Ivo van de Grift revisits his mechanical contraptions with this miniature wing-flapping machine. It doesn't do too well. About two weeks ago I started a new Blender Pet Project; ‘The Fly’. I wanted to create a robot-like fly with lots of moving parts. My goal was to have a single control point for the wing animation. So I used an empty with a rotational keyframe animation that drives all other objects. In this way I can accelerate and slow down the animation with just one element. While working on the project I learned a lot about using Constrains modifiers, how they work and when (not) to use them. In the end I created a lot of Geo Node Modifiers to handle to more complex animations, like the wing stabilizers. To animate the flying part I created a low poly version of the Fly-body and added Rigid Body physics to it. After baking the physics part, like the (crash) landing, I used Constrains modifiers to copy the low poly animation to the Fly itself. In that way I could animate some parts of the flight with keyframes and other parts with physics. This was a nice project to dive deeper into using Constrains modifiers and Geo Nodes. Both have their pros and cons, but combining them is the key. You can see more of Ivo's short videos on his YouTube Channel.

Learn how to create the illusion of speed using some simple techniques in Blender. Blendereverything walks us through the process and uses tricks like animated lights, particle systems, animated textures and of course motion blur! Source

Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation. Source

Jurassic Park Fan Film: The Hunters 5 - Rampage of Revenge By Ali Awada on August 24, 2025 Video Behavioural Palaeontologist Tony's plan to take down the hunters begins. He has lured the buck tyrannosaur to their base camp, and now he must find a way to release all the captive dinosaurs, as well as find out what happened to the doe rex.

Dive into creating Manga-style NPR rendering with this super extensive and free tutorial series by Harry Helps. Hello Everyone! In this comprehensive tutorial, we'll create a subtle looping animation of a manga style environment in Blender! We'll be using a panel from the manga "BLAME!" as our reference! We'll start with a ready-made starter file and design custom materials to give it a manga aesthetic. Then, using the grease pencil tool, we'll draw hand-crafted elements directly into the scene. To enhance the manga aesthetic, we'll apply compositing overlays that give it the feel of a manga page. In the final step, we'll animate the camera and export the finished piece as both a video and an animated GIF! I hope you enjoy the tutorial! See the full 17-part playlist here:

Blender 4.5 introduces a major update to the grid fill tool, which now handles complex geometries more effectively and produces cleaner results. Source

Noggi took on the task to recreate an 'impossible' shot from One Piece. He shows all the steps which include tedious shape key creation, setting up lighting for individual elements and of course Grease Penci animation! Source

J Hill interviews Juan Hernández about his amazing experiment with the videogame character Stitch  from Lilo & Stitch. Source

Here's an overview of the most recent Blender jobs on Blender Artists, ArtStation and 3djobs.xyz: B3AR Creative | Contract Unity 3D Artist - Remote Aviary Productions | Prop Artist Maya to Blender Look Dev Conversion - On-going Engagement Advanced Game Artist Creston Games | Lead 3D Artist 3D Redner & Animations Join Bespoke Pixel – [...] Source

