Celeste Masinter describes her transition from 3DS Max to Blender and other open source tools. A great and inspiring read.
It wasn't easy. It wasn't fast. But because I made this work with open source, freely available, and cheap software, the real value of the work is where it belongs – in the hands of the artist.
I have a LONG history with Blender - I wrote some of the earliest Blender tutorials, worked for Not a Number and helped run the crowdfunding campaign that open sourced Blender (the first one on the internet!). I founded BlenderNation in 2006 and have been editing it every single day since then ;-) I also run the Blender Artists forum and I'm Head of Community at Sketchfab.
46 Comments
What an amazing and insightful text! Should definitely be read by all the "Open source sucks because it is not the industry standard" guys out there.
Everyone I run into in my professional experience I try and convert to using Blender and other opensource software. Even at work where I was hired not knowing any real commercial software except old experience with 3ds max... I am a Blender artist, and my boss very well knows that. I learned 3ds Max, and so many other software. But I am always showing off Blender non-stop at work. And then mentioning the price. haha.
xnL
Blender richer than others, if calculated with the money, then we will not be able to buy it.
Blender is very kindly:)
Indeed! My school and Autodesk both would like to say that my art will be fine only because I payed them for it to be so and I see it coming.
PS: Wow! It's impossible to post a comment on that site.
PPS: I'm currently using Blender for assembling a stopmotion's series of photographs and none of my class mates or even the teacher understands how I'm processing video on a 3D program, haha.
a little biography of Celeste Masinter would've helped understand her background and perspective
So she's using Blender, good for her. Why is this newsworthy? There's nothing novel in her post. It's not particularly detailed or well written, and overall not that interesting. There's nothing wrong with it, but there must be hundreds of such conversions out there. Ho-hum. Her reason for going Blender seems to be money. This is fine, but not a very uncommon reason, and certainly not one we need to give this kind of exposure.
@dat
That blog has a link http://www.celestemasinter.com/. Can't say she has much of a back ground to get excited about. I agree with Niels at many levels.
I don't see the need for promoting a "conversion" from software like Max to FOSS like Blender. I think there's a false sense of competition in people's heads about "make the switch." Some things, I will use open-source software for, like Blender, because they're very useful and I do love using something that's open and freely available to others. But for some thing, I will use a commercial software for, like Photoshop, because there is no open-source alternative that quite matches the beauty and power of Photoshop. I don't see why people always have to have an "either or"--what ever happened to "and" in this world?
I'm all for showing what greatness that Blender offers, and promoting the efforts of free open-source software for the sake of promoting something that can be available to other people, but this philosophy of "FOSS vs. COTS" is rather unnecessary. Yes, some companies ARE rather top-heavy in the industry (namely Autodesk), but that's not stopping other companies like Maxon, Newtek and Luxology from being equally available options. If anything, having both other commercial options AND open-source options available helps keep one side just taking over, and helps inspire growth on both sides.
A world of completely free software sounds wonderful...unless you're a software developer like me (well, game developer, but I making a robust game development tools). I have plenty of FOSS ideas I want to release (I understand what it feels like to want free software, too), but I also have some COTS in mind, too--because I've got to eat, buy better hardware, etc. And since I sincerely doubt my open-source projects will amount the kind of donation support Blender gets for its projects (not to say Blender makes millions or whatever, but more to say that understandably more people will support Blender before my FOSS software), I've got to fund my FOSS projects somehow. Also, not to claim that this is the case with EVERY COTS, but COTS tend to be a little more stable in their builds, whereas the nature of FOSS is that they're constantly changing, though again, this is not always the case but it's a tendency. I think the stability of COTS inspire the stability of many FOSS out there.
As for why this was really an article, I will not complain about the article. I can see the relevance of posting it here...as long as this "competition" between FOSS and COTS continues to exist widely among the FOSS and COTS communities. But without that argument, this article doesn't stand too well as "news." Now if a production company were to use Blender for, say, a full-featured film, that would be something to note. Though I don't like to criticize articles here on BlenderNation, this one about someone's "conversion" to Blender from 3D Max kinda prompts the question in my head "...So what?" I mean, this artist is creative and talented, and I enjoy seeing other people's work (and seeing them use Blender is like a sweet treat), but so are like a thousand other people out there.
