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From Script to Add-on
Add-ons are a way to make handling your Blender scripts easier. They can be enabled and disabled when desired, and make it possible to distribute your work. In this chapter of Scripting for Artists, Sybren explains how to turn your code into your own add-on.
- What is a code file? 01:03
- Ingredients of an add-on: 02:44
- Monkey Grid add-on: 06:46
- Reloading your Code: 08:26
20 comments
Thanks a lot for this.
I think it would be great to have a refresh of this video now that the new expensions platform is coming so people know how to make the right adjustments to work with the new system in 4.2
@Nacho de Andrés I've been wanting to refresh these videos for a while, since some of them are even from the 2.7x era. It would take a lot of time to update the scripts & re-record everything though, and that's time not going into actual Blender development.
For anyone having trouble with the script showing in the f3 menu.
I was banging my head against my keyboard trying to figure out why the f3 menu wasn't working for me. Even with "Developer Extras" enabled.
The issue lies in making sure the bl_info at the top of the script meets all the criteria listed here https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Process/Addons/Guidelines/metainfo#Script_Meta_Info
If you leave anything out of that field it doesn't work properly. (I thought some things might have been optional when following the tutorial)
Hi Sybren. I am not sure if you will record more episodes, but one thing that would be amazing to see is how you would approach writing an add-on using Visual Studio Code that has multiple python files structured in it's own folders etc. and how would the back and forth between VisualStudio Code/Blender process look like. Thank you so much for your course, it is truly amazing and super educational!
Hello Sybren! Thank you for these nice tutorials, I'm having trouble with the Add-On, I Install it but it won't show up in the Add-On menu, I'm using Blender 2.92.0, what could be the cause of this?
@Jaime Florian I've copied and pasted the bl_info from the API documentation and it is loading now, I must have made a mistake while typing the keys.
Hello Sybren! Thank you
I need to create a more complex plugin, with many py source files. So, I created a ZIP of all. But, when I load in in Blender preferences panel, it doesn't appear. Can you explain what are the correct steps to assemble a working ZIP plugin in Blender? Thank you
@Roberto Angeletti The ZIP is only for distribution of the add-on. When you want to actually use it, the separate Python files should be available on disk.
For Win10 users, if you experiment, just like me, the addon in e.g. in C:/tmpPKHG (or what you may have used) Look at some later time c:/Users/Eigenaar/AppData/Roaming/Blender Foundation/Blender/2.90/scripts/addons and remove all not suitable *.py Eigenaar is my account name ;-) (means owner)
Till I found and did removed older *.py files I got errors, errors ... So this is my INFO for this nice explanation of Sybren ;-)
Any documentation to make it work with 2.90? I install and enable the add-on but the F3 menu is missing the operation and there is no menu in the corner to change the parameters when it runs from the python console.
*@felixpitau* Maybe you have the problem I tried to describe above with MY solution ;-)
*@felixpitau* By default the F3 menu now searches through menu items. It will show all operators when you enable Developer Extras in the Preferences.
Thanks a lot for the new tutorials!! are awesome.
There are a bunch of tutorials about scripting but a very little (and not realy good) about making your script into an addon. Last year I've watched the first season and i was specting this.
So, a question
There is a way to load in an external coding software the blender API? So the external editor can do blender's console auto completion and recognize blender's syntax.
Thanks again! big fan here
Would you suggest using something like Komodo?
*@srlake3d* I've never used it myself, but pretty much anything that helps you write Python code in a way that works for you is good in my book.
off topic. What camera are you using?
*@srlake3d* It's a Logitech C920. I manually set whitebalance and exposure so that it remains steady during the recording and so that it doesn't look so neutral grey.
Thanks again, Sybren!
A suggestion for part 10 (if there will be one ;-)) - how to work with bones and armatures. I have not found really good explanations on the web, e.g. how to manipulate bones in both pose and edit mode (which seems to be very different) I am mainly interested in this for modelling/rigging, less for animating. To be more precise I am trying to write a script/add-on that helps me place bones at the locations of empties. The empties are parented to vertices of a mesh (1v and 3v) and I want to automate placing the bones every time I run the add-on or change the mesh (I am using naming to keep track of the bone-empty combo.)
But of course any other subject is appreciated too. Just keep those tuts coming :-))
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