The hallmark of a professional application or software is its usage in the various industries that it can be associated with. The more an application can do, the more likely it will be used in a specific industry. Engineering is a professional with high-level requirements and is familiar with many industries, so is Blender a suitable application for an engineer to use?
While Blender can be used for tasks related to various forms of engineering, it is not an application that specializes in the kind of workflow required of an engineer. Blender 3D is regarded as an artistic tool best suited for creative professions, while engineering requires more precise, mathematically accurate software for the tasks associated with the role.
Even though the Blender software’s versatility would allow an engineer to use it to their benefit in some capacity, it is not the best option in most cases as engineers will prefer to use a specific type of software for computer-aided design or, as it’s more commonly known, CAD.
Why Is Blender 3D Not Considered A Suitable Tool For Engineering?
Blender 3D allows you to perform various tasks directly or indirectly connected to 3D modeling and animation. Blender is an artistic application built for artists who require a wide range of tools and workflows to create their projects using their chosen art style.
The open-source application has also gained a reputation for being a jack of all trades kind of software, meaning it can do almost any creative task you can imagine. Still, it is rarely the best option for any specific task because it spreads out its functionality to such a degree.
While this works well for Blender when promoted as a learning tool, you will always want to choose the best option for your specific task in your industry.
Blender can be used in some capacity by engineers, but it is far from the best option and is not even the correct form of 3D software that an engineer should use.
Engineering requires tools and software that can require precise measurements when designing products for manufacturing and a more scientific process than creative.
These tasks are best suited to CAD software, which is the perfect application for scenarios where the shape and form of a model need to meet specific requirements.
Is There A Role For Blender In Engineering Within Industries?
While Blender is often not going to be the main application used for any form of design and manufacturing, it is useful as an application if you want to create concepts or designs that can go into more detail with later on.
For example, you can create a model in Fusion 360, a popular form of CAD software, and then export it into Blender, where you can create scenes that preview the model in various lighting conditions or how it would look on a larger unit.
While your core application will be ideal for the primary model’s generation, modification, and optimization, Blender can be used for environmental design and to generate mock-ups of the model in various forms and conditions.
What Is CAD Software?
So what software is better suited for an engineer to use than the most popular open-source web application? There is a particular form of modeling software known as CAD software. CAD is an acronym for computer-aided design, and these applications prioritize accuracy of creativity.
You start by creating basic shapes from primitive models such as cubes and spheres before adjusting those models using various cutting, slicing, and boolean style tools. It sounds very similar to creative modeling applications, but the idea here is to do things to science rather than to the eye.
Examples of CAD software include…
- SketchUp
- Fusion 360
- Solidworks
- Free CAD
- Tinker CAD
- AutoCAD
Can I Use Blender For Home Or Commercial 3D Printing?
Just because there are other objects out there that are more suitable for the task of manufacturing and the design of real-world products does not mean that Blender itself is unusable, as it can still mimic some of those CAD workflows when using the correct tools.
A newer industry that has grown over the past decade that is a subset of manufacturing is the art of 3D printing. The ability to design a virtual model using your design software before sending it to splicing software makes it printable.
The model is then constructed using specific materials and a 3D printer in its entirety, with the addition of support material depending on the design.
Is Blender better suited to this type of construction than CAD software? That will depend on the object being created.
If 3D printing is being used as a replacement method for more traditional methods, then CAD software would still be the better option.
However, for home printing and the design of smaller designs like character sculptures, Blender suits the needs of the workflow well, especially if you are using the 3D print toolbox add-on to help identify potential issues with your design.
Thanks For Reading The Article
We appreciate you taking the time to read through this article, and we hope you found the information you were looking for. If you want to learn more about Blender’s use in the industry and what else Blender can be used for, check out some of the articles listed below.
