Now available for download is the new Blender 2.80 that comes with a redesigned user interface and a whole bunch of new tools.
Before we get into what the new Blender has to offer, let’s see what this freeware is all about! Blender is a complete 3D creation suite that deals with all elements of the 3D pipeline, such as modeling, simulation, animation, rendering, and video tracking. It is also worth mentioning that people from different walks of life have contributed to the development of this software, therefore the company really emphasizes on YOU, which can be seen from their tag line: ‘Blender, made by you’.
Not like Blender 2.79 was lacking anything, the new Blender brings a lot of new stuff to the table. “What new stuff?”, you might ask. Well, let’s have a look!
What’s New
Users will find Blender to be changed from both the outside and the inside as they notice the new features mentioned below.
Revamped Workspace
The new Blender comes with a brand new workspace that makes it easier for users to get to motion tracking, texture painting, sculpting, and other related tasks. With this update, it is also possible to customize your workspaces as per your needs.
Redesigned UI
As the sole focus of Blender is on its users, the new UI is designed in such a way that it makes your artwork more prominent. Plus, the developers have added a modern icon set and a new dark theme and users can now access their most-used tools in Quick Favorites menus.
Added Functionality
Blender 2.80 features a new modern 3D viewport, which allows users to display a scene that caters to the task at hand. Moreover, users can make use of the viewport to do modeling, sculpting, scene layout, and other such tasks, courtesy of the new Workbench render engine, which also comes with overlays.
New Tools
The UV editor and the 3D viewport now come with new interactive tools and gizmos — not to mention a new toolbar. Owing to these additions, new users will be able to get started with using Blender more easily and current users won’t need obscure key combinations to access tools.
Eevee
Meet Eevee, the new physically-based, real-time renderer! This tool will help you by providing advanced features, like depth of field, subsurface scattering, and volumetrics. It is also noteworthy that it powers both Blender’s realtime viewport for creating assets and the rendering for final frames.
Other Changes
- Random Walk Subsurface scattering, BSDF hair and volume shading, and Cryptomatte have been added to Cycles
- The ability to produce advanced concept art, animations and storyboards all thanks to the new Grease Pencil 2D drawing and animation system
- Various improvements in components like multi-object editing, Bevel Tool and Modifier, WebM Support, and Pixar’s OpenSubdiv
Conclusion
The new Blender 2.80 takes its user interface and overall functionality to the next level with the addition of several new features and changes. Thus, it becomes even harder for artsy individuals not to check out this freeware. Also, you can head over to Blender’s official release notes to get to know more about this release.
