Blender rose to popularity because of the free software-for-all philosophy. But that is not the sole reason users are stuck to it. Scroll down to find everything about Blender 2.8. From its capabilities to the pros and cons, what users are saying about the program, and to it all, its best alternatives.
Part 1: Brief Review On The Blender 2.8 Video Editing Tool
With the aim to bring the best 3D tools into the hands of the artist, Blender is open-source software available across platforms and free for everyone. If you have previously used Blender, you will be glad to know that Blender 2.8 brings a new user interface that has a dark theme and minimalist design to help you keep the focus on the work. The new workspace lets you quickly get started with tasks like sculpting, texture painting, or motion tracking. All things considered, Blender 2.8 is an exceptional video editing program for beginners who want to learn video editing.
Key Features:
- A redesigned interface that has a dark theme.
- The old Grease Pencil is now a full 2D drawing and animation system — the integration of 2D tools in a 3D environment will allow you to create animations like never before.
- The simplistic yet functional controls will make 3D interaction fun.
- The new contextual toolbars enable you to quickly access and discover the right tool for the job.
- Eevee is a new physically-based real-time renderer that helps you render final frames.
Pros of Blender:
- Blender video editing tool is 100% free to use.
- Simple interface and feature-rich
- Do not like the UI or color schemes — change them!
- There’s continuous development of the tool, making it one top choice for users.
Cons of Blender:
- A learning curve — that you will have to be patient with.
- Every extrusion creates a new vertex and edge.
- Cluttered-menus and toolbars
Pricing Plans
- Free-software-for-all-philosophy!
Part 2: Step-wise Guide To Use Blender Video Editor
You can download Blender by visiting the official page of Blender Video Editor:
Step 1. Download and install the Blender 2.8 video editing software to four PCs. Then launch the app once the download process is finalized.
Step 2. Navigate the cursor to the top of your PC screen and hit the drop-down arrow next to ‘Help’. Then select Video editing from the menu list.
Step 3. Add the video and audio file you’re looking to edit by clicking File browser from the left-hand side of the software interface. The side labeled 1 in the image allows you to change to a different workspace while the other side labeled 2 indicates where the video clip will be added.
Step 4: Once the video file has finished uploading, you can edit the video and change audio as per your requirements.
Step 5: After successful completion of the editing process, just preview and save the file.
Part 3: What Users Are Saying About Blender Video editing software
Nabin P. —
“Blender is the best software for creating rich animations and visual effects on a low budget.”
Ach H. —
“The workflow on Blender is seamless because of the shortcut integrations which could take some time — but be patient. Once you get used to the software, it could help you a lot.”
Edwin O. —
“ Honestly, this video editing is a great option to learn 3D. I love the advanced options. All in all, It did the job perfectly!
Michael A. —
“ I use Blender on a daily basis to design 3D models of objects found in historical dig sites and it works wonderfully.”
Part 4: FAQs
What Are Blender Video Editing Shortcuts?
- Shift+F1 = Link/Append.
- Shift+F2 = Logic Editor.
- Shift+F3 = Node Editor.
- Shift+F4 = Console.
- Shift+F5 = 3D View.
- Shift+F6 = Graph Editor.
- Shift+F7 = Properties.
- Shift+F8 = Video Sequence Editor. And more.
What Are Blender Video Editor Software System Requirements?
Blender Minimum System Requirements:
- 64-bit dual-core 2Ghz CPU with SSE2 support.
- 4 GB RAM.
- 1280×768 display.
- Mouse, trackpad, or pen+tablet.
- Graphics card with 1 GB RAM, OpenGL 3.3.
Is Blender Video Editor Good For Video Edits?
Blender rose to popularity because of the 3D animation and 3D modeling. Still, the video sequencing features couldn’t be ignored either.
Part 5. Top 5 Alternatives to Blender Video Editor
Here are the five best alternatives to Blender Video Editor:
1. Autodesk Maya
A 3D effects software, Autodesk Maya helps you create expansive worlds and complex characters with ease. The software is feature-rich and can help you create realistic effects — like an explosion to even cloth simulation.
