by José-Marín·Workflow
Images © José-Marín. Used for product review; image policy.
SciBlend earns its place in the blender_extensions library for tying data import, attribute-driven shaders, and legend overlays into a single Blender extension, with volume export and legend preset additions arriving in version 1.1.2.
SciBlend is a Blender extension from José-Marín built around scientific data. Its importer reads VTK XML PolyData (.vtp and .pvtp) files and can split multi-component arrays such as vectors and tensors into separate, named attributes, with a Magnitude attribute calculated automatically for vector data. A JSON map lets you assign custom component names. Imported animation sequences use visibility keyframes, support a Loop setting for repetition, and report import ETA to the console.
The Paraview Macros side adds a volume data type with export to .vtk, .vti, and OpenVDB (.vdb), and can resample non-uniform grid data for VDB conversion. The ShaderGenerator builds materials from any FLOAT or FLOAT_VECTOR mesh attribute, while the LegendGenerator produces overlays whose title, value range, and colormap can be read directly from the active material via an Auto from Shader toggle. Text formatting, orientation presets, and a master enable toggle round out the legend controls.
SciBlend runs on Blender 4.5.1 LTS and newer, and is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later.
SciBlend is best for blender users bringing scientific data such as VTK and Paraview outputs into a scene and turning mesh attributes into materials and legend overlays.
SciBlend is completely free to download and use.
SciBlend targets Blender 4.5.1 LTS and newer, so you'll want a current LTS build or a later release to run it. The version documented here is 1.1.2. Because it relies on features like the ShaderGenerator's mesh-attribute dropdown and the material-reading legend overlay, staying on a supported Blender version helps those modules behave as described. If you're on an older release, check José-Marín's GitHub page before installing to confirm the extension works with your setup.
SciBlend imports VTK XML PolyData in .vtp and .pvtp form, and its importer can split multi-component arrays such as vectors and tensors into separate, named attributes while calculating a Magnitude attribute for vector data. On the Paraview Macros side, it handles a volume data type and exports to .vtk, .vti, and OpenVDB (.vdb), with automatic resampling of non-uniform grid data into a form suited to VDB conversion. A JSON map lets you assign custom names to individual components.
SciBlend's LegendGenerator includes an Auto from Shader toggle alongside a Choose Shader button. When enabled, the legend's title, value range, and colormap are populated by reading the node setup of the active object's material, based on Shader Generator properties, and the legend updates whenever the active object or its material changes. The ShaderGenerator also stores the colormap and attribute names as custom properties on the material, so generating a new shader can trigger a matching legend update to keep the two in sync.
SciBlend is listed as free here and is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later, which covers how you can use, modify, and redistribute it. For the current licensing terms and the latest build, José-Marín's GitHub page is the place to check. The version documented in this catalog is 1.1.2, running on Blender 4.5.1 LTS and newer. Reviewing the license directly is worthwhile if you plan to adapt the extension for your own projects.
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