I'm sure I'm going to garner some "schooling" for this expression of mine here, but if you respond to me, please be respectable about it.
Lol She graduated from the same college as Colin Levy.
@Brian L
What makes the blog noteworthy for me is that the entry isn't about FOSS vs COTS at all. It's about the realisation that in the end it's people who create art, not the apps. And that if you want to make a living out of your art as a freelancer (like she apparently wants to) or small studio, your choice of apps also has to include a choice based on budgettary arguments. And that is why she decided to give FOSS a try.
@ JeroanM:
Yeah, I realize the nature of her blog post, and I think it's a very nice post. It's encouraging to see someone be able to show that it's the artist matters more than the tools but also that the FOSS tools are sufficient tools for them in being artists. I'm just a little lost as to why the nature of this blog entry was posted as news. I mean, had there been some kind of major production done along with sharing this background of this artist, I think that would have been more applying as news.
It's not a tutorial, update, or announcement, but rather just a rather post from someone's blog, and though I mean not at all to take anything away from this artist in the slightest bit, referring to the context here in BlenderNation, I don't see much reason for posting this as an article.
I defended BlenderNation quite a few times about BlenderNation posting "non-Blender" news, saying that something pertaining to Blender users is worthy of sharing here. And I don't like to complain at all here, but I've just seen a few post in recent weeks of just random people's blogs that might be more suited for BlenderArtists forums than BlenderNation.
Of course, I'm aware that this is just my opinion, and this is truly not that big of a deal or anything, but I just find such kind of posts that don't pertain to actual Blender achievements tend to fuel this whole "competition" ideal that is often present in several commenters' comments here. That's really the only thing that bothers me. Otherwise, I would say nothing to this.
@Brian L
I don't know either why Bart chose to pose this. But if I could find any argument then it is exactly this:
You said:
"...tend to fuel this whole “competition” ideal that is often present in several commenters’ comments here."
You are so right when you say that are a lot of comments in the various posts that are dominated by this competition idea. The "Blender rulez" kind of stuff.
But this particular post happens to be a very fine example of someone who makes a very realistic choice based on very sound, pragmatic arguments of why she decided to give Blender a try. Not "this is better than that", but "this is more affordable than that while giving me enough quality to do the job". It in fact counters the whole "Blenderhead biased" discussion. And that makes it "post worthy" here on Blendernation.
At leat that's i how i see it.
If only every studio could read this article.
Agree with previous sentiments - framing this as some kind of competition where you must 'switch' to blender is counter-productive, damaging, and impractical. In reality, blender is in desperate need for better interoperability with other applications, not to take them all over and win some impossible and unwinnable competition. I know the article isn't of this kind of ideological bent, but I don't think it's wise to promote a competitive viewpoint in this matter.
let me just jump in and share my thoughts in this topic
http://kilbe.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/word-about-blender-3d/
funny, to see i have used exactly the same words, and believe it or not - it was just today i read celeste's blog ;)
@ JeroenM:
I agree with that. Well said. Perhaps I was wrong somewhere. I want to be understood that I wasn't saying that Celeste's blog was making the point of Blender being "better" or anything, but more I was saying that some people will take this rational blog (which you have well-described), and without it being in context to some presentable Blender achievement, those individuals will undoubtedly view this as merely "another point for the team."
I was trying to say (but I think I failed) that unless the relevancy of this post as news can be highlighted clearly (and there appears to be none to me here at the moment), this will largely be taken as "another point"--and again, not at all to say that such was either Bart or Celeste's intentions (because I don't take this as such gloating from either of these two here). I think it was all done with the best of intentions.
But just in aiding effort of better not serving to some people's crude-assuming nature, perhaps it's just best to stick to the tutorials, updates, and announcements here rather than entries of one's personal blog. Or perhaps an interview to go along with the post would help to clearly show itself as news. Otherwise, if we leave it up to merely the general public to question why this post was presented as news, many of them will choose to assume the "scoreboard" ideal.
I also have no argument about your statements. I completely agree with what you have said. I can see that I was wrong somewhere, perhaps for not acknowledging enough that very point you have made about what her transition truly promotes. I am at the very least sorry for not making my point clearly. :P
@ Matt:
I do not say that Bart did such a "promoting" of what you're claiming he has done. Perhaps you should read the dialogue between me and JeroenM a little more carefully. I was talking about people crudely-assuming from how this article was posted as news--not about any such "promoting" on Bart's (or Celeste's) part.
