Stardew Valleyis a peaceful and calm farming simulator. Yet, to anyone who has played it, not all moments are chilled-out and serene, as there are times when deadly fights occur and players need to battle to not lose crucial items. Various locations, such as the Mines or the Skull Cavern, offer a plethora of enemies for players to overcome.

Tom Holland has said hes about ready to hang up his red-and-blue spandex after 2021s mega-successful Spider-Man: No Way Home and pass the torch to a live-action Miles Morales. But he isnt done quite yet: Sony and Marvel Studios confirmed at the 2025 CinemaCon that hell return in 2026 for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Destin Daniel Cretton. The movie is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026, between the Russo brothers Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.When all the No Way Home spoilers were out of the bag in early 2022, Holland made it very clear he saw the trilogy-capper as the end of something. Maybe not his run as Spider-Man the guys only 28! but possibly the end of Sony and Marvels unlikely collaboration.We were all treating [No Way Home] as the end of a franchise, lets say, Holland toldEntertainment Weekly, even before the movie was out. I think if we were lucky enough to dive into these characters again, youd be seeing a very different version. It would no longer be the Homecoming trilogy. We would give it some time and try to build something different and tonally change the films. Whether that happens or not, I dont know. But we were definitely treating [No Way Home] like it was coming to an end, and it felt like it.That makes Brand New Day a particularly appropriate title for this kickoff movie in what could be a new Spider-arc. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the title of a comics storyline that began in 2008, tracking Peter Parker/Spider-Man after the demon Mephisto erased parts of his timeline and he had to start over, effectively with a character reboot. Following the action of No Way Home, which has Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) giving Peter a similar reset, Peter will have to face a world that doesnt already know him as Spider-Man. Holland returns to the role of Peter Parker after a windy road through blockbusters and artistic risk. He leveraged his Spider-stardom to turn the long-gestating Uncharted movie into a bona fide hit, but stumbled on more serious projects like the Russo Bros. crime drama Cherry and the Apple TV Plus miniseries The Crowded Room. His performance as Romeo in a 2024 West End production of Romeo & Juliet wound up in the news over racist online abuse aimed at Hollands co-star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.Sonys CinemaCon panel offered few details on Spider-Man 4, apart from the fact that Holland has signed a production deal with Sony, and his production company Billy17, launched in December, will develop several new films for the studio. The first of those projects, Burnt, is set to star Holland, with a script by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse co-writer and co-director Rodney Rothman..

While Prime Video hasn't released a full list of content coming to the platform in April, the streamer is dropping a handful of original series and films throughout the month. toile (April 24), a new series from the creator of Gilmore Girls and Prime Video's hit The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is a drama/comedy about the competitive world of dance set in New York and Paris. The eight-episode show also stars The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel cast members Luke Kirby and Gideon Glick. Fans of horror and gore (and Kevin Bacon) may want to catch action series The Bondsman (April 3), in which Bacon plays a murdered bondsman who has been resurrected by the devil and sent on a mission to collect demons that have escaped from hell. Also in the action genre (and for fans of Die Hard) is new original film G20 (April 10), in which Viola Davis stars as the U.S. president trying to save the world when the G20 summit is taken over by terrorists. Prime Video's April lineup includes new seasons of two reality shows, starting with the second installment of Americas Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (April 1). The culinary competition hosted by Jeannie Mai and judge Dan Souza pits 11 aspiring cooks against each other for a spot on America's Test Kitchen. At the end of the month, fashion personalities Clinton Kelly and Stacy Londonof What Not To Wear famewill reunite for Wear Whatever The F You Want (April 29), a reimagining of their original style-makeover show. Here are all the originals coming to Prime Video in April.Whats coming to Prime Video in April 2025Available April 1America's Test Kitchen: The Next GenerationAvailable April 3The BondsmanAvailable April 8Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXSpy HighAvailable April 10G20Available April 13Godfather of HarlemAvailable April 17#1 Happy Family USALeverage: Redemption (US + UK only)Available April 18LOL: Se Rir, J Era!Available April 24toileAvailable April 29Wear Whatever The F You Want

