Linux for Designers

Dennis Ippel updates his script which export scenes of Blender as Flash ActionScript 3.0 objects for various Flash 3D engines like Papervision3D. Now it supports Away3D Lite too. For details visit the official exporter webpage.

A new fantastic release of the 3D suite Blender hit the streets. Again filled up with tons of lovely new features. This time a lot is focused on the Blender Game Engine (BGE):
* Texture Nodes
* Projection Painting
* Etch-a-ton armature
* Boolean Improvements
* JPEG2000 Support
* Video Texture in BGE
* Real-time Dome rendering in BGE
* BGE speedup
* Bullet Physics upgrade
* Game Engine Modifier support
* Improved Game Logic and Python API
* New Python scripts and a lot of bug fixes
All new features in detail and download available at the Blender website.

The first release candidate of Blender 2.49 is available for download. Blender 2.49 brings you:
* Video Textures in Game Engine
* Logic API cleanup for Game Engine
* Texture node editing
* Etch-a-ton, armature sketching preview
* Dome rendering for Game Engine
* Projection texture painting
* Jpeg2000 support in sequencer
* New GE actuators

All details about this release can be found here.

The Open Game Apricot project of the Blender Foundation is finished the DVDs arrived and will be shipped in the next days.
If you didn't ordered it yet visit the Blender eShop now!

William Reynish has updated hsi UI paper for Blender 2.5. He presented it the first time at the Blender Conference this year in Amsterdam. He collected all the feedback and clarifies some unclear parts.
A very interesting analysis of the existing interface and a very good idea of a new at all. For those that like to get a screeny check out page 24 but don't forget to read it all

» The Evolution of Blenders User Interface (PDF)

Whoo-Hoo - Blender 2.48 is available and it comes with a lot of amazing features. Again a stunning release of the open source 3d suite. Check out the release logs of Blender 2.48:
* Improved real-time GLSL materials
* Grease pencil (sketch annotations)
* Better animation tools
* Improved Game Logic (thanx to the Apricot Opengame Project)
* Updated Bullet physics library
* Sun, sky & atmosphere renderer
* Colored shadows
* Great additions to the builtin Python editor
* Fluid simulation can be controlled using particles
and much, much more...
Hopefully the Blender Nurbs Project can collect enough donations so we get nice NURBS in Blender soon too.
Besides that the GI renderer Yafray is back from death and released as Yaf(a)ray 0.1.0 (which is the successor of Yafray 0.0.9). This version is rewritten from scratch. After two years of development, it already features a complete set of lighting and rendering options. Yaf(a)Ray 0.1.0 is a perfect addition to Blender.
UPDATE:
You can grab an DEB archive of Blender 2.48 for Ubuntu at GetDeb.net.

Carsten Wartmann, main author of the first edition of the book "Blender Gamekit", started his work on a fully updated 2nd version. The Apricot blog ("Yo Frankie" open games) described it with "...cover all new functionality, glsl materials, multilayer texture, character animation and logic states and bricks".
The first version, published in 2003, is now freely available for download. The 2nd version of the Blender Gamekit will be available at the end of this year at the Blender eShop.

With a lot of influences of the Apricot-Project the first release candidate of Blender 2.47 is available:
* a lot of BGE improvements
* GLSL-Shader in Viewport
* Improved snapping tool
* bugfixes to stabilize the 2.46 "Bunny release"

the Opem Game Project Apricot intrduces new funny characters Ramiro and Many - both are Sheeps. Like once Frank they watch out for animators

So much is going on at the Open Game Apricot Project:
* New levels
* Name and Logo announced: Yo Frankie!
* New Apricot Blender builds available
* Apricot files available
* Optimized GLSL features

Check out the blog to get all the flavored details