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  BlenderRetrospective2016.jpg   

December 29, 2016 3:00 PM

 

by Editor in Chief

 

What were the biggest Blender news in 2016--especially for professional users of Blender? Here are some of the top 10 Blender news from 2016. Please remember hobbyist-grade news or well known facts--such as use of Blender in product and arch viz--may have been omitted. 

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10. Blender Cloud Service Launched


Blender Foundation has launched a membership service; where, for less than $10.00 a month, a user can have access to all the contents from official training DVD and videos and the assets and blend files from previously released Open Source movies as well as 1,500+ textures and HDRIs that are directly accessible within your copy of Blender through internet connection.


Related link: 
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9. Game Development


Blender continued to serve as a quality tool for game development. Blender has been more than good enough for game content creators.
Related link: 

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8. Use in Commercials, Game trailers, and Music Videos

Blender continues to be an attractive 3D solution for established professionals as well as new startups

Related link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cEH7uL0S-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWEMq0JiB0Y

https://www.facebook.com/outputmedialtd/

https://vimeo.com/184682770

https://www.blendernation.com/2016/09/12/alessandro-dalla-fontana-vfx-reel-2016/

https://www.blendernation.com/2016/09/20/jamberoo-action-parks-perfect-storm-tv-commercial/

https://www.blendernation.com/2016/09/01/rujienas-ice-cream-commercial/

https://www.blendernation.com/2016/05/03/warhammer-40k-inquisitior-martyr-destruction-trailer/


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7. AMD and Nvidia's Support for Blender Development


AMD as well as Nvidia have been supportive for Blender development. AMD reportedly has even helped to hire full time developer on Cycles. And Nvidia has provided latest GTX cards to Blender developers.

Related links: 

Retro2016_06.jpg   

6. Blender-driven Entries Noted at CG Competitions


Some of the CG competition entries created in Blender have made it all the way to the 2nd place in even in the noted CG challenge organized by the CGSociety. This reflects growing recognition among industry experts on Blender’s potentials.

Related link: 
Retro2016_05.jpg

 

5. Blender’s Potentials Recognized 


MAXON’s move to import Blender’s Cycles render engine into C4D has drawn much attention in the industry. Even the VFX supervisor for Warcraft (2016) have confessed using Blender for a character in the movie for budget reason—but with good reviews.

Related link: 

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4. RenderMan21 Support Blender


Perhaps the most notable sign of industry’s acceptance of Blender is PIXAR’s move to support Blender in RenderMan.

Related link: 
https://renderman.pixar.com/view/non-commercial-renderman
Retro2016_03.jpg

 

3. Success of Short Films Created in Blender


Short films created in Blender have successfully demonstrated Blender’s potentials and some of them have been honored by industry experts. Cosmos Laundromat, for example, have won the SIGGRAPH 2016 Computer Animation Festival's Jury Award. Caminandes series have made it to the Disney Channel. And the short “Alike” has reportedly won 64 awards in film festivals.

Related link: 

Retro2016_02.jpg  

2. Blender-specific Third Party Add-ons and Products 

Amazing third party addons and products—mostly paid versions—specifically designed for Blender continued to put Blender to a newer level:

Related link: 
Retro2016_01.jpg

  

1. New Features in Blender 2.77 to 78a


The most exiting news regarding Blender during 2016, of course, are the new features added to Blender, such as native stereoscopic VR rendering, fire and smoke rendering in GPU, Grease Pencil, Bendy Bones, Micro Displacement, Alembic support and so forth.

Related link: 

List of Articles
No. Subject Author Views Votes Date Last Update
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2020 Blender Retrospective 210975   Feb 20, 2021 Feb 21, 2021 01:20
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 Worthy of Your Note - for Animation & VFX file 563063   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:13
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 Worthy of Your Note - for CG, Games & Viz file 426174   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:13
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 431919   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:15
Notice Tutorials Top 15 Highest-Rated Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 375811   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:12
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 for Blender 2.8 file 344921   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 23, 2019 23:35
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 Worthy of Your Note - for CG, Games & Viz file 684245   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 25, 2019 23:34
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 Worthy of Your Note - for Animation & VFX file 408308   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 23, 2019 15:48
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 file 344837   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 25, 2019 10:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2018: Winners Annouced file 381591   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:20
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2018 Blender Retrospective file 375978   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:42
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2017 file 968920   Jan 09, 2018 Jan 25, 2019 23:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2017 Blender Retrospective file 696693   Jan 01, 2018 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2017: Winners Annouced file 550678   Dec 26, 2017 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials (Videos) Released in 2016 file 765337   Jan 16, 2017 Jan 16, 2017 05:18
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2016 Blender Retrospective file Admin 1060226   Dec 29, 2016 Feb 01, 2017 10:28
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2015: Seven Winners Annouced file 790479   Jan 20, 2016 Feb 02, 2016 03:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2015 Blender Retrospective file 762190   Jan 12, 2016 Feb 20, 2016 22:40
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2015 file 805548   Jun 26, 2015 Jan 01, 2016 05:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2014: Five Winners Annouced file 813761   Jan 02, 2015 Jan 02, 2015 16:04
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2014 file 852635   Dec 11, 2014 Jan 24, 2015 21:31
145 Render of the Week 'On the Tramp' by Manuel Peter - the Winner of the Week of June 15, 2015 file 37924   Jun 16, 2015 Jun 16, 2015 15:04
 