Blender Developers Meeting Notes: 18 August 2025 By n8n on August 19, 2025 Blender Development Notes for weekly communication of ongoing projects and modules. This is a selection of changes that happened over the last week. For a full overview including fixes, code only changes and more visit projects.blender.org. Reset various runtime data for writing files (commit) - (Hans Goudey) Improve RNA performance tests flexibility. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Move VSync from an environment variable to an argument (commit) - (Campbell Barton) Recognize ACES config un-tone-mapped view (commit) - (Brecht Van Lommel) Allow empty names in File Output node (commit) - (Omar Emara) Support strings sockets (commit) - (Omar Emara) Allow menu sockets for pixel nodes (commit) - (Omar Emara) Removing Sun Beams node (commit) - (Mohamed Hassan) Don’t get/set PWD env var for working directory functions (commit) - (Jesse Yurkovich) Parallelize NURBS basis cache evaluation with O(n) complexity (commit) - (Mattias Fredriksson) Add cyclic curve offsets cache (commit) - (Hans Goudey) Do not sample direct light when ray segment is invalid (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Always add world as object (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Create one box for vdb mesh instead of many (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Render volume by ray marching through octrees (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Compute volume transmittance using telescoping (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Shade volume with null scattering (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Volume Scattering Probability Guiding (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Use RGBE for denoised guiding buffers to reduce memory usage (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Use analytic formula for homogeneous volume (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Add and update volume test files (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Store octree parent nodes in a stack (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) oneAPI: Disable L0 copy optimization for several dGPUs (commit) - (Nikita Sirgienko) Use deterministic linear interpolation for velocity (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Use one-tap stochastic interpolation for volume (commit) - (Weizhen Huang) Add material name collision mode (commit) - (Oxicid) Shader: Add support for full template specialization (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Rewrite default_argument_mutation using parser (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Fix parser not being consistent (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Replace template macro implementation by copy paste (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Preprocess: Improve error reporting (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Remove Shader Draw Parameter workaround (commit) - (Clément Foucault) Add flag for shader debug info generation (commit) - (Christoph Neuhauser) Improve cyclical end cap rendering (commit) - (Casey Bianco-Davis) Export other curve types to SVG (commit) - (Casey Bianco-Davis) Edit Mode Pen Tool (commit) - (Casey Bianco-Davis) Support extracting Vulkan & OpenGL args even when disabled (commit) - (Campbell Barton) Add Apply Transforms option to obj exporter (commit) - (Thomas Hope) Fix recursive resync incorrectly clearing hierarchy info. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Prevent matching collection items only by their index if a name and ID are provided. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Avoid quadratic vertex valence complexity for corner normals (commit) - (_илья __) Improve performance and compression, always compress (commit) - (Aras Pranckevicius) Allow Preferences editor to be opened in Maximized Area (commit) - (Jonas Holzman) Gray out or hide asset shelf toggle if not available (commit) - (Julian Eisel) Center-align header modal status text (commit) - (Pablo Vazquez) Prevent automatic mode switching in certain scenarios (commit) - (Sean Kim) Remove liboverride UI dead code, improve UI messages. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Prevent ‘liboverride’ ‘decorator’ button to control keyframes. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Widen Preferences Window (commit) - (Pablo Vazquez) Theme: Move curve handle properties in common (commit) - (Nika Kutsniashvili) Generalized Alert and Popup Block Error Indication (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Tree View: Operator to delete with X key (commit) - (Pratik Borhade) Use UI_alert For Vulcan Fallback Warning (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Remove unused theme properties (commit) - (Nika Kutsniashvili) Warning When Dragging Non-Blend File Onto Executable (commit) - (Harley Acheson) “Duplicate Strips” also duplicates referenced IDs (commit) - (Falk David) Add copy and paste operators to preview keymap (commit) - (Ramon Klauck) Improve Histogram scope for HDR content (commit) - (Aras Pranckevicius) Add scene assets through strip add menu (commit) - (Falk David) Clear Strip Keyframes from Preview (commit) - (Ramon Klauck) Enable Pie Menu on Drag for Preview Keyframe Insert (commit) - (Ramon Klauck) Add “Mirror” menu to preview strip menu (commit) - (Ramon Klauck) Disable descriptor buffers (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Swap to system memory for device local memory (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Destroy resources in submission thread (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Update VMA to 3.3.0 (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Remove MoltenVK (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Enable maintenance4 in VMA (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Add message type for remote downloader messages to message bus (commit) - (Julian Eisel)

Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation. Source

Here's an overview of the most recent Blender jobs on Blender Artists, ArtStation and 3djobs.xyz: fish in a bottle | Junior 3D Game Artist Haast Autonomous | 3D Aerospace Visualization Engineer (Artist) Insight Global | 3D Character Artist Apex Systems | Virtual Reality Designer Geonodes artist required Contract 2D Weapons (Guns) Concept Artist 3D Head [...] Source

Create Gaussian Splats in Blender From Drone Footage With the Free SkySplad Add-On By kyjohnso on August 16, 2025 Add-ons SkySplat is a Blender addon that simplifies the workflow for creating 3D Gaussian Splats from drone footage. It provides a comprehensive set of tools to streamline the process from video import to frame extraction, and loose integration of Blender with COLMAP and Arthur Brussee's rust based Brush App (pre-compiled binaries included). kyjohnso writes: SkySplat Blender Addon 0.3.0 is newly released. This addon allows you to manage your drone video to 3D Gaussian Splat pipeline entirely from the Blender 3D viewport. The new release integrates with Arthur Brussee's rust based Brush app. The addon and 3rd party integration packages are all open source with MIT or Apache giving true freedom to create - I will also be presenting SkySplat at BlenderCon 25! Be sure to come say hello! Links

New Blender Add-ons that speed up 3D Modeling - Smart Mesh Toolkit By Supra3D on August 16, 2025 Add-ons The smart mesh toolkit is a set of add-ons that will accelerate your 3D modeling workflow. Meet your new favorite hotkey! Either in object or edit mode, “Y” will be the hotkey to quickly start using these new immersive tools. Meet the Smart Mesh tool Features Smart primitive editing: This tool intelligently detects when you selected a primitive like a cube, sphere, or cylinder. The draggable pop-up panel has specific parameters for the primitive you selected, you can then edit their parameters like radius, segments, and depth. It allows adjustments long after the object has been created. For non-primitive meshes, it provides a panel to edit general transforms like location, rotation, and dimensions. Instant access: Smart mesh tool is one key press away. In object mode simply select an object and press Y to bring up tool. This streamlines your workflow it saves time on clicks and eliminates the need to hunt through menus. Interactive & live adjustments: See the changes as you make them. All parameters in the pop-up panel are fully interactive, giving you real-time visual feedback to dial in the perfect shape and size. Non-destructive workflow: You can freely experiment with any parameter in the pop-up panel, no changes are permanent until you confirm them. If you don’t like the result, simply press cancel. The operation and your object will instantly revert to its original state, no undo required. https://i.imgur.com/hcfYatU.mp4Meet the target merge tool Features Interactively merge vertices: Start seamlessly merging vertices quickly with one keypress. Press Y in edit mode and your cursor starts highlighting vertices to select. Once you select on a vertex, drawing lines appear from your source vertex showing exactly which vertices you are going to merge. Merge multiple vertices: You have full control. Select multiple source vertices with shift + click, then select a final destination to merge them precisely. Target and center modes: target mode merges your selected source vertices to the precise location of the final vertex you select. Center mode takes all selected vertices and merges them together at their calculated average position. Easily switch between the two modes with C while tool is active. Multi-object edit mode: you can freely stitch two different objects vertices together in multi-object edit mode. This will bring the vertices from the two different objects into the same position. Something not possible with blender’s default merge operation. Industry tool: Inspired by the target weld tool in Autodesk Maya, this addon brings a industry standard tool to your blender modeling toolkit. https://i.imgur.com/jMrApd2.mp4Support and licenses Support We will strive to give consistent updates to fix bugs and expand or create additional add-ons for this toolkit. Our pro and Studio customers get more personalized support and early beta/feature updates with our exclusive Discord support server. Licensing options Standard license: For individual artists. Free feature updates. Pro License: For a professional freelancer. Discord support server. Free early feature and beta updates. Studio: 6 seat studio/commercial house. Discord support server. Free early feature and beta updates.

