(Submitted by Chris Want) This summer the Blender text editor is getting some love, thanks to the 2008 Google Summer of Code program. Student Ian Thompson (aka quorn) is working on a project to improve Blender's python editing capabilities, which is based on a system of 'text plugins'.

Continue Reading 'Summer of Code Python Editor Project' »

No official announcements yet, but seems like Blender 2.47 RC1 is available to download. This is mostly a bug fix release, so don't expect to find new tools.

Continue Reading 'Blender 2.47 RC1 available to download' »

Some might have heard lately that fluid simulations in Blender are getting a new major feature - Fluid Control (also known as 'Magic fluid control'). Nils Thuerey developed the code and Daniel Genrich (Genscher) works on the integration and small fixes/enhancements.

Theres been some good progress lately and the first build is now up on graphicall.org for bug testing.

Continue Reading 'Fluid Control Build Available' »

Have you ever tried to add a texture to an area light? One of the SoC 2008 projects will add a possibility to modulate the color and intensity of the area light.

Continue Reading 'Textured area lights in Blender' »

New feature for Blender 3D? This is the kind of news that we always love to spread. The new feature today is called Grease Pencil and it`s been developed by Aligorith.

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Everyone knows endi– he's one of those guys who can't seem to touch the computer without making something fabulous.  So when endi decided to try out the Blender Game Engine,  it was inevitable that something amazing would result.

Continue Reading 'Boom - endi's BGE Masterpiece' »

A few weeks ago, and article about the development of true volumetrics in Blender was published here. Well, now there are test builds available, along with a tutorial at graphicall.org!

Continue Reading 'True volumetrics in Blender: Test builds available' »

Have you ever manage to simulate human skin, only with Blender materials? An artist from the Blenderartists forums, called Pixelvore, has made some incredible experiments with SSS and Nodes to simulate human skin, and the results are amazing!

Continue Reading 'Skin with multilayered sss experiments' »

Microsoft's Open Source support has recently contacted the Blender developers regarding their file format support. Groklaw picked it up and wrote an interesting piece on it.

Ton just posted the following dates on the Peach blog:

• May 17 or 18: Release of Blender 2.46
• May 20th: DVD Arrival, shipping
• May 30 or 31: Internet release of Big Buck Bunny

If you always wanted to know, what was going on at the Blender development commits, now you can!

Continue Reading 'Follow Development Commits in Real-Time' »

The Blender 2.46 RC4 has been released, only for windows. Along with the RC4 release, a message posted at the weekly meeting from the Blender developers, report a one week delay until the final release.

Continue Reading 'Blender 2.46 RC4 (windows only) and ToDo list for 2.46 stable' »

The visual effects capabilities of Blender are constantly growing by leaps and bounds. A major milestone for this relentless progress will be the integration of true volumetrics in Blender. It's on the horizon…

Continue Reading 'True Volumetrics in early development for Blender' »

Yes! Blender 2.46 RC3 is available to download, and it looks like a stable release is very close.

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Kai Kostack, developer of the awesome Demolition script, is at it again…

Continue Reading 'Adaptive Subdivision Modifier (in development)' »

Kerkythea Echo has been released. If you haven't heard of Kerkythea its a flexible and powerful free rendering engine now capable of ray tracing, Photon Mapping and Metropolis Light Transport.

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That is right. A developer is working on a muscle simulation system for Blender. Its currently in pre-pre-development. But the developer seems pretty steady at working on it. Continue Reading 'Flex Them Muscles' »

The highly expected Blender 2.46 Release Candidate 1 is available for download!

Continue Reading 'Blender 2.46 RC1 Available' »