What is a .blend file?
Blender Project File · 3D model · Blender Foundation · 1994
A BLEND file is Blender's own project file, holding an entire 3D scene: models, materials, textures, lights, cameras, animation and settings. It is meant to be opened in Blender, and it is tied to the Blender version that saved it.
What is a .blend file used for?
A .blend is essentially a snapshot of everything in a Blender project, which is why it can hold a complete scene, geometry, shaders, rigs, animation and even compositing setups, in one file.
It is version-specific: a newer Blender opens older .blend files, but a file saved in a newer version may not open cleanly in an older one.
Because it is Blender's internal format, other 3D programs do not read it. To move work elsewhere, you export from Blender to an interchange format like FBX, glTF or OBJ.
One safety note: a .blend can embed Python scripts that run when the file loads. Blender disables that auto-run by default, and you should only enable it for files you trust.
How to open a .blend file
The .blend format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- Blender
macOS
- Blender
Linux
- Blender
Web
- Not applicable; open in Blender or ask for an exported FBX/glTF
How to convert a .blend file
You can convert a .blend file to FBX, GLTF, OBJ, STL using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
.blend file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .blend file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for BLEND. For a full breakdown, see the BLEND file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 42 4C 45 4E 44 45 52 | 0 | 'BLENDER' followed by version and pointer-size info |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .blend file?
A BLEND file is Blender's own project file, holding an entire 3D scene: models, materials, textures, lights, cameras, animation and settings. It is meant to be opened in Blender, and it is tied to the Blender version that saved it.
How do I open a .blend file without Blender?
You generally cannot: .blend is Blender's own format and other programs do not read it. Open it in the free Blender, or ask whoever sent it to export an FBX, glTF or OBJ you can use elsewhere.
Can a .blend file contain a virus?
A .blend can embed Python scripts that run when it loads, which in theory could be misused. Blender disables auto-running those scripts by default, so keep that setting off and only enable it for files you trust.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references: