Dev:Source/Development/Projects/Blender File Format/Thumbnail Previews

Summary

This is a project to show previews of Blender files in the 'Thumbnail' view of Windows Explorer, and its equivalent in other OSes. Patchy-patchy: http://projects.blender.org/tracker/?func=detail&aid=5307&group_id=9&atid=264

Screenshots

Progress

• When writing a file, Blender inserts a TN datablock (ID_THUMB) and some DATA containing a screenshot of the interface. Blender itself ignores this data; it's only there to be read by the OS.
• I've implemented Windows Explorer support as a shell extension, bshell.dll, which is built from extern/preview/windows. The building of bshell.dll has been integrated into the SCons build system and tested on Visual Studio 2008 and MinGW.
• The NSIS installer registers the shell extension with Explorer when Blender is installed. The user can opt out of this.
• Implementations for other OSes simply need to read the TN block from the .blend file, if present, and display the image data inside.

Instructions

Follow the instructions below to install the shell extension. After doing so, Windows Explorer should show thumbnails for all .blend files saved with the patched Blender (you'll have to set it to Thumbnail view, of course).

To test using the installer

• Apply the patch
• Build blender with scons nsis (you'll need NSIS installed)
• Run the generated installer

To test without the installer

• Apply the patch
• Build blender normally with scons
• Download this script: http://foon.co.uk/x/test-thumbs.bat
• test-thumbs register install-path where install-path is the folder you built blender in, e.g. D:\blender\install\win32-vc. Make sure you use the full path, with drive letter.

To unregister the shell extension

• Close all Explorer windows
• test-thumbs unregister