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Amazon's Big Spring Sale might almost be over (it ends tonight), but there's still plenty of good tech deals to be found for cheap. Across Amazonplus Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and moregadgets from laptops to TVs are still seeing deep discounts. Shopping these sales can be a bit difficult unless you know how to track an items price history, but fortunately, Ive already done all of the work for you. Prices are accurate as of the time of writing, but you can expect them to fluctuate and for inventory to sell out, so you may not want to hesitate if you see a sale that grabs you. The best deals on laptops Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch with M4 Chip $949.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $949.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $50.00 Sales events are a great time to buy laptops, as they're one of the most frequent items to go on sale during these periods. Here are some of my favorite picks for the best laptop deals available now.Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M4 Chip: $949 at Amazon (was $999). Released earlier this month, Apple's M4 MacBook Air is already on sale. At time of writing, the discount only applies to the 13-inch model with 16GB of RAM, but that's still enough for plenty of users.Apple MacBook Pro with M4 Chip: $1,399 at Amazon (was $1,599). For a more powerful Apple computer, the MacBook Pro is the obvious choice. As time of writing, sales are present across all chip options (the M4 has multiple upgrades available), as well as across multiple RAM and storage loadouts, but you will need to stick to a 14-inch screen.Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360: $1,475 at Amazon (was $1,699). A Windows-based alternative to the MacBook Air, although with power potentially rivaling the Pro at points, this lightweight laptop is a touch more expensive, but comes with a higher resolution OLED screen with a higher refresh rate, plus the ability to convert into a tablet.Microsoft Surface Laptop: $921 at Amazon (was $1,400). A cheaper alternative to the MacBook Air, the Microsoft Surface Laptop offers a familiar form factor and, thanks to its Qualcomm chip, higher battery life and greater AI compatibility, although at the cost of some performance.Lenovo IdeaPad 1i: $420 at Best Buy (was $600). This is a more basic, "get the job done" kind of laptop, but with a respectable mid-range chip, surprisingly generous storage for the price, and a touchscreen, there's quite a bit of value to be had here.HP Victus 16 Gaming Laptop: $900 at Best Buy (was $1,500). The HP Victus 16 is a tremendous deal below $1,000, getting you a respectable chip, 16GB of RAM, and enough storage to get by, but also the RTX 4070 GPU, which is typically reserved for much more expensive machines.The best deals on tablets Apple 11-Inch iPad Pro with M4 Chip $909.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $90.00 Get Deal Get Deal $909.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $90.00 Good tablets are a bit rarer to find deals on during sales events, since iPads so overwhelmingly dominate the space, and Apple can be a little more stringent with supply. Still, there are good opportunities to be found if you're willing to look.Apple 11-Inch iPad Pro with M4 Chip: $919 at Amazon (was $999). Apple's first iPad with an OLED screen, the M4 Pro is now available for less than four figures, with deals available for all storage configurations.Microsoft Surface Pro 13-Inch: $1,000 at Best Buy (was $1,200). This pick blurs the line between a tablet and a laptop, coming equipped with Windows 11, which gives it a full desktop ecosystem of apps to explore. Plus, this particular model also has a few Copilot+ goodies thrown in. Storage is 512GB and RAM is 16GB.Google Pixel Tablet: $279 at Amazon (was $399). A more affordable tablet, this device uses the same Tensor G2 chipset as the Pixel 7 line, has 8GB of RAM, and features a 2,560 x 1,600 display. That means it's on the humbler side, but as a positive, it can also double as a smart display.The best deals on phones Google Pixel 9 (Unlocked) $629.99 at Amazon $799.00 Save $169.01 Get Deal Get Deal $629.99 at Amazon $799.00 Save $169.01 Similar to