Blend
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* '''Family Format(s):''' N/A | * '''Family Format(s):''' N/A | ||
| − | '''Description:''' | + | '''Description:''' Loading and saving in Blender is very fast and Blender is known to have excellent downward and upward compatibility. Ton Roosendaal demonstrated that in December 2008 by loading a 1.0 blend-file using Blender 2.48a. |
Saving complex scenes in Blender is done within seconds. Blender achieves this by saving data in memory to disk without any transformations or translations. Blender only adds file-block-headers to this data. A file-block-header contains clues on how to interpret the data. After the data, all internally Blender structures are stored. These structures will act as blue-prints when Blender loads the file. Blend-files can be different when stored on different hardware platforms or Blender releases. There is no effort taken to make blend-files binary the same. Blender creates the blend-files in this manner since release 1.0. Backward and upwards compatibility is not implemented when saving the file, this is done during loading. | Saving complex scenes in Blender is done within seconds. Blender achieves this by saving data in memory to disk without any transformations or translations. Blender only adds file-block-headers to this data. A file-block-header contains clues on how to interpret the data. After the data, all internally Blender structures are stored. These structures will act as blue-prints when Blender loads the file. Blend-files can be different when stored on different hardware platforms or Blender releases. There is no effort taken to make blend-files binary the same. Blender creates the blend-files in this manner since release 1.0. Backward and upwards compatibility is not implemented when saving the file, this is done during loading. | ||
| − | When Blender loads a blend-file, the DNA-structures are read first. Blender creates a catalog of these DNA-structures. Blender uses this catalog together with the data in the file, the internal Blender structures of the Blender release you're using and a lot of transformation and translation logic to implement the backward and upward compatibility. In the source code of blender there is actually logic which can transform and translate every structure used by a Blender release to the one of the release you're using. The more difference between releases the more logic is executed. | + | When Blender loads a blend-file, the DNA-structures are read first. Blender creates a catalog of these DNA-structures. Blender uses this catalog together with the data in the file, the internal Blender structures of the Blender release you're using and a lot of transformation and translation logic to implement the backward and upward compatibility. In the source code of blender there is actually logic which can transform and translate every structure used by a Blender release to the one of the release you're using. The more difference between releases the more logic is executed. |
| − | '''History:''' | + | '''History:''' In 1988, Ton Roosendaal co-founded the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo. This studio quickly became the largest 3D animation house in the Netherlands. Within NeoGeo, Ton was responsible for both art direction and internal software development. After a careful deliberation it was decided that the current in-house 3D toolset needed to be rewritten from scratch. In 1995 this rewrite began and was destined to become the 3D software tool we all now know as Blender. |
In 1998, Ton founded a new company called Not a Number (NaN), to further market and develop Blender. NaN's business model involved providing commercial products and services around Blender. In 2000 the company secured growth financing by several investment companies. Target was to create a free creation tool for interactive 3D (on-line) content, and commercial versions of the software for distribution and publishing. | In 1998, Ton founded a new company called Not a Number (NaN), to further market and develop Blender. NaN's business model involved providing commercial products and services around Blender. In 2000 the company secured growth financing by several investment companies. Target was to create a free creation tool for interactive 3D (on-line) content, and commercial versions of the software for distribution and publishing. | ||
| Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
Because of the overwhelming success of the first open movie project, Ton Roosendaal, established the "Blender Institute" in summer 2007. This now is the permanent office and studio to more efficiently organize the Blender Foundation goals, but especially to coordinate and facilitate Open Projects related to 3D movies, games or visual effects. | Because of the overwhelming success of the first open movie project, Ton Roosendaal, established the "Blender Institute" in summer 2007. This now is the permanent office and studio to more efficiently organize the Blender Foundation goals, but especially to coordinate and facilitate Open Projects related to 3D movies, games or visual effects. | ||
| − | In April 2008 the Peach Project, the open movie "Big Buck Bunny", was completed in the Blender Institute. In September 2008 the open game "YoFrankie!" was released. | + | In April 2008 the Peach Project, the open movie "Big Buck Bunny", was completed in the Blender Institute. In September 2008 the open game "YoFrankie!" was released. |
| − | '''Example(s):''' [[Example::Blender Example]] | + | '''Example(s):''' [[Example::Blender Example]] |
| − | '''Identifier:''' [[Identifier::http://www.blender.org]] | + | '''Identifier:''' [[Identifier::http://www.blender.org]] |
| − | '''Documentation:''' | + | '''Documentation:''' Blend has no official documentation. |
| − | '''File Extensions:''' [[File Extension::]] | + | '''File Extensions:''' [[File Extension::blend]] |
| − | '''Applications:''' | + | '''Applications:''' |
| − | * '''Native application(s):''' [[Native Application:: | + | * '''Native application(s):''' [[Native Application::Blender]] |
