such Blender windows, called screens, and switch quickly between them by selecting from a menu or with keyboard shortcuts. Each window type's own GUI elements can be controlled with the same tools that manipulate the 3D view. For example, one can zoom in and out of GUI-buttons using similar controls, one zooms in and out in the 3D viewport. The GUI viewport and screen layout are fully user-customizable. It is possible to set up the interface for specific tasks such as video editing or UV mapping or texturing by hiding features not used for the task.

==Development==
[[File:Stucco-blendergame.jpg|250px|thumb|Game engine [[GLSL]] materials]]
Since the opening of the source code, Blender has experienced significant [[Code refactoring|refactoring]] of the initial codebase and major additions to its feature set.

Improvements include an animation system refresh;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:2.4/Source/Animation/AnimationUpdate|title=Blender Animation system refresh project|publisher=blender.org|access-date=2019-01-14}}</ref> a stack-based modifier system;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Source/Modifiers|title=Modifiers|publisher=blender.org|access-date=2019-01-14}}</ref> an updated particle system<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-240/new-particle-options-and-guides/|title=New Particle options and Guides|publisher=Blender.org|access-date=2012-07-06}}</ref> (which can also be used to simulate hair and fur); fluid dynamics; soft-body dynamics; GLSL shaders support<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-241/glsl-pixel-and-vertex-shaders/|title=GLSL Pixel and Vertex shaders|publisher=Blender.org|access-date=2012-07-06}}</ref> in the game engine; advanced UV unwrapping;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-241/subsurf-uv-mapping/|title=Subsurf UV Mapping|publisher=Blender.org|access-date=2012-07-06}}</ref> a fully recoded render pipeline, allowing separate render passes and "render to texture"; node-based material editing and compositing; and projection painting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.49/Projection_Paint|title=Dev:Ref/Release Notes/2.49/Projection Paint&nbsp;– BlenderWiki|publisher=blender.org|date=June 3, 2009|access-date=2019-01-14}}</ref>

Part of these developments was fostered by [[Google]]'s [[Google Summer of Code|Summer of Code]] program, in which the Blender Foundation has participated since 2005.

Historically, Blender has used [[Phabricator]] to manage its development but due to the announcement in 2021 that Phabricator would be discontinued,<ref>{{Cite web|title=✩ Phacility is Winding Down Operations|url=https://admin.phacility.com/phame/post/view/11/phacility_is_winding_down_operations/|access-date=2022-08-09|website=admin.phacility.com}}</ref> the Blender Institute began work on migrating to another software in early 2022.<ref>{{Citation|title=GitLab? Gitea? Call for participation on the future of Blender's development platform| date=16 March 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5EyDQkqMUw|language=en|access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref> After extensive debate on what software it should choose<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-03-16|title=Developer.blender.org - Call for comments and participation|url=https://devtalk.blender.org/t/developer-blender-org-call-for-comments-and-participation/23451|access-date=2022-08-09|website=Blender Developer Talk|language=en}}</ref> it was finally decided to migrate to [[Gitea]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marijnissen|first=Arnd|date=2022-06-27|title=[Bf-committers] Gitea as choice for Phabricator migration. Reasons and timeline|url=https://lists.blender.org/pipermail/bf-committers/2022-June/051378.html|access-date=2022-08-09}}</ref> The migration from Phabricator to Gitea is currently a work in progress.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Gitea Diaries: Part 1|url=https://code.blender.org/2022/07/gitea-diaries-part-1/|access-date=2022-08-09|website=Blender Developers Blog|language=en}}</ref>

===Blender 2.8===
Official planning for the next major revision of Blender after the 2.7 series began in the latter half of 2015, with potential targets including a more configurable UI (dubbed "Blender 101"), support for [[physically based rendering]] (PBR) (dubbed EEVEE for "Extra Easy Virtual Environment Engine") to bring improved realtime 3D graphics to the viewport, allowing the use of C++11 and C99 in the codebase, moving to a newer version of [[OpenGL]] and dropping support for versions before 3.2, and a possible overhaul of the particle and constraint systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.blender.org/2015/07/blender-2-8-the-workflow-release/|title=Blender 2.8 – the Workflow release|publisher=code.blender.org|date=June 20, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.blender.org/2015/11/the-2-8-project-for-developers/|title=2.8 project developer kickoff meeting notes|publisher=code.blender.org|date=November 1, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2017}}</ref> Blender Internal renderer has been removed from 2.8.<ref name="bi-removed" /> ''Code Quest'' was a project started in April 2018 set in Amsterdam, at the Blender Institute.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/press/announcing-blender-2-8-code-quest/|title=Announcing Blender 2.8 Code Quest — blender.org|last=Foundation|first=Blender|website=blender.org|language=en|access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref> The goal of the project was to get a large development team working in one place, in order to speed up the development of Blender 2.8.<ref name=":0" /> By June 29, 2018, the Code Quest project ended, and on July 2, the alpha version was completed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.blender.org/2018/06/beyond-the-code-quest/|title=Beyond the Code Quest — Blender Developers Blog|last=Foundation|first=Blender|website=Blender Developers Blog|language=en|access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref> Beta testing commenced on November 29, 2018, and was anticipated to take until July 2019.<ref name="release-2.8">{{cite web|url=https://code.blender.org/2019/04/2-80-release-plan/|title=2.80 Release Plan --- Blender Developers Blog|date=April 12, 2019|website=blender.org|access-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref> Blender 2.80 was released on July 30, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/|title=Release Notes|last=Foundation|first=Blender|website=blender.org|language=en|access-date=2019-08-14}}</ref>

