Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Blender Extension to 3D Modeling for Metaverse

Abstract

The study aimed to 1) study the efficiency of Blender software extension in managing textures and materials of 3D models suitable for real-time processing in metaverse tasks, 2) to investigate user feedback of the Blender software extension for metaverse texture and material manipulation. The sample group consisted of 44 specifically selected students from the Faculty of Architecture and Creative Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, enrolled in the Introduction to 3D Animation Production course under the Multimedia Technology undergraduate program. The statistics used in data analysis were the mean, percentage, and standard deviation.  The study's findings revealed that 1) the 3D models obtained from using Blender software extension had reduced file size, mesh vertices, unique materials, batches (draw calls), materials count, and materials memory usage. The number of objects displayed in the Unity game engine at 60 frames per second increased by 393.37%. 2) Users were highly satisfied with using Blender software extension to manage 3D model surfaces and materials for virtual reality applications, with an average score of 4.71.