| − | * '''Interoperable applications:''' [[Interoperable Application:: | + | * '''Interoperable applications:''' [[Interoperable Application::None]] |
| − | '''Magic numbers:''' [[Magic Numbers::]] | + | '''Magic numbers:''' [[Magic Numbers::None]] |
| − | '''Format(s):''' | + | '''Format(s):''' N/A |
| − | '''Rights:''' [[Rights::]] | + | '''Rights:''' [[Rights::GNU GPL v2]] |
| − | '''Sustainability Factors:''' | + | '''Sustainability Factors:''' |
| − | * '''Standardization:''' [[Standardization::]] | + | * '''Standardization:''' [[Standardization::None]] |
| − | * '''Adoption:''' [[Adoption::]] | + | * '''Adoption:''' [[Adoption::None]] |
| − | ** '''Licensing and patent claims:''' [[Licensing and patent claims::]] | + | ** '''Licensing and patent claims:''' [[Licensing and patent claims::None]] |
| − | * '''Self-documentation:''' [[Self-documentation::]] | + | * '''Self-documentation:''' [[Self-documentation::None]] |
| − | * '''External dependencies:''' [[External dependencies::]] | + | * '''External dependencies:''' [[External dependencies::None]] |
| − | * '''Technical protection considerations:''' [[Technical protection considerations::]] | + | * '''Technical protection considerations:''' [[Technical protection considerations::None]] |
| − | '''Typical use:''' [[Typical use::]] | + | '''Typical use:''' [[Typical use::3D Modeling]] |
| − | '''File classification:''' | + | '''File classification:''' |
| − | * '''Type {Binary, Text}:''' [[File Classification Type::]] | + | * '''Type {Binary, Text}:''' [[File Classification Type::Binary]] |
| − | * '''Raster data:''' | + | * '''Raster data:''' |
| − | ** '''Raster data 2D:''' | + | ** '''Raster data 2D:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 2D - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 2D - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 2D - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 2D - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Raster data 3D:''' | + | ** '''Raster data 3D:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 3D - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 3D - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 3D - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Raster Data 3D - Description::None]] |
| − | * '''Geometric representation:''' | + | * '''Geometric representation:''' |
| − | ** '''Implicit representation:''' | + | ** '''Implicit representation:''' |
| − | *** '''Implicit surfaces:''' | + | *** '''Implicit surfaces:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Implicit Surfaces - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Implicit Surfaces - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Implicit Surfaces - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Implicit Surfaces - Description::None]] |
| − | *** '''Implicit curves:''' | + | *** '''Implicit curves:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Implict Curves - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Implict Curves - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Implicit Curves - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Implicit Curves - Description::None]] |
| − | *** '''Point set:''' | + | *** '''Point set:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Point Set - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Point Set - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Point Set - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Point Set - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Mesh:''' | + | ** '''Mesh:''' |
| − | *** '''Manifold surface meshes:''' | + | *** '''Manifold surface meshes:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Mainfold Surface Meshes - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Mainfold Surface Meshes - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Meshes - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Meshes - Description::None]] |
| − | *** '''Manifold volume meshes:''' | + | *** '''Manifold volume meshes:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Meshes - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Meshes - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Meshes - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Meshes - Description::None]] |
| − | *** '''Non-manifold meshes:''' | + | *** '''Non-manifold meshes:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Meshes - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Meshes - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Meshes - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Meshes - Description::Normals cannot be recalculated correctly on non-manifold meshes.]] |
| − | ** '''Parametric representation:''' | + | ** '''Parametric representation:''' |
| − | *** '''Parametric surfaces:''' | + | *** '''Parametric surfaces:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Parametric Surfaces - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Parametric Surfaces - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Parametric Surfaces - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Parametric Surfaces - Description::None]] |
| − | *** '''Parametric curves:''' | + | *** '''Parametric curves:''' |
| − | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Parametric Curves - Is Supported::]] | + | **** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Parametric Curves - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Parametric Curves - Description::]] | + | **** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Parametric Curves - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Contour sets:''' | + | ** '''Contour sets:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Contour Sets - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Contour Sets - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Contour Sets - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Contour Sets - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''NURBS:''' | + | ** '''NURBS:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification NURBS - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification NURBS - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification NURBS - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification NURBS - Description::None]] |
| − | * '''Multi-resolution models:''' | + | * '''Multi-resolution models:''' |
| − | ** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Multi-resolution Models - Is Supported::]] | + | ** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Multi-resolution Models - Is Supported::false]] |
| − | ** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Multi-resolution Models - Description::]] | + | ** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Multi-resolution Models - Description::All models must be at the same resolution.]] |
| − | * '''Dynamics:''' | + | * '''Dynamics:''' |
| − | ** '''Kinematics:''' | + | ** '''Kinematics:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Kinematics - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Kinematics - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Kinematics - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Kinematics - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Assembly:''' | + | ** '''Assembly:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Assembly - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Assembly - Is Supported::false]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Assembly - Description:: | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Assembly - Description::Blender is not meant for CAD applications, so this feature is not supported.]] |
| − | ** '''Force(s):''' | + | ** '''Force(s):''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Force - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Force - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Force - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Force - Description::One example provided on the official site is a wind force.]] |
| − | * '''Boundary representation''' | + | * '''Boundary representation''' |
| − | ** '''Manifold surface boundary representations:''' | + | ** '''Manifold surface boundary representations:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Boundary Representation - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Boundary Representation - Is Supported::false]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Boundary Representation - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Surface Boundary Representation - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Manifold volume boundary representations:''' | + | ** '''Manifold volume boundary representations:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Boundary Representation - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Boundary Representation - Is Supported::false]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Boundary Representation - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Manifold Volume Boundary Representation - Description::None]] |
| − | ** '''Non-manifold boundary representations:''' | + | ** '''Non-manifold boundary representations:''' |
| − | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Boundary Representation - Is Supported::]] | + | *** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Boundary Representation - Is Supported::false]] |
| − | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Boundary Representation - Description::]] | + | *** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Non-manifold Boundary Representation - Description::None]] |
| − | * '''Material transparency:''' | + | * '''Material transparency:''' |
| − | ** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Material Transparency - Is Supported::]] | + | ** '''Is Supported:''' [[File Classification Material Transparency - Is Supported::true]] |
| − | ** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Material Transparency - Description:: | + | ** '''Description:''' [[File Classification Material Transparency - Description::An alpha value can be defined which represents the level of transparency.]] |
'''References:''' | '''References:''' | ||
| − | *J. Bakker, "The Mystery of the Blend: The Blender File-format Explained", March 2009[http://www.atmind.nl/blender/mystery_ot_blend.html] | + | *J. Bakker, "The Mystery of the Blend: The Blender File-format Explained", March 2009 [http://www.atmind.nl/blender/mystery_ot_blend.html] |
Latest revision as of 11:30, 11 May 2009
Title(s): Blend - Blender file format
Version ID: 2.48a
Date released: 2008-10-23
Date: 1998-01-01
Creator(s): Stichting Blender Foundation
Contributor(s): Stichting Blender Foundation
Relationships:
- Previous Version(s): N/A
- Contains: N/A
- Syntax Format(s): N/A
- Family Format(s): N/A
Description: Loading and saving in Blender is very fast and Blender is known to have excellent downward and upward compatibility. Ton Roosendaal demonstrated that in December 2008 by loading a 1.0 blend-file using Blender 2.48a.
Saving complex scenes in Blender is done within seconds. Blender achieves this by saving data in memory to disk without any transformations or translations. Blender only adds file-block-headers to this data. A file-block-header contains clues on how to interpret the data. After the data, all internally Blender structures are stored. These structures will act as blue-prints when Blender loads the file. Blend-files can be different when stored on different hardware platforms or Blender releases. There is no effort taken to make blend-files binary the same. Blender creates the blend-files in this manner since release 1.0. Backward and upwards compatibility is not implemented when saving the file, this is done during loading.
When Blender loads a blend-file, the DNA-structures are read first. Blender creates a catalog of these DNA-structures. Blender uses this catalog together with the data in the file, the internal Blender structures of the Blender release you're using and a lot of transformation and translation logic to implement the backward and upward compatibility. In the source code of blender there is actually logic which can transform and translate every structure used by a Blender release to the one of the release you're using. The more difference between releases the more logic is executed.
