For a long time, outside observers have had the impression that 3D animators work in a vacuum. The idea of an editor hunched over their keyboard, eyes pressed on three different screens is a pervasive image in popular culture.

Of course, zooming back in on reality, that's not at all how a project comes together. Whether you're virtually staging a room for a real estate listing or building an entire world for a new game release, you are constantly collaborating with other team members to bring your project to life, whether they’re in the studio or not.

What makes the animation tool Blender so appealing to many 3D animators is the fact that it's open-source software. This means you can add on additional tools to expand the program's functionality to suit your specific needs. 

So now that you’ve selected Blender as your tool of choice, are there any tools you can use in tandem to help you collaborate more effectively? Many creative teams are spread out across the city, or even across the world, but still need to work together to ensure their projects live up to their full potential. 

In this article, we'll highlight some of our favorite tools and Blender add-ons that make it easier for you to work together with your team in real-time to create exceptional 3D designs.  

The top three collaborative editing tools for Blender

Here are the top three options when you’re looking to collaborate with your team in Blender and enhance your creation suite: 

#1: Mixer

Mixer is a Blender add-on designed to add the ability for multiple Blender users to work on the same project simultaneously. Created by Ubisoft, this add-on is a must-have for any teams that require real-time collaboration to edit the same project or asset. 

Features: 

• Allows multiple users to edit on the same Blender project at the same time
• Allows multiple users access to most available tools (with some limitations)

Usability: 

Mixer is an excellent addition to Blender for any team that likes to roll up their sleeves and work together.However, one key thing to keep in mind is that this is also an open-source application, and they are regularly working out bugs and adding and subtracting functions. 

That being said, while the plugin may not work perfectly 100% of the time, it expands your team's ability to co-work on a project. Instead of sending files back and forth, you can implement them together in real-time.  

#2: Multi-User Add On

The appropriately named Multi-User Add On is another great addition to your Blender setup. It works in a very similar way to Mixer by allowing multiple users to work on the same project at the same time over a network. 

Features: 

• Allows multiple users to edit on the same Blender project at the same time
• Allows multiple users access to most available tools 

Usability: 

This add-on is constantly in development, which means that just like Mixer, features may be added or taken away as the app develops. Suppose you plan on relying on having the ability to edit projects with your co-creators simultaneously. 

In that case, we'd recommend installing both this program and Mixer so that if you're having challenges with one, you can use the other as a backup. 

Now, both Multi-User Add On and Mixer lack a way to actually talk to your collaborators on the same device, in the same program. You can edit the same project at the same time, but you'll have to use a separate program like Zoom if you actually want to talk through the changes you're making. 

This can be an annoying and clunky way to work. Thankfully, there's a platform that pairs perfectly with these add-ons and allows you to chat face-to-face, even from a distance.