Blender is an open source software for 3D modeling, rendering, animation, post-production, interactive creation and playback.
Modeling
· A range of 3D object types including polygon meshes, NURBS surfaces, bezier and B-spline curves, metaballs, vector fonts (TrueType, PostScript, OpenType)
· 'Smooth proxy' style catmull-clark subdivision surfaces
· Boolean mesh functions
· Editing functions such as extrude, bevel, cut, spin, screw, warp, subdivide, noise, smooth Soft selection editing tools for organic modeling
· Python scripting access for custom tools
Animation
· Armature (skeleton) deformation with forward/inverse kinematics, auto skinning and interactive 3D paint for vertex weighting
· Non-linear animation mixer with automated walkcycles along paths
· Constraint system
· Vertex key framing for morphing, with controlling sliders
· Character animation pose editor
· Animatable lattice deformation
· 'Ipo' system integrates both motion curve and traditional key-frame editing
· Audio playback, mixing and editing support for sound synchronisation
· Python scripting access for custom and procedural animation effects
Realtime 3D/game creation
· Graphical editor for defining interactive behavior without programming
· Collision detection and dynamics simulation
· Python scripting API for sophisticated control and AI, fully defined advanced game logic
· Supports all OpenGL lighting modes, including transparencies, Animated and reflection-mapped textures
· Playback of games and interactive 3D content without compiling or preprocessing
· Audio, using the fmod toolkit
· Multi-layering of Scenes for overlay interfaces
Rendering
· Very fast inbuilt raytracer
· Integral support for the famous Yafray render engine
· Oversampling, motion blur, post-production effects, fields, non-square pixels
· Environment maps, halos, lens flares, fog
· Various surface shaders such as Lambert, Phong, Oren-nayar, Blinn, Toon
· Edge rendering for toon shading
· Procedural Textures
· Ambient Occlusion
· Radiosity solver
· Export scripts available for external renderers such as Renderman (RIB), Povray, Virtualight
· UV texture editor with various mesh unwrap modes
Interface
· Flexible user configurable window layout
· Powerful object-oriented data system
· Anti-aliased fonts with international translation support
· Windows for animation curves/keys, schematic scene diagram, non-linear video sequence editing, character animation action editor, non-linear animation mixer, image/UV editing, file/image selection and file management
· Inbuilt text editor for annotations and editing Python scripts
· Consistent interface across multiple platforms
Files
· Save all scene data in a single .blend file
· .blend format supports compression, digital signatures, encryption, forwards/backwards compatibility and can be used as a library to link to from other .blend files
· Read / Write TGA, JPG, PNG, Iris, SGI Movie, IFF, AVI and Quicktime GIF, TIFF, PSD, MOV (Windows and Mac OS X)
· Native import and export for DXF, Inventor and VRML files, with python scripts available for many other 3D formats
· Create stand-alone executables containing interactive 3D content or play back with the 3d web browser plugin

What's New in This Release:
User Interface:
Updated GUI:
· Blender 2.5 has a new GUI layout, with updated graphic design and a new icon set. The GUI layout has been re-designed to be clearer, better organised and easier to navigate, and is fully customisable with Python scripting. Other improvements include a new file browser, customisable tool shelf and more.
Add-ons:
· In Blender 2.53 we've implemented a new method for extending Blender with Python Scripts. These now are being distributed and stored as 'Add-ons" which you can choose to enable or disable each individually. This helps to keep the interface clean and well organized.
· Check out the complete Add-on repository.
· And the changelog for Add-on scripts.
· Custom keyboard shortcuts
· Blender 2.5 has been designed from scratch to enable users to configure their own keyboard shortcuts. Key definitions are be grouped in "key maps", and each map can be fully customized and saved. Keymaps can also be configured for special input methods such as directional g...