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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. 

Retro2016_10.jpg

  

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 210957   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 563039   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 426148   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:13
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 431892   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:15
Notice Tutorials Top 15 Highest-Rated Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2019 file 375788   Jan 25, 2020 Mar 24, 2020 10:12
Notice Tutorials Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 for Blender 2.8 file 344892   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 684212   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 408284   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 23, 2019 15:48
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2018 file 344810   Jan 23, 2019 Jan 25, 2019 10:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2018: Winners Annouced file 381564   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:20
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2018 Blender Retrospective file 375948   Jan 02, 2019 Jan 02, 2019 13:42
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2017 file 968893   Jan 09, 2018 Jan 25, 2019 23:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2017 Blender Retrospective file 696666   Jan 01, 2018 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2017: Winners Annouced file 550649   Dec 26, 2017 Jan 09, 2018 04:55
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials (Videos) Released in 2016 file 765320   Jan 16, 2017 Jan 16, 2017 05:18
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2016 Blender Retrospective file Admin 1060203   Dec 29, 2016 Feb 01, 2017 10:28
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2015: Seven Winners Annouced file 790458   Jan 20, 2016 Feb 02, 2016 03:35
Notice Blender Retrospectives 2015 Blender Retrospective file 762170   Jan 12, 2016 Feb 20, 2016 22:40
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2015 file 805521   Jun 26, 2015 Jan 01, 2016 05:33
Notice Render of the Year Render of the Year Awards 2014: Five Winners Annouced file 813735   Jan 02, 2015 Jan 02, 2015 16:04
Notice Tutorials Top 12 Free Online Blender Tutorials Released in 2014 file 852607   Dec 11, 2014 Jan 24, 2015 21:31
528 Render of the Week 'Brooklyn 60's Foggy' by James O'Brien - the Winner of the Week of July 24, 2017 file 19756   Jul 29, 2017 Jul 29, 2017 01:50
 
527 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of July 24, 2017 file 19513   Jul 29, 2017 Jul 29, 2017 01:27
 
526 Render of the Week 'Trap' by Waqas Malik - the Winner of the Week of July 17, 2017 file 19971   Jul 22, 2017 Jul 22, 2017 01:35
 
525 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of July 17, 2017 file 19784   Jul 22, 2017 Jul 22, 2017 01:12
 
524 Render of the Week 'Project - Assemble' by Marco Cheng - the Winner of the Week of July 10, 2017 file 20294   Jul 14, 2017 Jul 14, 2017 04:26
 
523 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of July 10, 2017 file 20731   Jul 14, 2017 Jul 14, 2017 04:07
 
522 Render of the Week 'Artificial & Natural' by Robin Janowsky - the Winner of the Week of July 3, 2017 file 19705   Jul 07, 2017 Jul 07, 2017 01:52
 
521 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of July 3, 2017 file 35427   Jul 07, 2017 Jul 07, 2017 01:27
 
520 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of June 26, 2017 file 19865   Jun 30, 2017 Jul 04, 2017 13:44
 
519 Render of the Week 'the Harvester v1.0' by Cheggour Hamza - the Winner of the Week of June 26, 2017 file 22810   Jun 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 13:34
 
518 Render of the Week 'TRIBESMEN logo' by Dennis Mabuka - the Winner of the Week of June 12, 2017 file 21352   Jun 16, 2017 Jun 24, 2017 09:36
 
517 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of June 19, 2017 file 20828   Jun 23, 2017 Jun 23, 2017 03:37
 
516 Render of the Week 'Deep in the Forest' by Team Dee van Hoven / JLE Studios - the Winner of the Week of June 19, 2017 file 30517   Jun 23, 2017 Jun 23, 2017 03:31
 
515 Render of the Week 'Nahil - the Builder Hero' by Daniele Viagi - the Winner of the Week of June 5, 2017 file 55260   Jun 09, 2017 Jun 09, 2017 01:31
 
514 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of June 5, 2017 file 20251   Jun 09, 2017 Jun 09, 2017 01:13
 
513 Render of the Week 'Geely Emgrand EC7 RV' by Roman Volkov - the Winner of the Week of May 29, 2017 file 23705   Jun 02, 2017 Jun 02, 2017 01:04
 
512 Architectural Visualization ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of May 29, 2017 file 21351   Jun 01, 2017 Jun 01, 2017 23:47
 
511 Product Visualization PRODUCT VISUALIZATION IN BLENDER for the week of May 22, 2017 file 20898   May 25, 2017 May 25, 2017 19:04
 
510 Render of the Week 'Through the Woods' by Sebastian Zapata - the Winner of the Week of May 22, 2017 file 22863   May 25, 2017 May 25, 2017 01:07
 
509 Render of the Week 'EUHEMERISM - EATEN Character Concept' by Domenico D'Alisa - the Winner of the Week of May 15, 2017 file 24208   May 19, 2017 May 19, 2017 08:32