What is Blender? In a nutshell, it's a free, open source 3D modeling suite. But it's also a 3D and 2D animation program. But wait! It's also a video editor. And a Python programming IDE. And a sculpting interface, a compositor, a motion tracker, and so much more. A nutshell is insufficient; Blender needs more of a watermelon to cover all its features.
I remember my first experience with Blender. After years with the commercial program Maya, I was skeptical of how free software could compare, and learning 3D programs is rarely forgiving to newcomers. But every day I used Blender, I would discover an awesome killer feature Blender had that expensive commercial 3D animation software didn't. Then a new update for Blender would launch, and the new features and workflows would leave me floored again.
Over the years, I've met so many Blender users who retell this story in their own words. The conclusion is generally the same: we can't believe how lucky we are that such phenomenal software exists, free for everyone, and supported by a robust open source community. The energy is infectious, and long-time Blender users talk about this magic piece of software with a passion usually reserved for wedding speeches.
We look forward to introducing you to Blender in this book. The chapters we've put together will help Blender beginners leap over the initial stumbling blocks of Blender's tools and interface. They'll also challenge your artistic and technical skills with advanced workflows to bring your imagination to life.