We all grow up and are taught the mindset that nothing is free. There is always a hidden cost or somehow a free product is inferior to something you would have to pay for. This is definitely a misconception prospective users of Blender have and its simply not true. There are many advantages to Blender and it is by no means a basic piece of software to be overlooked. From research and my experience I have been able to conclude the following.
The biggest advantage of Blender is that it is a free all in one piece of software. It has the ability to 3d model, rig, animate, UV, texture, light, render and more. It is a community driven and tested open source software that has the ability to support an entire CG pipeline.
There are some drawbacks to using blender and in this article we will discuss both the advantages and disadvantage. Also why it may be in your best interest to consider using Blender whether your new or a veteran to CG.
Advantages
Blender is truly a fantastic piece of software and it has many advantages users new to CG can utilize as well as veterans considering a change. Below are the biggest advantages to think about if you are considering giving Blender a try.
It is Free
Probably the biggest and most obvious advantage of Blender is that it is free!! There is no software available that can compare to the features available in Blender for the price. There are no hidden costs you can use it both personally and commercially royalty free.
I’m not exaggerating when I say you can achieve mostly any task in a CG pipeline. There is software that can do aspects better and quicker, but as a beginner testing the waters there is simply not a better choice. In fact Blender is beginning to be used in professional studios more and more.
Your next question is how does Blender remain free as Blender in no way advertises to you in program or blocks features behind a pay wall?
Blenders business model is different to that of its competitors its main sources of income include donations, merchandise sales and a Cloud Service.
The Cloud Service provides helpful tutorials, movies, pipeline management tools, HDRI’s textures and models. This is by no means essential to the use of Blender as it does not unlock any additional functionality. It is simply a really helpful resource and reasonably priced. Its certainly worth checking out.
Open Source
While the core of Blender is developed by an internal team, anyone has access to edit its functionality using Python coding. This has lead to a lot of community driven functionality being introduced to the already feature rich program.
This has allowed Blender to tap into the communities creativity and lead to a lot of both free and paid functionality being introduced.
Various Marketplaces such as Blendermarket.com sell these scripts and addons to help support developers to continue to create great tools.
Supports Entire Pipeline
Within Blender you have the ability to create just about anything you can imagine without having to rely on any paid programs. You can take any project through a pipeline to create stunning images, movies, game assets and printable models just to name a few. Many artist make a full time living simply using Blender.
Some of the core functionality includes, Modelling, Sculpting, UV Mapping, Texturing, Lighting, Animation and Rendering. If you have any doubts if Blender can do something there is a very good chance that it can.
Various Rendering Options
Blender comes with its two very powerful rendering options.
- Eevee
- Cycles
Eevee is a physically based real time rendering engine. This allows for rendering of final scenes or to edit models in real time.
This is extremely useful as you do not need to rely on long render to see the final result of your model. Also because it can also be used to render final scenes the speed of a production pipeline can be greatly increased as you are not required to render each scene frame by frame.
Check out a fantastic demonstration of Eevees power from Daniel Bystedt on Youtube. I also highly recommend you check out his Youtube Channel his work is amazing.
The second rendering option is Cycles which is a physically based path tracing option. It uses light rays to interpret how a material looks. This takes considerably more time than Eevee but gives a more precise image.
Cycles allows for both CPU or GPU rendering based on your needs and your system.
Regularly Updated
Blender is a regularly updated piece of software and keeps up with the many innovations and changes in the industry. The rollout of Blender 2.8 for instance introduced a large array of new features including Eeevee and massive changes to the user interface. As industry trends emerge such a GPU rendering Blender has kept up to date.
The key point here is just because Blender is free it doesn’t mean the developers struggle to keep up with the changes and innovations in the industry.
Disadvantages
Hopefully by now you are adequately convinced of the benefits Blender and you’re ready to jump in and play. However you should be aware of some of Blenders shortfalls after all no program is perfect.
Difficult to learn
In my opinion the user interface has been vastly improved with the 2.8 update previous to this it was a nightmare. However Blender is by no means an easy to learn software. Given its complexity and tasks it can perform its to be expected that there is going to be an overwhelming amount of buttons and settings.
Don’t let this deter you however Blender is still a great option for beginners and can be just as challenging to learn as Maya for example.
Thankfully given how long Blender has been around and its large user base there are no shortage of helpful tutorials around to help you find your way.
It Does Not Specialize
While Blender has the ability to just about do anything it does not mean it is exceptional at everything.
For example Blender has the ability to sculpt, and in my personal opinion it does an ok job, but software such as Zbrush can do a vastly better job. This is because Zbrush specializes in sculpting and not the whole CG pipeline.
This does not mean you should avoid Blender for this reason, as lots of people produce great content using only Blenders sculpting tools. You simply might just find yourself using other programs for various aspects of your pipeline. This is fairly standard practice in the industry as no one piece of software does a great job at everything.
Lacks External Support
One of the most frustrating aspects I have found with Blender is the lack of support other programs give it.
As I mentioned previously there is a chance you are going to use external software for certain aspects of your pipeline. From my experience there are implementations to assist with Maya and 3dsMax but just not Blender
For example ZBrush has what is referred to as a GoZ function which acts as a bridge between software so you don’t have to manually import and export files to switch between programs. This functionality is not officially available for Blender although there are addons some cleaver developers have created.
Not Industry Standard
Blender typically has not been used extensively in large studios. Programs such as Maya & 3ds Max have been preferred for some time. If your goal is to someday work in a studio, experience in these programs is more sort after than Blender.
In my personal opinion this will change over time as Blender continues to prove it is as robust of other software. With the 2.8 release this has only continued to drive this point home.
How Does it Compare to Other Software
The closest comparable software to Blender would be other software capable of performing the entire CG pipeline. This would include software such as Maya, 3ds Max and Cinema 4d. All of these software have their advantages and disadvantages as well.
I don’t think it is a matter of which software is best you can get to the same result using any of these options. Your decision as to which software to use should be based on your end goal.
If you are looking to get into CG as a hobbyist or for your indie game project for example. I’d stick with the free option Blender as these alternate programs can get quite expensive. if you are looking to integrate with professional pipelines or get a job in a big studio potentially consider using Maya, 3dsMax or Cinema 4d.
Conclusion
Now that you know the main advantages and disadvantages of Blender you can make that decision you have finally been obsessing about and intensely researching.
My advice if you are looking at getting into CG pick a program and stick with it. The software is useful but it does not make you a great artist only practice will do that. Personally I would pick Blender but as you may have already noticed I’m somewhat biased on the matter.
Good luck!!