I don't see where Bart did any "framing" this as some kind here. All I was trying to say is that without this truly blog post of Celeste's meriting something as distinctly news-worthy for BlenderNation, the visitors here who DO do such kind of "promoting" will take this article as promoting the "competition." Again, I believe such "promoting" was Bart's intentions here, and that Celeste wrote a very nice and inspiring article...for her BLOG. Now do you get what I'm saying? It belongs in context of her blog, and not BlenderNation (IMHO).
My point here wasn't about intention of either Bart or Celeste (and I do not say they're promoting competition here), but of rather the better preventing the malintent nature of some readers.
What the heck are they talking about? Blender is fast and easy.
Oh sorry i missread there. :D
I'll just say
*I DO want to read about Blender-related blog posts here!
*I really don't understand what's so ugly about "competition". And Blender taking over the CG industry seems to me like a bit of a straw man claim.
Never thought I'd read the words "...the simplicity of the software..." in reference to Blender :-)
Nice read. Thanks!
...more action!
This girl sounds like a windbag, sorry to say. So much yada yada about nothing. Make some art, lady! And give up the useless Wings3D already. Yuck!
Blender is as good if not better than the commercial ones out there. Now that's interesting ;)
Open sources offer unlimited freedom to create,while commercial products restrict ones imagination to create. thanks,Celeste Masinter for sharing your story of "freedom"
@Brian L. Hi, I think you're right about the Blendernation posts. They became more a "fan's club" than a news portal. Some examples?
Here: http://www.blendernation.com/2011/08/04/blender-logo-sighted/
And here: http://www.blendernation.com/2011/08/11/bassam-demos-an-exciting-ui-improvement-in-blender/
But I have to disagree at some points. You criticize about the "software flamewars", but that's called "branding" in the market. And that thing is one of the most natural things in the industry. For example, universities teaches closed software, there are many forums about "post the most cool render made with closed software", the people talks about the closed software, there are conferences about closed software telling "how cool they are" and they have millions of dollars to take a place and design the event to make the people leave that place with the better impression. That's called branding, they make things to get people fascinated so they can consume the "next year" release.
How you think will an open source software development model grow? Through the branding! It's all about saying people that there are powerful alternatives out there, to make them know, so more people knows, so more developers work, more people create branding, more events have place all over the globe and more people can support the developer's work. There's nothing bad on it! And sorry, but the donation is not the "only" way to get money through the open source bussiness. There are many ways to make people pay for your work, but yeah, you have to research those ways. Otherwise, you can be freeze or get stuck in a very old model to make bussiness. A lot of people can help you if you are a developer that wants to get paid, and not necessarily need to be developers, they can be artists, designers, journalists, social communicators, etc, all of them can help you to make money.
Another example is that making competitions between the softwares enable people to get involved in development, because there's a challenge for them, and open source model allows this. It works in a motivational way, that's why there are so much competition there out.
My last post here...
@ encn:
You're proving my point. And I presented no straw man about Blender taking over. I said that having options out there keeps one software from completely taking over.
@ Less Talk...:
That was mean and unnecessary. You should apologize to Celeste.
@ blenderpro:
See, this is exactly what I was talking about.
While I do agree that free software offers people the freedom to create, it does not necessary mean it's "unlimited freedom." That depends on whatever software you're talking about, not necessary the case with all FOSS. On the contrary, Blender is a rare exception to many FOSS because it is so well-developed. MOST open-source source do not benefit from the steady development and support as Blender does. I know this because I've seen many OSS programs cease in development to a lack of steady support. FOSS is harder to develop when it's not your full-time job to develop such software, with a full-time team. I love FOSS and will always love and support FOSS, but I'm saying there's plenty of room for appreciating some COTS, too, and there's IS no true "competition" about preferring a COTS over a FOSS sometimes.
For example, I have far more freedom with Photoshop that I do with GIMP, largely because the interface is MUCH better with Photoshop than with GIMP, the default shortcut keys are mapped better in Photoshop than in GIMP, I can do more operations in Photoshop than GIMP, the brush engine is better in Photoshop than GIMP, and Photoshop opens almost immediately now opposed to GIMP which takes forever opening.