Key Features:
- Bifrost visual programming environment
- Create great-looking effects, such as snow and dust storms
- Interactive hair grooming
- Create highly realistic rigid, soft-body, cloth, and particle simulations.
Pros:
- Feature-rich software
- A lot of complementary plug-ins reduce the workload
- High-Quality 3D Models and Animations
- Simple user-interface
Cons:
- Not beginner friendly like Blender
2. Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D helps you create complex 3D graphics and bring them to life. Thanks to the 3D graphics tools, high-resolution textures, and complex animations — Cinema 4D simplifies the 3D graphics workflow process.
Key Features:
- 2D Drawing
- 3D Modeling
- Animation
- Animations & Transitions
- Content Library
- Data Import/Export
- Digital Asset Management
- Drag & Drop
- Image Editing
- Image Tracing
- Media Import
- Rendering
- Search
- Templates
- Video Content
Pros:
- The great render quality makes the material look easy to work.
- A straightforward interface suits anyone.
Cons:
- Again, an endless learning curve if you are a beginner
- Crashes — if your computer does not have resources to sustain it
3. DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve helps production through color correction, visual effects, motion graphics, and post-production audio. The free version of the software is considered to be one of the best free video platforms out there.
Key Features:
- Supports reliable third-party applications and plug-ins.
- The neural engine of DaVinci uses state-of-the-art deep neural networks and machine learning to help you with the editing part well.
- A multi-purpose database and universal timeline so editors, colorists, VFX artists, animators, and sound engineers could all work simultaneously without any compromise.
Pros:
- The futuristic interface is fast to learn and easy enough for novices
- You can work faster and at a higher quality because you don’t have to learn multiple apps — as all are included within one application.
Cons:
- Rendering stops midway — users complain.
- Problems with audio output.
4. Natron
Natron is another amazing free and open-source node-based compositing video editing software application thriving in the industry. Considered as an alternative to node-based compositors, Natron is a full-fledged version of the compositor. You can think of Natron as a full-blown compositor that is required by the industry standard.
Key Features:
- Cross-platform and open-source compositor for visual effects and motion graphics industry
- Flexible rotoscoping with stroke capability
- Powerful 2D and Planar tracker
- GPU and network rendering capabilities for faster production
Pros:
- Intuitive interface designed to break tedious habits and allow seamless workflow
- Being open-source — there are options to integrate Gizmo with a taste of python
- Plus, you can also make other changes and customize everything that suits your needs
Cons:
- Identical to Nuke but performance takes a hit.
- The open-source identity seems to have trouble users because of no development for a while
- The program could be unstable where there is a heavy network
- Struggles with HD and 4K footage
5. ZBrush
ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that incorporates 3D and 2.5D modeling, texturing, and painting. Utilizing the Pixol technology gives users to work on the color of the object, material, orientation, and depth information. Completely free for non-commercial use, ZBrush is the best 3D tool that you can get your hands on (claimed). Still, given that it is free-to-use — you should try it, i.e., if you are into sculpting.
Key Features:
- Make changes at the micro-level using multi-resolution mesh editing.
- Ultra-fast Rendering, Environmental map support, BPR Passes, BPR filters, Non-photoreal renders, and more.
- Advanced video editing options that tick boxes all around.
Pros:
- User-interface is simple and intuitive
- One of the best tools for sculpting and painting
Cons:
- A giant leap of learning before you could perform editing
- Focused editing tool — for sculpting only
Conclusion
Blender is an amazing tool that can always come in handy when you want to execute and video editing operation. Besides, being a free tool marks it as one perfect option for many users today. Plus, if you’re looking to edit your 3D videos, then stop hesitating and download blender video exciting software as soon as you can.
Anyways, if for some reason you do not like the blender video editing software, our team of experts has curated a list of the best alternatives for blender just for you. Hence, the ball is in your court to choose the tool required for your video editing operation.
A bit of advice: download and enjoy Blender before trying something else.