Compositor Rewrite: Massive Performance Boost for Image Compositing

2025-03-27
Compositor Rewrite: Massive Performance Boost for Image Compositing

The Compositor image compositing engine has been rewritten, resulting in significant performance improvements. Performance gains are particularly noticeable in certain node configurations; caching of static resources like images is optimized, and memory usage is reduced on node setups with many nodes operating on pixels. Filter nodes are dramatically faster: Levels is up to 10x faster, Filter and Kuwahara are twice as fast, Blur nodes are up to four times faster, the Glare filter is 6x more performant and more advanced, and Pixelate is 9x faster. Adjusting compositor node trees is also significantly faster and more interactive, as the compositor now avoids computing outputs not viewed by the user through the backdrop or image editor. The overall compositing experience should feel much more responsive, whether using the CPU or GPU.

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Development image compositing

Indie Animation Triumph: Flow, Made Entirely in Blender

2025-03-03
Indie Animation Triumph: Flow, Made Entirely in Blender

The animated feature film Flow, a mystical journey of a cat and his companions, is a testament to Blender's power. A small, independent team, using Blender's EEVEE real-time renderer, overcame budget limitations to create a critically acclaimed film, garnering over 60 awards and Oscar nominations. Director Gints Zilbalodis details their streamlined workflow, highlighting the importance of speed and adaptability. The team's ingenuity and collaborative spirit, along with Blender's capabilities, showcase the potential for indie filmmakers to achieve remarkable success.

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Design Indie Film