Book Image

Python Scripting in Blender

By : Paolo Acampora
5 (1)
Book Image

Python Scripting in Blender

5 (1)
By: Paolo Acampora

Overview of this book

Blender, a powerful open source 3D software, can be extended and powered up using the Python programming language. This book teaches you how to automate laborious operations using scripts, and expand the set of available commands, graphic interfaces, tools, and event responses, which will enable you to add custom features to meet your needs and bring your creative ideas to life. The book begins by covering essential Python concepts and showing you how to create a basic add-on. You’ll then gain a solid understanding of the entities that affect the look of Blender’s objects such as modifiers, constraints, and materials. As you advance, you’ll get to grips with the animation system in Blender and learn how to set up its behavior using Python. The examples, tools, patterns, and best practices present throughout the book will familiarize you with the Python API and build your knowledge base, along with enabling you to produce valuable code that empowers the users and is ready for publishing or production. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to successfully design add-ons that integrate seamlessly with the software and its ecosystem.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Part 1: Introduction to Python
7
Part 2: Interactive Tools and Animation
13
Part 3: Delivering Output

Installing our add-ons in Blender

We can write a very simple add-on using VS Code. This add-on doesn’t really do anything; it just shows up in the extensions list.

First, we must create a folder for the code of this chapter. We can use the file manager or the navigation sidebar that comes with most IDEs. In this example, we will use VS Code, which we met in the External editors section of Chapter 1:

  1. Open your PythonScriptingBlender project in VS Code.
  2. Create a new folder by clicking the New Folder icon.
Figure 3.1: Creating a folder in Visual Studio Code

Figure 3.1: Creating a folder in Visual Studio Code

  1. Name the new folder ch3.

Now, we can create a Python file for our add-on:

  1. Make sure the ch3 folder is selected in the VS Code explorer, and then create a new file by clicking the New File icon.
Figure 3.2: Creating a file in VS Code

Figure 3.2: Creating a file in VS Code

  1. Name the new file the_simplest_add_on.py.
  2. Open the file via a double click.
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