Blender 2.9 for Beginners: Should You Upgrade from 2.8?

Welcome to the Blender community! If you're new to Blender and trying to decide whether to stick with version 2.8 or upgrade to the newly released 2.9, you've come to the right place. This article will help you understand the key differences between these versions and provide recommendations based on your experience level.

Feature Enhancements in Blender 2.9

Blender 2.9 is a significant update that builds upon the foundations established in version 2.8. While 2.8 introduced a major overhaul of the interface and features, 2.9 adds several enhancements, new features, and improvements. These include:

Improved sculpting tools Enhancements to the Grease Pencil Better rendering capabilities with Cycles New modifiers

These updates can greatly enhance your workflow and creativity, making Blender a more powerful tool for both beginners and experienced users.

Interface Improvements in Blender 2.9

While the interface was revamped in 2.8, 2.9 made additional refinements that can improve usability and accessibility, especially for beginners. The interface has become more organized and user-friendly, making it easier to navigate and understand different aspects of the software.

Community and Learning Resources

Since 2.9 is the latest version in the 2.x series, most tutorials, documentation, and community support will be focused on this version. As a beginner, using the latest version can help you learn with up-to-date resources, ensuring that you are on the cutting edge as you start your Blender journey.

Stability and Bugs

Generally, newer versions may have some bugs, but the Blender development team is active in addressing issues. By August 2023, many bugs from the initial release of 2.9 have likely been resolved. While there is a learning curve with any new software, the benefits of using Blender 2.9 outweigh the potential issues.

Conclusion

If you are starting with Blender, I recommend using Blender 2.9. It offers a more modern experience and additional features that can enhance your learning and projects. However, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the release notes and community feedback to ensure you are aware of any potential issues or updates.

Starting Your Blender Journey

Welcome to the Blender community! If you're a complete beginner, my recommendation is to download the latest official release at the time you start, regardless of whether it's a major or incremental change. Then stick with that version until you feel comfortable with it. Most beginners will need to be comfortable with the software for at least 3 months, depending on your usage and learning pace.

The reasons for this are:

Blender will not go backwards, so starting with the latest version can save some relearning curve later. There will continue to be even newer versions, and having consistency during your initial learning phase can minimize frustration. The biggest downside is that many tutorials use older versions, but this is a minor issue compared to the benefits of using the latest version.

There is no rush to update. Older Blender versions generally continue to run just fine. For big projects, there is even a good argument to stabilize on one revision of software and stick with it through production.

At the moment, Blender 2.90 is the latest version, which includes a lot of awesome changes not entirely exposed to beginners. However, for beginners, the major redesign of the user interface in 2.80 can be more impactful.

Considering your experience level, you might already be comfortable enough to make the transition. If so, I would suggest installing Blender 2.90 and giving it a try. You can have multiple versions installed, so you can easily go back if needed. I don't think you will need to.

Happy Blendering!