Welcome to Blender Mac OS X beta 01
Hi Mac OS X users !

Welcome to the beta release of Blender Creator for Mac OS X. This beta version addresses a number of issues reported since the alpha 01 release. Blender has been around for quite a few years.

For several years it was used as an inhouse animation package on SGI's. This version was released on the internet in 1998. Later it was ported to a lot of other platforms. First came Linux, later FreeBSD, Windows and Solaris. And now finally Mac OS X is added to the list of supported platforms.

Please bear in mind that is our second release for OSX and still a beta version. We had to change quite a few things in Blender so some of the tutorials you will find can differ slightly from the version you are about to download. Old time users on other platforms are especially welcome to test this first Mac OS X version.

If you need or want to give support, go to the Mac OS X discussion area. We have set up a dedicated Blender Creator Mac OS X bugs list so you can check for reported bugs in the Mac version. As soon as we have an official Blender Creator release for OS X, these two lists will close and you will be more than welcome to join the rest of the Blender community. If you have questions about using Blender please feel free to post in any of the other discussion areas.

Want to get your hands on this beta 01 ? Go to the Blender for Mac OS X page and make sure to read the FAQ below.

Blender for Mac OS X FAQ
What are the changes since alpha 01 ?

  • A three button mouse is now supported.
  • The render window is back.
  • The Blender flipbook and associated Play button in the Display buttons (F10) are back as well.
  • Python functionality missing in the alpha 01 release is back.

    What are known problems and bugs in beta 01 ?

  • Blender is not compatible with versions of Mac OS X lower than 10.1 (version 10.0.4 is under investigation).
  • Maximizing or scaling the window gives visual artifacts.
  • When using vertex or image paint you will notice visual artifacts as well.
  • Lighting is wrong in some files.
  • Autosave is disabled.

    How do I install Blender for Mac OS X ?

    You can download Blender from the following page: http://www.blender3d.com/BlenderProducts/osx_general.php

    Blender is distributed as a StuffIt Expander file. Download the Blender distribution and double click it or drop it on the StuffIt Expander Icon.

    Where can I find the latest information ?

    The most up to date information will be available in the Mac OS X discussion area. This discussion area is available here: http://www.blender.nl/discussion/list.php?f=43

    How do I use Blender with a one button mouse ?

    Blender is programmed to be used with a 3 button mouse. When you are using the standard 1 button Apple mouse this functionality can be accessed by keeping keyboard keys pressed while pressing the mouse button.

  • With the left mouse button you can activate on screen menus and buttons, resize sub-windows and set the 3D view cursor. In the Mac version this is the default behaviour when you press the mouse button.
  • With the middle mouse button you can move, rotate and zoom the 3D view or other views. Keep the Alt key pressed in combination with the Shift and Ctrl keys to get this behaviour when you press the mouse button.
  • With the right mouse button you can select 3D objects. Keep the Apple (aka Command) key on your keyboard pressed when pressing the mouse button.

    What is different between the OS X version and other versions ?

  • If you want to render an image with Blender Creator on other platforms you would normaly press the F12 key. On some machines this ejects the CD from your CDROM ;-). To render the current image with Blender on Mac OS X press Ctrl-F12 or Alt-F12
  • The Mac OSX version has different cursor shapes.

    How do I report a problem ?

    First of all, you must know how to reproduce your problem. If you do, please post a message in the Mac OS X discussion area stating at least:

  • which version of Blender you are using
  • which version of Mac OS X you are using
  • what actions are needed to reproduce your problem

    Sometimes your problem only occurs with a specific Blender file. Please make your file available online so others can take a look at it. If you can't make your file available online you can always mail your file to users requesting it.