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Is there any point in learning blender as a software developer? I like it a lot but feel like the learning curve is too high and not worth it for me?

the_gastropod 6y ago
For fun! I've been tinkering with it for a while, and I feel like it's a fairly accessible way for developer-types to be a little artistic. There are also concepts in Blender (like the whole node system) that might inspire some creative solutions in your day-to-day programming. Also, if you're at all inclined to try make video games, you can make your own 3d models. It pairs nicely with Unity or Unreal for a relatively low-barrier-to-entry to build something small and fun.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
jrockway 6y ago
Do you want to model things in 3D and render them? If so, Blender is a great tool. I feel like this question is like going to an art forum and asking if you should learn Kubernetes. You could, but it's not going to help with your art.
- fctorial 6y ago
  I was hoping for examples of situations in which blender helped a software developer.
  - singhrac 6y ago
    I've used Blender to build models for simulations and generated image/video data for training deep segmentation and image models, but it's all science related. Nothing that would help a software developer - I think that's too broad a label anyway.
  - jrockway 6y ago
    Sorry about that. Honestly, nothing in Blender has helped me with anything related to software. Making 3D things and making software are two largely unrelated interests of mine. I like that the UI shows me Python functions that I can use to invoke the menu item, and I have written some Python before (read an STL, do some transformations, write an OBJ; Blender was easier than cobbling together other tools to do that). My main takeaway that I apply to my own software is that if I know how to do something in the app, the apps should tell me what API method to call to do the same thing. (Google's Cloud Console does this!) And, that if I know the name of the command I want to run, I shouldn't have to poke through the menus to find it. (Blender fixed this with F3 global search. It annoys me to death in other apps like Fusion 360, where things move ever release and I have to search through every menu because the YouTube tutorial I'm watching is a week out of date.)
  - ehvatum 6y ago
    The attitudes, outlook, habits of the Blender development community are healthy. Dwelling in that scene and bringing something of it with you to mundane work will make you something special.
kinghtown 6y ago
I think Blender is the most exciting software being developed today. I really think we are on the cusp of an indie cg film/show golden age like what Hollywood has in the 70s and 90s. The possibilities with CG are sky high but the barrier to entry has been equally so. Lots of money and man hours. But I truly think the next ten years will be exciting and that something like on the level of Star Wars will be made by a small team collaborating remotely. I think Blender is really user friendly.
- mkaic 6y ago
  Have you looked at the stuff Ian Hubert makes with Blender? I’d definitely classify the kind of work he does with blender as indie cg golden age. Seriously, though, Blender is incredible, and I really really enjoy using it frequently on my own film projects. It’s a joy to work with.
  - kinghtown 6y ago
    Totally. I love his DIY attitude and dispelling the idea that it’s super hard to make ‘good enough” vfx shots. The way I see it, the missing component is acting, and sound design, music too, but you can really start to actually do it yourself. Like we are nearing the reality of a like DAW UI which plays stories instead of music. Exciting times.
bradford 6y ago
It's hard to say. Blender has a very rich feature set and it's not easy knowing if it will be relevant for your role. I picked it up as a hobbyist/artist and I really enjoyed it. I haven't used the modelling capabilities in my day-job, but I have used the video-editing capabilities to make instructional videos that were useful in my day-job. For that alone I'm glad that I picked it up.
- mike1o1 6y ago
  I did the same, but then recently picked up Davinci Resolve which feels a lot friendlier to use. It also has a free/lite version, though it's not OSS like Blender.
cturtle 6y ago
Having been a Blender user for a while now, I have used it multiple times as an alternative to Illustrator/Inkscape for 2D graphics for my projects because the editing capabilities feel much more flexible to me. I have also used the drivers and constraints for modeling UI interactions. Also, the Python scripting can be very enjoyable. I have generated 3D audio visualizations for fun in the past. So for me it's been both fun and useful to know Blender as a software developer, though not strictly required.
Budabellly 6y ago
I personally am seeing a ton of activity in 3D powered web experiences. Eventually it will mix with webXR for the AR/VR devices of the future. If you are interested in these technologies, Blender will be one of the most important tools to know I suspect.
mike1o1 6y ago
I started learning in November/December or so. It's a little tough to get over the initial curve, but the Blender Guru donut tutorial is really helpful, as well as the free beginner tutorial on cgboost.com. Is it helpful as a software dev? Who knows, but it's been an enjoyable hobby for now. I particularly have enjoyed the motion tracking and adding some special effects to videos of my young daughter.
TeMPOraL 6y ago
I don't know. If the software you're writing has nothing to do with visualizing or simulating real world, probably not. I myself somehow keep gravitating towards Blender for casual use, because every now and then, I want to do something in 3D. The last time was for VR (I also re-learned Unreal Engine for it), this time is for architecture visualization (in particular, I want to design the home office I'll be having once we move from the apartment we currently live in, and I'm half-hoping that beyond usual interior visualization, I'll be able to abuse Blender to do some lighting evaluation and maybe even airflow modelling). In my mind, Blender represents one of those capabilities that computers have that could be useful for me personally, so I try to get at least passable proficiency in it. Same thing got me to learn the basics of Audacity, even though I have zero hobby or professional need for sound work (I mostly trim out sponsorship messages from youtube-dl'ed mp3s these days, so that my 22mo doesn't get trained to "like and subscribe" while listening to her nursery rhymes). And same thing dragged me into software development in the first place - I wanted to do stuff with computers (mostly making videogames).

