Blender 2.45 Released

[RedBull]

Blender 2.45 which is mainly a bug fix release, is out...
http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-245/

You can also get optimized builds from places like this:
http://www.graphicall.org/

They offer user compiled releases, with various platform and CPU specific optimizations that can make a large speed difference compared to the official builds... SSE2/SSE3 64bit etc...

Some nice work going on with a Mental Ray render exporter, and Cloth dynamics with tearing, and some GLSL goodness coming in the next release.

[SplineGod]

Glad its free :)

[RedBull]

Yeah good and free, how often does that happen? :)
There GLSL implementation makes LW's current Node OGL interaction look really old. Cloth tearing in the upcoming opensource cloth looks pretty cool too.

I'm also using Houdini 9 Apprentice for cloth/fluids for export to LW.
But i prefer Blenders fluids. Alas.. Using Next Limits - Surface Replacer doesn't allow nodes, so I'm still looking for a solution if anyone knows one.

I remember hearing recently that Ton was offered 2Million dollars for a coding gig for a 3D company..
But he turned it down to continue Blender development. (commitment)
Something tells me it was more of a way of getting Ton to cease development on Blender, and thats what they were really paying him for.

[Phil]

I still cannot get my head around the interface. I keep trying to figure it out, but the lack of an up-to-date book and learning resources in the package is frustrating.

[RedBull]

I still cannot get my head around the interface. I keep trying to figure it out, but the lack of an up-to-date book and learning resources in the package is frustrating.

The interface is quite customizable, navigation is where Blender fails, but it's pretty easy after 5mins working it out, i would however still prefer standard scene navigation a'la LW...

I'm sure one day it will get the interface revival... If so it becomes a real 3D program... :)

Only Modo and Blender seem to get standard navigation incorrect.. :)
All the rest have standardized at least on many of the PAN/ZOOM type controls.

As for documentation there would be few 3D programs that have as much decent documentation that Blender has. Countless forums, Wiki's and in depth Google SOC projects make it somewhat a leader... Although there is always some room for improvement..

Here are a few links.

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Tutorials/Links
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/PartX/Fluid_Simulation
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Blender_Summer_of_Documentation

[SplineGod]

The interface is something most ppl agree on but for free Im willing to overlook that. :)

[mrunion]

Blender has a new book called "Blender Essentials". And do a Google search for "Blender Underground". That guy has made three EXCELLENT intro video tutorials (almost 3 hours total!) explaining the interface and keys and such. Granted, he goes into great depth, but if you spend the time on it, it's no so bad.

Also remember that Blender was made to work with the left hand on the keyboard and right hand on the mouse.

[RedBull]

I notice some nice developments for Blenders Peach Project:
This are some of the coding improvements to be done during the production of Peach (Blenders next open movie project)

http://peach.blender.org/index.php/development/

"The big interface recode project (tools/event refactor) is not required for Peach. If the work happens during the project, it can be in trunk even, and we keep our branch running fine."

"NLA editor overhaul, with shape key editing?"

"Hair combing and grooming tools. Currently being worked on by Janne Karhu (Jahka). Brecht will help reviewing."

" * Fur rendering… should allow nearly unlimited hairs, and should be much faster (1 shade per hair-vertex?)

* Rendering of complex environments (fur, leaves, forest, …), might imply using bucketing, or disk caches for geometry."


Some nice sounding enhancements in the future.....

[alifx]

other things that team are working on
http://www.blender.org/development/current-projects/changes-since-244/skinning/

and this is very nice
Max Dist for reflections
http://www.blender.org/typo3temp/pics/3cd4bc5569.jpg

[archijam]

and this is very nice Max Dist for reflections

Nice! Die blurry reflections, DIE.

j.

[Matt]

I still cannot get my head around the interface.

Me neither, I just downloaded the update to see if it had improved, nope!

Same old mess, I can honestly say, it makes me seethe with fury when I see just how awful the default interface is! It's just horrible!

Despite being Open Beta it appears no one is working on the interface but the programmers (not usually a good thing) and if someone is working on it, STOP right now, it ain't working pal!

[Matt]

Interface aside, it does have features I wish NewTek would get on with and do!

This being one of them:

http://www.blender.org/development/current-projects/changes-since-244/raytraced-soft-shadows/

Come on guys!

[JamesCurtis]

Agreed!! LW needs a light system overhaul. Soft shadows should be available for ALL light types!

Haven't played with blender much yet myself, but the features sure are cool!

[Phil]

The Blender Underground tutorials are really rather impressive. The interface actually starts to make some limited sense, although surfacing seems to be far too awkward at the moment.

The SSS presets are also something I'd like to see in LW. Rather than random names, have something like blender's marble, milk, cream description-based entries....