History: In 1988, Ton Roosendaal co-founded the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo. This studio quickly became the largest 3D animation house in the Netherlands. Within NeoGeo, Ton was responsible for both art direction and internal software development. After a careful deliberation it was decided that the current in-house 3D toolset needed to be rewritten from scratch. In 1995 this rewrite began and was destined to become the 3D software tool we all now know as Blender.
In 1998, Ton founded a new company called Not a Number (NaN), to further market and develop Blender. NaN's business model involved providing commercial products and services around Blender. In 2000 the company secured growth financing by several investment companies. Target was to create a free creation tool for interactive 3D (on-line) content, and commercial versions of the software for distribution and publishing.
Sadly, due to disappointing sales and the ongoing difficult economic climate, the NaN investors decided to shut down all operations early 2002. The shutdown also included discontinuing the development of Blender. Enthusiastic support from the user community and customers couldn't justify leaving Blender to disappear into oblivion. Since restarting a company with a sufficiently large team of developers wasn't feasible, in May 2002 Ton Roosendaal started the non-profit Blender Foundation.
The Blender Foundation's first goal was to find a way to continue developing and promoting Blender as a community based open source project. In July 2002, Ton managed to get the NaN investors to agree on a unique Blender Foundation plan to attempt to open source Blender. The "Free Blender" campaign sought to raise 100,000 EUR, as a one-time fee so that the NaN investors would agree on open sourcing Blender. To everyone's shock and surprise the campaign reached the 100,000 EUR goal in only seven short weeks. On Sunday Oct 13, 2002, Blender was released to the world under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Blender development continued since that day driven by a team of far flung dedicated volunteers from around the world led by Blender's original creator, Ton Roosendaal.
With Blender originating as an in-house creation tool, the day-to-day feedback and interaction of both developing and using the software was one of its most outstanding features. In first 2.5 years of open source development, it was especially this uniqueness of Blender that has proven to be difficult to organize and maintain. Instead of getting funding to bring together software developers, the Blender Foundation decided to start a project to bring together the most outstanding artists in the Blender community and challenge them to make an exciting 3D animation movie short.
This is how "Project Orange" started in 2005, which resulted in the world's first and widely recognized Open Movie "Elephants Dream". Not only was the entirely created using Open Source tools, the end-result and all of the assets as used in the studio were published under an open license, the Creative Commons Attribute.
Because of the overwhelming success of the first open movie project, Ton Roosendaal, established the "Blender Institute" in summer 2007. This now is the permanent office and studio to more efficiently organize the Blender Foundation goals, but especially to coordinate and facilitate Open Projects related to 3D movies, games or visual effects. In April 2008 the Peach Project, the open movie "Big Buck Bunny", was completed in the Blender Institute. In September 2008 the open game "YoFrankie!" was released.
Example(s): Blender Example
Identifier: http://www.blender.org
Documentation: Blend has no official documentation.
File Extensions: blend
Applications:
- Native application(s): Blender
- Interoperable applications: None
Magic numbers: None
Format(s): N/A
Rights: GNU GPL v2
Sustainability Factors:
- Standardization: None
- Adoption: None
- Licensing and patent claims: None
- Self-documentation: None
- External dependencies: None
- Technical protection considerations: None
Typical use: 3D Modeling
File classification:
- Type {Binary, Text}: Binary
- Raster data:
- Geometric representation:
- Implicit representation:
- Mesh:
- Manifold surface meshes:
- Manifold volume meshes:
- Non-manifold meshes:
- Is Supported: true
- Description: Normals cannot be recalculated correctly on non-manifold meshes.
- Parametric representation:
- Contour sets:
- NURBS:
- Multi-resolution models:
- Is Supported: false
- Description: All models must be at the same resolution.
- Dynamics:
- Kinematics:
- Is Supported: true
- Description: None
- Assembly:
- Is Supported: false
- Description: Blender is not meant for CAD applications, so this feature is not supported.
- Force(s):
- Is Supported: true
- Description: One example provided on the official site is a wind force.
- Kinematics:
- Boundary representation
- Material transparency:
- Is Supported: true
- Description: An alpha value can be defined which represents the level of transparency.
References:
- J. Bakker, "The Mystery of the Blend: The Blender File-format Explained", March 2009 [1]