tablets, the current phone deals are a bit held back by Apple, as iPhone sales tend to be a bit hit-or-miss, often relying on third-party sellers with refurbished devices. However, if you're on Android, you have a wealth of options.Google Pixel 9 (Unlocked): $629 at Amazon (was $799). Google's latest non-pro phone has the Tensor G4 chip, a lot of exclusive Gemini-powered goodies, and a 6.3-inch OLED "Actua" display.Samsung Galaxy S25 (Unlocked): $700 at Amazon (was $800). Samsung's Galaxy phones are a favorite alternative to Google's Pixels, with a more traditional camera setup and more powerful chips. You lose out on Google's exclusive Pixel software features, but if you can get used to Samsung's own ecosystem, there's also some convenience to be gained with its spin on Android.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Unlocked): $1,067 at Amazon (was $1,220). Flip phones are still an expensive proposition, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a bit more affordable with the sale. This phone has many of the same specs as the S25, albeit with the camera's performance being traded out a bit in favor of the foldable screen.Motorola Razr+ (Unlocked): $749 at Amazon (was $1,000). This nostalgic flip phone is a slightly cheaper alternative to the Z Flip series, with a slightly weaker chipset but also a slightly larger size.The best deals on TVs Amazon Fire TV 55" $769.99 at Amazon $899.99 Save $130.00 Get Deal Get Deal $769.99 at Amazon $899.99 Save $130.00 Like laptops, TVs almost always go on sale at every opportunity, and waiting until these discounts drop is a great way to get a display that punches above its weight class.LG 77-inch B3 OLED TV: $1,487 at Amazon (was $2,297). OLED is still my favorite display tech out there, and if I can get on my soapbox for a moment, it's the only one that really compares to CRTs. LG makes some of the best OLED TVs around, and this big-screen model has a 4K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. There are four HDMI 2.1 inputs.Samsung 50-inch QN90D QLED TV: $998 at Amazon (was $1,398). QLED takes a different approach than OLED, sacrificing pixel-perfect pure blacks in favor of higher brightness and more affordability. Samsung's Neo QLED tech combines this with Mini-LEDs to help claw some of that contrast back, and is a great choice at this price point, especially with its built-in 4K upscaling and Dolby Atmos support.TCL 55-inch Class Q6-Series 4K Smart Google TV: $300 at Best Buy (was $320). If you're not big on Amazon's or Roku's operating systems, then a TCL TV is a good bet. This model comes in up to 98 inches, has a 4K QLED panel, supports Dolby Vision, and has a 60Hz native refresh rate.The best deals on headphones and earbuds Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones $249.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $150.00 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $150.00 Headphones and earbuds are one of those things that it's easy to forget about in an upgrade cycle. If you can hear your content, that's good enough for most people, right? But discounts present an easy excuse to improve your gear and get access to features you didn't even know you were missing.Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones: $318 at Amazon (was $400). These are Sony's flagship over-ear headphones, complete with noise canceling, a promised 30-hour battery life, and Alexa voice control alongside capacitive touch control.Apple AirPods Max Headphones: $513 at Amazon (was 549). Apple's AirPods Max are a great choice for anyone in the Apple Ecosystem, especially with the USB-C version's recent adoption of lossless audio.Bose QuietComfort Headphones: $249 at Amazon (was $349). Bose's QuietComfort headphones are a little cheaper that Sony and Apple's most recent flagships, but still promise strong noise canceling performance as well as battery life that will last you over a day.Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen Earbuds: $199 at Amazon (was $250). Apple's 2nd Gen AirPods Pro added a few new software tricks that make them a great upgrade, including conversation awareness and even the ability to use them as hearing aids.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: $219 at Amazon (was $299). Conversely, if you don't need to be in the Apple ecosystem, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra offer outstanding noise cancelling for an in-ear product, plus an upgraded Bluetooth codec.The best deals on smartwatches Apple Watch Series 10 $329.00 at Amazon $399.