===Cycles X===
On April 23, 2021, the Blender Foundation announced the Cycles X project, where they improved the Cycles architecture for future development. Key changes included a new kernel, removal of default [[tiled rendering]] (replaced by progressive refine), removal of branched path tracing, and the removal of [[OpenCL]] support. Volumetric rendering was also replaced with better algorithms.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Cycles X |url=https://code.blender.org/2021/04/cycles-x/ |access-date=2021-05-01 |website=Blender Developers Blog |language=en}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/awMjwhJVRMw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210423165250/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMjwhJVRMw&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|title=Cycles X| date=23 April 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMjwhJVRMw|language=en|access-date=2021-05-01}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{cite web |date=2021-04-23 |title=Blender Announces Cycles X: The Blazingly Fast Future of Cycles |url=https://www.blendernation.com/2021/04/23/blender-announces-cycles-x-the-blazingly-fast-future-of-cycles/ |access-date=2021-05-01 |website=BlenderNation |language=en-US}}</ref> Cycles X had only been accessible in an experimental branch<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Blender Experimental Builds - blender.org|url=https://builder.blender.org/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Blender Experimental Builds - blender.org|language=en}}</ref> until September 21, 2021, when it was merged into the Blender 3.0 alpha.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2021-09-21 |title=Cycles X now in Blender 3.0 alpha! |url=https://www.blendernation.com/2021/09/21/cycles-x-now-in-blender-3-0-alpha/ |access-date=2021-09-23 |website=BlenderNation |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Support==
Blender is extensively documented on its website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.blender.org|title=Main Page - BlenderWiki|website=Wiki.blender.org|date=2016-11-03|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref> There are also a number of online communities dedicated to support, such as the Blender [[Stack Exchange]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender Stack Exchange|url=https://blender.stackexchange.com/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Blender Stack Exchange}}</ref>

==Modified versions==
Due to Blender's open-source nature, other programs have tried to take advantage of its success by repackaging and selling cosmetically modified versions of it. Examples include IllusionMage, 3DMofun, 3DMagix, and Fluid Designer,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/press/re-branding-blender/|title=Re-branding Blender|website=Blender.org|access-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref> the latter being recognized as Blender-based.

==Use in industry==

Blender started as an in-house tool for NeoGeo, a Dutch commercial animation company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/blenderorg/blender-foundation/history/|title=History|publisher=blender.org|date=2002-10-13|access-date=2012-07-06}}</ref> The first large professional project that used Blender was ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'', where it was primarily used to create animatics and pre-visualizations for the storyboard department.<ref>{{cite web|title=Testimonials|url=https://www.blender.org/features-gallery/testimonials/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221025521/https://www.blender.org/features-gallery/testimonials/|archive-date=February 21, 2007<!--bot=H3llBot-->|type=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref>

The French-language film ''[[Friday or Another Day]]'' (''{{ill|Vendredi ou un autre jour|fr|vertical-align=sup}}'') was the first 35&nbsp;mm feature film to use Blender for all the special effects, made on Linux workstations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://users.skynet.be/mume//vendredi/blender.html|title=blender|publisher=Users.skynet.be|access-date=October 22, 2009|archive-date=November 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127112113/http://users.skynet.be/mume//vendredi/blender.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It won a prize at the [[Locarno International Film Festival]]. The special effects were by Digital Graphics of Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalgraphics.be/?page_id=8&idfiche=vendredi&lang=en|title=Digital Graphics - Friday or Another Day|work=Digitalgraphics.be|access-date=2018-11-08|archive-date=2018-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108144456/http://www.digitalgraphics.be/?page_id=8&idfiche=vendredi&lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Tomm Moore]]'s ''[[The Secret of Kells]]'', which was partly produced in Blender by the Belgian studio Digital Graphics, has been nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] in the category "[[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature Film]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/%E2%80%98the-secret-of-kells%E2%80%99-nominated-for-an-oscar/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205080531/http://www.blendernation.com/%E2%80%98the-secret-of-kells%E2%80%99-nominated-for-an-oscar/|archive-date=2010-02-05|title=The Secret of Kells' nominated for an Oscar!|publisher=blendernation.com|date=2010-02-04}}</ref> Blender has also been used for shows on the [[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]], alongside many other professional 3D graphics programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/2006/09/27/blender-on-the-history-channel/|title=Blender on the History Channel at BlenderNation|date=27 September 2006|publisher=Blendernation.com|access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref>

''[[Plumíferos]]'', a commercial animated feature film created entirely in Blender,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/2006/03/08/blender-movie-project-plumi%cc%81feros/|title=Blender Movie Project: Plumíferos|access-date=February 4, 2007|date=March 8, 2006}}</ref> had premiered in February 2010 in Argentina. Its main characters are [[anthropomorphic]] [[talking animal]]s. 

Special effects for [[The Beginning (Red Dwarf)|episode 6]] of ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' season X, screened in 2012, were created using Blender as confirmed by Ben Simonds of Gecko Animation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geckoanimation.com/2012/10/04/smegging-spaceships/|title=Gecko Animation: Smegging Spaceshipes|publisher=Gecko Animation|access-date=2013-08-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224111054/http://www.geckoanimation.com/2012/10/04/smegging-spaceships/|archive-date=2013-12-24|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bensimonds.com/2012/10/04/red-dwarf-x/|title=Ben Simonds Portfolio - RED DWARF X|date=4 October 2012|publisher=Ben Simonds}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/2012/10/11/blender-used-for-red-dwarf/|title=Blender used for Red Dwarf|date=October 11, 2012|website=BlenderNation|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> 

Blender was used for [[previsualization]] in ''[[Captain America: The Winter Soldier]].''<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.fxguide.com/featured/captain-america-the-winter-soldier-reaching-new-heights/|title=Captain America: The Winter Soldier – reaching new heights|last=Failes|first=Ian|date=May 1, 2014|website=fxguide.com|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

Some promotional artwork for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U]]'' was partially created using Blender.<ref>{{cite web|last=Karon|first=Pavla|url=https://cgcookie.com/articles/max-puliero|title=Max Puliero: "I Use Blender Because It's Powerful, Not Because It's Free"|date=7 December 2017|publisher=CG Cookie|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> 

The [[alternative hip-hop]] group [[Death Grips]] has used Blender to produce music videos. A screenshot from the program is briefly visible in the music video for ''Inanimate Sensation''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/r5GCn1BKkxg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20141210053929/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5GCn1BKkxg&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Death Grips - Inanimate Sensation - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5GCn1BKkxg&feature=youtu.be&t=262|access-date=2020-07-17|website=www.youtube.com| date=9 December 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The visual effects for the TV series ''[[The Man in the High Castle (TV series)|The Man in the High Castle]]'' were done in Blender, with some of the particle simulations relegated to [[Houdini (software)|Houdini]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ZpfUJDxEfz4 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190606011758/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpfUJDxEfz4 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|title=Blender used at VFX studio| date=23 December 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpfUJDxEfz4|language=en|access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://barnstormvfx.wistia.com/medias/u6ncrwhp6s|title=The Man in the High Castle, Season 2 VFX|publisher=Barnstorm VFX}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/5rvwo2/we_produced_the_visual_effects_for_man_in_the/|title=We produced the Visual Effects for Man in the High Castle Season 2.|date=3 February 2017|publisher=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> 

