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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: 

Retro2016_04.jpg

 

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 211045   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 563163   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 426260   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:13
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 432005   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:15
Notice Tutorials Top 15 Highest-Rated Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 375910   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:12
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 for Blender 2.8 file 345048   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 684350   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 408429   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 23, 2019 15:48
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 file 344959   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 25, 2019 10:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2018: Winners Annouced file 381689   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:20
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2018 Blender Retrospective file 376095   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:42
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2017 file 969045   Jan 09, 2018 Jan 25, 2019 23:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2017 Blender Retrospective file 696826   Jan 01, 2018 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2017: Winners Annouced file 550792   Dec 26, 2017 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials (Videos) Released in 2016 file 765442   Jan 16, 2017 Jan 16, 2017 05:18
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2016 Blender Retrospective file Admin 1060345   Dec 29, 2016 Feb 01, 2017 10:28
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2015: Seven Winners Annouced file 790600   Jan 20, 2016 Feb 02, 2016 03:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2015 Blender Retrospective file 762310   Jan 12, 2016 Feb 20, 2016 22:40
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2015 file 805659   Jun 26, 2015 Jan 01, 2016 05:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2014: Five Winners Annouced file 813881   Jan 02, 2015 Jan 02, 2015 16:04
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2014 file 852758   Dec 11, 2014 Jan 24, 2015 21:31
548 Render of the Week 'Head Manufacturing' by Roman Zhuravlev - the Winner of the Week of October 2, 2017 file 20028   Oct 07, 2017 Oct 07, 2017 19:40
 
547 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of October 2, 2017 file 18781   Oct 07, 2017 Oct 07, 2017 19:20
 
546 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of September 25, 2017 file 18874   Sep 30, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 02:26
 
545 Render of the Week 'Runner 4.9' by Max Puliero - the Winner of the Week of September 25, 2017 file 19634   Sep 30, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 02:11
 
544 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of September 18, 2017 file 18736   Sep 23, 2017 Sep 23, 2017 20:11
 
543 Render of the Week 'He Loves Me' by Fabian Hernandez - the Winner of the Week of September 18, 2017 file 18839   Sep 23, 2017 Sep 23, 2017 01:12
 
542 Render of the Week 'Future' by Yassine Latiri - the Winner of the Week of September 11, 2017 file 46742   Sep 16, 2017 Sep 16, 2017 17:41
 
541 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of September 11, 2017 file 19592   Sep 16, 2017 Sep 16, 2017 08:53
 
540 Render of the Week 'BREATHLESS - EATEN Character Concept' by Domenico D'Alisa - the Winner of the Week of September 4, 2017 file 19787   Sep 07, 2017 Sep 07, 2017 21:57
 
539 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of September 4, 2017 file 18956   Sep 07, 2017 Sep 07, 2017 21:42
 
538 Render of the Week 'Trouble at the Playground' by Matej Balážik - the Winner of the Week of August 28, 2017 file 19714   Aug 31, 2017 Aug 31, 2017 21:52
 
537 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of August 28, 2017 file 18602   Aug 31, 2017 Aug 31, 2017 21:20
 
536 Render of the Week 'Lion' by Tamás Török - the Winner of the Week of August 21, 2017 file 23028   Aug 25, 2017 Aug 25, 2017 00:24
 
535 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of August 21, 2017 file 17646   Aug 25, 2017 Aug 25, 2017 00:07
 
534 Render of the Week 'More Dramatic Lighting' by Aleksa Vilka - the Winner of the Week of August 14, 2017 file 19631   Aug 18, 2017 Aug 18, 2017 02:05
 
533 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of August 14, 2017 file 21727   Aug 18, 2017 Aug 18, 2017 01:42
 
532 Render of the Week 'King' by Manuel Grad - the Winner of the Week of August 7, 2017 file 20033   Aug 11, 2017 Aug 11, 2017 02:39
 
531 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of August 7, 2017 file 18145   Aug 11, 2017 Aug 11, 2017 02:17
 
530 Render of the Week 'Old Industrial Shed' by Lorenzo Drago - the Winner of the Week of July 31, 2017 file 19421   Aug 05, 2017 Aug 05, 2017 00:39
 
529 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of July 31, 2017 file 19254   Aug 05, 2017 Aug 05, 2017 00:23