As a team we have created multiple products and services. These collectively make up Autotroph as both a company and a brand.
CG Cookie
The one and only, the site that started it all. CG Cookie launched in 2008 began as a software agnostic content site built with WordPress and a purchased theme. Featuring tutorials, gallery and conversations on various softwares. CG Cookie offered training on 3D modeling with Blender, game development with Unity, concept art with Photoshop and even sculpting with real clay.
Originally selling individual tutorials for $4, CG Cookie began to take hold after being one of the first to market Blender 2.5 training DVD. Shortly thereafter we launched our Citizen paid membership November 2010.
Weโve come to recognize our super power is within the software Blender and are passionate about supporting this free open-source community that has supported us.
In 2019 CG Cookie pivoted to be a Blender focused project.
Blender Market
Blender Market was launched in June 2014. It is a place where Blender artists are able to elevate their passion for Blender into a career. Our vision was to create a sustainable and stable environment for developers & artists, allowing them to get paid for doing what they love creating custom tools, and incentivizing them to deliver assets and add-ons that are invaluable to the community.
The marketplace has since grown to be the single largest repository of Blender specific addons, assets, and training resources anywhere online.
On Blender Market, creators are able to automatically donate a percentage of their earnings directly back to the Blender Foundation. This means that making a purchase on the Blender Market not only supports a creator but also helps make Blender better than ever before.
We believe that Blenderโs future is to become the most widely used 3D software package on the planet. The role of Blender Market is to give our community a trusted platform for making a living using the software that we all love, Blender.
Orange Turbine
Orange Turbine is a special project started in January of 2021. With the continued rise of Blender’s popularity, it became clear that a resource was needed to support integrating Blender into production pipelines. This is the purpose of Orange Turbine. We provide direct support services to studios and toolmakers that want to use Blender to create their work. Through Orange Turbine, we provide tailored training, customized pipeline development, and consultation services.
In 2022, all of CG Cookie’s production-quality extensions to Blender were brought under the Orange Turbine brand to give those products a distinct home where they could have more focused development.
Those Blender tools include:
RetopoFlow
A retopology suite for Blender launched in 2015 helps you create clean topology in minutes versus hours, and no more painful and slow process. Instead, focus where it counts: your mesh flow and final topology.
Extra Lights
Launched in 2020 was the first new plugin a part of our employee shared development program. This plugin for Blender adds over 60 photometric light presets to your Add menu.
anAtomic
Launched in 2020 this add-on is a 3D facial anatomy resource for artists.
BCON LA
Building upon the continued growth and success of BCON, Blender’s official annual in-person event, the Autotroph team accepted an invitation to organize and host the first ever Blender Conference outside of Amsterdam.
In close collaboration with the Blender Foundation and Blender community member Stirling Goetz, Autotroph remains responsible for facilitating this popular annual gathering of Blender enthusiasts in Los Angeles, California.
Mavenseed – retired
Launched by CG Cookie and Nick Haskins in 2019. Mavenseed is the CMS built for CG Cookie. We chose to scratch our own itch, and for several years opened the platform up to enable other creators to build their own CG Cookie, digital product, landing page or online community.
Eat Sheep – retired
A passion game project from the Cookie crew in 2012. A top down iPad puzzle/strategy game where players are charged with navigating a sheep-eating monster to save the world.
SculptBox – retired
Launched by CGC in 2017, SculptBox was our all-in-one clay sculpting starter kit that paired nicely with our online digital training. It was a fun side project which we closed in 2019
Midnight Realm Coffee – retired
A 2017 passion side project partnered with Fresh Ground Roast in Geneva, IL strove to create amazing coffee while driving donations to art charities. For the sake of focus we closed this project in 2019 as well.
Art of Blender – retired
In 2013 CG Cookie set out to create a high-quality printed art book featuring the best of Blender at the time from artists around the globe. This 150 page hard cover book was self-published and printed. A large undertaking that was an incredible learning experience.