144 Render of the Week 'In the Arms of Morpheus' by Enrico Cerica - the Winner of the Week of June 8, 2015 file 41185   Jun 09, 2015 Jun 09, 2015 23:33
 
143 Render of the Week 'Cooking an Italian Dinner' by Nathan Boder - the Winner of the Week of June 1, 2015 file 38023   Jun 03, 2015 Jun 03, 2015 07:07
 
142 Render of the Week 'Lost Space Shuttle' by Steffen Hess - the Winner of the Week of May 25, 2015 file 38112   May 26, 2015 Jun 03, 2015 06:53
 
141 Render of the Week 'Colorful Calm' by Derek Goff - the Winner of the Week of May 18, 2015 file 35395   May 19, 2015 May 19, 2015 21:32
 
140 Render of the Week 'Head Made with Blender' by Cesar Salcedo - the Winner of the Week of May 11, 2015 file 41370   May 13, 2015 May 13, 2015 01:28
 
139 Render of the Week 'Ancient Relic' by Manuel Grad - the Winner of the Week of May 4, 2015 file 38705   May 06, 2015 May 06, 2015 01:15
 
138 Render of the Week 'Steampunk World: Station 45' by Gleb Alexandrov - the Winner of the Week of April 27, 2015 file 43008   Apr 28, 2015 Apr 28, 2015 18:23
 
137 Render of the Week 'Treehouse' by Kjartan Tysdal - the Winner of the Week of April 20, 2015 file 39148   Apr 21, 2015 Apr 21, 2015 20:12
 
136 Render of the Week 'Ladybug' by Ayoub Moulakhnif - the Winner of the Week of April 13, 2015 file 35015   Apr 14, 2015 Apr 14, 2015 19:07
 
135 Render of the Week 'Fossillis Ammōnītēs' by Jamie Bertenshaw - the Winner of the Week of April 6, 2015 file 36901   Apr 07, 2015 Apr 07, 2015 20:02
 
134 Render of the Week 'Burnout' by Reynante Martinez - the Winner of the Week of March 23, 2015 file 34779   Mar 24, 2015 Mar 31, 2015 21:41
 
133 Render of the Week 'Oscar of the Congo' by Glenn Melenhorst - the Winner of the Week of March 30, 2015 file 37035   Mar 31, 2015 Mar 31, 2015 21:40
 
132 Render of the Week 'Arachnid' by Alexander Gluhachev - Winner for the Week of March 16, 2015 file 47698   Mar 17, 2015 Mar 17, 2015 19:38
 
131 Render of the Week 'Crystal Turtle' by Kevin Hays - Winner for the Week of March 9, 2015 file 63317   Mar 10, 2015 Mar 10, 2015 03:46
 
130 Render of the Week 'Opening the Dark Portal' by Guilherme Henrique - Winner for the Week of March 2, 2015 file 41542   Mar 04, 2015 Mar 04, 2015 01:54
 
129 Render of the Week 'Gilius = Thunderhead The Dwarf' by Kfir Merlaub - Winner for the Week of February 23, 2015 file 38234   Feb 25, 2015 Feb 25, 2015 01:37
 
128 Render of the Week 'Industrial Loft Corner' by Enrico Cerica - the Winner of the Week of February 16, 2015 file 40466   Feb 18, 2015 Feb 18, 2015 03:59
 
127 Render of the Week 'Canada to Send First Pug into Space!' by Josiah Swaim - the Winner of the Week of February 9, 2015 file 45520   Feb 11, 2015 Feb 11, 2015 02:21
 
126 Render of the Week 'Rocky, My Water Dragon' by Sébastien RENAULT - the Winner of the Week of February 2, 2015 file 36087   Feb 04, 2015 Feb 11, 2015 02:13