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

Folders, packages, and add-ons

We know that an add-on consists of Python code accompanied by information for the Blender plugin system. While single-file Python scripts are called modules, a folder of scripts is called a package.

Writing an add-on folder implies that we will store the Blender information at the package level, so we will create a directory and create the package information first.

Creating a package folder and the init file

Let’s create a folder for this chapter in our Python project. Then, in the Blender Preferences area, set the ch6 folder as our Scripts Folder and restart Blender. To make a package, we need to create a new folder rather than a new file. We can do that using the file manager or, like in the following steps, use the files bar of our programmer editor:

  1. Select PythonScriptingBlender/ch6/addons.
  2. Create a new folder by clicking the New Folder icon:
Figure 6.1: Creating folders in Visual Studio Code

Figure 6.1: Creating folders in Visual Studio...