mcblend

Mcblend is a free Blender add-on for creating Bedrock Edition models, rigs, animations, and camera data. It suits Minecraft creators who already work in Blender and can follow a strict armature-based structure. The main reason to choose it is its broad Blender-to-Bedrock export path; the main trade-off is that exports can fail when models break its structure rules, while polymesh support remains experimental.

Overview

Mcblend connects Blender’s modeling and animation tools to Minecraft Bedrock formats instead of replacing Blender with a dedicated editor. It imports and exports cube-based and polymesh models for entities and attachables. That makes it a sensible choice for creators invested in Blender’s visual editor, rigging, physics, and scripting workflow, but less suitable if you want a Minecraft editor with fewer pipeline conventions.

The required structure is strict: every model must contain exactly one armature, and every cube or polymesh must remain a separate object parented to an armature bone. A cube-marked object is skipped if its mesh is not cuboid or is not aligned with the object’s rotation. Those rules are manageable for new projects, but existing Blender assets may need reorganization before export.

Installation is manual. Download the ZIP from GitHub releases and install it through Blender’s Add-ons preferences; the installation guidance calls for Blender 5.2, identified there as the current LTS release. Updating means uninstalling the old add-on and installing the replacement because there is no in-Blender update system. The project is MIT licensed and supplied without warranty.

Key features

Models, UVs, and textures

Mcblend imports and exports both cube and polymesh Bedrock models, and generates UV maps and textures. Automatic UV mapping lays out cube-face coordinates and can create a template texture, which reduces repetitive setup for conventional Minecraft geometry. Polymeshes must use Blender’s regular texturing tools instead. The project warns that polymeshes are experimental in Minecraft, may not work with every modeling tool, and could be removed from the game, so they are a poor foundation for work that needs long-term format stability.

Animation and rigging

The add-on exports keyframe animations and poses for entities and attachables. It can bake Blender animation into Minecraft format, including animation that uses inverse kinematics and constraints. Blender physics and rigging remain available, and automatic rigid-body setup can speed up model preparation. These capabilities favor creators who need articulated or physically driven characters rather than static assets.

Camera output

Mcblend exports camera movement and field-of-view animation as JavaScript data for Minecraft Script API cutscenes and scripted camera playback. The output is data, not a complete in-game camera system: Minecraft Script API game logic must apply it to a player’s camera. It is therefore valuable for creators comfortable adding scripting, but not a turnkey cinematic editor.

Merge Models

Merge Models requires every model to have a render controller and an assigned texture. It may not work correctly with complex render controllers or multiple textures, limiting its reliability for elaborate packs.

Pricing

Mcblend is free and open source. The Mcblend plan costs nothing and provides the Blender add-on, downloaded from GitHub releases. There is no paid tier or free-trial period, so the relevant cost is the manual setup and maintenance rather than a subscription. The MIT license supplies the software as-is without warranty.

Platforms

Mcblend runs as a Blender add-on on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It uses a visual editor and supports scripting through its JavaScript camera-animation output and Minecraft Script API integration.

Who it's for

Choose Mcblend if you are a Minecraft Bedrock creator who already models, rigs, or animates in Blender and wants to move those assets into entities, attachables, cutscenes, or scripted camera playback. It is especially appropriate for technically comfortable users who can enforce one-armature, separate-object parenting rules and handle JavaScript integration.

Look elsewhere if you need a forgiving Minecraft-first editor, dependable polymesh compatibility, automatic updates, or a camera workflow that works without game-side scripting. Support is community-oriented: the README directs questions and comments to the #mcblend channel of the Bedrock OSS Discord.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Blender-native Bedrock workflow: model import/export, rigging, physics, and animation stay in the tool many 3D creators already use.
• Strong animation coverage: keyframes, poses, inverse kinematics, constraints, and baked Minecraft animations are supported.
• Useful camera export: movement and field-of-view data can feed Script API cutscenes and scripted playback.
• Free and open source: there is no subscription or paid feature tier.

Cons

• Rigid model structure: one armature and separately parented cube or polymesh objects are mandatory, and malformed cube geometry can be skipped.
• Polymesh uncertainty: Minecraft support is experimental and may disappear, while texturing is less automated than for cubes.
• Manual maintenance: ZIP installation and uninstall-and-reinstall updates add recurring setup work.
• Script dependency for cameras: exported data still needs Minecraft Script API logic to affect a player’s camera.
• Merge limitations: render-controller and texture requirements make complex or multi-texture merges unreliable.

Alternatives

Minecraft Add-on Editors is the broader directory choice when you want to compare Minecraft-focused authoring tools rather than commit to a Blender plug-in.

Snowstorm is a free option on desktop, mobile, web, and as an extension when cross-platform access matters more than Blender integration.

Blockbench is free across Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows and is the clearer pick for a dedicated Minecraft model editor instead of Blender-centered work.

Minecraft Launcher is free to download, with game access requiring ownership or a time-limited demo; choose it for launching Minecraft rather than authoring models.

Visual Studio Code is a free Linux, macOS, web, and Windows editor when your priority is writing and managing Bedrock scripts or files.

JsonForge is a free, MIT-licensed web and Electron app for users who want a general JSON tool rather than Blender modeling.

Bedrocken is a free VS Code extension for Bedrock work and requires VS Code version 1.87.0 or newer.

Blockception Minecraft Bedrock Development is a free VS Code extension aimed at Minecraft Bedrock Add-ons and Minecraft Education Edition.

McpeTool is free, MIT-licensed software for users seeking a different Bedrock-oriented toolchain, including API and self-hosted deployment options.

Verdict

Mcblend is the right choice for Blender-based Bedrock creators who need model, animation, UV, and camera exports without paying for an add-on. Choose it for the depth of its Blender integration and animation support; look elsewhere if strict one-armature structure, manual updates, experimental polymeshes, or required Script API work conflict with your pipeline.