https://www.blender.org/download/

New things include improvements to Cycles, AO and DOF in the Viewport compositor, improvements to hair dynamics and editing, support for custom normals and transferring of data layers between models, new proportional editing inverse-square type blending, and a few new things in the sculpting and painting areas too.

I like the custom normals things, and the AO and DOF realtime compositor features.  It reminds me of the realtime AO and DOF in 3dCoat, which I just love.  Not much improvement in the modelling area though, which is somewhat disappointing, but there's always next time.

Side note and personal observation: The new cavity mask painting feature is verrry much the same kind of feature as the curvature mask painting in 3d Coat.  In fact, I remember thinking the same thing about the matcaps feature, introduced back in Blender 2.66, and thought they stole that idea from 3d Coat back then.  Same thing with the stencil texture painting introduced in 2.67!  Again, a unique feature found first in 3d Coat.  Yikes!  If I were the guys at 3d Coat, I'd be a little pissed.

seems to me that you want issues with blender and all other softwares

blender is open source and is developed by thousands of people and adapts to the needs of the users unlike most other softwares

there is alot i can say negative about the others but wont because i am above that

please do not make this about which software you prefer over blender.....do not blender bash

Sorry if this has been asked before.
I had V 2.72,  I had a theme I liked installed, some specific shortcut keys set up, and some add ons installed and set-up.

   I downloaded and installed V 2.73, but when I opened Blender all of the above disappeared and I had to go through the whole process of setting Blender back up to the way I had it.

    I have just downloaded V 2.74 but am reluctant to install it for fear of losing all of the above again.

 So my question is;
   Is there a way or option where I can basically save the current Blender environment and load it into the new install of Blender?

Thanks in advance

Well, it is true Blender has been playing catch-up to other software. (Not just the one's mentioned.) More or less developers cherry-picking certain features and ideas mentioned by users and finding ways of implementing them. They may do the same kind of things as other software, but it doesn't mean they're implemented or coded in the same way.

But I have this feeling Blender wont be playing catch-up for long. It's a pretty solid and unique program in it's own right. Which is likely a good thing for us users, but perhaps should have other software makers worried. Some things like retopo stuff being developed already looks better than what's available as a stand-alone or as part of some other software. (Albeit the plug-in for Blender that does it is being commercially developed.) There are also other things relating to animation where once the kinks are worked out should make this FOSS more than competitive.

Since free sets the baseline, some of those companies that we're familiar with in CG will be hitting that "limbo-bar" in terms of development cost vs. what they can do with thier software. I wonder if some of the companies more focused on content will eventually turn to developing plug-ins rather than trying to maintain their own particular in-house rendering software.

Sorry if this has been asked before.
I had V 2.72,  I had a theme I liked installed, some specific shortcut keys set up, and some add ons installed and set-up.

   I downloaded and installed V 2.73, but when I opened Blender all of the above disappeared and I had to go through the whole process of setting Blender back up to the way I had it.

    I have just downloaded V 2.74 but am reluctant to install it for fear of losing all of the above again.

 So my question is;
   Is there a way or option where I can basically save the current Blender environment and load it into the new install of Blender?

Thanks in advance

Hello Pipp44  Usually when you first start a newly installed version of Blender you get the splash screen and and there is an option to copy previous settings when click on the button do give it a few seconds it will appear like things have frozen but depending on the complexity of your previous setting it might take a few seconds to copy them over. And Theme's do not update with new version sometimes they work but when ever there is a Blender Version update you usually have to go see if the theme maker has updated the theme for the current version since themes like add-on can be created by others who are not part of the dev team for Blender. Hope this helps 

Good Luck 

 Thanks for heads up  :)

seems to me that you want issues with blender and all other softwares

blender is open source and is developed by thousands of people and adapts to the needs of the users unlike most other softwares

there is alot i can say negative about the others but wont because i am above that

please do not make this about which software you prefer over blender.....do not blender bash

Well I'm sorry you feel that what I said was bashing blender, but I stand by all of it.  Of you look at any of my previous threads, you would see that while I may speak critically of some things, I'm also very quick to compliment anything that deserves praise. I'll do that with any software I use. It's called being honest, and as an active use now of blender, I'm entitled to that right. There's way too much blind praise out there. Honest critique is not a harmful thing. So far, i believe my thread contributions to this forum have generated a lot of positive information that speaks well for the software. 

I refuse to sugar coat my wording, just because people might have their favorite software insulted.  If I'm incorrect with any of my critiques, I fully expect to be corrected factually, and not simply asked to stop.  I think I've been entirely fair in all of my forum threads, and I'm learning a lot about blender because of it.  

