LogInThe long-awaited update to the open-source 3D software brings new tools for animation and adds the ability to create custom operators using Geometry Nodes.
Following months of anticipation and a week-long delay, The Blender Foundation has finally released Blender 4.0, a massive update to its renowned free-to-use 3D software for modeling, texturing, rendering, animation, and VFX.
As was expected, the 4.0 update has brought significant enhancements to the application's animation and rigging pipelines, improved the modeling and UV toolsets, enhanced Eevee and Cycles, added new nodes and tools for sculpting, painting, and texturing, upgraded the software's rendering capabilities, and much more.
One of the most notable features of the update is the newly added ability to set up custom operators using the software's Geometry Nodes toolset, simplifying the creation of personalized tools. With the introduction of Node-based tools in version 4.0, it is now possible to expand Blender and customize tools without the necessity of Python scripting.
Earlier, passivestar, a well-known 3D artist, Game Developer, and YouTuber, conducted a series of experiments with the new version of Blender, demonstrating some incredible self-made modeling tools created with the new ability:
Another significant addition in Blender 4.0 is the enhanced rigging and animation pipeline. As part of Blender's Animation 2025 initiative, the updated toolset introduces a new asset shelf to the pose library, includes new bone collections and colors, improves Bendy Bones, enhances the graph editor, refines the user interface, and more.
The software's modeling, sculpting, and painting workflows have undergone improvements, including an updated Modifier menu, the capability to establish a base point during object transformation, a new option to set vertex colors and lock alpha, an enhanced user interface, and additional enhancements.
Shading and texturing in Blender 4.0 have also been made easier and more robust with the revamped Principled BSDF node, which now supports a wider range of material types, upgraded BSDF and Texture Nodes, and updated light sources.
Other upgrades introduced in Blender 4.0 include improvements to Cycles and Eevee, new Color Management tools, Compositor and Sequencer updates, updates to the software import/export capabilities, enhanced compatibility, and much, much more. You can check out the full list of improvements and download Blender 4.0 for free here.
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