We upgraded our WordPress installation earlier this weekend and I've received some reports of login problems. To fix these, first log out using this link and then log in again.

Update: after trying this feature for only a couple of hours, it was already turning into a big mess. I found it impossible to follow the discussions or to easily see what the latest comment was, the email notification broke down and the nice, clean look of the site was completely gone (see this screenshot – brrrrr). Thanks for everyone for helping me test this, but it's bye-bye threaded comments :-)

After last week's call for a new header we received almost 30 submissions! I've picked the 10 best and added them to the site.

All of them? Yes! Several people have suggested rotating through the header images automatically, so I've added this function to the site. Instead of displaying a new image with each pageview though, I've chosen to display a new image every day. That should make browsing faster and I think it's a bit easier on the eyes.

To see the 'winners', see below! (Oh, and adding new images is a breeze, so keep 'em coming!)

Continue Reading 'New Headers Selected, Header Rotator Added' »

We could use a fresh header image here at BlenderNation! If you have a cool Blender design and you'd like to enjoy a few weeks of fame, read on.

Continue Reading 'We need a new header!' »

Earlier this afternoon BlenderNation went down. Exactly 20 minutes after reporting the issue, our ISP had replaced a broken power supply and everything was back to normal. I think that deserves a pat on the back: Anywise have provided us with great service for years and they're always available if I need help. Cheers, guys!

Image: 'Lights Out' by Amitubal, via Flickr [cc license]

Recent events in my life (a baby, and starting my own company) and on this site have made me decide it's time to put some distance between myself and the Blender community. I find it too hard to motivate myself for the huge amount of time I need to put in this project every day. So, I'm stepping down for at least a month, maybe longer, maybe permanently. The site is in the more than capable hands of our team of editors now!

All the best,

Bart

I just closed the commenting for the Microsoft Support thread as I think we've seen all the angles of this discussion. In addition, I pulled the OOXML post. Kernon meant well, I'm sure of that, but it's only putting oil on the fire right now.

I can't even begin to explain how disappointed I am by the attitude in this community – I can only hope it reflects the opinion of the minority or else I'm wasting my time here.

Boring site update: we upgraded our WordPress installation to the latest version. If run into any weirdness (new weirdness, that is ;-) let us know!

Interesting site update: we now support Gravatars. To have your gravatar shown in your comments (see my comment below), sign up on Gravatar.com and create an account.

Continue Reading 'Site Changes' »

As we have over 1,400(!) posts on this website, I've been looking for ways to make readers (especially new readers) more aware of the wealth of information that we offer. After some tinkering we now have two new functions: first, a tabbed box on the homepage that presents the latest posts in our most popular categories. Second, the 'related posts' now also shows a thumbnail for each post.

Continue Reading 'Site Changes' »

Here's a short story of one of those things that make me proud: the interview 'The Future of Blender' has been translated into six languages! This happened completely spontaneously, without any action from our side. I can only conclude that Open Content really works, and that DotSub.com is an initiative that fits Open Content like a glove.

While I'm finishing this, I notice an email from gumanoed who mentions that the Russian Blender community have translated BlenderArt Magazine #12 into Russian. Awesome.

Minor site update: the plugin that handled email notifications for post comments was broken since the last WordPress update. Well, it's not anymore ;-) It should be easier to keep tabs on ongoing discussions again.

From the entire BlenderNation team, let me send you the best wishes for 2008! We raise our glass you, the Blender Community, for making this little 3D app such a huge success. The activity in 2007 was amazing: development was faster than ever, the artwork is getting better and better, more and more tutorials and other documentation have been written, and the amount of activity in all the international Blender communities is unbelievable.

We'll keep on covering all this to our best abilities, but let me ask you: what are your personal Blender goals for 2008?

(Thanks to Victor Silva for the cool picture!)

So, 2007 has already passed. I'll close off this year by wishing you all an excellent New Year's Eve. Before you shut down your computer, get in the mood to party by checking out this *cool* video by Yain Rodrigo Vieyra from Argentina. See you next year!

Continue Reading 'Have a Good One!' »

Last night we started receiving reports of spam links appearing under each page on BlenderNation. Investigation showed that a number of files had been compromised, probably because of our WordPress installation being out of date. As I was in bad need of some sleep, my ISP and I decided to shut down the site for the night, and fix things in the morning.

Continue Reading 'BlenderNation Hacked, Back' »

It's time to change our header again! I was a bit too busy for the last few weeks to take care of this – my apologies. This week's entry is created by Mike Pan. It immediately made my mouth water and that made the choice easy :) Congratulations, Mike! Your image will be on the site until next week.

Continue Reading 'Design the BlenderNation Header' »

After all the tranquility of the last two headers I figured we could use a little more action this week. The one I selected is by Jean Sébastien Guillemette [X-Warrior]. It's an oldie, but it's also one of my all-time Blender art favorites, so I'm happy to feature it here ;-) Congratulations, Jean Sébastien! Your image will be on the site until next week.

Continue Reading 'Design the BlenderNation Header' »

I guess we should rename ourselves 'BlendernaZen' this week – that reflects the feeling I got when I first saw Otávio Tatasoka's entry to our 'Design the BlenderNation Header' contest. I really appreciate the tranquility of this one – I think it makes a great header (especially after the dynamic graphic of Gustav last week!). Congratulations, Otávio! Your image will be on the site until next week.

Continue Reading 'Design the BlenderNation Header' »

Over the last few weeks I've been quietly making a few technical changes to the site. For those of you who are interested in such things, I did a short writeup of my actions. If you couldn't care less about web technology, I'm still interested in hearing if you think the site's speed has improved!

Continue Reading 'Some Website Optimizations' »