Blender 2.8 Code Quest

Hey everyone, here's a cool project I'd like to highlight. It's not directly related to SFM, but it might be relevant to some of you.

A lot of model makers use Blender to port models to the Source Engine. Blender is a free and open source 3D creation tool that is developed by a group of volunteers from all over the world. Everyone can contribute to it, and everyone can use the software for free. While not entirely equal in functionality, it is the only tool of its kind that can hold its own to professional tools like 3ds Max, Maya and Cinema4D. To learn more about what's possible with Blender, check out some of the 3D animations created by the Blender Open Movie project or at the Blender website.

Because Blender's development heavily depends on volunteers, it slightly lags behind other professional tools in some areas. Open source development is slower because it takes longer to form a consensus on design decisions and because development resources are limited. The Blender developers also don't make money from selling the software because they give it away for free. Development is largely supported by selling learning materials, tutorials, merchandise and optional subscription services. This means that, at all times, they have to make tough choices on where they spend their development time.

The reason I'm making a post about this is related to the Blender 2.8 Code Quest. The next major release of Blender is Blender 2.8. With this version, the Blender developers are basically hoping to make a big jump by completely rewriting underlying systems to make way for modern techniques. To read more about the improvements to Blender 2.8, check out their website. Blender 2.8 has been in development for quite a while now, and with the Code Quest, they hope to raise funds get all the main developers together in Amsterdam for a few weeks and make a big push towards a first beta release. Funds are being raised through the sale of 3D printed USB drives in the shape of a small rocket.

If you use/have used Blender, and want to support the cause, take a look at the Code Quest page and see what you can do to help.

Alternatively, there is the Blender Development Fund where you can make recurring donations towards the continued development of Blender. There is also the Blender Cloud, which is a subscription service which offers tutorials, textures and other handy tools for learning and using Blender.

I have used Blender for a fairly long time now, and am very thankful for the work that has been put in by the developers. If you feel the same, be sure to check out this great cause!