I shall have to wander over and have a look - thanks for the HU Maxxx

I did try the last beta but I was having problems adding HDRI images as environments but we'll see if that has been changed.  Good job I can run more than 1 version :)

I shall have to wander over and have a look - thanks for the HU Maxxx

I did try the last beta but I was having problems adding HDRI images as environments but we'll see if that has been changed.  Good job I can run more than 1 version :)

Ignore me - I'm apparently to dumb to check which render engine is selected! D'oh

Side note and personal observation: The new cavity mask painting feature is verrry much the same kind of feature as the curvature mask painting in 3d Coat.  In fact, I remember thinking the same thing about the matcaps feature, introduced back in Blender 2.66, and thought they stole that idea from 3d Coat back then.  Same thing with the stencil texture painting introduced in 2.67!  Again, a unique feature found first in 3d Coat.  Yikes!  If I were the guys at 3d Coat, I'd be a little pissed.

I'm a huge advocate of 3d-Coat, but just to clear up any confusion; stencil texture painting was not introduced by 3d-Coat.  I'm not suggesting you think it was, but some interesting bit of cg trivia might be that the technology of stencil projection painting had actually been introduced to the masses over 15 years ago, in a software called Deep-Paint 3D, by Right Hemisphere.  This was the first commercially available software package I can recall which utilized seamless projection painting tech, like we have now in so many great applications, like Blender, 3d-Coat, BodyPaint 3D, Mari, Zbrush, and many others.

Please let me remind everyone that every single person is entitled to their own opinion and their view as long as it does not turn into some flame war or bashing one another. I am very proud that our forum here has rarely ever deteriorate into such behavior and I am very proud of that fact. I have interacted on some level with most of you and feel you all bring your own unique and healthy contributing personalities and I have learned from many of you so please lets keep it that way. and thanks for the heads up on the 2.74 release maxxxmodelz 

Thanks 

Well, it is true Blender has been playing catch-up to other software. (Not just the one's mentioned.) More or less developers cherry-picking certain features and ideas mentioned by users and finding ways of implementing them. They may do the same kind of things as other software, but it doesn't mean they're implemented or coded in the same way.

But I have this feeling Blender wont be playing catch-up for long. It's a pretty solid and unique program in its own right. Which is likely a good thing for us users, but perhaps should have other software makers worried. Some things like retopo stuff being developed already looks better than what's available as a stand-alone or as part of some other software. (Albeit the plug-in for Blender that does it is being commercially developed.) ...

Just to let you know: there is a free flavour of a retopology tool developed by pitiwazou: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?355154-Addon-Retopo-MT

I'm a big supporter of Jonathan Williamson's work, so I went ahead and purchased RetopoFlow: got it for a discount because I'd purchased Contours back in the day. I feel that supporting the Blender community like this ensures that Blender itself will prosper. We're not just a bunch of freeloaders that want everything at no cost, which is why Blender Foundation gets a small amount from me from time to time as well. I'm huge on free software, but people gotta eat, hey? so supporting plugin developers and content creators - if one can - is really important. Nice thing about this and other free software: there is no obligation. We do it because we believe in it, believe in the community and believe in free, open-source software in general.

I have a git account, so I can download and build the latest flavour, but it's great that we're not limited to that approach. I also download the official builds for use in Windows and on my other laptop (the el-cheapo one that goes with me to work - it's my sanity-break when things in post-op recovery go to custard, as they do from time to time) ... it's this flexibility that makes this programme such an amazing one. And as far as a feature existing in it that exists in other software: hey, why not? doesn't mean they pinched the code. They were able to arrive at the same functionality using their ingenuity and development skill! that's a good thing, and we can be grateful we have developers of that calibre in our community. I see the same thing in LibreOffice, in Linux Mint, in all sorts of products I use: an idea, a process, a means to accomplish something should ALWAYS be free. Development of software to accomplish this can be - if the developer sees fit to do so - or not, depending if you're of a "proprietary software is critical to civilization" mindset. I'm not - I've always found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists 

one of the most reprehensible acts in the software community world, ever, but others may see it differently. Thank goodness not everyone agrees with that mindset, or we wouldn't have our wonderful Blender to enjoy.

Thanks, guys.  No bashing here.  I respect this forum.  So far, it hasn't shown itself to be full of the typical superiority behavior that many people complain about in other Blender related forums.  In no way do I intend to bash Blender.  I WILL continue to make software comparisons.  There is absolutely nothing about that which should be considered bashing, so long as it's FACTUAL, and honest.  If something is said which is proven incorrect, I welcome that.  I want to learn to use this software, and having knowledge of other software, one can't help but make comparisons, in order to dig for answers, and get results.  So far, I think this is the best Blender forum I've ever seen, in the way of open-minded discussion, and UNBIASED knowledge sharing.  I hope we continue that going forward.  And that will be my final word on the matter.

