{"id":95270,"date":"2025-11-07T14:47:38","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T13:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/?page_id=95270"},"modified":"2026-10-06T14:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T12:45:18","slug":"lab","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Blender Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-box is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>innovation space<\/strong> within the Blender project, where designers and developers can work together on challenging or future-facing projects, to keep Blender relevant in the years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following projects are being worked on, planned, or looking for stakeholders and supporters. These activities are supported thanks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/fund.blender.org\/\">Blender Development Fund<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note that Lab activities are initially not part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/roadmap\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/roadmap\/\">current Blender roadmap<\/a>, and do not have a release timeline or target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read the full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/news\/introducing-blender-lab\">announcement blogpost<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"cards-block_54533e612c551373c92ba11517d05803\" class=\"\">\n\n\t<div class=\"cards card-layout-card card-aspect-ratio-landscape \">\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#cards-block_54533e612c551373c92ba11517d05803 .cards {\n\t\t\t\t--cards-items-per-row: 3;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<? \/\/ TODO: @web-assets make cards-item thumbnail hover effect zoom in outer wrapper cards-item link elements for better semantics ?>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/2025\/07\/beyond-mouse-keyboard\/\" class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/beyond-mouse-keyboard-ipad.jpg\" alt=\"Touch and Pen\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/2025\/07\/beyond-mouse-keyboard\/\">Beyond mouse and keyboard<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-title\" href=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/2025\/07\/beyond-mouse-keyboard\/\">Touch and Pen<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"https:\/\/code.blender.org\/2025\/07\/beyond-mouse-keyboard\/\"><p>Support and improve the user experience when using Blender on iPad, Android, and regular graphic tablets.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-info mt-auto\">In Progress<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<? \/\/ TODO: @web-assets make cards-item thumbnail hover effect zoom in outer wrapper cards-item link elements for better semantics ?>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/154764\" class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/claypencil.webp\" alt=\"Clay Pencil\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/154764\">2D + 3D Animation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-title\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/154764\">Clay Pencil<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/154764\"><p>Generate 3D animated meshes with 2D animation techniques.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-info mt-auto\">In Progress<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/270_CyclesVolume.png\" alt=\"Volume Rendering\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"\">Rendering<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-title\">Volume Rendering<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"\"><p>Make unbiased volume rendering research practical for GPUs and production rendering. There are recent advances to render volumes more accurate without manual user tweaking, however making it performant for a wide variety of production scenes is challenging.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-info mt-auto\">In Progress<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Spring_9341.png\" alt=\"Light Transport\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"\">Rendering<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-title\">Light Transport<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"\"><p>Integrate and improve advanced light transport methods for production rendering. While there are many promising algorithms, making them GPU friendly, robust for a variety of production scenes and easy to control requires focused work.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-info mt-auto\">Planned<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/usd-caldera.jpg\" alt=\"USD Authoring\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"\">Core<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-title\">USD Authoring<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"\"><p>Expand authoring capabilities and enable Blender to read and write USD files more natively and seamlessly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-warning mt-auto\">Requires Funding and Stakeholders<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<? \/\/ TODO: @web-assets make cards-item thumbnail hover effect zoom in outer wrapper cards-item link elements for better semantics ?>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/141089\" class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/location-scouting-colin.png\" alt=\"VR &#038; XR\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/141089\">Beyond mouse and keyboard<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-title\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/141089\">VR &#038; XR<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.blender.org\/blender\/blender\/issues\/141089\"><p>Improve the user experience in VR and AR, adding features such as Location Scouting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-success mt-auto\">To be released in Blender 5.2 LTS<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item card-aspect-ratio-inherit\" style=\"grid-column: span 1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-content\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<? \/\/ TODO: @web-assets make cards-item thumbnail hover effect zoom in outer wrapper cards-item link elements for better semantics ?>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/lab\/mcp-server\/\" class=\"cards-item-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/code.jpg\" alt=\"MCP Server\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cards-item-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/lab\/mcp-server\/\">AI and ML<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cards-item-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/lab\/mcp-server\/\">MCP Server<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cards-item-excerpt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/lab\/mcp-server\/\"><p>Building a standalone Model Context Protocol server and integration with Blender (as an add-on), allowing LLM chats and other systems to interact with the software using natural language. <\/p>\n<div class=\"badge badge-success mt-auto\">Released<\/div>\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The innovation space within the Blender project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123469,"featured_media":89550,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-95270","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123469"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95270"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97854,"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95270\/revisions\/97854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.blender.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}