NASA used 
Blender to develop an interactive web application [[Experience Curiosity]] to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the [[Curiosity (rover)|''Curiosity'' rover]] landing on Mars.<ref name="nasa-press-release">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-online-exploring-tools-bring-nasas-journey-to-mars-to-new-generation|title=New Online Exploring Tools Bring NASA's Journey to Mars to New Generation|date=5 August 2015|publisher=NASA|access-date=2015-08-07}}</ref> This app<ref name="curiosity-app">{{cite web|url=http://eyes.nasa.gov/curiosity/|title=Experience Curiosity|publisher=NASA's Eyes|access-date=2015-08-07}}</ref> makes it possible to operate the rover, control its cameras and the robotic arm and reproduces some of the prominent events of the [[Mars Science Laboratory]] mission.<ref name="technology-org-nasa-webapp">{{cite web|url=http://www.technology.org/2015/08/11/internet-3d-take-the-curiosity-rover-for-a-spin-right-on-the-nasa-website/|title=Internet 3D: Take the Curiosity Rover for a Spin Right on the NASA Website|date=11 August 2015|publisher=Technology.Org|access-date=2015-08-12}}</ref> The application was presented at the beginning of the [[WebGL]] section on [[SIGGRAPH]] 2015.<ref name="khronos-events-2015-SIGGRAPH">{{cite web|url=https://www.khronos.org/news/events/2015-siggraph|title=Khronos Events – 2015 SIGGRAPH|date=10 August 2015|publisher=Khronos|access-date=2015-08-13}}</ref>{{List entry too long|date=9-2-22}} Blender is also used by [[NASA]] for many publicly available 3D models. Many 3D models on NASA's 3D resources page are in a native .blend format.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/jpl-vtad-cassini|title=Cassini|author=BSG Web Group|website=nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov}}</ref> 

Blender was used for both CGI and compositing for the movie ''[[Hardcore Henry]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/news/hardcore-henry-using-blender-for-vfx/|title=Hardcore Henry – using Blender for VFX|publisher=Blender News}}</ref> The visual effects in the feature film ''Sabogal'' were done in Blender.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2015/05/01/feature-length-film-sabogal/|title=Feature length film: Sabogal|date=May 1, 2015|website=BlenderNation|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> VFX supervisor [[Bill Westenhofer]] used Blender to create the character "[[Murloc]]" in the 2016 film [[Warcraft (film)|''Warcraft'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2016/07/07/blender-used-warcraft-2016-feature-film/|title=Blender Used In Warcraft (2016) Feature Film|last=Richard|first=Kennedy|date=July 7, 2016|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

Director [[David F. Sandberg]] used Blender for multiple shots in ''[[Lights Out (2016 film)|Lights Out]]'',<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ZhJf6Rqffok Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190216080631/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhJf6Rqffok&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhJf6Rqffok|title=The Homemade VFX in Lights Out|last=Sandberg|first=David F.|author-link=David F. Sandberg|date=November 20, 2016|website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and ''[[Annabelle: Creation]]''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/j-k3-8_rKow Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170528215543/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-k3-8_rKow&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-k3-8_rKow|title=Annabelle Creation Trailer - Behind The Scenes|last=Sandberg|first=David F.|author-link=David F. Sandberg|date=April 4, 2017|website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://openvisualfx.com/2017/06/16/interview-with-david-f-sandberg/|title=Interview With David F. Sandberg|date=June 6, 2017|website=openvisualfx.com|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> 

Blender was used for parts of the credit sequences in ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/wonder-woman/|title=Wonder Woman (2017)|publisher=artofthetitle.com|date=2017-06-21|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref> 

Blender was used for doing the animation in the film ''[[Cinderella the Cat]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cineuropa.org/ff.aspx?t=ffocusinterview&l=en&tid=3190&did=332380|title=Cinderella the Cat, Interview: Alessandro Rak - Director|publisher=cineuropa.org|date=2017-07-09|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref>

VFX Artist Ian Hubert used Blender for the science fiction film [[Prospect (film)|Prospect]].<ref>{{Citation|title=World Building in Blender - Ian Hubert| date=24 October 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whPWKecazgM|language=en|access-date=2022-03-09}}</ref> The 2018 film ''[[Next Gen (film)|Next Gen]]'' was fully created in Blender by Tangent Animation. A team of developers worked on improving Blender for internal use, but it is planned to eventually add those improvements to the official Blender build.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2018/08/20/next-gen-blender-production-by-tangent-animation-soon-on-netflix/|title="Next Gen" - Blender Production by Tangent Animation soon on Netflix! - BlenderNation|date=2018-08-20|work=BlenderNation|access-date=2018-09-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/iZn3kCsw5D8 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190216080627/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZn3kCsw5D8&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZn3kCsw5D8|title=Blender and Next Gen: a Netflix Original - Jeff Bell - Blender Conference 2018|date=2018-11-04|access-date=2018-11-08|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The 2019 film ''[[I Lost My Body]]'' was largely animated using Blender's Grease Pencil tool by drawing over CGI animation allowing for a real sense of camera movement that is harder to achieve in purely traditionally drawn animation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beforesandafters.com/2019/11/30/how-the-i-lost-my-body-filmmakers-used-blender-to-create-their-startling-animated-feature/|title=How the 'I Lost My Body' filmmakers used Blender to create their startling animated feature|date=2019-11-30|access-date=2021-10-04|website=befores & afters|first=Ian|last=Failes}}</ref> 

