Hola Community! Pablo here. Let's see what's new in Blender.

This is all possible thanks to your donations. If you like what you see, keep it going at fund.blender.org 🧡

What's New Changelog and Q&A: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/touch-your-blender-blender-today-live-292/46170?sort=old

0:00:00 Intro 0:00:25 Hola! 0:03:30 Animation 0:05:19 Compositor 0:09:52 Core 0:13:44 Cycles 0:18:30 EEVEE 0:20:38 Extensions 0:21:59 I/O 0:23:43 macOS 0:29:01 Modeling 0:29:49 Nodes 0:31:41 Projects 0:35:41 Python 0:36:33 Render 0:38:36 Sculpt 0:41:01 Subdiv 0:43:50 User Interface 0:50:49 Video Sequencer 0:54:07 Q&A 1:04:27 Outro

What's New Changelog and Q&A: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/blender-today-291-huge-sequencer-improvements-projects-in-blender-5-3/45975?sort=old

BlenderToday is a live show highlighting the latest news in Blender development, the community, and Q&A. Streaming from the Blender HQ in Amsterdam since 2018, hosted by Pablo Vazquez (Senior Product Designer at Blender).

0:00:00 Intro 0:00:25 Hola! 0:09:33 Animation 0:09:58 Assets 0:13:13 Camera 0:14:36 Compositor 0:18:15 Core 0:19:32 Extensions 0:24:04 Geometry Nodes 0:29:04 GHOST 0:31:02 I/O 0:36:02 Modeling 0:40:10 Nodes 0:44:10 Outliner 0:44:53 Paint 0:47:00 Projects 0:55:06 Python 0:55:26 Sculpt 0:56:40 User Interface 1:08:03 UV 1:11:43 Video Sequencer 1:29:20 Q&A 1:45:29 Outro

Get a glimpse of Blender Conference 2026! Explore the atmosphere, innovative projects, and the collaborative spirit that bring this annual gathering to life.

Video by Maaike Kleverlaan and Harukaze Legouge

Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

Hola Community! Pablo here. Let's see what's new in Blender.

This is all possible thanks to your donations. If you like what you see, keep it going at fund.blender.org 🧡

Q&A: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/blender-today-live-290-gaussian-splatting-dlss-outliner-and-more/45863

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BlenderToday is a live show highlighting the latest news in Blender development, the community, and Q&A. Streaming from the Blender HQ in Amsterdam since 2018, hosted by Pablo Vazquez (Senior Product Designer at Blender).

#b3d #blendertoday

-- 0:00:00 Intro 0:00:24 Hola! 0:03:12 Animation 0:06:17 Color Management 0:07:18 Compositor 0:08:52 Core 0:14:40 Cycles 0:18:38 EEVEE 0:22:16 Geometry Nodes 0:30:07 Grease Pencil 0:35:40 Gaussian Splatting 0:38:12 I/O 0:41:23 Modeling 0:45:54 Node Editor 0:50:41 Outliner 0:58:14 Paint 0:59:05 Projects 1:02:20 Sculpt 1:03:09 Shading 1:05:39 User Interface 1:23:34 Viewport 1:26:21 Video Sequencer 1:30:13 Q&A 1:32:00 Outro

"Audio Nodes: Live Sound, Living Geometry" by Cem Özcan at Blender Conference 2026

Audio Nodes is a Blender add-on that turns sound into a live creative input for Blender. Instead of treating audio as data baked to the timeline, it lets artists build sound-reactive systems with familiar node workflows using sequencers, samplers, audio filters, MIDI controls, FFT analysis, and real-time links to geometry nodes, shader nodes, or any Blender property that is driver-friendly.This workshop shows how audio can become a first-class driver inside Blender, enabling scenes that pulse, deform, glow, and perform in direct response to live sound.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Subject Extraction for Scene Reconstruction in VFX" by Vincent Dorenkamp at Blender Conference 2026

Most VFX workflows start with the reconstruction of the scene based on the footage, in order to integrate new CG assets with the existing geometry and lighting of the scene. During that process an important step is the separation of the subject(s) from the background.

