The MissionWorkflow is the main theme for the Blender 2.8 project. Many complex architectural changes are required to achieve this goal.
The current team of core developers working on Blender 2.8 is distributed over multiple continents and collaborates online, using chat and emails, which is not always efficient.
It was known that the project would take 2 or 3 years to complete, but to keep momentum it shouldn’t take much longer. Everyone wants to get Blender 2.8 done this year!
Make it happen!
Let’s go on a quest and bring the core Blender developers together in Amsterdam, to work at the Blender Institute!
We intend to do this for a minimum period of 3 months. This ensures we can tackle issues with enough attention, including time to provide feedback on UI design and usability. At least one of the permanent seats in the team is reserved for a designer to perform these tasks full-time.
We will also create room for additional developers and designers to work on one or two weeks sprints focused on specific topics, when required.
Targets
Blender 2.80 (beta) release Q3 2018.
Blender “101”, simple configuration for occasional users.
Quality Assurance: define a protocol for better testing.
Launch event at SIGGRAPH in Vancouver (August 14-16). A small representative booth at the trade-show will be rented.
One thousand Rockets
Support the Blender 2.8 Code Quest for 39USD (34EUR) and you will receive an amazing Blender-branded 8GB USB Rocket as a thank you token. The content of the rocket will be goodies such as a collection of 2.8 EEVEE demo files and Blender Open Movies.
With 1000 rockets sold we can launch the Code Quest!
Discount valid until 1st March! Rocket ships to all supporters in April.
For someone that is looking to donate to blender, is this the best way to do it if we don’t really care about the USB drive. Or is there a better or more efficient way to donate to the production of 2.8?
Damn those puppies are flying off the shelf ordinarily I would jump at getting one but I see that I am one of the ingredients in the pie of awesomeness already. It’s good to know that the cloud can support part of this and the Spring short film.
Phew, caught mine just in time! What a cool looking item! Hope they extend it and pay out as bonuses or something. On a side note, would be really cool if Store would have more items, it’s a great way of making buyer feel rewarded while funds go for a good cause.
The initial mail announcing the project hinted at what would happen if they sold well more than 1000 rockets.
In that case, the time period will either be extended or the number of developers involved will increase (or both). I think the fact that they are approaching their initial goal so fast is, in part, due to the promise users have been seeing with 2.8’s development so far (though the promise of content contained in a spiffy rocket design helps a bit too)