Can Blender Be Used for 3D printing?

Created in 1995, Blender is a complete 3D modeling software, very popular in the world of animation and video thanks to the many features it offers. The particularity of Blender is that it is 100% free, open source – which is why it is constantly being improved – which allows it benefits from a large community that regularly meets around the world to share best practices and user challenges. Based on polygonal modeling, it is not necessarily the most widely used solution in the additive manufacturing sector, but it does allow 3D models to be exported in formats adapted to the technology. Let’s take a closer look the main features of the Blender software!

The software brings together various functions grouped into a dozen or so families: modeling, animation, simulation, video editing, 3D rendering and more. It is geared more towards animation studios, artists and small teams working in video or film – in fact, several “Open Movies” have been made using Blender.

Blender is based on polygonal modeling

As you know, 3D software offers different modelling methods: surface, solid and organic. Here, Blender uses polygons to create a three-dimensional shape. The designed model is therefore composed of a multitude of polygons (or facets) that form what is called the mesh. This is the basis of the design.