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $329.00 at Amazon $399.00 Save $70.00 Smartwatches are one of those smartphone value adds that seem easy to ignore, until you have one. Then it's hard to go back. If you're either a fitness enthusiast, or you just want to make tap-to-pay and music controls a little simpler, here are a few good ways to get started.Apple Watch Series 10: $329 at Amazon (was $399). Apple's current standard smartwatch, the Series 10, is on sale across both its 42mm and 46mm sizes. It comes with a sport loop and features a thinner design and bigger display than the previous model.Apple Watch SE Gen 2: $199 at Amazon (was $249). If all you need from a smartwatch is the absolute basics, the Apple Watch SE is a budget option that can still do tap-to-pay and track your fitness. It's currently on sale in both its 40mm and 44mm sizes, and comes with a sport band.Pixel Watch 3: $290 at Amazon (was $350). Google's own smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 3, offers a more rounded design than the Apple Watch and includes some extra smarts straight from Fitbit. It's on sale in both 41mm and 45mm sizes and comes with an elastic band.Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: $240 at Best Buy (was $300). A slightly cheaper Android option, the Galaxy Watch 7 still has full WearOS compatibility and measures over a dozen different fitness statistics. It's on sale in both 40mm and 44mm sizes and comes with an elastic band.Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: $420 at Best Buy (was $650). One of the few premium smartwatches on sale right now, this Galaxy Watch upgrade comes with a titanium design, an extra button, and improved waterproofing. It only comes in 47mm and includes an elastic band.The best deals on desktop PCs Apple M4 iMac $549.00 at Amazon $599.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $549.00 at Amazon $599.00 Save $50.00 Not everyone needs their computers to come with a screen and keyboard attached. If you do all your computing at a desk, here are a few great stationary computers that will give you all the power you need.M4 Mac Mini: $549 at Amazon (was $599). Apple's Mac Mini got a much-needed refresh in 2024, with a new design and Apple's latest chip. This model comes with the M4 chip, 16GB of memory, and 256GB of storage.M4 iMac: $1,204 at Amazon (was $1,299). If you need your desktops to have a screen built-in, iMacs are always a good bet. This model, also revamped in 2024, comes with the M4 chip, 16GB of memory, 256GB of storage, and a 24-inch display.Minisforum DeskMini UM870 Slim: $480 at Amazon (was $580). Apple isn't the only company in on the Mini PC game. Over in Windows land, Minisforum has made a name for itself with small computers, and this one has a capable Ryzen 7 8745H chip, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Dell Inspiron 3030: $650 at Dell (was $900). When it comes to office computers with more traditional form factors, Dell is a classic standby. This Inspiron deal will net you a respectable Intel Core i7-14700 chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.MSI Codex R2 Gaming Desktop: $829 at Newegg (was $899). As for gaming, this deal is a good starting point, with an Intel Core i5-13400F chip, an RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a couple of RGB-equipped fans thrown in for good measure.Alienware Area-51 Gaming Desktop: $4,650 at Dell (was $5,050). On the ultra-premium end of the spectrum, you can save a bit on one of the most powerful desktops out right now, even if you'll still end up paying a hefty sum in the end. This Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop boasts an Intel Core Ultra 9 chip, a very recent Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, 64GB of memory, and 4TB of storage. Wow.The best sales on video game tech Xbox Core Wireless Gaming Controller $44.99 at Walmart $59.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal Get Deal $44.99 at Walmart $59.99 Save $15.00 The best video game sales tend to be more often relegated to summer and fall, but there are still a few sales to be found right now, especially on hardware and accessories.Xbox Series X 1TB Digital Edition: $435 at Amazon (was $450). It's a slight discount, but if you're willing to live without a disc drive, you can find some small savings on Microsoft's most powerful Xbox.PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition Astro Bot Bundle: $400 at Amazon (was $460). This PS5 deal snags you a console without a disc drive plus the critically acclaimed Astro Bot game, all for less than buying a PS5 usually costs on its own.PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Astro Bot Bundle: $449 at Amazon (was $510). If you prefer to get your games physically, or you watch a lot of Blu-Ray movies, this Astro Bot PS5 bundle as another great way to save on both