Blender 3D: tutorials, articles, tips, notes
Blender add-on BIS (Blender Interplanety Storage) update to v.1.2.0.
There were some issues with the add-on functionality during the reorganization of the server “BIS” storage engine. Now the add-on is fully functional.
Blender add-on BIS (Blender Interplanety Storage) update to v.1.1.1.
Blender add-on “ColorMatching” v.1.1 update.
When starting Blender from the console it processes all parameters passed through the command line. However, some scripts and add-ons for proper work may require specifying their unique command line arguments. If you specify such additional parameters in the command line, Blender will also try to process them, which is likely to result in an error. Blender provides a special way to exclude such arguments from own processing.
Continue reading “How to pass command line arguments to a Blender python script or add-on”
State switches so-called “radio buttons” are used in the case to limit the choice by one value from several available ones. There are a lot of such buttons in the Blender interface, for example, switching between RGB and BW rendering modes or setting the texture mapping mode. Such buttons can be created in the Blender add-ons interface too.
Let’s create our own radio button switcher.
Continue reading “Creating radio buttons in the Blender add-ons interface”
Single add-on or script can contain several different operators, and not all of them may be registered in the API by the register() function. To verify that the required operator is registered in the Blender API, run the following command:
|
1 |
hasattr(bpy.types, bpy.ops._operator_bl_idname_.idname()) |
Where:
_operator_bl_idname_ – the text value of the bl_idname operator property.
For example for an operator:
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 |
class TestOperator(bpy.types.Operator): bl_idname = 'test.operator' bl_label = 'Test operator' def execute(self, context): pass |
the command will look like this:
|
1 |
hasattr(bpy.types, bpy.ops.test.operator.idname()) |
To start working every Blender add-on must be registered by setting up the checkbox before add-on name in the User Preferences window – Add-ons page.
To programmatically find out if the required add-on is registered, run the following command:
|
1 |
'add-on_name' in the file bpy.context.user_preferences.addons |
Where:
add-on_name – the name of the add-on file (without the .py extension) or the name of the add-on package, if it was installed from the package.
It is convenient to use the following system for debugging developing multi-file Blender add-ons. But it has one drawback: modules imported in __init__.py file becomes available only after the file running (after the execution of the register() function). This means that any access to the imported modules before they are registered will cause an error. This is not critical in most cases, but it will cause a problem if, for example, in one imported module is used inheritance from the class, described in the other imported module, because the classes descriptions are processed before the add-on registration.
To get more freedom working with imported modules, we can use another way to debug the add-on – do not run the add-on directly from the development directory, but install it in Blender and check its “live” work. However, manual add-on reinstallation requires a set of routine actions, which complicates such sort of debugging. This issue can be solved by reinstalling the add-on in automatic mode.
Continue reading “Debugging multifile Blender add-on by quick reinstall”
Blender add-on with some extended functionality for working with UV-Maps.
Add-on is a free and open source. If you want to support it – you can buy the add-on for a convenient price, or set the price to 0 to download it for free.
I tested the functionality of my add-ons in new Blender 2.79.
Add-ons remains compatible with Blender 2.78.
In addition to common panels (N/T/Properties) and their sub-panels, to display the user interface elements while developing Blender add-ons you can also use pop-up panels appearing on the screen when a user presses a certain key combination or perform any action. The simplest example of such panels is the panel that appears when the f6 key is pressed immediately after adding an object (shift+a) to the scene.
Blender API provides developers the ability to create such panels for their add-ons. Let’s consider the creating of a pop-up panel as an example of the “Message box” window.
Continue reading “Creating pop-up panels with user UI in Blender add-on”
BIS (Blender Interplanety Storage) add-on release.
Finally, I finished it. It’s release now!
BIS (Blender Interplanety Storage) add-on intermediate update to v.0.0.3
The addon is almost in the prerelease state.
To make a release, it was left to clean up a bit the server (site) side – increase the previews size, add tags and node names editing, make a separate list for saved texts. And also test the add-on with complex materials.
DownloadHow to access the active (selected) objects through the Blender Python API from scripts/add-ons:
|
1 |
bpy.context.area.spaces.active |
|
1 |
bpy.context.screen.scene |
|
1 |
bpy.context.active_object |
|
1 |
bpy.context.active_object.active_material.node_tree.nodes.active |
|
1 |
bpy.context.area.spaces.active.text.as_string() |
|
1 |
bpy.context.active_object.data.uv_layers.active |
BIS (Blender Interplanety Storage) add-on intermediate update to v.0.0.2
Blender Interplanety Storage (BIS) add-on is still under development, but I decided to open early access to it.
This add-on is the first, which I planned to do at least somehow commercially justified. Is it really possible to write a commercial add-on for Blender? In any case, it is necessary to have at least some support for the add-on, because it is not local and without any justification, it makes no sense to keep the web server for it. The first idea of commercialization was about the monthly subscription. I was going to do it after finally finish the addon development (full support of all kinds of nodes and solvation of the most of emerging issues). Only after the completion of all this work I was going to open the add-on for users.
The reason of the early access was the discussion in Blender’s VK group. It was suggested that add-on with a commercial basis is not needed with the presence of Blender Cloud or VX Matlib add-on. Users will not pay for anything that can be obtained another way for free.
So the first, and most important, question – are users need such add-on? In the subscripted version or only for free? Or maybe most of the existing solutions are enough?
Blender Interplanety Storage (BIS) – the online material (shader) storage add-on for Blender 3D creation. With the BIS add-on, you can save materials (groups of nodes) to the online personal library and then convenient search and upload them. Saved materials are available from any computer through the add-on installed in Blender.
The add-on is open source. If you want to donate – you can buy the add-on for a convenient price, or set the price to 0 and download it for free.
Storing data in a remote database has become common practice in the development of software products. Blender is no exception. Writing scripts and add-ons, the developer may need to access the database to retrieve from it or write to it the necessary information. MySQL today is one of the most common and widely available databases and is well suited for working with Blender.
The interaction between Blender and MySQL database through the Blender Python API is not difficult, but it needs some preparation before stating:
Add-on PartitionRender v.0.0.5 update.
If the checkbox is on – temporary render results saved in OpenEXR Multilayer format including all layers and passes for future use. Only finished image compiles automatically, different passes need to compile manually.
Add-on PartitionRender v.0.0.4 update.
