Chapter 17

Other Software and Formats

As powerful and versatile as Blender is, no one program can do everything that the computer graphics animator needs to do. Certain tasks, such as creating 2D textures or editing sound, require a completely different sort of software. Even for tasks that Blender can perform, some people prefer (or are required) to use several 3D applications for different tasks.

This chapter briefly covers Blender’s interaction with other software. First you will look at a variety of file formats that you can import and export to and from Blender. Then you’ll learn about recommended open source software packages for various tasks in creating fully developed CG animations.

The chapter concludes with some changes currently in the works for Blender. Blender’s development waits for no one; by the time this book is published, a new version may have been released or may be scheduled for release very soon. Here, you’ll learn about scheduled updates and improvements so you have an idea of what to expect and how it relates to the version included on the book’s downloadable companion files

• Importing and Exporting Other File Formats
• Useful Open Source Software for Blender Artists
• Blending into the (Near) Future

and some of them may be in an official release by the time this book is out. (It is no problem to run multiple versions of Blender side by side on the same machine, so if you want to experiment with an SVN build, you can do so without abandoning the release you have installed.)

Some exciting currently active projects include an overhaul of Blender’s mesh modeling tools, a full integration of the powerful Freestyle non-photorealistic line renderer, advances in Blender’s sculpting and physics functionality. You can keep abreast with what actual Blender developers are up to by checking the Blender developers blog at .

In the next chapter, you’ll read about some further resources to learn about Blender’s functionality and to keep up with what’s happening in the world of Blender.