items.PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle: $399 at Amazon (was $469). This deal comes with a PSVR2 headset and controllers alongside the Horizon Call of the Mountain game, giving you everything you need to get started with console VR. Plus, the PSVR2 now works with PC using an adapter.Amazon Fire TV 4K Max with Xbox Core Wireless Controller and 1 Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: $105 at Amazon (was $145). This bundle will snag you Amazon's best streaming stick plus an Xbox controller and one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, turning it into a full-on cloud gaming console.Xbox Core Wireless Gaming Controller: $45 at Amazon (was $60). Almost no video game accessory is as versatile as the basic Xbox controller, which can work across a slew of devices and has a standard layout that most games recognize immediately.Shopping for tech? Lifehacker can help you make the right decision. Browse our tech reviews and head-to-head comparisons for everything from laptops and smartwatches to e-bikes and home gyms. Subscribe to our deals newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox, or browse our best-of lists directly on Amazon, including:The Best Over-Ear HeadphonesThe Best Wireless EarbudsThe Best Adjustable Dumbbell SetsThe Best Projectors

Regular YouTube users have likely noticed an abundance of AI-generated fake movie trailers this past year or so. This annoying AI slop is all over the platform. As it turns out, major movie studios have actually been making money from the videos, according to reporting by Deadline.The scheme worked sort of like a mob shakedown. Hollywood studios would not enforce copyright on these videos. Instead, they struck a deal with YouTube to ensure they got the ad revenue instead of the people that typed in a couple of prompts and did some light editing.One of the most famous of these videos is a bogus trailer for the upcoming Superman reboot. This one actually tricked French national television, leading director James Gunn to post three puking emojis on X. He likely didnt know that Warner Bros. Discovery was one of the companies racking up cash for these pale imitations. https://t.co/O17n3VuSx0 James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2024 Theres a question here as to why major film studios would allow their brands to be diluted by AI-generated nonsense. After all, these fake trailers exist right next to the actual teasers and its been proven that they can confuse people. We dont have any actual monetary figures, but the videos have racked up billions of views. Maybe thats enough for short-sighted companies. The actors union SAG-AFTRA has called the whole thing a "race to the bottom."In any event, the gravy train has run out of steam. YouTube has turned off ad revenue for these kinds of videos, which was likely done because of Deadlines reporting. Popular channels that distribute this content, like Screen Culture, have been removed from the partner program. Now nobody will make money from a slightly-off Leonardo DiCaprio making his way through a season of Squid Game.The channels can appeal YouTubes decision. The founder of a channel called KH Studio, which has amassed hundreds of millions of views, has said that they never intended to mislead viewers. They just wanted to create "what if" scenarios."Ive been running KH Studio full-time for over three years now, putting everything into it. Its tough to see it grouped under 'misleading content' in the demonetization decision, when my goal has always been to explore creative possibilities not to misrepresent real releases," they added.We contacted Screen Culture for comment and will update this post if we hear back. That channel has over 1.4 million subscribers and has posted a whopping 1,800 videos. If something exists, Screen Culture has likely made a fake trailer for it. For instance, the channel has posted over 20 AI-generated trailers for the upcoming Marvel film Fantastic Four: First Steps.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/movie-studios-have-been-making-serious-money-from-ai-slop-on-youtube-160434252.html?src=rss

