Blender 5.0

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Release Features and Technical Improvements

  • Strong enthusiasm for Blender 5.0’s feature set: proper HDR support, ACES 2.x color pipeline, node system upgrades (closures, bundles/structs, repeat/loops), SDF/volume grids, and faster, better scattering and volumetrics.
  • Geometry/shader nodes are praised as maturing into a serious graphical programming language; closures and bundles in particular excite people with PL backgrounds.
  • The revamped video sequencer and compositor integration are highlighted as potentially making Blender viable as an all‑in‑one tool, replacing workflows that used DaVinci Resolve.
  • Adaptive subdivision is welcomed but noted as Cycles‑only; some speculate about reproducing similar behavior in Eevee with geometry nodes.

Color Management, HDR, and ACES

  • Users are excited about “proper HDR” and ACES 2.0, noting ACES 1.x predated consumer HDR displays.
  • Discussion clarifies working vs display color spaces: ACES/ACEScg as wide‑gamut working spaces vs Display P3/sRGB as output spaces.
  • Benefits of wide working spaces are explained (avoiding clipping through exposure/tonemapping workflows), with cautions that conversion to display space still needs careful artistic control.
  • Some uncertainty remains around which Blender nodes (e.g., blackbody, sky) still assume linear sRGB vs using the new ACES pipeline.

AI and the Future of 3D Tools

  • One thread asks if AI will make tools like Blender obsolete for “average” projects in ~10 years.
  • Many respondents push back: AI is seen as an assistant embedded into tools, not a replacement (analogy to IDEs + coding agents).
  • Key constraints mentioned: continuity across shots, complex pipelines, limited high‑quality 3D training data, and the need for deterministic 3D models.
  • Others argue 3D may become even more central as deterministic geometry for “world models” that AI systems act upon.
  • Some frustration is expressed at AI being injected into every discussion.

Blender’s Place in the Industry and OSS Landscape

  • Several comments call Blender a standout open‑source success, comparable (within its niche) to Linux, Git, or KiCad in theirs.
  • Others caution against declaring Maya “obsolete”: large studios rely on deep Maya pipelines, plugins, and stable C/C++ SDKs; Blender’s Python‑only API and evolving interfaces are seen as limiting for massive productions.
  • Still, examples of serious productions using Blender (including award‑winning films and high‑profile anime) are cited as evidence it is “battle‑proven” at some scales, even if not yet at Pixar/Weta scale.

Desire for a “Blender of CAD”

  • A major subthread pivots to MCAD: many wish for a Blender‑quality, open‑source parametric CAD ecosystem, arguing it could disrupt Autodesk‑style licensing.
  • FreeCAD is the main candidate but elicits polarized views: some find it powerful and productive after tutorials; others describe the UX as “monitor‑punching,” with confusing workbenches, brittle modeling, and OpenCascade kernel limitations (fillets, seams, booleans).
  • Discussion goes deep into geometric kernels (Parasolid, ACIS, OpenCascade), why robust kernels are decades‑long, math‑heavy efforts, and why that’s a bigger bottleneck than UI alone.
  • Alternatives mentioned: OpenSCAD/CadQuery, Dune3D, SolveSpace, Plasticity, Onshape, and Blender add‑ons like CAD Sketcher and Bonsai.
  • Several argue that “general CAD” is the wrong target: successful tools are workflow‑ and industry‑specific (mechanical, AEC, simulation, etc.), and any FOSS effort needs a clear domain and user base, not just “a free SolidWorks.”

UX, Learning Curve, and Project Governance

  • Blender is repeatedly praised for unusually good UX for open source, especially post‑2.8; learning shortcuts is framed as essential to productivity.
  • People contrast Blender’s evolution with projects like GIMP/FreeCAD, suggesting Blender succeeded by:
    • Dogfooding via its own films,
    • Aligning with industry practices rather than being “different on principle,”
    • Having strong leadership, funding, and design/PM attention.
  • Some still find 3D creation too complex and wish “the computer would do it” (more automation/AI‑driven content), but others insist power tools must remain for precise control.

Infrastructure, Platform Support, and Donations

  • Many users are blocked by aggressive Cloudflare captcha/verification on the Blender site, with complaints that even a static release page is now hard to access.
  • Intel Mac support is dropped in 5.0, with comments that those machines were always limited by weak GPU drivers.
  • AMD ROCm/Cycles compatibility issues are raised but not resolved in the thread.
  • Multiple comments end by encouraging donations to Blender and, by analogy, to other FOSS tools (KiCad, FreeCAD) to accelerate them toward “Blender‑level” quality.