The Blender Foundation has released version 2. 91 of the open source 3D suite of the same name. The release brings improvements under the hood and in details. Blender 2. 91 is now available for download for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Better overview and search For a better overview, collections in the outliner can now be displayed in different colors . The outliner collects elements used in the project. Data types such as modifiers and shaders can be displayed and selected there. A refined context menu in the outliner shows modifier operations. Orphaned data such as meshes without associated objects can now be dragged into the viewport to create a new object instance. Modifiers, constraints and grease pencil effects can be organized in the Outliner using drag & drop.

The “Properties Editor” has been given a search function that automatically folds and hides properties and panels in such a way that only the search results are visible. Tabs in which the search term does not appear will be grayed out. The search now works across all screens with a certain tolerance towards typing errors.

More flexible Boolean operations With Boolean operations can be used to cut or combine objects with one another. With the data structures of points, edges and surfaces used in computer graphics, this is a complex and error-prone task, especially when the meshes themselves overlap. The “Exact” option in the Boolean Modifier can handle overlapping and coplanar geometry. With the new “Self” option, the problem of self-overlapping geometry should be a thing of the past.

In the Boolean Modifier, collections or entire Use groups of objects at once. With the Self-Option, the Boolean Modifier can be used to repair meshes with self-overlapping when the collection is empty.

The Subdivision Surface Modifier has additional options for better compatibility with others Programs expanded; these can also be found in the multiresolution modifier. With the Ocean Modifier, you can now define a resolution for the viewport and one for rendering. With a lower resolution, the display remains fluid while working on the project.

The Ocean Modifier allows different resolutions for the viewport (middle) and the final rendering (below).

Pausing with the Grease Pencil With the Grease Pencil, you can now trace black and white images as Grease Pencil Strokes. If the images are in color or as grayscale, they should first be converted into images with only black and white. With the Grease Pencil, lines can be defined as a holdout. Lines behind it are displayed transparently or hidden. So you can work with the Grease Pencil in 3D in a similar way to working with masks in 2D animation programs.

Ornaments and folds The ends of curves can now always be closed, regardless of how the shell or profile is constructed. Similar to the Bevel Modifier, the profile can be defined using another curve. This makes it possible to create fine, ornamental structures with little effort.

The ornaments consist of simple curves, the envelope or profile of which is defined by another curve.

Sculpting involves working on an object similar to clay. In Blender there have been tools for a long time that combine this concept with a substance simulation. This can be used, for example, to pluck wrinkles in a pillow. In Blender 2. 91 the tools for cloth sculpting have been expanded a few times. So you can now interact with objects that are defined as an obstacle in your physics settings. So you can drop a blanket on a sofa, adjust it and add creases. You can also set the plasticity of objects and have control over the areas in which the simulation runs.