There may come a point where you want to break ties with Amazon maybe youre cutting down on impulse buys, trying to escape the subscription rabbit hole or just rethinking where your money goes. Whatever the reason, Amazon gives you two main options: you can cancel your Prime membership to stop the monthly (or yearly) payments, or you can go all in and delete your entire Amazon account including your order history, personal data and access to services like Kindle and Prime Video. This guide will walk you through both processes step by step so you can take control of your Amazon presence.How to cancel your Amazon Prime membershipCanceling Amazon Prime is a lot easier than you might think especially if youre looking to save money or youre not using the perks much anymore. Prime comes with benefits like free shipping, access to Prime Video, Prime Reading and more, but if youre not using those, you may want to let it go.Go to Amazons End Your Amazon Prime Membership help page, or sign into your Amazon account and select Account & Lists then Prime Membership.Select End Membership.Amazon may prompt you with offers to stay (like reminders of what you'll lose or a discounted rate). If you're sure, keep clicking Continue to Cancel.Confirm your cancellation.Once canceled, your membership will run until the end of your current billing period. If you cancel during a free trial, your Prime benefits will end immediately and you wont be charged.How to delete your Amazon account entirelyIf you want to take things a step further and permanently delete your Amazon account along with all your personal data, order history and any associated services you can request full account closure. While this will irreversibly delete account details like your order history, you can always sign up again from scratch if you change your mind. Once your account is gone, you wont be able to access anything tied to it again. This includes your:Order history and invoicesAccess to digital content (like Kindle books, Prime Video purchases or Amazon Music)Saved payment methods and shipping addressesAmazon Photos, Amazon Drive and Alexa voice historyAny remaining Amazon gift card balances or promotional creditSo, before you go through with it, make sure you download anything you want to keep, spend any remaining credit and cancel open orders or subscriptions.Head to the Close Your Amazon Account help page, or sign into your Amazon account and select Account & Lists then Account, and navigate to the Manage your data section then Close Your Amazon Account.Review the list of services associated with your account. This helps you see what you'll lose access to, such as Audible, Alexa devices, Kindle purchases or Amazon-owned services in other countries.If you're sure you want to continue, select a reason for leaving from the drop-down menu.Check the box confirming: Yes, I want to permanently close my Amazon account and delete my data.Click Close My Account.Georgie Peru for EngadgetAfter submitting the request, Amazon will send a confirmation message to your email or phone number. Youll need to reply within five days to verify the deletion request. If you dont, the request expires and your account stays active.If you have multiple Amazon accounts, youll need to go through this process for each one individually. Once your account is deleted, you cant get it back. If you want to use Amazon again in the future, youll have to create a brand-new account. Also, your account will be deleted across all Amazon sites globally so if you also use amazon.co.uk, amazon.de or amazon.co.jp with the same login, those will be gone too.FAQsCan you get a refund on your Prime membership?Yes, in some cases. If you havent used any Prime benefits during the current period for example, if you havent placed an order with free Prime shipping or streamed anything on Prime Video Amazon will typically give you a full refund. It usually takes three to five business days to process.What happens to your Prime add-ons?If youve signed up for Prime Video Channels like Paramount+ or Showtime, those will also end when you cancel your Prime membership. These subscriptions wont renew once Prime is canceled.Also, if you subscribed to Prime through Google Play on an Android device, you'll need to cancel through Google Subscriptions instead. Similarly, if your Prime came bundled with a third-party service like Metro by T-Mobile, youll need to contact that provider directly to cancel.For more general tips on managing and canceling subscriptions youre no longer using, check out our guide to finding and canceling unused subscriptions.What if you cant log in to your account?If youre having trouble accessing the account you want to close, Amazon has a help page that walks you through password recovery, identity verification and other troubleshooting steps.And if you're helping someone else delete their account for example, if you're an authorized agent Amazon recommends contacting it via email with legal proof of authorization under your state's privacy laws.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/how-to-cancel-your-amazon-account-160046999.html?src=rss

Find out when Marvel will release the seventh episode of Daredevil: Born Again with our help.

Garmin's subscription is causing a lot of upset among users, but what do you even get for your money?

