Blender | Is it worth using in 2024
9.5/10
I 100% recommend using Blender. If you are a beginner, or a indie game artist/film maker. It is the tool for you. But if you are looking at large scale industry level jobs, it isn't as widely used as other software, such as Maya, 3DS Max or Houdini, though this is changing.
Free
Price
Open Source
4
Pros
This software has a higher amount of pros than cons and should be considered.
3
Cons
All softwares have cons, but it's important to know what they are before making a decision.
3
Alternatives
There are alternatives to this software that may be better suited to your needs.
Blender Feature Overview
- 3D Modelling
- Sculpting
- Texturing
- Rigging
- Animation
- Simulation
- Rendering
- Compositing
- Video Editing
- Scripting
- Cross Platform
- Open Source
- Python API
- Plugins
Blender Pricing
Open Source
Free
Blender is a free open source software, which means that it is free to use and distribute, and the source code is available to anyone who wants to modify it. This means that Blender is a great choice for anyone who is just starting out in 3D, as it is a powerful tool that is completely free.
About Blender
Blender is a free open source 3D tool suite, with some of the best modelling and sculpting experience out of near equal softwares.
Blender Pros and Cons
Pros
Modelling
Blender has a very powerful and flexible modelling toolset, with a wide range of tools and modifiers to help you create the perfect model. With a reliance on shortcuts, modelling in Blender can be faster and more efficient than other software. Due to the large suite of interconnected tools, you can easily use other parts of the 3D process to help you model, such as using the sculpting tools to create a base mesh for a model.
Sculpting
Blenders sculpting has improved ten fold over the last year, and while it isn't as powerful as ZBrush, mostly as the software can only handle around 5-8 million polygons (Which is a pretty big limitation) before it starts to chug, I would consider it the 2nd or 3rd best sculpting software out there.
Open Source
Being open source, Blender has a large community of developers and users who are constantly working to improve the software. This means that Blender is constantly being updated with new features and improvements, and there is a wealth of tutorials and resources available to help you learn how to use it.
Cross Platform
Blender is available on Windows, Mac and Linux, which means that you can use it on any computer, regardless of the operating system. This is great for people who work on multiple computers, or who want to be able to work on their projects wherever they are.
Cons
Performance
Blender can only handle around 5-8 million polygons in sculpting and modelling before it starts to chug, which is a pretty big limitation. Especially when compared to Z-Brush's performance.
Industry Support
While Blender is used in the industry, it is mostly used for previz or indie game companies, it is not as widely used as other software, such as Maya or 3DS Max. This means that it can be harder to find work if you are only proficient in Blender. However, this is slowly changing.
Learning Curve
Blender has a steep learning curve, and can be difficult to learn for beginners. However, there are a wealth of tutorials and resources available to help you learn how to use it, so with some time and effort, you can become proficient in Blender.
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