Dev:2.4/Py/Scripts

ScriptDev/Guidelines

News

Update: Oct. 1

Working on a template wiki doc for i/o scripts. We'll start the wiki section where the scripts doc pages will go:

• Scripts - the root
• Scripts/Manual - the User Manual
• Scripts/Catalog/Export - separating by group: export, import, etc.
• Scripts/Manual/Export/AC3D - the first example.

Update: Sept. 17

We're starting (check TODO below), first with the announcement and invitation in a blenderartists.org thread.

The first scripts will be the OBJ i/o and theeth's Save UV Face Layout, we still need to contact Raphael for permission to use his script.

We want better integration of scripts in Blender. They should look and work like other functionalities in the program and, most important, be robust (proper error checking and reporting) and well documented.

For that we will use a forum (probably BlenderArtists' Python and Plugins forum) to discuss scripts and use wiki for better documentation.

The first step was to define clear guidelines for scripts that are bundled with Blender. Here they are, open for discussion and improvements:

Guidelines

TODO

Now

Proposal: we can start with 3 scripts, discussing about them with interested users and updating them to follow the guidelines (code, ui, documentation). A default layout for wiki docs should also be defined. We still didn't choose the scripts, but these are good candidates:

The OBJ importer or exporter by Campbell Barton

It's good to start with an important i/o script, naturally.

Transpal Express, by Raphael Betemps

This is a Gimp palette importer with interesting features, it was proposed by the author for inclusion in Blender some versions ago, but wasn't integrated yet.

Save UV Face layout, by Martin Poirier

A very useful script. Let's see what we all can come up with for documentation and ui improvements or even features, if needed.

Later

The next steps will probably be:

1. Remove all scripts from cvs
2. Only add back the ones that (are updated to) conform to the accepted guidelines.

PS: we will also start using the scripts project's cvs to collect and manage scripts. There more script developers can have write access.

Script Wiki Articles

A "template" has been created for writing articles about scripts. (very much WIP)

Article Template