This article explores the latest update of the 3DGS Render Blender Addon, which expands the functionality of 3D Gaussian Splatting in Blender for point cloud workflows. Key points include: Mesh-to-Gaussian Splats conversion: The new release enables conversion of .OBJ files into 3DGS .PLY format, allowing for exclusive point-cloud-based editing of existing mesh models. Exportable Face Edits: Now, face edits can be exported, ensuring 3DGS objects retain mesh adjustments for other software or collaborative work. Exportable Transforms: Object transformations like scaling, rotation, and position are preserved during export, addressing a previous limitation. 3DGS Painting and Texturing: Painting and texturing for 3DGS objects are introduced, providing creative freedom and remaining intact through rendering and export. Baking (Experimental): The new baking feature, based on Blenders node bake system, can reduce rendering or playback times for heavy scenes. Notable Minor Improvements: These include 3DGS UV Generation, optimized editing workflows, independent LQ/HQ and color edits, a new import method, scene refresh, and a revamped UI. Free and Open-Source: The addon remains free and open-source, promoting community-driven development for wider adoption of 3D Gaussian Splatting.3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) continues to gain momentum as a compelling approach for visualizing, editing, and animating point clouds in Blender. Now, the developers of the 3DGS Render Blender Addon have unveiled a major update that significantly expands the functionality of this workflowoffering new ways to convert, paint, bake, and export 3DGS objects. In this article, well dive deep into the exciting new features, explain how they benefit artists, and touch on why they mark a significant milestone in Blenders ongoing integration of 3D point cloud workflows.A Quick Primer on 3DGS Render Blender AddonFor those who may be new to the concept, 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) involves representing 3D objects as a constellation of splat points or ellipsoids. This method allows for ultra-fast rendering and editing of point-cloud-based geometry, making it ideal for dense scene visualizations. Over time, 3DGS has evolved to support more features typically found in polygon-based workflows, such as crop-editing and render exports. While past versions of the 3DGS Render Addon set the groundwork, this latest update significantly broadens what you can achieve in Blender with point cloud data.Key Enhancements1. Mesh-to-Gaussian SplatsOne of the major highlights of the new release is the ability to convert .OBJ files into 3DGS .PLY format. This streamlined process transforms existing mesh models into 3DGS objects, unlocking exclusive point-cloud-based editing and processing methods. Its particularly useful for applying specialized effects to conventional meshes, as well as unifying file formats across entire scenes. 2. Exportable Face EditsUntil now, only edits to the point cloud data could be exported via the addon. In this release, you can also export face editswhich makes a big difference when refining or cleaning up geometry. Being able to carry those mesh adjustments out of Blender ensures your 3DGS objects remain true to the changes youve made, whether you need them for other software or for collaborative workflows.3. Exportable TransformsAnother limitation that has been addressed is the handling of object transformationsscaling, rotation, and position. With this update, all transforms applied will remain when exported, so you no longer lose this crucial information when moving your 3DGS objects to external tools.4. 3DGS Painting and TexturingThis update introduces painting and texturing for 3DGS objects, allowing you to color them with a direct brush or image-based textures. These enhancements remain intact through rendering and export, providing a new layer of creative freedom often missing in point-cloud-based workflows.5. Baking (Experimental)The new baking feature focuses on performance by locking in modifier effects, rather than recalculating every frame. Built on Blenders node bake system, it can significantly reduce rendering or playback times for heavy scenes, although it remains experimental. Large-scale projects may see considerable benefits but should also be mindful of potential stability issues.Notable Minor Improvements3DGS UV Generation: Automatically create UV maps on import, simplifying shading and animation.All editing modifiers can be added and re-added: Optimized workflows for iterative editing and modifiers can be used multiple times.Independent Low/High Quality and Color Edits: Individual material and color settings are now available for each 3DGS object, rather than one global configuration.New Import Method: Removed reliance on external dependencies, eliminating the warning banner in Blender Preferences.Scene Refresh: Re-initializes scene and object properties, aiding file transfers and preventing setup issues.Revamped UI: Improves mode-switching and provides performance tips, enhancing workflow efficiency.Takeaways and Next StepsWith the addition of mesh conversion, exportable face edits, enhanced transform capabilities, painting and texturing options, and experimental baking, the 3DGS Blender Render Addon demonstrates significant progress in integrating point-cloud techniques with standard 3D workflows. These improvements streamline the user experienceremoving external dependencies, refining the interface, and providing greater flexibility for editing and rendering.Notably, the addon remains free and open-source, reflecting the developers belief that breakthroughs in 3DGS result from iterative adaptations and community-driven collaboration. By sharing the project openly, contributors can refine point-cloud workflows and move 3D Gaussian Splatting closer to a widely adopted technique across diverse industries.Check out and download the addon for free on Blender Market and Github.See KIRI Engines official Update Release Video.Brought to you by KIRI Innovations:This article is part of the befores & afters VFX Insight series. If youd like to promote your VFX/animation/CG tech or service, you can find out more about the VFX Insight series here.The post The Evolution of 3D Gaussian Splatting in Blender: A Look at the Latest 3DGS Render Addon Update appeared first on befores & afters.