A ray tracing program titled Traces, developed in 1989, served as the primary technological foundation for the creation of Blender, a widely utilized open-source 3D animation suite. Orchestrated by Dutch computer scientist Ton Roosendaal, the project transitioned from a proprietary in-house tool into a globally collaborative effort that redefined accessible software development.
Early Development and Commercial Ventures
Roosendaal attended Eindhoven University of Technology to study Industrial Design. Following his education, he established the animation studio NeoGeo in 1989. While serving as the lead developer for the company, he wrote the ray tracer Traces for the Amiga platform. In 1995, he initiated the creation of an internal tool for 3D animation, which became known as Blender. By 1998, public versions were available for Linux and FreeBSD. Along with Frank van Beek, Roosendaal founded the company Not a Number to monetize the software, but economic pressures forced the firm to cease operations by early 2002.
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Following the dissolution of Not a Number, Roosendaal founded the non-profit Blender Foundation in May 2002. To secure the software's future, he implemented the Free Blender campaign, raising 100,000 EUR in seven weeks to release the program under the GNU General Public License. This occurred on 13 October 2002. In 2007, he established the Blender Institute in Amsterdam, which remains the permanent headquarters for coordinating software development, training, and animation projects.
Open-Content Methodology
Roosendaal pioneered large-scale open-content projects to test and improve Blender through professional production environments. The first major initiative, Project Orange, resulted in the film Elephants Dream in 2005. Subsequent projects included Big Buck Bunny in 2008 and the game Yo Frankie!, followed by Sintel in 2010, Tears of Steel in 2012, and Cosmos Laundromat in 2015. These releases utilized Creative Commons Attribution licenses, allowing the community to access all production assets.
Recognition and Transition
Roosendaal received an honorary doctorate in Technology from Leeds Metropolitan University on 16 July 2009. In 2019, he and the Blender project were honored with the Ub Iwerks Award at the 46th Annual Annie Awards. On 17 September 2025, he announced his intention to step down as CEO and chairman on 1 January 2026, with plans to join a newly formed supervisory board to remain involved with the project.
Fast facts
- Born: 1960, Netherlands
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Education: Eindhoven University of Technology
- Key Software: Blender, Traces
- Foundation Established: 2002
- Honorary Doctorate Awarded: 2009
- Annie Awards Recognition: 2019
- Planned Retirement Date: 1 January 2026
Questions readers ask
What is the primary function of the Blender Institute?
It serves as the permanent office for the Blender Foundation, coordinating software development and open projects involving 3D movies, games, and visual effects.
How did Blender become open-source?
After the collapse of Not a Number, the community raised 100,000 EUR, allowing the Blender Foundation to release the code under the GNU General Public License on 13 October 2002.
Achievements
- Notable work: Blender
- Notable work: Elephants Dream
- Affiliated with Blender Foundation
- Educated at Eindhoven University of Technology
- Worked as software developer, programmer and computer scientist
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