In a post dated 5th September 2026, developer Simon Willison described using Blender with coding agents on macOS. According to the post, the setup requires installing the full Mac application from blender.org and then prompting a coding agent to use it. Willison gives an example prompt: "Use the already install /Applications/Blender to render a scene of a pelican riding a bicycle," followed by two additional prompts. He states the resulting image was generated using Blender's Python API. Willison characterises the process of getting Blender to work with coding agents as "really easy." The post is described as a short "beat" rather than a full tutorial and does not detail the specific follow-up prompts used or provide step-by-step configuration instructions. The write-up references ChatGPT Codex as the coding agent used on his Mac. The post also includes a note inviting readers to sponsor the author for $10/month in exchange for a monthly email digest of LLM developments. This account comes from a single source and reflects one person's hands-on experiment rather than a vendor announcement or independent testing.
- Posted by Simon Willison on 5th September 2026
- Uses ChatGPT Codex as the coding agent on macOS
- Requires the full Blender Mac application installed from blender.org
- Rendering is done via Blender's Python API driven by the agent
What it means for you
A well-known developer showed that you can tell an AI coding assistant to control Blender — free 3D modelling and rendering software — and have it generate images by writing code for you. In plain terms: if you can describe a scene in words, the agent can attempt to build and render it without you knowing Blender's controls. This is a fun proof of concept, not a business tool, and it's aimed at people already comfortable with coding agents.
Try this
If you already use a coding agent like ChatGPT Codex on a Mac, install Blender from blender.org and try the same prompt to see how the agent drives it.
Who should care
Hobbyists and technical users who already run coding agents and are curious about generating 3D renders without learning Blender's interface.
Skip this if
You don't use coding agents, don't need 3D rendering, or want a reliable production workflow rather than an experiment.
Sources: Simon Willison — read the original