In this talk Vincent will showcase a custom machine learning model for extracting subjects from footage for a better cg integration workflow. We'll look at the current state-of-the-art in image matting, this new model's architecture, color reconstruction for half-transparent subjects and how to work safely with external libraries in extensions asynchronously.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"The Future of Rendering" by Jules Urbach at Blender Conference 2026

Covering emerging trends in GPU rendering for motion graphics, film making, product design, VFX, games, virtual production, immersive media and more – with deep dives on the latest traditional and neural rendering technologies, and their converging workflows.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Suzanne Awards" at Blender Conference 2026

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Closing Event" by Francesco Siddi at Blender Conference 2026

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Porting Blender to Android" by Jonas Holzman at Blender Conference 2026

This presentation will give an overview of the Android Platform Support project. Reporting on current progress, showcasing an early Android build, going over the technicalities of a mobile platform port, and giving a general overview of the future of Blender on tablet devices.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Blender JAM: A Collective Animation Experiment" by Eli Rabinovich at Blender Conference 2026

The Blender JAM returns with its most ambitious challenge yet! *bring your laptop to participate = it will be fun

Participants will be split into small groups (micro studios) and given a shared theme that will be revealed on the spot.

Each team has one goal: create a short animation together, under a tight time limit, with no preparation and no safety net.

It's about creative instinct, fast decisions, and finding out what happens when a room full of creative Blender artists builds something none of them planned.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"2D Comic Style in 3D: Shapes! Lines! Shading!" by Sacha Goedegebure at Blender Conference 2026

This talk explores the process of reconstructing a personal 2D comic style within a 3D workflow. This includes the use of Geometry Nodes and Grease Pencil on deformed or animated surfaces, and the importance of hand-drawn lines over computer-generated ones. Covering both creative and technical challenges, the presentation reflects on 3D shapes, line work, toon shading, and the constant search for a fast personalized workflow.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"SciExplorer: From Microscopy Data to Interactive Scientific Visualisation" by Alisa Ovsiannikova at Blender Conference 2026

Just as telescopes reveal the wonders of our cosmos, microscopes uncover the secrets of life. Biologists use modern microscopy to produce 3D imaging data from tissues, single cells, and even subcellular structures. However, understanding these data remains challenging.

Blender already supports importing and scientifically rendering microscopy data, yet interactive analysis is limited.

In this talk Alisa Ovsiannikova will introduce SciExplorer, a Python-based UI panel linking microscopy-derived data with measurements, allowing scientists to study biological structures interactively in 3D. For example, measured distances between structures become more intuitive when visualised in 3D, as they exist in real life, rather than as a list of numbers.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Scientific Data on Surfaces" by Nicole Feng at Blender Conference 2026

I'm a computer scientist working in "geometric computing", meaning I develop algorithms for working with geometric data like meshes, curves, and point clouds. In many projects, I've needed to accurately visualize data that lives on curved surfaces: Blender makes lighting, shading, and materials easy, but accurately communicating the behavior of a particular surface quantity, as it bends and wraps around 3D shapes, takes a little care. This talk is a short tour of basic techniques I've picked up for rendering surface quantities like scalar and vector fields, and also how I use Blender to help with scientific illustrations.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Vtubing Using EEVEE/Cycles DLSS" by Tse Cheng at Blender Conference 2026

We use Blender as VTubing engine, connecting motion data through the VMC protocol. We have created several useful tools, sample files, and pipelines to help 3D artists maximize their potential in creating amazing textures and Geometry Nodes setups.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Designing Lattice Infills to Control Mechanical Behaviour" by Mehmet Kala at Blender Conference 2026

Mehmet Kala will present his procedural lattice generation system that explores how geometry can do more than simply fill space. By controlling the arrangement and movement of lattice cells, the same material can be guided toward very different mechanical responses. Through physical prototypes, early testing, and concept applications such as personalized cushioning, artificial muscles, and morphing structures, the talk explores how lattice infill can evolve from a lightweight internal structure into an active part of a product’s mechanical behavior.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"From Scene to Sensor: Synthetic LiDAR for Autonomous Systems" by Michael Schwingshackl at Blender Conference 2026