[[Ubisoft|Ubisoft Animation Studio]] will use Blender to replace its internal content creation software starting in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/353364/Ubisoft-Joins-Blender-Development-Fund-to-Support-Open-Source-Animation|title=Ubisoft Joins Blender Development Fund to Support Open Source Animation|date=2019-07-22|publisher=[[Ubisoft]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190723162258/https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/353364/Ubisoft-Joins-Blender-Development-Fund-to-Support-Open-Source-Animation|archive-date=2019-07-23|url-status=live|access-date=2019-07-29}}</ref>

[[Khara (studio)|Khara]] and its child company Project Studio Q are trying to replace their main tool, 3ds Max, with Blender. They started "field verification" of Blender during their ongoing production of ''[[Evangelion: 3.0+1.0]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://japanese.engadget.com/2019/08/14/blender-khara/|title=「やっと3Dツールが紙とペンのような存在になる」エヴァ制作のカラーがBlenderへの移行を進める理由とは？（西田宗千佳）|date=2019-08-14|access-date=2019-08-15|website=[[Engadget|Engadget 日本版]]|last=Nishida|first=Munechika|language=ja|trans-title="Finally, 3D tools become something like paper and pen" Why Khara, produced Eva, is moving to Blender? (Nishida Munechika)}}</ref> They also signed up as Corporate Silver and Bronze members of Development Fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.khara.co.jp/2019/07/30/blender/|title=Blender開発基金への賛同について|date=2019-07-30|access-date=2019-08-15|website=[[Khara (studio)|Khara, Inc.]]|language=ja|trans-title=About supporting Blender Development Fund}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1154003846718468098|user=blender_org|title=The Japanese Anime studios Khara and its child company Project Studio Q sign up as Corporate Silver and Bronze members of Development Fund. They're working on the Evangelion feature animation movie. https://www.khara.co.jp https://studio-q.co.jp #b3d|date=2019-07-24|author=Blender|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/user-stories/japanese-anime-studio-khara-moving-to-blender/|title=Japanese anime studio Khara moving to Blender|first=Blender|last=Foundation}}</ref>

The 2020 film ''[[Wolfwalkers]]'' was partially created using Blender.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title="2D Isn't Dead, It Just Became Something Different": Using Blender For Wolfwalkers|url=https://www.blender.org/user-stories/2d-isnt-dead-it-just-became-something-different-using-blender-for-wolfwalkers/|access-date=2021-03-06|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> 

The 2021 [[Netflix]] production [[Maya and the Three]] was created using Blender.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-06-16|title=New "Maya and the Three" Made With Blender Series Images Released|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2021/06/16/new-maya-and-the-three-made-with-blender-series-images-released/|access-date=2021-10-28|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2021 [[Sergio Pablos|SPA Studios]] started hiring Blender artists<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-03-24|title=Award Winning SPA Studios Looking for Blender TA's and TD's in Madrid, Spain|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2021/03/24/award-winning-spa-studios-looking-for-blender-tas-and-tds-in-madrid-spain/|access-date=2021-03-28|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US}}</ref> and as of 2022, contributes to Blender Development.<ref>{{Citation|title=FAST GREASE PENCIL - Blender.Today LIVE #182| date=14 February 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODfL-NOPt1Y|language=en|access-date=2022-05-06}}</ref>  [[Warner Bros. Animation]] started hiring Blender artists in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|title=Warner Bros. Animation on LinkedIn: #hiring #cganimation #warnerbrosanimation|url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/warner-bros%2E-animation_hiring-cganimation-warnerbrosanimation-activity-6893232828872556544-nLw6|access-date=2022-02-15|website=www.linkedin.com|language=en}}</ref> 

VFX company [[Makuta VFX]] used Blender for the VFX for Indian blockbuster [[RRR (film)|RRR]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Visual Effects for the Indian blockbuster "RRR"|url=https://www.blender.org/user-stories/visual-effects-for-the-indian-blockbuster-rrr/|access-date=2022-06-30|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref>

Blender was used in several cases for the 2023 film [[Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse]]. [[Sony Pictures Imageworks]], the primary studio behind the film's animation, used Blender's Grease Pencil for adding line-work and 2D FX animation alongside 3D models.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Inklines Across the Spider-Verse (encore) — Blender Conference 2023 |url=https://conference.blender.org/2023/presentations/1928/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Blender Conference 2023 — conference.blender.org |language=en}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Contreras |first=Stefaan |date=2023-06-10 |title=@scontreras on X |url=https://x.com/scontreras/status/1667482046229356544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1667482046229356544%7Ctwgr%5Ecf79853fe73d318a3dae1e27498ef0ba9012533e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blendernation.com%2F2023%2F06%2F11%2Fblender-used-in-across-the-spiderverse%2F |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=X (Formerly known as Twitter)}}</ref> At 14 years old, Canadian animator Preston Mutanga used Blender to create the Lego-style sequence in the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=My Journey Across the Spider-Verse: from Hobbyist to Hollywood — Blender Conference 2023 |url=https://conference.blender.org/2023/presentations/1823/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Blender Conference 2023 — conference.blender.org |language=en}}</ref> Mutanga was recruited after his fan-made Lego-style recreation of the film's teaser caught the attention of the filmmakers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bricken |first=Rob |date=2023-06-05 |title=Teen Behind Viral Lego Spider-Verse Trailer Recruited to Help Direct Movie |url=https://gizmodo.com/spider-man-spider-verse-lego-teen-preston-mutanga-1850506037 |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}}</ref>

The 2024 Latvian film ''[[Flow (2024 film)|Flow]]'' was made entirely in Blender and was rendered in EEVEE.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxz6p-QATfs |title=The animation of Flow — Blender Conference 2024 |date=2024-10-24 |last=Blender |access-date=2024-11-26 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Joe Foley |date=2024-09-15 |title=One of year's best animated films was entirely made in Blender |url=https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/3d-animation/one-of-years-best-animated-films-is-entirely-made-in-blender |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Creative Bloq |language=en}}</ref> 

==Open projects==
{{Main|Blender Foundation#Open projects}}
{{Multiple images
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 150
| image2            = Sintel poster.jpg
| caption2          = ''[[Sintel]]'' promotional poster
| image3            = Tos-poster.png
| caption3          = ''[[Tears of Steel]]'' promotional poster
| image1            = Big buck bunny poster big.jpg
| caption1          = ''[[Big Buck Bunny]]'' promotional poster
}}

Since 2005, every one to two years the Blender Foundation has announced a new creative project to help drive innovation in Blender.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blender.org/about/projects/|title=Blender — Open Projects|publisher=Blender.org|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cloud.blender.org/open-projects|title=Blender Cloud — Open Projects|publisher=Cloud.blender.org|access-date=2019-06-11|archive-date=2020-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020192521/https://cloud.blender.org/open-projects|url-status=dead}}</ref> In response to the success of the first open movie project, ''[[Elephants Dream]]'', in 2006, the [[Blender Foundation]] founded the Blender Institute to be in charge of additional projects, such as films: ''[[Big Buck Bunny]]'', [[Sintel]], [[Tears of Steel]]; and ''[[Yo Frankie!]]'', or Project Apricot, an open game utilizing the [[Crystal Space]] [[game engine]] that reused some of the assets created for ''Big Buck Bunny''.

