Blender 4.5 LTS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Blender for 3D printing and hobby workflows

  • Several users successfully use Blender as their primary tool for 3D printing, despite acknowledging it’s not “proper CAD.”
  • Geometry Nodes are seen as a major workflow revolution for parametric / procedural parts.
  • Typical pipeline: model in Blender, ensure manifold geometry (often fixing broken “printable” STLs and game rips), then export STL/OBJ to slicer.
  • Some users combine Blender with CAD tools (e.g., Fusion, FreeCAD) depending on whether a part is organic/visual or mechanical/precise.

CAD vs mesh modeling: strengths and limits

  • Strong consensus that Blender cannot fully replace solid-modeling CAD for mechanical design, CNC, assemblies, FEM, and robust parametrics.
  • CAD models rely on precise boundary representations (b-rep) and geometry kernels (Parasolid, OpenCASCADE), whereas Blender operates on meshes; this affects precision, repeatability, and robustness.
  • Examples given: reliable fillets, lofts, constraints, and design-intent–driven changes are much easier in CAD; mesh workflows approximate these.
  • Some argue Blender + Geometry Nodes + Python can cover many parametric needs for hobbyist printing, but others insist the underlying data model is fundamentally different.

FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, and code-based CAD

  • FreeCAD is praised for parametric, constrained, spreadsheet-driven design but criticized for bugs, kernel edge cases, and a confusing UI (though recent 1.0/1.1 releases are reported as much improved).
  • OpenSCAD is valued for simple, fully parametric “code CAD,” but its filleting, performance on complex shapes, and inability to “probe” geometry are seen as major limitations.
  • Alternatives like build123d, CadQuery, Solvespace, and various Blender add-ons (CAD Sketcher, IFC/BIM tools) are mentioned as ways to bridge gaps.

Blender’s usability, learning curve, and scope

  • Some find Blender intimidating and “not for casual use”; others say a few days with good tutorials makes the UI feel exceptionally consistent and efficient.
  • Multiple users describe deep enthusiasm: Blender becomes a “live-in” environment for modeling, animation, simulations, and even basic video editing and drawing.
  • There’s nostalgia for Blender’s UI overhauls (2.5 and especially 2.8) as key moments that made it approachable.

Releases, features, and video editing

  • The article’s headline is considered slightly misleading: 4.5 is an LTS maintenance end; big changes are expected in 5.0.
  • For video editing, compositing nodes in the sequencer (planned for 5.0) are viewed as a huge upgrade; automatic stabilization is still desired, with manual motion-tracking–based workflows seen as too laborious.

Licensing, ecosystems, and language tangent

  • Strong concern about being locked into subscription/rentware CAD (e.g., Fusion), with appreciation for Blender and FreeCAD as FOSS alternatives.
  • Thread briefly digresses into why many large, long-lived projects (including Blender) are written in C/C++: ecosystem maturity, performance, and historical inertia, despite frequent criticism of these languages.