Blender 2.71a is popular open source 3D modeling software, it includes tools and add-ons that allow you to create models, animate characters and other 3D graphics, available for Windows 7.
Blender is a full featured 3D animation software that can be downloaded and adapted to each user’s individually needs. Your imagination is the limit with Blender, as the software allows you to create virtually any simulation your mind can conjure.
Blender
Blender is one of the most popular Animation software out there. While most might point out it is because it is open-source software, I think it features in this list and many best animation software lists because it is a robust and feature-rich animation software. Blender has an excellent community that will aid you on an otherwise hard animation software to master.
- Blender features support for the entire workflow of an animation project from Modeling to Video Editing. It also allows you to model, rig, animate, simulate, render, with compositing, motion tracking, and video editing. You can make an entire animated movie from start to end with these tools.
- Blender also lets you create pipeline tools, edit video and create scripts within the program to ease your workflow. The ability to create VFX, simulations, and games makes it a versatile and powerful animation software.
Blender is one of the most popular free animation tools used to create 3D animation. Initially released in 1998, it is widely used across a variety of industries. It is most suitable for animating most films, 3D printed models, motion graphics, and cinematographic visual effects.
Best for:
Blender is perfect for a student animator. Although it is not very frequently used in a professional setting, it can be pretty useful for educational videos in smart classrooms that are VFX, and 3D enabled. Owing to its ‘game engine’ feature, you can use it to create games as well.
It is best for individuals and small studios and agencies whose requirements are not very demanding. It also works well for those with Apple iPhone and Android devices, people with OSX, or those using integrations with Cinema 4D, Moho, Stop Motion Studio, Flipbook, or Crazytalk Animator.
Key Features:
- Performs rendering and creates renders using high-end production path tracers
- Performs modeling; offers extensive toolset to perform activities like sculpting, retopology, and modeling
- Robust simulation using industry-standard libraries like Bullet and MantaFlow
- Offers efficient in-built video editor
- Its new ‘game engine’ feature supports game creation
- Offers modifiers to apply a non-destructive effect
- ‘Grease Pencil’ tool for 2D concept designing and 3D modeling
- Supports a wide range of geometric primitives like metaballs, icospheres, and Bezier curves
Pros:
- Very user-friendly and intuitive interface
- Offers high customizability
- Award-winning animation and bone rigging features
- Integration with multiple pipeline tools, including Collada, Alembic, and more
- It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and MacOS
- In-depth tutorials to help you understand the working of the software
Cons:
- A bit difficult for beginners to use
- Steep learning curve
Pricing:
It is a free animation software tool.
Blender is a 3D computer graphics software application for developing visual effects, animated movies, games, and more. This free 3D animation software allows you to import or export videos in MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI file formats.
Features:
- This tool provides a Python API for scripting and customization.
- You can customize shortcuts.
- It has a path tracer for realistic rendering.
- You can create, transform, sculpt, and edit your models.
- This 3D rendering software offers a real time preview of the 3D scene and tracked footage.
- It helps you to turn still characters into impressive animations.
Link: https://www.blender.org/features/animation/#animation-toolset
Blender is one of the best animation software for Mac. This is because it is both free in nature and open source.
Using an OpenGL Blender ensures a steady performance while animation. You will be able to create outstanding 3d animations out of even ordinary stills. In Blender, the walk cycles can be automated along the animation paths.
If you want you can modify your characters with the help of a special editor in Blender. In addition to this, you can generate independent character movements with the help of linear animations.
Another useful feature in Blender is its mirror functionality. This lets you mirror your animated character or object and see both sides.
Pros:
- Blender has match moving, simulating particles, body simulating, rigging simulating smoke, fluid, good skinning quality features.
- There is an intuitive interface for editing and composing videos in Blender.
- Blender has an integrated game engine that lets you evolve video games.
- Since it is open-source you can customize it according to your requirements.
Cons:
- Beginners will need some time to learn all the features on Blender.
Blender is Free Software. It is free to use for everyone. Free to use for any purpose, also commercially. Blender is free to share with others, it is free to study Blender’s sources and free to make new versions.
Blender is free, forever.
This freedom is what makes the GNU GPL license so powerful and it is why it’s much more than “open source”. The license simply prevents anyone to put restrictions on Blender. That protects users as well as everyone who contribute to Blender.
If you decide to contribute to Blender, whether as Python script or as C++ code, you are required to agree on this freedom. You can keep all rights of your own work, but if you publish or sell or share Blender code, you do it under the same conditions, just as Free as Blender is.
The GPL has often be called infectious. I think that’s a negative and misleading frame. Proprietary code is infectious in ways too (try to use proprietary code in your work and face the consequences). Best is to keep the public and open domain entirely separated from your private proprietary domain. And really, both domains can live well together.
You can create bridges between the domains. This is how Blender can work with other proprietary tools or engines. The bridges (if using Blender code) have to be fully GPL compatible. The closed software such bridges lead to can not be bundled, it’s up to your own – or the user’s – concern to connect it.
In the past years, developing and selling Blender add-ons grew into quite a big market. We’ve all seen fantastic & powerful scripts doing amazing things. Great add-on coders indeed. But also: what an incredible API these C developers made for Blender!
Blender’s scripting API is an integral part of the software. Blender add-ons work, look and feel like Blender features. And as with any other Blender feature that means – it has to be free, free and free forever! Paying for an add-on can only mean access to the add-on download service… offering it to you as GNU GPL. Your freedom as a user and developer is guaranteed.
I’ve always interpreted Free Software and the GNU GPL as a means, not a goal. It just works fantastic for Blender. I’m not going to blame proprietary programs for not opening up. But I also won’t accept proprietary business to pollute our open domain. Live, and let live.
And if you think you ‘suffer from piracy’ or find it hard to do business with Free Software? Just distinguish yourselves with the proven successful free/open source business model: provide docs, training, content, frequent updates and support. Your customers will love you!
I expect that all add-on developers recognize and respect this concept. Since 2002 dozens – maybe even hundreds – of people have devoted years of their life to making Blender open and free to use for everyone. This massive effort has made it a strong and exciting program where add-ons can become massively successful. You’re standing on the shoulders of giants!
This can only work if we create a level playing field for everyone. Nobody’s code is more important than another’s. Nobody cuts a corner of the Blender play field to claim it as their territory. Nobody will plant trees here where you can’t climb in or enjoy its fruits.
Complete. Free. Forever.
Conclusion
Blender is a Free and Open Source 3D animation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation. All Blender files are completely cross-platform—you can save a .blend file on one machine and open it on another with no problems. Its render engine traditionally uses a free software renderer named