Download Blender 2.44

The Blender Foundation released version 2.44 of the open source and cross-platform 3D development program Blender yesterday. This program is intended for 3d modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. More information about the extensive possibilities of Blender can be found on this page are being found. This release includes Subsurface scattering added and is also the 64-bit Linux version updated again, something that hadn’t happened since 2002. The full changelog of this release looks like this:

Changes in Blender 2.44

• Sculpt and Multires
  The previous release was the first Blender version to offer 3d sculpt and multi-res. Based on welcome feedback and reporting, a lot of bug fixes and improvements were added.
• Python Scripts and API
  There have been a large number of script additions and script updates, as well as API improvements since the last release.
• New Modifiers
  Two new modifiers are available now; “Smooth” and “Cast”.
• 64 bit migration notes
  Blender had been ported to 64 bits Dec Alpha in 1998 already, but since 2002 its 64 bits compliancy has been gathering dust mostly. Time for a cleanup!
• Subsurface Scattering
  Subsurface scattering is a new material option to render materials like skin, marble or milk. For these materials light scatters under the surface and leaves at another position. This leads to a softer appearance, as light is blurred out over the surface.
• New Composite Nodes
  Two new Composite nodes had been added, that can be accessed by the Add > Color menu, expanding further the possibilities of the Composite node editor.
• Character Animation
  The Action and NLA editors now have better control over visible channels. A new constraint was added, and a “preview range” option was added.
• Physics Engine
  The Bullet physics engine has had some changes which should give better reproducibility and precision/quality for physics simulations.
• Mesh Primitives Update
  The mesh primitives have been revisited, improving their usability and pushing them a little beyond their previous state.
• More features and fixes
  Plenty of smaller features made it into this release.

[break] Tomatoes with and without Subsurface scattering. Click for a larger version.