Just curious, why do you guys keep using Blender?

What made you you pick Blender?

Is it just because it’s free and have you tried anything else?

Does Blender being open source actually matter to you?

Or maybe because of the community?

And last how long have you used Blender? Have you been here since 2.4.x or before?

Since 2.6.

My only interest in Blender is animation, rendering and python scripting. I use Silo and 3DCoat for modelling, so I am not interested in a full 3D package.

Blender might not be the very best for rendering, but it can do the job. Animation it is at least superior to LW whilst it has had Python scripting for years. The modelling and sculpting tools are merely a bonus.

I just don’t see the point in shelling out money if Blender can do those three jobs - well enough - for free. Might as well put that money towards modelling tools(where I struggle) and new and better hardware.

Saying that, if Blender didn’t exist or wasn’t free I would go with Lightwave instead…

Edit: Sorry, forgot to answer other parts of your question. Yes I have used other software, including Real3D, TrueSpace, C4D, Lightwave, Maya and 3dsMax. Also, being Open Source doesn’t matter that much to me, but I think its a good thing as it allows Blender to grow fast. In previous years Blender has had to play catch up, but now it is in a position to stand proud alongside the other 3D packages.

You look so surprised because people keep/continue using Blender.
Just curious, why you are so surprised?

I’ve been using Blender since 2.33, and let me tell you that Blender back then was quite basic compared to how it is now.

For example, there was no functionality pertaining to the selection of edges and faces, the only dynamics outside of the game engine was basic particles pulled down by gravity, bevel beveled everything, no modifiers, no backface culling, no GI engine, sharp reflection and refraction effects only, animation was quite basic, no Ngons, no compositing, no nodes, no hair, ect…

The good news is that the app. had a number of passionate developers back then and were able to get Blender to where it’s actually starting to get the attention of professionals ten years later.

you seem surprised that people use blender, why is this?

Anyway, I’ve been using blender since 2.49
Why I stick with it? Because at the time I didn’t get maya or 3ds max and sketchup didn’t cut it, it’s nice that it’s free but I’d pay if it wasn’t, I do think it’s nice that it’s open source as well, I’m probably not ever going to have the time to contribute code but it’s nice anyway, if I needed a feature I could add it and if I wanted to make a derivative I could

Throw a lit match into a gas tank why don’t you? Yikes!

Because…
http://fatattackfitnesscamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/its-free-300x209.jpeg

I guess I made the mistake of learning it. lol I’ve invested many many 100’s if not 1000’s of hours into learning blender. I find it very intuitive. I’ve played with Maya and 3ds and I refuse to even look twice at sketchup. They seem pretty much the same as blender just go about things differently. Blender is just cool. 65MB of pure kickass. I approached blender as a puzzle to figure out. It was fun to learn because you’re always winning; you’re always finding new tricks everyday. I know it sounds like a stupid reason to like it but I really do like how small it is in file size. I can take it with me wherever I go no need to install it or anything. If I ever have a need to learn 3ds or the others, I will, but I can’t imagine I ever will have need of them.

Everything is free online.

ah…I remember the 2.4 days…

2.4 ? Some of us can go even further. It seems it wasn’t that long ago when star wars the phantom menace came out and there was this tutorial on how do this bird’s face Natalie Portman I believe on blender.

Man hell I played the neogeo arcade games. Got you all beat.

We can’t all smoke crack and throw lawn darts at mormons. Heck some of us even like the fact that blender is updated by its users and not a marketing firm.

Because it does what I want it to do and it does it well.

Oops, I don’t mean to act surprised. I just meant specifically why any of you chose Blender over anything else.

(Bold by Me)
THISTHISTHISTHIS

My first version was 2.49. I started using it because was free. Now I continue to use it because it is just as powerful as most commercial products and the community seems to be so much more friendlier.

Well i’ve been using blender for a while 2.4 ?, but it i wasnt realy into it
For a long time it was to complex for me (it still is to complex i think, but i got more used to it)
Complexity is with all 3D drawing packets, the same counts for 3dsmax, maja and others.
Then a while ago i changed jobs, i’m the IT guy who became an inventor, and joined a company.
And then due to some health problems got a bit more time.
Since the rumour was that we where going to buy a 3D printer I decided to use that time to learn blender a bit more
As we already had an autocad colleague, i thought blender might be nice for me, to do 3D printing and presentation stuff…

However a few month’s later we still don’t have that printer, so i have no experience with printing :frowning:
Not a sad thing, you see; because i thought that i also needed more general Blender skills, so i give myself tasks to make.
Usually those tasks take 1 evening rendering (on my octo core), so these aren’t simple drawings.
With these tasks i noted that my skill grew also, i became more used to it.
And then at some point you break a limit, the limit that makes “everything” possible, …well everything… ahum…
Well i am no longer worried that i cant make something.
And it becomes kinda fun to think how to make something with minimal prims, and maximum use of cycles, and sometimes some baking.

Then it even gets better when people ask you “Isnt that a photo ??” and then i explain about blender… well then it becomes cool.

pfft, go back to school, kid
i was playing pong when it was a cool tabletop pub game

The NeoGeo production company that Blender was born in has no relation to the game system produced by SNK.

on-topic… I’ve been around a while. Started using Blender somewhere between 1.6 and 1.8 (still have the spiral-bound manual!). I’ve used (and taught) a bunch of different software over the years, but keep coming back to Blender. The open source part is very important to me… not just because I can fix/add things myself (or pay someone to do so), but also the community that grows from the open-source-ness.