Buyer’s Guide: KeyShot Vs Blender - The Best Rendering Software
When exploring your options for realistic rendering software, there are multiple factors that need to be taken into consideration. Often we get sidetracked by price, but why should we invest more in a rendering package?
Ease Of Use - A Low Learning Curve
If you were to sit KeyShot and Blender side by side, you’d immediately notice Blender has a very busy page that isn’t as straightforward to navigate through. In comparison, KeyShot has a very simple user interface that is easy to pick up with minimal CAD/graphics experience. With some CAD experience, you would be able to pick it up in a matter of hours due to its easy learning curve. Blender on the other hand would take considerably longer.
CAD File Types
KeyShot accepts most CAD files, and the import process is much simpler. There aren’t modelling capabilities, but you can bring in something and render it beautifully and quickly. Although Blender supports the import of generic 3D file types, it doesn’t support the import of native CAD data. KeyShot support native CAD data import and to top it off have a plug in to support live linking between the CAD software and the rendering engine. Any updates in CAD will push through to KeyShot with a single click. This means that the renderer has the most up to date CAD file, luckily KeyShot has a vast number of native CAD platforms supported by KeyShot.
Material Editing
Both Blender and KeyShot allow for material editing. KeyShot tackles the editing in a simplistic manner through its seamless interface and plethora of materials in its library. Depending on which version you have, you will have the ability to access the KeyShot cloud where you can download more materials, environments and models.
KeyShot also offers the ability to edit materials through the Material Graph which again is easy to navigate through, producing aesthetically pleasing images.
Product Animation
Again producing animations are simple to produce in KeyShot. Blender will allow for very complex animations if you are very experienced in the software, making KeyShot ideal for product and industrial designers.
Price
KeyShot isn’t a free solution, however, when considering Blender which is free, there has to be an element of time invested in learning the software, and as the saying goes, time is money.
In the end, it depends on what you want out of your rendering software, and where you feel that you will find the most value. We hope this guide has given you a bit of clarity when making your final choice between the two software.
Looking for more information or are interested to begin a free trial, then be sure to contact one of our KeyShot experts!