Thank you, Pauljs75 for your insight and open opinion.  I appreciate that.  Thanks also, luxxeon, for correcting me in my statement earlier.  I do remember Deeppaint 3d, now that you mention it, and you're right... that was probably the first software to have that feature!  I totally forgot about that, but wow.  How far ahead of it's time was that, looking back now?  Anyway, I totally retract that comparison in hindsight.  My apologies to the forum for that.

Max you are in  trouble dude for talking smack about Blender. lol  OK not really. :D  Open and fair discussion of Blender is a good thing. There are those that do get into the Blender bashing though. You can tell by the smarmy smart ass way they phrase things. We even have this some on Rosity.  I'll bet anybody whose spent anytime in the the modelling forum knows who I'm talking about. I'd say it's the crappy malevolent vibe that is killing activity in that forum. Fortunately the Blender Forum here is very cool. We have great leadership and member participation. A good attitude all around. The new folks are asking thought provoking questions  and making us all hop lively trying to keep up. So YAY US!

Sorry if this has been asked before.
I had V 2.72,  I had a theme I liked installed, some specific shortcut keys set up, and some add ons installed and set-up.

   I downloaded and installed V 2.73, but when I opened Blender all of the above disappeared and I had to go through the whole process of setting Blender back up to the way I had it.

    I have just downloaded V 2.74 but am reluctant to install it for fear of losing all of the above again.

 So my question is;
   Is there a way or option where I can basically save the current Blender environment and load it into the new install of Blender?

Thanks in advance

Hello Pipp44  Usually when you first start a newly installed version of Blender you get the splash screen and and there is an option to copy previous settings when click on the button do give it a few seconds it will appear like things have frozen but depending on the complexity of your previous setting it might take a few seconds to copy them over. And Theme's do not update with new version sometimes they work but when ever there is a Blender Version update you usually have to go see if the theme maker has updated the theme for the current version since themes like add-on can be created by others who are not part of the dev team for Blender. Hope this helps 

Good Luck 

Thanks Lobo3433 will go give it a go 

first off DONT install ...just get the zip ~ extract to a fav place (mine goto c:blender just avoid program files )

make a folder for all addons , open blender preffs and set addons folder you just made as default

for extra protection save a "startup.blend" then if you forget to hit copy preffs just open "startup.blend" with load UI ticked  

keep at least 2 or 3 older blenders ready to use ;-) sometimes addons can take a while to get updated ......... doing something in an older version then appending to new blender can save time and hairpulling lol  

ps I had much the same reaction as unbroken ;-) [DONT KNOCK THE BLENDER rofl] but I've seen maxM around and about and knew (s)he didn't mean it THAT way  lol and to be fair if I go in a max forum and just smell of blender I'd need a Kevlar jacket ;-)

I Have become very dependant on certain third party scripts

like the DAZ Studio to blender cycles script by Mcasual

as well as the Smart IBL importer from HDRI Labs.

I am not even going to bother downloading this build until

I get multiple confirmations that it does not BREAK these functions for me.

but thanks for the HU nevertheless

first off DONT install ...just get the zip ~ extract to a fav place (mine goto c:blender just avoid program files )

make a folder for all addons , open blender preffs and set addons folder you just made as default

for extra protection save a "startup.blend" then if you forget to hit copy preffs just open "startup.blend" with load UI ticked  

keep at least 2 or 3 older blenders ready to use ;-) sometimes addons can take a while to get updated ......... doing something in an older version then appending to new blender can save time and hairpulling lol  

 

ps I had much the same reaction as unbroken ;-) [DONT KNOCK THE BLENDER rofl] but I've seen maxM around and about and knew (s)he didn't mean it THAT way  lol and to be fair if I go in a max forum and just smell of blender I'd need a Kevlar jacket ;-)

Hey Heddheld

  The suggestion by lobo3433 of updating from the splash screen worked with the exception of the theme of which I have downloaded and installed, but I will make note of your suggestion and grab the zip file and not the installer.

You mentioned about 

open blender preffs and set addons folder you just made as default,   I looked all around the user preference menu and couldn't see how to do that.

How do I do that please ?

opps  its under blender prefs files can change your default temp folder, cache, more

really usefull if you have a "small" lol SSD............ sims can generate tons of files ;-) 

Thanks for the announcement, Maxxxmodelz!  I'm kinda late to the party I see.  hehehe.

Thanks for letting us know.  Downloaded.

Thanks for letting us know.  Downloaded.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists 

one of the most reprehensible acts in the software community world, ever, but others may see it differently. Thank goodness not everyone agrees with that mindset, or we wouldn't have our wonderful Blender to enjoy.

So what ever happened to that Gates fellow that everybody stole from? Must be living in a cardboard box by now. Rotten pirates. lol.