Blender is a free open source 3D content creation suite for all major operation systems under the GNU General Public License. It can be used for modeling, animating, texturing, UV unwrapping, rendering, simulations, and for creating interactive 3D applications such as videos, video games, and visual effects. Blender competes fairly with commercial software such as Maya due to its feature set since it leads in a few features but lacking in others.
Source: Blender – Features
Blender – Education & Help is a great resource since it contains a Wiki User Manual, Docs and Videos, FAQ, Demo Files, Support forum and chat, amongst other resources. When I started using it alongside SIO2 3D Game Engine I checked out the Blender – Tutorials section and got started right away. With the large variety of tutorials for Blender, you can always find something you are looking for. I remember taking my senior graduate video game course in college and was amazed by people’s ability to use Blender. When I asked how they did it, they would always mention they would follow the video tutorials online and after that, let their creativity soar.
Blender’s Gallery of Content
Still not impressed? Check out their Blender – Art Gallery and take a look at a video below created in Blender. Also be sure to check out my iPhone Development Flickr set where you can see my creations in Blender.
Kajimba – snippets from Kajimba on Vimeo.
A compilation of old and new for all the fans and the uninitiated.
http://www.kajimba.com
Overview of Blender
For those wanting to get into 3D modeling, animating rendering, or making films, Blender is a great place to start. Sure, the UI isn’t that intuitive in the beginning, but once your check out the tutorial videos found on their website, you’ll learn that learning the keyboard shortcuts is your best bet. Just have patience and let your imagination do the work.
Blender
Blender – Art Gallery
Blender – Tutorials
Blender – Features
iPhone Development Flickr set
SIO2 3D Game Engine
