Blender 5.3 finally gets game-changing native Gaussian splat support
Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Blender 5.3 will be the next iteration of what remains the best the best free 3D app and the best free animation…
Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Blender 5.3 will be the next iteration of what remains the best the best free 3D app and the best free animation software for both 2D and 3D work. Currently in alpha, the full release is expected in November, and there's one upgrade that's already getting a lot of attention: the open-source software is getting native Gaussian splat support.The next Blender update will let users import 3D Gaussian Splats from PLY and SPZ files. Though there's no export yet, users can render splats using Blender's engines (if you need a system that keep up, see our guide to the best laptops for 3D modelling). Blender 5.3 Got Gaussian Splats! - YouTube Watch On Gaussian splatting is a relatively recent approach to 3D that allows artists and designers to recreate real-world objects and environments as photorealistic, interactive 3D scenes from a collection of ordinary photos or videos. Unlike traditional 3D models made of rigid geometric triangles and polygons, a splat is made of millions of tiny, overlapping 3D coloured blobs that store information about its position, size, shape, color, and transparency.Latest Videos FromCreative BloqWatch full video here: Until now, the only way to work with Gaussian splats in Blender has been via external tools like Brush or COLMAP and importing the resulting .ply files using specialised add-ons. Blender 5.3 adds native import and allows rendering via Workbench, EEVEE, and Cycles.Check out the examples from CGMatter on YouTube above, and from VFX artist Jason Key on X below.oooh and they can emit light !! pic.twitter.com/h0Il8SqzRbSeptember 18, 2026The release notes mention four limitations for now. Performance is not ideal, the pipeline assumes sRGB color space, and areas of low opacity/high radiance can render incorrectly as Cycles and EEVEE operate in linear space. Also, Apply Transform on a Gaussian splat does not work correctly as it does not yet handle the new scale, rotation and spherical harmonics attributes.Also see how Chaos has solved the problem of relighting Gaussian Splats.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology. TOPICS Joe Foley Freelance journalist and editor Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 This fountain pen has been a design icon since 1980, and it has 26% off for a limited time 2 Is this the worst typography cockup of 2026? 3 7 artists reveal the revelations that took their practice to the next level 4 Greta Gerwig’s Narnia logo oozes magical energy 5 People are calling Netflix's Cinderella rewrite "satanic", but Steps follows a long tradition of reimagining classic fairy tales.Source: Creative Bloq AI Art — Published — Category: Image AI