Recently one of my 3DS Max licenses ran out as I was in the process of making a model. This limited my ability to complete the job and so I needed a quick solution. Conveniently a friend of mine has been suggesting I try Blender for a while now. So I thought I would give it a try and see what I think about it.
Why blender?
Unlike 3DS Max, Blender is lightweight, fast, and free to use, In fact, it has a file size of under 600MB. So overall, Blender is very portable and efficient. I also have found that Blender has a lot of features that work differently to 3DS Max. Some for the better, combining workflows that 3DS Max would require additional software to accomplish, Blender is more versatile than 3DS Max. And some that are not as useful, especially when it comes to going back down the stack of operations. Bender is more destructive than 3DS Max but also has the advantage of having tools for lots of different parts of a workflow in the same place through the use of its mode tabs. While 3DS Max does have some tool tabs that are similar, they are not known to be amazing and are very intensive to run.
Feelings about Blender:
Overall I liked using Blender, It had similar tools to ones I usually make use of and in some regards looked a lot nicer while I was working, it ran much faster than 3DS Max and had next to no startup time, its materials were also easier to access and the whole program was very shortcut-heavy.
I did have some issues with the software. For example, you have to set all your variables at the point of creating a standard primitive or when first performing an operation such as a chamfer, something you can edit afterward in 3DS Max but not in Blender.
But overall it was a pleasant experience that I could not complain too much about, especially when it’s free. It reminds me of what being an indie is about, making what you can with the resources you have.
An Evaluation and Analysis of Blender In the games industry:
Blender is not industry standard at this point in time but I see a potential future for its use within the industry, in particular at smaller indie studies and for individual developers. For me, it’s quick to set up, is free, and works well, I could happily work with an artist using Blender. For AAA studios, there are some areas that create issues when using Blender at present. One of the main issues for larger studios is the open-source nature of the program, an issue that smaller studios and individuals will treat as a benefit.
According to Lock-In Strategy in Software Competition: Open-Source Software vs. Proprietary Software, “it is difficult for any party to gain monopoly power on an OSS” (Zhu and Zhou, 2012) which is entirely true.
However while the source treats this as a positive, it is also possible to view this as a negative, as larger studios may. A single entity cannot offer support during major updates for the same software without this control, something studios may be willing to pay a premium for. This is especially the case if an update would interfere with processes or plugins a studio has set up to get assets into their custom engine, a controlling business can point them to the changed code to help them get their plugins working quickly while open source development means that the studio would have to track down any bugs themselves. A business will always choose the setup that makes the most profit and if paying more reduces downtime significantly, then the business will opt to pay that cost for the support.
According to 3D Modeling for wildlife encyclopedia using Blender, “3D is becoming one of the popular learning methods around the globe for experts and researchers”(Khan et al., 2019). The idea that 3D is becoming popular is not a new one but the big advantage that Blender has is its accessibility and its grassroots audience, specifically an audience of new, younger artists. I think that this accessibility is the largest selling point of the software over the Autodesk software suite and in the long term, I believe there is a chance that a push from these new artists could lead potentially to a revolution in software choices, especially with the current trend of working from home.
Self-Crit
What I did
During my research into how to use Blender, I created a couple of models. The first was a sci-fi scene prop, I focused on using the features of Blender that don’t have an equivalent in 3DS Max. My second model was a
replica of a frog statue in my hometown, which I was creating as an accurate model from real life. This has encouraged me to work as close to the source photos as possible. The Frog is still in progress. I intend to 3D print the frog to create a product to be auctioned off for charity.
What went wrong
When I first opened Bender, I had no idea where anything was. I had a good idea of how to model in general from my 3DS Max work of the past 10 years, but I could not find out how to get started, I debated some watching some tutorials but did not need that much help, I just needed to know where certain buttons were.
How can I overcome what went wrong
In order to resolve my initial issues, preferring not to degrade myself with beginner videos which would be excellent for a newcomer but a bore for an experienced modeler, I instead opted to ask a friend of mine who is a professional 3D artist to teach me a few things. Then we would go on to do a fun modeling challenge using my newfound skills. He showed me where the basic tools were and I was able to ask questions about where things were. I knew we both knew the 3D modelling processes so I knew he would understand any questions I would have. We then went on to the challenge, a sci-fi prop, using only Blender.
What went well
Once I had the basics down, I didn’t have too many issues creating the assets, and my existing 3D art skills transferred very well. I feel I could easily get used to the software. I was especially impressed that after a short time exploring Blender, I had found many different tools that related to different parts of game development, some of which 3DS Max does not do.
What I achieved
I managed to create both my first asset and have good progress on my frog and have learned a basic process for working in Blender, I even used it to create a bracelet for Adventure In Aellion. Normally I would use 3DS Max but I was able to manage the task with only Blender.
What can I improve and how
I am still new to Blender and so have a lot I can improve on. I understand how to model in 3D so the biggest impact I can have is practice. With that in mind, I will be trying to use Blender as an option for any modeling that is not time-sensitive. One of the advantages of Blender is that it can read an “.FBX” file meaning I can quickly send it to another program if I hit a wall.
Action Plan:
- I will be continuing to practice Blender when the opportunity rises, using it for personal projects and experimenting with new techniques.
- I will be continuing to practice 3DS Max and using it for professional work
- I will be finishing the Frog model to be printed, painted, and auctioned for charityI will be finishing the Frog model to be printed, painted, and auctioned for charity
Conclusion
Overall I think I can use Blender, It’s lightweight, relatively familiar to use, and has a lot of features. I don’t want to get out of practice in Autodesk software so won’t exclusively use Blender, but adding it as another option could have a lot of uses, especially if I work with artists who prefer Blender. Autodesk is still the main industry standard and there are a lot of reasons why I will be keeping up to date with 3DS Max. I may also look at Maya which I believe shares some similar traits to Blender. Knowing Blender will help and is a lot
cheaper too, good for when I am out and about or on a less powerful laptop. Ultimately I have sorted my 3DS Max Licence as well and will continue to use 3DS Max.
Bibliography
Zhu, K. and Zhou, Z., 2012. Research Note—Lock-In Strategy in Software Competition: Open-Source Software vs. Proprietary Software. Information Systems Research, 23(2), pp.536-545.
Khan, S., Channa, S., Ali, S., Khan, M., Qazi, A. and Mengal, K., 2019. 3D Modeling for wildlife encyclopedia using blender. 3C Tecnología_Glosas de innovación aplicadas a