Blender 4.3 beta brings Grease Pencil overhaul, EEVE improvements, and Vulkan API support

Blender has announced the release of version 4.3 beta, opening it up for public testing. This update introduces the third generation of Grease Pencil, which has undergone a complete rewrite, adding features such as Layer Groups and Geometry Nodes support. Users should note that old files will be converted to the new system, maintaining their appearance with some exceptions, like potential variations in the noise modifier. Importantly, files saved in Blender 4.3 will not be compatible with older versions, so backups or new file names are recommended.

In this beta release, brushes are now treated as assets, allowing them to be reused and shared across different projects via the Asset Browser. A new selection of community-provided brushes has also been integrated, enhancing functionality for painting, sculpting, and Grease Pencil use. Users may notice improved performance due to significant updates to the brush evaluation system and viewport drawing.

EEVEE sees advancements with the introduction of Light Linking and Multi-pass Compositing. Additionally, Blender 4.3 beta offers experimental support for rendering its UI with the Vulkan API on Windows and Linux, marking a step forward in graphics performance and compatibility.