the_gastropod 6y ago

For fun! I've been tinkering with it for a while, and I feel like it's a fairly accessible way for developer-types to be a little artistic. There are also concepts in Blender (like the whole node system) that might inspire some creative solutions in your day-to-day programming. Also, if you're at all inclined to try make video games, you can make your own 3d models. It pairs nicely with Unity or Unreal for a relatively low-barrier-to-entry to build something small and fun.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

jrockway 6y ago

Do you want to model things in 3D and render them? If so, Blender is a great tool. I feel like this question is like going to an art forum and asking if you should learn Kubernetes. You could, but it's not going to help with your art.

fctorial 6y ago
I was hoping for examples of situations in which blender helped a software developer.
- singhrac 6y ago
  I've used Blender to build models for simulations and generated image/video data for training deep segmentation and image models, but it's all science related. Nothing that would help a software developer - I think that's too broad a label anyway.
- jrockway 6y ago
  Sorry about that. Honestly, nothing in Blender has helped me with anything related to software. Making 3D things and making software are two largely unrelated interests of mine. I like that the UI shows me Python functions that I can use to invoke the menu item, and I have written some Python before (read an STL, do some transformations, write an OBJ; Blender was easier than cobbling together other tools to do that). My main takeaway that I apply to my own software is that if I know how to do something in the app, the apps should tell me what API method to call to do the same thing. (Google's Cloud Console does this!) And, that if I know the name of the command I want to run, I shouldn't have to poke through the menus to find it. (Blender fixed this with F3 global search. It annoys me to death in other apps like Fusion 360, where things move ever release and I have to search through every menu because the YouTube tutorial I'm watching is a week out of date.)
- ehvatum 6y ago
  The attitudes, outlook, habits of the Blender development community are healthy. Dwelling in that scene and bringing something of it with you to mundane work will make you something special.

kinghtown 6y ago

I think Blender is the most exciting software being developed today. I really think we are on the cusp of an indie cg film/show golden age like what Hollywood has in the 70s and 90s. The possibilities with CG are sky high but the barrier to entry has been equally so. Lots of money and man hours. But I truly think the next ten years will be exciting and that something like on the level of Star Wars will be made by a small team collaborating remotely. I think Blender is really user friendly.

mkaic 6y ago
Have you looked at the stuff Ian Hubert makes with Blender? I’d definitely classify the kind of work he does with blender as indie cg golden age. Seriously, though, Blender is incredible, and I really really enjoy using it frequently on my own film projects. It’s a joy to work with.
- kinghtown 6y ago
  Totally. I love his DIY attitude and dispelling the idea that it’s super hard to make ‘good enough” vfx shots. The way I see it, the missing component is acting, and sound design, music too, but you can really start to actually do it yourself. Like we are nearing the reality of a like DAW UI which plays stories instead of music. Exciting times.

bradford 6y ago

It's hard to say. Blender has a very rich feature set and it's not easy knowing if it will be relevant for your role. I picked it up as a hobbyist/artist and I really enjoyed it. I haven't used the modelling capabilities in my day-job, but I have used the video-editing capabilities to make instructional videos that were useful in my day-job. For that alone I'm glad that I picked it up.

mike1o1 6y ago
I did the same, but then recently picked up Davinci Resolve which feels a lot friendlier to use. It also has a free/lite version, though it's not OSS like Blender.

cturtle 6y ago

Having been a Blender user for a while now, I have used it multiple times as an alternative to Illustrator/Inkscape for 2D graphics for my projects because the editing capabilities feel much more flexible to me. I have also used the drivers and constraints for modeling UI interactions. Also, the Python scripting can be very enjoyable. I have generated 3D audio visualizations for fun in the past. So for me it's been both fun and useful to know Blender as a software developer, though not strictly required.

Budabellly 6y ago

I personally am seeing a ton of activity in 3D powered web experiences. Eventually it will mix with webXR for the AR/VR devices of the future. If you are interested in these technologies, Blender will be one of the most important tools to know I suspect.

mike1o1 6y ago

I started learning in November/December or so. It's a little tough to get over the initial curve, but the Blender Guru donut tutorial is really helpful, as well as the free beginner tutorial on cgboost.com. Is it helpful as a software dev? Who knows, but it's been an enjoyable hobby for now. I particularly have enjoyed the motion tracking and adding some special effects to videos of my young daughter.

TeMPOraL 6y ago

I don't know. If the software you're writing has nothing to do with visualizing or simulating real world, probably not. I myself somehow keep gravitating towards Blender for casual use, because every now and then, I want to do something in 3D. The last time was for VR (I also re-learned Unreal Engine for it), this time is for architecture visualization (in particular, I want to design the home office I'll be having once we move from the apartment we currently live in, and I'm half-hoping that beyond usual interior visualization, I'll be able to abuse Blender to do some lighting evaluation and maybe even airflow modelling). In my mind, Blender represents one of those capabilities that computers have that could be useful for me personally, so I try to get at least passable proficiency in it. Same thing got me to learn the basics of Audacity, even though I have zero hobby or professional need for sound work (I mostly trim out sponsorship messages from youtube-dl'ed mp3s these days, so that my 22mo doesn't get trained to "like and subscribe" while listening to her nursery rhymes). And same thing dragged me into software development in the first place - I wanted to do stuff with computers (mostly making videogames).