The 3D software Blender has been released in the new major version 4.0. The free open source software for 3D modeling, animation and rendering is primarily intended to improve workflows when designing virtual worlds.
According to the announcement, the integration of “Geometry Nodes” – a graphical module for generative modeling – has been expanded in particular. This allows users to program their own tools and modifiers for Blender without the need for Python knowledge.
Further innovations relate to animation, where a Butterworth filter, for example, is intended to ensure smoother motion sequences. When rendering, the Cycles engine now offers selective light linking to allow light sources to only affect certain objects.
The material and surface simulation has also been revised in order to be able to reproduce a wider range of realistic materials and effects such as dust and dirt deposits. More photorealistic hair shaders and support for new hardware accelerators round off the improvements.
Blender is available free of charge under GPL license for Windows, Mac and Linux. The software is funded by the Blender Foundation through donations and crowdfunding campaigns. All changes can be found in the release notes.
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