Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 24, 2013. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The modelling tools include improved bridge tools for multiple loops at the same time as well as a new grid-fill tool. In terms of Cycles render performance, CPU and GPU support has been improved, and the Blender Foundation has also added support for new GPUs and a mist render pass. Ray visibility is now intended to be supported for all light sources; in addition, according to the Blender Foundation, GPU-based hair rendering has been enabled.
The motion tracker has also received an update, and the position of a marker is now intended to be determined more precisely even if, for example, it is obscured by an object. According to the Blender Foundation, keyframe selection has been automated so that the best keyframe for reconstruction is determined automatically.
Blender release 2.68 is intended to offer improved smoke-render quality and make block-like simulations a thing of the past.
Here are some test videos:
For greater security, Python scripts and drivers are now disabled when files are loaded. New add-ons include Texture Atlas for shadows and lightmaps and Edit Linked Library for fast editing of linked assets.
Compared with the current Lightwave 11.6 release, which costs a hefty 1,295 US dollars, Blender does not look at all bad with its current features, and in contrast it is free.
All further information about Blender 2.68 is available here.