==Online services==
===Blender Foundation===
====Blender Studio====
The '''Blender Studio''' platform, launched in March 2014 as Blender Cloud,<ref name=":14" /><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/xGFCZh1MFNU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140414184006/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGFCZh1MFNU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|title=Happy Cloud - Project Gooseberry launches on SXSW| date=17 March 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGFCZh1MFNU|language=en|access-date=2021-10-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Institute|first=Blender|title=Blender Studio and Blender Cloud|url=https://studio.blender.org/blog/blender-studio-and-blender-cloud/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=Blender Studio|language=en}}</ref> is a subscription-based [[cloud computing]] platform where members can access Blender add-ons, courses and to keep track of the production of Blender Studio's open movies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cloud.blender.org/blog/blender-cloud-v3|title=Blender Cloud V3 - Blog — Blender Cloud|website=Cloud.blender.org|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref> It is currently operated by the Blender Studio, formerly a part of the Blender Institute.<ref name=":13" /> It was launched to promote and fundraiser for ''[[Cosmos Laundromat|Project: Gooseberry]]'', and is intended to replace the selling of DVDs by the [[Blender Foundation]] with a subscription-based model for file hosting, asset sharing and collaboration.<ref name=":14">{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/2014/01/17/blender-institute-announces-blender-cloud-plans/|title=Blender Institute Announces Blender Cloud Plans|website=Blendernation.com|date=17 January 2014|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blendernation.com/2014/06/04/blender-cloud-relaunch/|title=Blender Cloud Relaunch|website=Blendernation.com|date=4 June 2014|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref> Blender Add-ons included in Blender Studio are CloudRig,<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender / CloudRig|url=https://gitlab.com/blender/CloudRig|access-date=2021-10-26|website=GitLab|language=en}}</ref> Blender Kitsu,<ref>{{cite web|last=Institute|first=Blender|title=Kitsu add-on for Blender|url=https://studio.blender.org/blog/kitsu-addon-for-blender/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=Blender Studio|language=en}}</ref> Contact sheet Add-on,<ref>{{cite web|last=Institute|first=Blender|title=Contact Sheet Add-on|url=https://studio.blender.org/blog/contact-sheet-addon/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=Blender Studio|language=en}}</ref> Blender Purge<ref>{{cite web|title=blender-purge · rBSTS|url=https://developer.blender.org/diffusion/BSTS/browse/master/blender-purge/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=developer.blender.org}}</ref> and Shot Builder.<ref>{{cite web|title=shot-builder · rBSTS|url=https://developer.blender.org/diffusion/BSTS/browse/master/shot-builder/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=developer.blender.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Institute|first=Blender|title=Tools|url=https://studio.blender.org/tools/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=Blender Studio|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Blender Studio Tools · rBSTS|url=https://developer.blender.org/diffusion/BSTS/|access-date=2021-10-26|website=developer.blender.org}}</ref> It was rebranded from Blender Cloud to Blender Studio on 22 October 2021.<ref name=":12">{{cite web|last=Institute|first=Blender|title=Blender Studio and Blender Cloud|url=https://studio.blender.org/blog/blender-studio-and-blender-cloud/|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Blender Studio|language=en}}</ref>

====The Blender Development Fund====
The Blender Development Fund is a [[Subscription business model|subscription]] where individuals and companies can fund Blender's development.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Blender Development Fund|url=https://fund.blender.org/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=Blender Development Fund}}</ref> Corporate members include [[Epic Games]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Epic Games supports Blender Foundation with $1.2 million Epic MegaGrant|url=https://www.blender.org/press/epic-games-supports-blender-foundation-with-1-2-million-epic-megagrant/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> Nvidia,<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-10-07|title=NVIDIA joins Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2019/10/07/nvidia-joins-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Microsoft]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Microsoft joins the Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blender.org/press/microsoft-joins-the-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Apple Inc.|Apple]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Apple joins Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blender.org/press/apple-joins-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Unity Technologies|Unity]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Unity joins the Blender Development Fund as a Patron Member|url=https://www.blender.org/press/unity-joins-the-blender-development-fund-as-a-patron-member/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Intel]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Intel signs up as Corporate Patron|url=https://www.blender.org/press/intel-signs-up-as-corporate-patron/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Decentraland]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=New Patron member: Decentraland|url=https://www.blender.org/press/new-patron-member-decentraland/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Amazon Web Services]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=AWS joins the Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blender.org/press/aws-joins-the-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Facebook, Inc.|Meta]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Facebook joins the Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blender.org/press/facebook-joins-the-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]],<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-10-23|title=AMD joins NVIDIA as Blender Development Fund patron|url=https://www.blendernation.com/2019/10/23/amd-joins-nvidia-as-blender-development-fund-patron/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=BlenderNation|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Adobe Inc.|Adobe]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Adobe joins Blender Development Fund|url=https://www.blender.org/press/adobe-joins-blender-development-fund/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref> and many more. Individual users can also provide one-time donations to Blender via [[payment card]], [[PayPal]], [[wire transfer]], and some [[Cryptocurrency|cryptocurrencies]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Donations|url=https://www.blender.org/about/donations/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref>

====Blender ID====
The '''Blender ID''' is a unified login for Blender software and service users, providing a login for Blender Studio, the Blender Store, the Blender Conference, Blender Network, Blender Development Fund, and the Blender Foundation Certified Trainer Program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blender.org/id/about|title=Home - Blender ID|website=Blender.org|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref>

