Blender

Blender is currently available on Steam.
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Supported OS: Windows • macOS • Linux + SteamOS (See system requirements)

Blender

Developer(s)

Blender Foundation

Initial release

Jan 2, 1994

Stable release

Aug 20, 2025
(4.5.2)

Written in

Operating system

Type

Model tool

Target engine(s)

Distribution

Freeware

Website

Website

See also:  Category:Blender for tutorials.

Blender is a free and open source 3D modeling package that can be used to create models for Source and Source 2. Blender has also been available on Steam since April 3, 2015, it comes with automatic updates but has no support for the in-app Steam overlay currently.

Features

Blender offers free 3D modeling and texture mapping features.

• Create textures and animate models.
• Use add-ons to import and export numerous different file types like SMD and DMX for your Source mods or the Steam Workshop.

Blender and Source

• Follow the Blender for Source 2 tutorial to export a mesh from Blender to Source 2.
• Blender Source Tools can import and export SMD and DMX.
• SourceOps can also export SMD, and generate QC files.
• SourceIO can import models, maps, and textures from Source, Source 2, and GoldSrc.
• Source Engine Collision Tools can generate and optimize collision meshes for Source.
• Blender VertexLitGeneric can help you design and export materials for models.
• VertexLitGeneric OSL is a VertexLitGeneric shader implementation for the Blender Cycles ray-tracing engine, supported by Open Shading Language.
• See Animation in Blender to learn how to rig and animate in a way that survives SMD export.
• You can store as many models as you like in the same .blend file. Use scenes and/or collections to easily manage the different elements.

Where can I learn to use Blender?

Although the Valve Developer Community has limited information about using Blender, we offer a variety of external resources for you to learn and master Blender.

• Official Blender Manual 2.6 - The definitive manual on Blender 2.6, provided by and hosted on the Blender website.^{[dead link]}
• Official Blender Manual 4.1 - The definitive manual on Blender 4.1, provided by and hosted on the Blender website.
• Blender 3D: Noob to Pro A helpful online resource book hosted on WikiBooks, a website that uses the same format as this website and Wikipedia.

• Blender Basics - 4th Edition an online (but printable) classroom textbook released under Creative Commons BY the Central Dauphin High School.

External links

• Blender homepage