Though, I know that GIMP is improving, but the fact is that commercial software, since it's primary means of employment for their developers, tends to be more complete than an open-source program like GIMP, which is slowly developed by people during their spare time. Blender is a rare exception with FOSS. It gets far more development than GIMP does. But while Blender is an exception, and is by far my favorite 3D package to date, and IS truly one of the best 3D packages out there, every other commercial packages have had n-gons for years except us, and Bmesh's development has been slow because Blender developers are largely part-time volunteers, not full-time employees.
Brian L. Ok you made your point,however no 3d package should be too far reach from an artist cost budget . I bought silo 42 when it was only $100 and still I upgrade for free,while Maya and others charged for upgrade and with bugs! hay I don't mind paying for a developer to improve blender to 100% use,but not thousand of dollars for them to milk it and party in their spare time.Anyway I would not buy into any commercial package unless is within my pocket cost.Yes ,I'm cheap not "financially Retarded"
I don't think Brian L. made his point since it disappeared within a wall of text (which I stopped reading halfway down).
Summary: Usefulness of programs (free or otherwise) irregulary overlap each other functionally, but give roughly the same results. If you can afford it, by all means pay to your hearts content. If not, go for FOSS or a mix of the two.
This is why college scares me. I don't know how to turn 3 sentences into a wall of text.
@Dusty
Like any studios would care about what a single person has to say that hasn't worked in a studio...
I agree with you all .
Let's think it simple: one more people are using Blender.
FOSS is important, now more than ever specially with people on COTS trying all their best to stop any FOSS or alternative from happening there is a war, a real war going on that people don't know about it.
Lodsys is suing everyone, developers are at risk because of patents, copyright is out of control being to long and to expansive.
So no I have to disagree with this lazy view that FOSS and COTS have a place together, they don't. FOSS is about freedom, is about empowering people and some here seem to think that COTS is all cuddly and stuff it is not, those people are vicious and they would sue anybody into the ground if they could.
People want to live in a world where you can be sued because of the color you choose for the sole of a shoe?
People want to live in a world where you can be sued because your image looks a tad like another?
People want to live in a world where you have to go search a 200 years into the past to find material for new projects?
People want to live in a world where you can be sued for putting a CSS drop box in your website?
Anyone think I'm kidding?
here this is a community design that Apple is using to stop Samsung from selling their tablet in Europe.
http://oami.europa.eu/bulletin/rcd/2009/2009_091/000672332_0009/images/000672332_0009_4_source.jpg
A rectangle!
FOSS is more than just FREE software it is about the freedoms we once enjoyed are being eroded by people who think they deserve a lot more than they actually should have and people who don't realize that should not be in a FOSS community, you are the ones that don't belong.
CIVIX-DDI, LLC is suing real estate companies, using patents that say basically they own the rights for anything that makes a look up on a database and creates a map.
http://agentgenius.com/real-estate-news-events/trulia-sued-by-civix-what-continued-patent-lawsuits-mean-to-innovation/
http://www.mlstesseract.com/2011/05/has-nar-solved-civix-problem.html
The 2 patents:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=Y-ELAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=6,385,622&hl=en&ei=AHw8TrKzJuOtsALT35Qi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA
http://www.google.com/patents?id=pdILAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=6,415,291&hl=en&ei=EHw8TtCdEISpsALi0uE-&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA
Anybody saw the tutorial on how to make a statistical map in Blender?
How would people feel if the guy who did that tutorial was sued for patent infringement and got thousands of dollars for doing it?
This is not an isolated case there are thousands of lawsuits filed everyday.
Some because 2 photos look alike, some claiming that composition was copied(if you used a reference photo and copied the style you are fair game), for music that is from the 20's can't be used free for any project and if you are caught using it, you can be liable for millions, just like Thomas Rasset.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_v._Thomas
Small artists can't use things, they need to look hard and hire lawyers to clear rights now, ask Nina Paley how much did it cost her to clear the rights for her movie Sita Sings The Blues.
So I don't really understand why are some people defending a system that would make them misarable. If there was no Gimp there would be no affordable way to do things, if there was no Blender there would be no community in here to talk and thousands of artists would be forced to go the illegal route and risk tremendous legal costs if they are caught.
I don't believe those people fully appreciate what FOSS is really all about.