====Blender Open Data====
[[File:Blender Benchmark classroom screenshot.png|thumb|alt=Blender Benchmark showing an example, a classroom render|Example of Blender Benchmark in use]]
The '''Blender Open Data''' is a platform to collect, display, and query benchmark data produced by the Blender community with related '''Blender Benchmark''' software.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://opendata.blender.org/about/|title=Blender - Open Data|website=Blender.org|access-date=2021-04-06}}</ref>

====Blender Network====
The Blender Network was an online platform to enable online professionals to conduct business with Blender and provide online support.<ref>{{cite web|title=Org:Foundation/BlenderNetwork - BlenderWiki|url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Org:Foundation/BlenderNetwork/|access-date=2021-10-25|website=archive.blender.org}}</ref> It was terminated on 31 March 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foundation|first=Blender|title=Sunsetting Blender Network in 2021|url=https://www.blender.org/press/sunsetting-blender-network-in-2021/|access-date=2021-10-25|website=blender.org|language=en}}</ref>

====Blender Store====
A store to buy Blender merchandise, such as shirts, socks, [[Beanie (seamed cap)|beanies]], etc.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blender Store|url=https://store.blender.org/|access-date=2021-10-20|language=en-US}}</ref>

====Blender Extensions====
Blender Extensions acts as the main repo for extensions, introduced in Blender 4.2, which include both addons and themes. Users can then install and update extensions right in Blender itself.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://extensions.blender.org/about/ |website=Blender Extensions |access-date=2024-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716223200/https://extensions.blender.org/about/ |archive-date=2024-07-16}}</ref>


==Release history==
{{cleanup section|date=August 2023|reason=[[WP:NOTCHANGELOG|Overly detailed changelog relying entirely on primary sources]]}}

