Building for external applications

Up to this point, all the models we've done have been strictly for Blender use. In other words, we knew that all of the texturing, rendering, and animation would be done completely within the Blender software. However, sometimes you'll want to create 3D models for use in external programs.

For instance, Blender is an excellent tool for creating 3D game models. You can build and texture the model in Blender and then export it to other formats. Let's take a quick look at our export menu to see what options we have:

These are the formats that Blender can directly export to (and there are more that can be activated with add-ons). Additionally, there are other methods (some online) that can be used to convert one model format to another. Many game and simulation platforms also have import functions, allowing you to bring in a model from another format.

When you're talking about export and conversion, it's important to note that not everything carries over from...