Should tMR allow .blend files?

[Petie]

The main issue with BLEND files is that they only work with Blender. Those files will be useless to anyone using 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, etc. However, it is true that Blender is freely available and widely used. I am not completely opposed to their inclusion, but the files are a lot more complex and more difficult to vet. BLEND files can not only have resources packed inside, but also custom layouts, scripts, and other things. If any of these things had a problem, we'd have to either spend extra time to fix the issue or remove the file entirely. That adds even more time to review each submission, not to mention potential issues with Blender version compatibility.

One situation that I very much want to avoid is people relying on Blender for handling everything difficult. The last thing I want is for someone to download a ZIP and the readme says "Animations are in the Blender file" or "Other UVs are in the Blender file" or "Vertex colors are in the Blender file" or "Bones are in the Blender file" or even "Textures are in the Blender file".

I agree that there is some value in being able to provide material setups for complex materials like those in Splatoon, even if it only works for Blender users. However, from what I have seen in other submissions, this same information can also be conveyed through images of the node setup and/or tutorial text. Personally, I think teaching users how to make the setup themselves is better than just giving the finished package. ("Give a man a fish..." and such.)

Again, I am not completely opposed to its inclusion. However, I worry that the potential convenience it can provide will be outweighed by the issues it can bring.

I just want to add that this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. My understanding of models is extremely limited so I see something like Blender and think, "We should use this - it's free, open source, and most users will be using it anyway - there's no downside." And while that may well be at least partially true, I did not have the insight into the approval process (or even the general workings of the software) to understand how that might cause problems. Even having read that, I do still think there may be merit in incorporating Blender but I now have a much better understanding of why it's not as simple as just allowing .blend files and calling it a day so thank you.

It seems I have not been using the word correctly. Blender files are not, by definition, proprietary. However, I would still lump them in the same category as .MAX or .MAYA files because Blender is the only program that uses them to any degree.

No, you've been using it correctly. I just meant that .blend files are much more easily accessible to everyone than .max or .maya as the latter two require paid (and typically very expensive) software whereas the former is free. .blend is absolutely still a proprietary format, it's just not as locked down due to licensing requirements.