The following table lists notable developments during Blender's release history: green indicates the current version, yellow indicates currently supported versions, and red indicates versions that are no longer supported (though many later versions can still be used on modern systems).{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! Version
! scope="col" style="width: 9.5em;" |Release date<ref>{{cite web |title=Index of /source/ |url=http://download.blender.org/source/ |access-date=October 13, 2010 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
! Notes and key changes
|-
| {{Version|o|1.00}}
| January 1994
| Blender in development.<ref name="Foundation">{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Blender's History |url=https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/getting_started/about/history.html}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|1.23}}
| January 1998
| SGI version released, [[IrisGL]].<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.30}}
| April 1998
| Linux and FreeBSD version, port to OpenGL and [[X11]].<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.4x}}
| September 1998
| [[Solaris (operating system)|Sun]] and Linux [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] version released.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.50}}
| November 1998
| First Manual published.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.60}}
| April 1999
| New features behind a $95 lock. Windows version released.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.6x}}
| June 1999
| [[BeOS]] and PPC version released.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|1.80}}
| June 2000
| Blender freeware again.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.00}}
| August 2000
| Interactive 3D and real-time engine.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.03}}
| 2000
| Handbook ''The official Blender 2.0 guide''.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.10}}
| December 2000
| New engine, physics, and Python.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.20}}
| August 2001
| Character animation system.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.21}}
| October 2001
| Blender Publisher launch.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.2x}}
| December 2001
| Apple macOS version.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.25}}
| October 13, 2002
| Blender Publisher freely available.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.26}}
| February 2003
| The first truly open source Blender release.<ref name="Foundation" />
|-
| {{Version|o|2.30}}
| November 22, 2003
| New [[GUI]]; edits are now reversible.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.32}}
| February 3, 2004
| [[Ray tracing (graphics)|Ray tracing]] in internal renderer; support for YafaRay.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.34}}
| August 5, 2004
| LSCM-UV-Unwrapping, object-particle interaction.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.37}}
| May 31, 2005
| Simulation of elastic surfaces; improved subdivision surface.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.40}}
| December 22, 2005
| Greatly improved system and character animations (with a non-linear editing tool), and added a fluid and hair simulator. New functionality was based on ''[[Google Summer of Code]]'' 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blender 2.40 |url=http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-240/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304080023/http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-240/ |archive-date=March 4, 2007 |access-date=December 23, 2005 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.41}}
| January 25, 2006
| Improvements of the game engine (programmable vertex and pixel shaders, using Blender materials, split-screen mode, improvements to the physics engine), improved UV mapping, recording of the [[Python (programming language)|Python]] scripts for sculpture or sculpture works with the help of grid or mesh (mesh sculpting) and set-chaining models.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.42}}
| July 14, 2006
| The film ''[[Elephants Dream]]'' resulted in high development as a necessity. In particular, the [[Node graph architecture|Node-System]] (Material- and Compositor) has been implemented.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.43}}
| February 16, 2007
| ''Sculpt-Modeling'' as a result of ''[[Google Summer of Code]] 2006''.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.46}}
| May 19, 2008
| With the production of ''Big Buck Bunny'', Blender gained the ability to produce grass quickly and efficiently.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 May 2008 |title=3D-Software Blender 2.46 zum Download freigegeben |url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/108160 |access-date=May 20, 2008 |website=heise.de |language=de}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.48}}
| October 14, 2008
| Due to development of ''[[Yo Frankie!]]'', the game engine was improved substantially.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blender 2.48 |url=http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-248/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120083347/http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-248 |archive-date=January 20, 2009 |access-date=December 25, 2008 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.49}}
| June 13, 2009
| New window and file manager, new interface, new [[Python (programming language)|Python]] API, and new animation system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blender 2.49 |url=http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-249/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611183623/http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-249/ |archive-date=June 11, 2009 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.57}}
| April 13, 2011
| First official stable release of 2.5 branch: new interface, new window manager and rewritten event — and tool — file processing system, new animation system (each setting can be animated now), and new Python API.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blender 2.57 |url=http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-257/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030043004/http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-257/ |archive-date=October 30, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2011 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.58}}
| June 22, 2011
| New features, such as the addition of the warp modifier and render baking. Improvements in sculpting.<ref>{{cite web |author=blenderfoundation |date=2011-07-09 |title=Blender 2.58 release notes |url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.58 |access-date=2019-01-14 |publisher=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.58a}}
| July 4, 2011
| Some bug fixes, along with small extensions in GUI and [[Python (programming language)|Python]] interface.<ref>{{cite web |author=blenderfoundation |date=2011-07-09 |title=Blender 2.58a update log |url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.58/Bug_Fixes/2.58a |access-date=2019-01-14 |publisher=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|o|2.59}}
| August 13, 2011
| 3D mouse support.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.60}}
| October 19, 2011
| Developer branches integrated into the main developer branch: among other things, B-mesh, a new rendering/shading system, [[Non-uniform rational B-spline|NURBS]], to name a few, directly from [[Google Summer of Code]].
|-
| {{Version|o|2.61}}
| December 14, 2011
| New Render Engine, Cycles, added alongside Blender Internal (as a "preview release").<ref>{{cite web |title=Dev:Ref/Release Notes/2.61 - BlenderWiki |url=https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.61/ |access-date=2020-11-26 |website=archive.blender.org}}</ref> [[Motion capture|Motion Tracking]], Dynamic Paint, and Ocean Simulator.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.62}}
| February 16, 2012
| Motion tracking improvement, further expansion of UV tools, and remesh modifier. Cycles render engine updates to make it more production-ready.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.63}}
| April 27, 2012
| Bug fixes, B-mesh project: completely new mesh system with n-corners, plus new tools: dissolve, inset, bridge, vertex slide, vertex connect, and bevel.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.64}}
| October 3, 2012
| [[Chroma key|Green screen]] keying, node-based compositing.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.65}}
| December 10, 2012
| Over 200 bug fixes, support for the [[Open Shading Language]], and fire simulation.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.66}}
| February 21, 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.66 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-66/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Rigid body simulation available outside of the game engine, dynamic topology sculpting, hair rendering now supported in Cycles.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.67}}
| May 7–30, 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.67 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-67/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Freestyle rendering mode for non-photographic rendering, [[subsurface scattering]] support added the motion tracking solver is made more accurate and faster, and an add-on for 3D printing now comes bundled.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.68}}
| July 18, 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.68 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-68/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Rendering performance is improved for CPUs and GPUs, support for [[Nvidia]] Tesla K20, GTX Titan and GTX 780 GPUs. Smoke rendering improved to reduce blockiness.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.69}}
| October 31, 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.69 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-69/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Motion tracking now supports plane tracking, and hair rendering has been improved.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.70}}
| March 19, 2014<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.70 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-70/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Initial support for [[volume rendering]] and small improvements to the user interface.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.71}}
| June 26, 2014<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.71 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-71/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Support for baking in Cycles and volume rendering branched path tracing now renders faster.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.72}}
| October 4, 2014<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.72 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-72/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Volume rendering for GPUs, more features for sculpting and painting.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.73}}
| January 8, 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.73 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-73/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| New fullscreen mode, improved Pie Menus, 3D View can now display the world background.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.74}}
| March 31, 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.74 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-74/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Cycles got several precision, noise, speed, memory improvements, and a new Pointiness attribute.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.75a}}
| July 1, 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.75 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-75/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Blender now supports a fully integrated Multi-View and Stereo 3D pipeline, Cycles has much-awaited initial support for AMD GPUs, and a new Light Portals feature.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.76b}}
| November 3, 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.76 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-76/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Cycles volume density render, Pixar OpenSubdiv mesh subdivision library, node inserting, and video editing tools.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.77a}}
| April 6, 2016<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.77 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-77/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Improvements to Cycles, new features for the Grease Pencil, more support for [[OpenVDB]], updated Python library and support for Windows XP has been removed.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.78c}}
| February 28, 2017<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.78 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-78/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Spherical stereo rendering for virtual reality, Grease Pencil improvements for 2D animations, Freehand curves drawing over surfaces, Bendy Bones, Micropolygon displacements, and Adaptive Subdivision. Cycles performance improvements.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.79b}}
| September 11, 2017<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.79 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-79/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Cycles denoiser, improved OpenCL rendering support, Shadow Catcher, Principled BSDF Shader, Filmic color management, improved UI and Grease Pencil functionality, improvements in Alembic import and export, surface deformities modifier, better animation keyframing, simplified video encoding, Python additions and new add-ons.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.80}}
| July 30, 2019<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.80 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-80/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Revamped UI, added a dark theme, EEVEE realtime rendering engine on OpenGL, Principled shader, Workbench viewport, Grease Pencil 2D animation tool, multi-object editing, collections, GPU+CPU rendering, Rigify.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.81a}}
| November 21, 2019<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.81 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-81/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| OpenVDB voxel remesh, QuadriFlow remesh, transparent BSDF, brush curves preset in sculpting, [[WebM]] support.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.82}}
|February 14, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.82 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-82/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Improved fluid and smoke simulation (using Mantaflow), UDIM support, [[Universal Scene Description|USD]] export and 2 new sculpting tools.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.83{{break}}LTS}}
|June 3, 2020<ref>{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.83 LTS |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-83/ |access-date=2020-06-10 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Introduction of the Long Term Support (LTS) program, VDB files support, VR scene inspection, new cloth sculpt brush and viewport denoising.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.90}}
|August 31, 2020<ref>{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.90 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-90/ |access-date=2021-10-02 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Physically based Nishita Sky Texture, improved EEVEE motion blur, sculpting improvements including a new multiresolution modifier and modelling improvements.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.91}}
|November 25, 2020<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=2.91 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-91/ |access-date=2020-11-26 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|Cloth Brush improvements, new sculpting Trim tool, new mesh boolean solver, volume to mesh and mesh to volume modifiers and customisable curve bevels.
|-
| {{Version|o|2.92}}
|February 25, 2021<ref>{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.92 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-92/ |access-date=2021-02-27 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|New Geometry Nodes procedural modelling system, New interactive Add Primitive Tool, sculpting improvements and Grease Pencil improvements. 
|-
| {{Version|o|2.93{{break}}LTS}}
| June 2, 2021<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=2.93 LTS |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/2-93/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Expansion of Geometry Nodes with mesh primitives and a new spreadsheet editor, sculpting improvements, new grease pencil line art modifier and EEVEE rendering improvements. 
|-
| {{Version|o|3.0}}
| December 3, 2021<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.0 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-0/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|Major Cycles update with rewritten GPU kernels and rewritten shadow catchers and other rendering improvements. Overhaul to Geometry nodes with new 'Fields' system. A new UI visual refresh as well as other features and improvements.
|-
| {{Version|o|3.1}}
| March 9, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.1 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-1/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|[[Point cloud]] objects, Cycles [[Metal (API)|Metal]] Backend and new geometry nodes.
|-
| {{Version|o|3.2}}
| June 8, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.2 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-2/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|Cycles light groups, shadow caustics rendering, sculpt mode painting and collection support in the asset browser. 
|-
| {{Version|o|3.3{{break}}LTS}}
|September 7, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.3 LTS |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-3/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|New procedural hair system with geometry nodes, support for [[Intel Arc]] GPUs and new geometry nodes.
|-
| {{Version|o|3.4}}
|December 7, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.4 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-4/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|Path Guiding in Cycles, auto masking in sculpt mode, new UV relax tool and new geometry nodes. 
|-
| {{Version|o|3.5}}
|March 29, 2023<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.5 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-5/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| New hair system with Geometry nodes and asset browser, real-time viewport compositor, vector displacement maps for sculpting, viewport performance improvements with Apple Metal.
|-
| {{Version|co|3.6{{break}}LTS}}
|June 27, 2023 <ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=3.6 LTS |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/3-6/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Simulation Nodes, rendering performance improvements on AMD Hardware and better UV packing.