Building high-quality LiDAR datasets for autonomous systems is slow, expensive, and rarely captures the edge cases that matter most. In this talk Michael Schwingshackl shows how a procedural pipeline turns synthetic 3D environments into physically accurate LiDAR scans. He walks through Geometry Nodes as a flexible sensor simulator, capable of reproducing complex real-world scan patterns, and Python for automated data extraction, turning Blender into a high-fidelity data engine for perception research. Michael presents results from outdoor autonomous machinery in the field and discusses how perception models trained on synthetic data perform once they leave simulation, including where the sim-to-real gap still causes trouble.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Every Hair Deliberate: A Photoreal Cat in Hair Curves" by Steve Chow, Alex Parker at Blender Conference 2026

British Shorthair fur is short, dense and plush, which sounds simple and turns out to be one of the harder coats to get right. In this talk Steve Chow shares what VFX Grace learned grooming one with Hair Curves: why the whole cat ended up split into just two regions, how a hand-painted texture opens the splits a thick coat develops where the skin stretches, and the shading trick that stops dense fur reading as solid black inside.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"OpenPBR: Road to Expressive and Interoperable Material Models" by Sebastian Herholz, Weizhen Huang at Blender Conference 2026

Introducing OpenPBR, Blender’s upcoming surface shading model aiming at keeping a consistent appearance when material assets are shared across different applications, simplifying the process of teaming-up and collaborating with other people.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"APX & AVX10: The Next Evolution of x86" by Leonhard Rannabauer at Blender Conference 2026

The x86 CPU instruction set continues to evolve with new extensions that matter for performance-critical software like Blender. For developers, understanding these changes helps shape future optimizations to make better use of upcoming CPUs. In this talk, we introduce Advanced Performance Extensions (APX) and Advanced Vector Extensions 10 (AVX10), explain core ideas such as more general-purpose registers, cleaner instruction forms, and a more unified vector programming model. We'll show what they enable in practice and where they bring measurable benefits in Blender.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Fall of Reach - Guide to Epic Sci-Fi for Small Studios" by Julien Blarel at Blender Conference 2026

Can small teams succeed where Hollywood fails?

Increasingly the answer is yes. But some projects still seem impossible, especially when it comes to capturing the epic scale of Halo's sci-fi universe. But we proved it could be done by producing an animated TV series on the Fall of Reach. (Note: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL FAN PROJECT)

This presentation uses our Blender project as a case study to show how a small team of independent creators can in fact deliver the massive scale, military realism, and complex lore that fans expect from major studios. From ideation and tooling to production pipelines and team structure, attendees will gain a practical roadmap for bringing ambitious stories to life.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Mathemagics: Building Assets for Realtime Effects" by John Einselen at Blender Conference 2026

How does a technical artist approach realtime effects? Using examples from an immersive XR headset experience, industry veteran John Einselen (motion design and technical director at Launch) will walk through some of his approaches; from prototyping within Blender to building final assets and integrating them in realtime game engines.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"3D-to-2D Animation Smear Effect Technique Based on Japanese Hand-Drawn Style" by Shu-Ting Lin at Blender Conference 2026

Based on my own SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 poster, this talk presents a method that generates Japanese-style smear effects instantly—just specify a 3D region, with no manual vertex editing or keyframing.

I'll walk through the add-on's architecture:

1. Automated point-cloud sampling via Geometry Nodes
2. Dynamic 3D-bounding-box masking
3. Adaptive interpolation that respects "animating on ones, twos, and threes."

By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to replicate the approach themselves—and everyone who attends this presentation gets the add-on for free.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Protecting Creative Momentum: When the 'Wrong' Way Is the Right Way" by Mike Yakovlev at Blender Conference 2026

This talk is a candid, vulnerable case study of how I diagnosed my creative burnout following the success of my first short film (and subsequent talk at BCON25), realized the trap of the 'traditional' pipeline, and returned to my roots with a smarter, more deliberate approach to finish my second short film based on the 1988 anime film, Akira.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/

"Imposter Syndrome" by Thomas R Murphy at Blender Conference 2026

While optimizing EEVEE Next for the UP Blender Game Engine, Tom developed an imposter-card shader and add-on to streamline asset creation and boost real-time performance.

Only after creating the add-on for his personal use, did he realize that it could help almost all artists seeking to reduce render times, expedite asset production and improve real-time performance.

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Learn more about Blender Conference 2026 at https://conference.blender.org/2026/