by HR·Workflow
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
A modified distribution based on the upstream STEPper Blender addon, Step Importer For Blender leans on the Open CASCADE (OCCT) kernel for CAD-to-Blender conversion. It runs on Windows 64-bit only and targets Blender 5.0.x and 5.1.x, and performance depends on the complexity of the STEP file.
Step Importer For Blender brings STEP (.stp) CAD files into Blender with adjustable tessellation quality, letting you convert geometry into lightweight models for real-time work or high-detail meshes for rendering and close-ups. The conversion runs on Open CASCADE (OCCT), an industry-standard CAD kernel, for accurate handling of complex STEP files.
A live link to the source file stays active after import, so you can change tessellation quality, adjust individual parts independently, and work non-destructively by refining only what you need. Per-object optimization lets you increase detail where necessary while keeping the rest of the model lightweight, and objects that are instances in the STEP file remain instances in Blender, with changes propagated to all of them.
Version 2.0 adds accelerated STEP import through native acceleration, optimized mesh generation with multi-core support, and shape pre-tessellation to reduce rebuild times, with separate packages for Blender 5.0.x and 5.1.x. The addon runs on Windows 64-bit only.
Step Importer For Blender - Import Step / Stp Cad Files is best for importing CAD models for rendering and visualization, preparing assets for animation or product design, optimizing CAD geometry for real-time applications, and working with engineering models inside Blender.
Step Importer For Blender - Import Step / Stp Cad Files is completely free to download and use.
Step Importer For Blender runs on Windows 64-bit only. The addon supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, both 64-bit, and there is no macOS or Linux build. It also requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64) installed on the system as a dependency. If you work on a non-Windows platform, this addon will not run for you. Performance and results also depend on the complexity of the STEP file you import, so heavier CAD files will demand more from your machine.
Step Importer For Blender is compatible with Blender 5.1.x and 5.0.x. Version 2.0 ships dedicated support for both, with separate packages for Blender 5.0.x and Blender 5.1.x, so you install the build that matches your version. The developer states they intend to keep updating the addon with new features and compatibility for future Blender versions as long as sales allow. To move to a new version, remove the addon from Blender Preferences, restart Blender, then install the updated package.
Step Importer For Blender installs from a ZIP file. Download the addon .zip, open Blender, then go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons, click Install from disk, and select the ZIP file. Enable STEP IMPORTER if it is not already active. To update or install a new version later, remove the addon from Blender Preferences, restart Blender, and install the updated version. Keep in mind it runs on Windows 64-bit only and needs the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64) present.
Step Importer For Blender requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64) installed on your system. Beyond that, the addon needs Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit) and Blender 5.0.x or 5.1.x. It is built on Open CASCADE (OCCT), the CAD kernel that handles the STEP-to-Blender geometry conversion. Performance and results depend on the complexity of the STEP file you load, so large or intricate assemblies will take more time and resources to tessellate and import.
Step Importer For Blender is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing terms and any conditions, check the developer's page. On licensing, note the addon is a modified distribution based on the upstream STEPper Blender addon. The developer also mentions companion add-ons for CAD-based workflows, Hole Remover and Duplicate Finder and Remover, which target cleanup of imported CAD meshes. For the most accurate and up-to-date details, refer to the developer's page.
Also in Workflow for Blender.
by carlosmu
Clippy is a Blender add-on that provides camera and viewport clipping presets. It supplies tighter clipping values you can adjust using customizable presets, available in the 3D view and camera properties.
by CELPEC
Godot Animation Tool is a Blender add-on built for preparing animations for Godot, with batch operations for stashing actions, adding root motion, applying armature rotation and scale, and renaming bones, all without destroying original keyframes.
by Gatyh Interactive
Ultimate Vertex Color Toolkit is a Blender add-on for generating and editing vertex colors, including wind masks, ambient occlusion, curvature, edge wear, linear and radial gradients, and procedural noise, with full RGBA channel support.
by Bookyakuno
User Translate is a Blender add-on for adding your own translated text to the interface, either manually or semi-automatically. It turns the English text of external add-ons into the language of your own country.
by not_that_NDA
Outliner Bookmarks is a Blender add-on for managing collections in the outliner. Isolate, toggle and bookmark collection visibility states with a single click, edit and move bookmarks, and group them with custom icons.
by Salt Media
BlenderAe2 by Salt Media transfers 3D data and objects between Blender and After Effects in both directions, covering vertices, 3D layer transforms, camera data and layer synchronization.
by MACHIN3
Machin3Tools is a continuously evolving collection of tools and pie menus for Blender, gathered in a single customizable package. It ships in two base variants, Prime and DeusEx, with the DeusEx variant adding more advanced tools.
by MikhailRachinskiy
3D Print Toolbox is a Blender add-on with utilities for 3D printing. It analyzes mesh volume and surface area, checks and fixes geometry, hollows shapes, aligns models to the print bed, and exports to STL, PLY, and OBJ.
by glukoz
UVPackmaster 4 is a UV packing engine for Blender that packs UV maps on the CPU and GPU, using the Cuda and Vulkan APIs, and can run on the CPU and all system GPUs at once.
by MMD
MMD Tools is a Blender add-on for editing MikuMikuDance (MMD) models. It handles importing and exporting model, motion and pose data, along with chopping and joining parts, plus rigid body, material and motion editing.
by HaughtyGrayAlien
SimpleBake brings PBR and traditional texture baking to Blender from a single panel. Select objects, choose maps, and bake — no special node groups or new workflow, working with whatever materials you've already built.