|-
| {{Version|o|4.0}}
|November 14, 2023<ref>{{cite web |title=Blender 4.0 release notes |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/4-0/}}</ref>
|Cycles light linking, improved Principled BSDF shader, better Color management with the AgX tone mapper, and Geometry Nodes improvements.
|-
| {{Version|o|4.1}}
|March 26, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=4.1 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/4-1/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
| Geometry nodes baking, OpenImageDenoise performance improvements and viewport compositor improvements.
|-
| {{Version|co|4.2{{break}}LTS}}
|July 16, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=4.2 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/4-2/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref> 
|Rewrite of the EEVEE render engine to be closer to cycles, addition of Ray Portal BSDF in Cycles, addition of Khronos PBR Neutral tone mapping, and GPU acceleration for the compositor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reference/Release Notes/4.2 - Blender Developer Wiki |url=https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.2/}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|c|4.3}}
|November 19, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=4.3 |url=https://www.blender.org/download/releases/4-3/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=blender.org |language=en}}</ref>
|Multi-pass compositing support for EEVEE, hardware accelerated ray tracing support for Linux, geometry node support for grease pencil.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Blender 4.3 Release Notes |url=https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.3/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|cp|4.4{{break}}Alpha}}
|Full release planned for approximately March 18, 2025. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=4.4 Planned Release Schedule |url=https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/milestone/24/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241024062020/https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/milestone/24/ |archive-date=2024-10-24 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|"Slotted" actions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=Blender 4.4 Release Notes |url=https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.4/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|-
| {{Version|p|4.5}}
|Start of development planned for approximately February 5, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Blender |title=4.5 Planned Release Schedule
|url=https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/milestone/25/
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241116004542/https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/milestone/25/
|archive-date=2024-11-16
|access-date=2024-11-16 |website=blender.org}}</ref>
|There are no changes as of February 15, 2024.
|-
| colspan="3" |{{Version|l|show=111111}}
|}

As of 2021, official releases of Blender for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux,<ref name="download">{{cite web |title=Download – blender.org – Home of the Blender project – Free and Open 3D Creation Software |url=https://www.blender.org/download/ |access-date=July 30, 2014 |publisher=[[Blender Foundation]]}}</ref> as well as a [[Porting|port]] for [[FreeBSD]],<ref>{{cite web |date=March 16, 2018 |title=FreeBSD Ports: Graphics |url=https://www.freebsd.org/ports/graphics.html#blender-2.79_6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920053907/https://www.freebsd.org/ports/graphics.html#blender-2.79_6 |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |access-date=March 16, 2018 |website=FreeBSD |publisher=The FreeBSD Project}}</ref> are available in [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] versions. Blender is available for Windows 8.1 and above, and Mac OS X 10.13 and above.<ref>{{cite web |title=Requirements |url=https://www.blender.org/download/requirements/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=17 December 2023 |title=What You Need to Get Started with Blender |url=https://cgcookie.com/posts/blender-3d-hardware-requirements-what-you-need-to-get-started-with-blender#minimum-requirements}}</ref>

Blender 2.76b was the last supported release for Windows XP and version 2.63 was the last supported release for [[PowerPC]]. Blender 2.83 LTS and 2.92 were the last supported versions for Windows 7.<ref name="system-requirements">{{cite web |title=System Requirements |url=https://www.blender.org/download/requirements/ |access-date=March 29, 2016 |website=Blender.org}}</ref> In 2013, Blender was released on [[Android (operating system)|Android]] as a demo, but has not been updated since.<ref name="Index of /demo/android">{{cite web|title=Index of /demo/android/|url=https://download.blender.org/demo/android/|access-date=2020-09-23|website=download.blender.org}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Digital library#CAD library|CAD library]]
* [[MB-Lab]], a Blender add-on for the parametric 3D modeling of photorealistic humanoid characters
* [[MakeHuman]]
* [[List of free and open-source software packages]]
* [[List of video editing software]]
* [[List of 3D printing software]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Van Gumster|first=Jason|title=Blender For Dummies|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons|Wiley Publishing, Inc]]|location=[[Indianapolis]], Indiana|year=2009|page=408|isbn=978-0-470-40018-0}}
* {{cite web|url=http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/57|title=Blender 3D Design, Spring 2008|publisher=[[Tufts University]]|work=Tufts [[OpenCourseWare]]|year=2008|access-date=July 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720000311/http://ocw.tufts.edu/Course/57|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}
* {{cite web|title=Release Logs|url=https://www.blender.org/development/release-logs|work=Blender.org|publisher=Blender Foundation|access-date=July 23, 2011}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikibooks|Blender 3D: Noob to Pro}}
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Blender Foundation}}
{{3D software}}
{{Compositing Software}}
{{Animation editors}}
{{Video editors}}
{{FOSS}}
{{Fractal software}}

{{Authority control}}

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