Albin Merle's latest video is a 'product build' video of a simple stool. I found the entire process, images and sound very satisfying to watch! This experimental piece explores the fusion of natural and synthetic materials in furniture design. The stool features a 3D-printed seat combined with wooden legs, highlighting the contrast and harmony between digital fabrication and traditional craftsmanship. A dynamic visual sequence reveals the genesis and assembly of the stool, exposing the inner structure and materiality at the heart of the object. For the sound design, Liam embarked on a forest expedition to capture the natural tones of wood ( creaks, cracks, and textures reminiscent of tree rings) . These recordings were then transformed through granular processing and EQ, reinventing the essence of wood into synthetic, 3D-printed-like plastic sounds. The music draws inspiration from Euclidean rhythms, blending the percussion of a traditional symphony orchestra with the deep resonance of Japanese taikos and driving analog beats. Product design: Mael SANDOZ Audio: ‪Liam PHAN‬ Visuals: ‪Albin MERLE‬Created in Blender 4.5 and rendered with Cycles. A simplified Blender project file is available in the shared Dropbox folder.

Behind the Effects of RENEGADES By ALLO on August 12, 2025 Behind the ScenesALLO contributed VFX and Blender-designed 3D printed props to a short superhero film.I had the pleasure of working in collaboration with Station 1 Studios and MoNo Films on a superhero short film, RENEGADES that released last Friday. I co-produced, built props, and more importantly served as the Effects Supervisor. All the VFX were done in Blender, Resolve, and Final Cut Pro – from obvious effects to small unseen edits. Additionally, I worked with as many practical effects and props as possible on this project, which was quite a fun and challenging time.I also used Blender to create some of the props for this film, designing models such as Concrete’s helmet to be 3D printed and post-processed.I had the pleasure to make the credits sequence for this short, also using Blender. I loved the flexibility of creating the sequence in full real-time in EEVEE with real-time compositing, while having the music playback in real-time for easy editing. The power of the 3D tools in Blender is truly astounding, enabling me to create the sequence fully in viewport in a fraction of the time that I would have needed in After Effects or Resolve.Additionally, I used Blender for some of the marketing, creating character posters of our main actors:I hope you found this reflection on how Blender was utilized for this project interesting, and that you also enjoy the film!

Timelapse: Creating a 3D Stylized Plane - Blender 4.5 By Pietro Chiovaro on August 13, 2025 TimelapseEnjoy the full creation process, from sketch to render, of a stylized plane that Pietro Chiovaro created for his game. I started with a sketch that I used as the main reference for the blockout and 3D modeling. Then I moved on to cleanup, removing all unnecessary edges and vertices, an essential optimization to maintain high performance, especially in-game.After that, I unwrapped the UVs by “opening” all the models, and then began creating the materials, where I hand-painted the plane and added a few extra details.

UVPackmaster – Auto Repacking, New UV Grouping Method and Much More By glukoz on August 13, 2025 Add-onsA lot of powerful new features have been added to UVPackmaster since our last post on BlenderNation. Here’s a quick summary of the highlights. A powerful new feature: Auto Repacking! With a single click, you can now repack all configured UV maps in your blend file. By using option sets, the user can define packing options individually per object or UV map. The feature automatically detects changes made to UVs or packing options since the last repack—and only repacks when necessary.Watch our new tutorial about the Auto Repacking feature here: New option Arrange Non-Packed Islands: when packing with fixed scale, arrange the islands that cannot be packed due to a lack of space in a line above the target UV area: New option for the Split Overlapping feature – Don’t Split Priorities: when enabled, the packer doesn’t split islands sharing the same Align Priority value: Display or assign texel density on a per-island basis, with visual feedback: New grouping method – group UVs by Vertex Color:But there is much more! Refer to our site for detailed release notes.Get UVPackmaster here.Best regards, UVPackmaster team