Blender is a free 3D modeling software that creatives can use to design amazing animations and VFX. In this blog post, we share the top Blender plugins recommended by video post-production professionals. Using these free Blender add-ons can enhance animated creations beyond the normal capabilities of the open-source software and streamline workflow.
Although completely free to use to the public, Blender 3.0 is one of the best 3D design software available even without the use of add-ons. Plugins can make it easier to create the visually stunning Blender animations you want in a shorter amount of time. Keep reading to explore the best plugins for Blender 3D modeling available for download.
Animation Nodes 🔗
Using a node-based workflow in 3D animation software can create amazing results without requiring the use of coding. A node is a point that connects to another point. This type of 3D editing workflow is more accessible for many creatives than coding. Install the Animation Nodes plug-in for Blender to get started with node-based animating in Blender for free. Sverchok Nodes is a math-heavy geometric node animation plug-in for Blender.
Bone Widget 🔗
Creating realistic 3D models of humans and animals in Blender is made easier with this free plugin for rendering skeletal structures. The plug-in comes with various presets for rendering bones and the option to create new bone shapes. Make those bones wiggle using the Wiggle Bones plug-in for Blender. You can find more free plugins like this one on the blenderartists website.
Molecular + 🔗
Molecular + is a free plugin for Blender 3D modeling a variety of preset particle animations. The interactive particles create more realistic effects than the built-in Blender particle generator that comes with the 3D software. The particles can stick together like magnets and move interactively, creating the possibility for a variety of cool visual effects.
FZRandomizer 🔗
Blender is popular 3D design software for NFT creation. FZRandomizer is a useful add-on for creating multiple NFTs at once. This Blender plugin is used for randomized character creation so you can make more than one version of a 3D character design simultaneously. It is also a good Blender plug-in for 3D product design because you can generate multiple colors and variations of a design quickly.
Drop It 🔗
Trying to perfectly line up objects within a design in the Blender 3D software can be time-consuming and frustrating for 3D designers. The Drop It plugin for Blender fixes this issue by automatically aligning an object perfectly with the correct surface. The object snaps into place, making workflow faster when putting together a design in Blender.
Stopmagic 🔗
Animators can simulate the look of a classic clay stop motion animation in Blender using the free plug-in Stopmagic. This Blender add-on creates realistic stop-motion effects with a nostalgic feel that everyone will love. Designers can manually create stop motion effects in Blender, but Stopmagic makes the process much more efficient.
Auto-Rig Pro 🔗
This is one of the best Blender plugins for character animation in 2023. It is similar to another rigging plugin for Blender called Rigify but with more advanced features. Auto-Rig Pro also has presets for Unreal Engine.
For only $40 this plugin allows you to perform advanced character rigging techniques and retarget animations. It was developed as an in-house tool for professional animators and has since been made public.
The Smart feature in Auto-Rig Pro makes it super easy to rig characters by automatically placing the bones and more. You can make further adjustments after applying the Smart auto-rigging, making the animation fully customizable.
Modular Tree Add-on 🔗
This add-on for Blender is a great tool for generating customizable trees and plants fast in the node editor. There are a ton of features and options within this add-on to play around with to create the perfect foliage for your animation. There are nodes for the trunk, leaves, branches, and more. You can grow the branches using the grow node.
DECALmachine 🔗
DECALmachine allows you to render detailed surfaces in Blender using a mesh decal that does not alter the core animation; this is great for making non-committal changes and experimenting with details to find textures that work best for the design. It is a user-friendly plugin that automatically organizes things for you to make it easier to use.
Asset Management 🔗
Professional video editors and animators know that asset management can make the project go faster or slower. This Blender plugin is designed to make asset management a breeze so that complicated projects do not get disorganized.
You can add your assets, scenes, materials, HDRIs, and existing libraries to the asset manager for easy access while creating. When you add your assets you also get a free pack of assets to use.
Free Bool Tool 🔗
There are many paid bool tools on the market; which is why we wanted to include this free bool tool in our list of the top Blender add-ons. Bool tools are used to make edits to boolean properties of 3D geometric shapes such as subtracting, overlapping, or adding.
To activate the free Bool Tool in Blender:
Edit > Preferences > Addons
Type Bool and activate the Bool tool
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our list of recommendations for Blender plugins! Blender is one of the best 3D modeling software on the market and it is completely free to the public. Intermediate and professional video editors can benefit from adding Blender animation to their arsenal of post-production skills. Plug-ins for Blender can streamline the efficiency of the rendering software so you can create 3D designs without limitations.