FOSS is many things but one thing it is not is an enslaving threatening philosophy at least not threatening to people who just want to do something and do not care that much about control once it is out of their hands.
Anybody thinks that Autodesk would allow a website called 3DMaxNation? or Adobe would allow PhotoshopNation?
It ain't happening like it is not going to happen on the compatibility front because anybody trying to make software compatible with COTS offerings is opening itself to litigation just like Autodesk sued OpenDesign for trademark infringement over their efforts to make tools that could read and write DWG files.
How many here have the money to fight a bogus claim? How many here want to find themselves staring at the possibility of being found guilty of something and being levied tens of thousands or more and feel comfortable?
http://www.stress-free.co.nz/autodesk_sues_the_open_design_alliance
There is a good reason why Blender is not compatible with COTS offering those companies don't want it to be, they depend on limiting things to keep their business model aflloat they have no sense of community and don't care about anyone but themselves and some here are trying to say that they are ok?
I'm appalled at how people are ignorant of what is happening behind the curtains.
@Brain L.
I belive you are confusing freedom with utility here.
Any FOSS project allows you complete freedom to copy, modify and distribute those are important freedoms, you can't open a PhotoshopNation anywhere Adobe would freak out and sue, Autodesk sued the Open Design Alliance trying to stop them from creating tools that could read and write DWG files.
FOSS is a paradigm shift in thinking, you give up control and focuses only on what you do, not what others could do with what you have done. COTS is made up of people that believe they should have control of everything and then some, those are about people who think they can sue somebody because somebody made something similar to theirs, COTS is empowering people to be hedonistic and fuels bad behavior is not just about what a software can or cannot do.
Also COTS also have a long tail of companies that failed in the market does that means COTS can't be funded properly? no it means that in any market there will be a lot of people who doesn't make it and that doesn't show how viable it is.
@ Doggy
That's not a case against COTS. That's a case against monopolizing companies. Big difference. Are you going to compare a company like humble, decent company like 3D-Coat to Apple? Besides, if anyone wants to stop other software from being developed, blame greedy jerks, not COTS. Not every COTS out there wants to take over the world.
Some people know that even with free software out there, they still have a strong user base. Blender has not drastically dwindled the Cinema4D or modo community--they still have plenty of their own users who prefer them. Most companies are not worried about FOSS because frankly most FOSS are not nearly as complexly developed as Blender. Even many Blender users will use Unity before they use Crystal Space.
So what if Lodsys is suing folks? There are plenty of decent COTS developers suffering from patent trolls as well as FOSS. And stop trying to appeal to emotion here--I'm not arguing about our freedoms. And you've purposely confused open standards, open resources and open-source software together--those are NOT the same things. For the most part, you're telling only one side of the issue. Patent trolls do NOT describe even MOST COTS out there. You forget about decent small businesses, like 3D-Coat. I'm sorry if you think my point was "lazy," but I find you did not reason honestly.
@Brian L.
About Gimp, there is nothing you can't do in Photoshop that cannot be done in Gimp, and I don't mean the tools, I mean a finished product.
Granted Photoshop has a better interface and a lot of other tools but that means nothing, one can do anything with Gimp too it just it may take some more work to do it. I never saw anything done in Photoshop that couldn't be done also in Gimp this on the technical side of things you can even use Gimp to do forensic analysis of photos which also can be done in Photoshop.
Is the artists behind the tool that makes it happen and to prove that point you can search on Youtube for "photo realism paint" or "photorealism paint Gimp".
More "utilities" are not the same thing as more freedom, it can speed things up but it doesn't mean people are more free than using other tools with less utilities as people using Paint in Windows to draw things have proven a thousand times in Youtube already.
Jurassic Park was tracked manually there were no software to do it at the time, people put the markers there and did it all by hand, today people use mega costly apps to do that like Bonjour, but does it mean it can't be done with something else? It just means one needs to work harder.
Now can I modify Photoshop? nope, If I need something and I need to program I can't do it, if I need to expand and send a copy to someone I can't do it, if I needed a common networking solution to show to all the people involved the same image at the same time and all the changes done by one spread accroos the network would I be able to do that in Photoshop? Can I interface with Photoshop without risk of being sued?nope, can I give a copy to a friend? nope.
What freedoms do you have with Photoshop exactly? The freedom to do it faster? at the expense of everything else. I don't see the appeal.
