Before you begin learning any software, you should understand what it is used for, license information, whether it is worthwhile to learn or whether it can be used commercially, and so on. You will waste your valuable time and effort if you do not know these basic important things. I gathered a lot of information and used my years of experience to write this post about Blender 3D software.
What is Blender?
Blender is one of the most popular and powerful open-source animation programs, and it competes with major industry programs like 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Maya, and more. The majority of self-taught 3D artists choose Blender over other 3D software because it has a wide range of tools, so they don’t need to go to another software to work on something; everything will be available inside Blender.
What is Blender used for?
With the help of this software, you can create 3D models, do video editing, VFX, 2D animation, 3D animation, sculpting, rigging, rendering, composting, and many other things. Almost everything you need for animation from start to finish will be available in it.
What are its four main features?
Inside Blender, a wide variety of things are possible. 3D modeling, animation, sculpting, and rendering are its main features.
Is Blender a CAD software?
Blender is polygon-based software, and it cannot be used as a CAD program. CAD is mainly used by engineers, architects, and others who want their designs to be very accurate in real life. CAD is used for 2D and 3D designs, and Blender is also the same but mainly used to estimate the look and style of what the end product is going to look like. There are a few add-ons that allow you to import CAD files into the program for a few tasks. DXF-format CAD designs can be imported into Blender using the free add-on Import-Export AutoCAD DXF format, which converts the design into a Blender curve. It will be very useful for 3D designers to snap their polygon-based models to the corner of a Blender curve. This add-on will be mostly used for architectural visualization to trace the design.
Can I use Blender on an Android or iPad?
No, Blender or any other 3D software requires a large screen to work on, and 3D programs are easy to use when using keyboards. Blender is not available on mobile devices, but there are a few alternatives, like Prisma3D. It is a popular 3D modeling app at the moment, available on Android. You can use the app for commercial use too, but make sure the external textures you are using have permission to be used for commercial purposes.
Is Blender free or paid?
Blender is free, open-source software, and there are no paid versions of it. You can download it from the official website and experience every feature of it. There are some third-party paid add-ons that can be installed to access features that Blender does not provide.
Is Blender software entirely free?
Yes, the Blender software is entirely free. You can download the blender source code from their website and you can modify it as per your choice and even share it with PCs as much as you want under GNU General Public License
How long will Blender be available for free?
Blender runs its services with funding. There is a membership plan for regulars and companies.
Top companies like Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Nvidia, and many more are part of the Blender Development Fund.
As long as it gets enough funding to run its services, Blender will be free.
Will Blender software stop being free?
Many individual developers contributed to Blender reaching this point, and I do not believe that someday it will no longer be free. If Blender wants to charge for extra features, they can, but not for regular Blender software. (It’s my opinion)
Does Blender leave a watermark?
Some software places a watermark on the rendered images and does not allow you to render in high resolution, but with Blender, you don’t have to worry about that. It is completely free, and there are no additional costs to use all of Blender’s features.
Can I use Blender for commercial use?
Yes, you can sell what you make in Blender. Blender is free to use for both commercial and educational purposes. If you follow the GNU GPL, there are no restrictions.
Do you need to buy a license to use Blender commercially?
No, there is no such thing as buying a license to use Blender commercially. You have permission to use it for free for any purpose.
Can you sell Blender 3D models?
Yes, you can sell what you make in Blender and the 3D models you create, but if you use external textures in your models, make sure the textures you’re using have commercial use permission.
Is selling 3D models profitable?
Selling 3D models is profitable when you add value to the model. People will buy 3D models to save time or if they find them unique.
If you work on a model that can save someone’s time, then your business of selling 3D models will be profitable. Providing models in different versions, such as low-poly and high-poly, will boost their likelihood of purchasing.
Can I use Blender professionally?
Blender has gone from being one of the least popular software programs to a strong competitor to the industry’s leading animation software. Many passionate and professional artists prefer Blender over paid software because everything that they are looking for can be found in Blender and they don’t need additional software. Blender is capable of handling everything. It has the potential to achieve professional-looking results. So, yes, you can use Blender professionally.
Do professional 3D artists use Blender?
Blender is growing very fast with new features, and professionals are loving them and using Blender in their regular workflows. Still, Blender is not an industry standard, but a lot of companies include Blender in their job postings.
Is Blender Becoming an Industry Standard?
Blender is already close to becoming an industry standard. Many large corporations use Blender in their pipelines. Big-budget movies are also showing interest in using Blender. Recently, the blockbuster movie RRR also used Blender for visual effects.
Are movies made using Blender?
There are many movies and great short films done with Blender software. Here is the list of Free to Watch films.
- Elephants Dream (2006)
- Big Buck Bunny (2008)
- Sintel (2010)
- Tears of Steel (2012)
- Caminandes: Gran Dillama (2013)
- Cosmos Laundromat: First Cycle (2015)
- Glass Half (2015)
- Caminandes: Llamigos (2016)
- Alike (2016)
- Agent 327 (2017)
- The Daily Dweebs (2017)
- Hero (2018)
- Spring (2019)
- Coffee Run (2020)
- Sprite Fright (2021)
Also, there are many more that are not mentioned in the list
Can you get a job if you know Blender?
Getting a job in the 3D industry depends on your skills and how much you know about modeling, sculpting, and so on. Companies prefer to hire people who know multiple 3D programs because it will be more convenient for them to work under any conditions. Every piece of software has a unique feature that other software cannot deliver perfectly. Sculpting something in Zbrush will be more convenient than using “software that is designed for everything.” Yes, you can get a job if you know Blender. They include Blender software in their job postings, but make sure that you can work on other major 3D programs too.
Is Blender software good for beginners?
Absolutely Yes, Blender is the best platform for beginners who want to pursue their art careers. Nobody wants to pay for software for which we have not yet decided whether we will stick with our goals.
Blender has every feature that a beginner needs to learn, and everything is free. Blender has the advantage of running its software on a potato PC, and it doesn’t require a huge amount of bandwidth to download. That’s one of the reasons why the Blender community is so huge and so helpful.
Is Blender easy to use for beginners?
If you’re starting 3D for the first time, it’s very simple to learn Blender, and there are thousands of beginner tutorials available online for every possible type of art style. Those migrating from another 3D software may find it difficult to learn Blender because the names they are used to will be different, along with the shortcuts. There is an option to change the hotkeys and interface to something more familiar with their present software, but they still find it difficult to learn.
Can I learn Blender without drawing?
I can’t draw, can I still learn Blender? is one of the most frequently asked questions before learning 3D. The answer is yes. You can learn Blender or any 3D modelling software without any past painting or drawing experience. The majority of a 3D software’s learning path is based on a keyboard and a mouse. The only time drawing skills are required in 3D is when texture painting something unique to archive the look of hand painted.
Does Blender have drawing?
Blender software also includes a 2D animation tool called the grease pencil, which allows you to do 2 Dimension animation. You can also use it to draw and experiment with different angles on your 2D drawing. Blender has a wide range of supporting tools that can help you with animation.
How long does it take to learn Blender?
In terms of learning, every 3D program is the same because it is based on vertices, edges, and faces. For beginners, it takes a month or two to understand the fundamentals of how shapes and lighting work. If you want to see how I started and where I ended up in a year, check out my 3D journey.
If you are planning to purchase a new setup for Blender, then you should consider a few important things. I wrote a detailed post on the minimum and recommended system specs for Blender. There are also some important details about the Blender software over there.