@ Everyone:
Never mind. Just forget everything I said. Sorry I brought it up. Let's just resume with life.
@Brain L.
Be honest then, how many COTS are like Humble? For every Humble I can show you a thousand Microsoft's.
Doubt?
http://www.davis.ca/en/blog/Video-Game-Law
Also if Humble doesn't need all those protections why are they not doing it under a permissive license? Are they hopping they will need to sue someone in the future?
Because they believe in copyrights and patents that is why.
Also like many small groups they probably are part of some larger group that will represent their values and interests which means that they probably indirectly finance lobbying groups that will do their best to make IP laws even more ridiculous than they already are.
The Daemocles sword is not funny.
You wanna know why COTS are mostly jerks?
Because they rely on a system that encourages that kind of behavior. That system is something tha some people call IP laws and they include patents, copyrights and trademarks.
Now if you know they are jerks and greedy why do you pay Adobe for example?
Because probably you don't care, you don't pay attention to those things.
But you give them money to continue to be jerks, you finance them, you encourage that system, your inaction is what empowers the jerks to act like they do.
Maybe is cognitive dissonance I don't know, what I do know is that if you give money to companies that do those things than you are materially supporting all that craziness.
There is a real battle going on right now and at stake are the freedoms we all enjoy and how those freedoms will look like in the future is just that apparently you and others here don't care.
Of course it is a case against COTS specially those that use standard copyright and patents to "protect" their business.
For every Humble, that for now hasn't gone on the far side of things, there are a thousand Microsoft's out there.
Doubt? see this:
http://www.davis.ca/en/blog/Video-Game-Law (Zynga has been busy suing people around the world)
Start fallowing copyright and patent blogs and you will see.
Another great one that puts out the legalese in a form that people can understand.
http://www.techdirt.com/
There is a real war going on and it is one that people can't see it happening if they don't look for it, but it is one that will define what they can and cannot do in the future.
Particularly I have nothing against the "commercial" part everybody should be able to put a price on something and sell it, that is fine and dandy the problem is the same people trying to stop other from selling something, or developing something, or being punished for having the same idea for something, that is what FOSS is all about.
COTS on the other hand are dominated by companies that view everybody else or as a target or as cattle.
And people pay them.
@Doggy
"there is nothing you can’t do in Photoshop that cannot be done in Gimp"
It still can't handle CMYK nor any of the colour profiles needed, which for me, working in offset-printing is enough reaon not to look any further into Gimp
@JeroenM:
?????
CMYK management for/in Gimp.
http://cue.yellowmagic.info/softwares/separate-plus/index.html
http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-imaging-color-management.html
http://registry.gimp.org/search/node/CMYK
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CMYK_support_in_The_GIMP
"CMYK
This option is similar at the CMY Decomposing with an additional layer for Black.
This option might be useful to transfer image into printing softwares with CMYK capabilities.
"
Source: http://docs.gimp.org/2.6/en/plug-in-decompose-registered.html
HDR support for Gimp
http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/50413
Cinepaint the Gimp fork for support a lot of file formats and use 32bits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CinePaint.
http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/50413
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CMYK_support_in_The_GIMP
ICC color profiles support in Gimp.
http://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-2.4-cm.html
Please don't look into it.
Then by all means don't use it.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CMYK_support_in_The_GIMP
@Doggy
About GIMP tools... is there some nice integration with RAW images?
WIth adobe bridge you can manipulate many photos and apply many changes with a few clicks.
UFRAW isn't so good....
The point is: you can do it easy and with top quality in photoshop and bridge.
I would like to know some alternatives cause there's a brazilian studio that wants to switch to Open Source but at this time we don't have good and enough results with ufraw and gimp (alone).
Josias
Open source is for the coders, coders spend their free time on it, so it has to stay fun for coders.
Creative Suite is bought by artists ( with real money ) , so they try to be there for artists.
Open source can be attacked by patent holders. Open source tries to be viral, but the danger is just the other way around.
See Apple attacking Google (android) and Google buying Motorola for the patents. I'm not seeing blender buying patents.
If Blender gets real big then Autodesk can easely attack blender for, say, RGB colored widgets ( patent by Autodesk ). Or gestures ( patent by Autodesk ). For now there is nothing to gain for Autodesk, yet.
As a studio it can be dangerous to invest in Blender if development stops.