BPY Exporter : User Guide

by Jean-Baptiste PERIN

BPY Exporter is a script that allows to quickly and easily add new primitive meshes to Blender.

BPY Exporter is a script that takes all selected meshes and generates a python script that automaticaly re-build these meshes.
Generated scripts are placed into your <blender_install_dir>/.blender/scripts directory so that they become reachable from your "Script-->Add" menu.
Generated scripts recreate meshes taking into account:
- vertices coordinates
- vertex group
- face mode, transp and mat
- uv coordinates
- material and procedural textures (allmost well and no image texture yet)
- size, position, orientation
- mesh name and object name

BPY Exporter is the easiest way to add primitive to your Blender.
Thanks to ExportPython, even non-programmer can add they own menus to Blender.
BPY Exporter can also be used by developpers willing to make script that dynamically generate content.

HOW TO INSTALL THIS SCRIPT ?

Copy python_export.py into the ".blender/scripts" directory of your Blender installation.
In a Script window, go to the "Script" menu and click on "

Update
Script

" entry
Now, still in a Script window, go to Menu "Script->Export".
You should see a "Blender Python (.py).." entry.

HOW TO USE THIS SCRIPT ?

- Create one or several meshes
- Select these meshes (RMB click on them while keeping Shift key pressed)
- Open a Script Window
- Go to menu

Script-->Export-->Blender
Python (.py)

- A file selector window appears with the filename field prefilled (the file name is made with your mesh name ("WeirdSphere" in our exemple) if only one mesh is selected .. and is made with your blender file name if several meshes are selected). The directory used to store the file is automatically set to your <blender_install_dir>\.blender\scripts directory.

- Click on Export Python

SelectOutputFile

- A script is then generated and is made available from the Add menu of your Script window.
- Click on a new location into your 3D view window to change cursor position.
- (Re-)Open a Script Window
- Go to Add menu
- Click on the newly created entry (your mesh name)

UseGeneratedScript

- A new mesh is created with the same name as the model with the appropriate ".xxx" according to mesh configuration in your scene.

HOW TO REMOVE GENERATED SCRIPTS ?

Created scripts can be found into your .blender/scripts directory.
Naming convention is "add<ObjectName>.py"
To remove generated scripts and associated menu entries, just delete "add*.py" files and perform a Script--> Update Menu .

HOW TO UPDATE GENERATED SCRIPTS ?

The name of the script generated by python_export.py is bound to your object's name (or file name).
If you run the BPY exporter script on an homonym object (or file), the previous script will be overwritten by the new one.
You don't even have to perform a "Script->Update Menu" for this new script to be taken into account.

ANYTHING ELSE ?

PythonExporter is released under GPL licence.
Visit:
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

Futur releases will be made available on:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jb.perin/

Bug report, evolution requirements, remarks and comments can be posted here:
http://www.zoo-logique.org/3D.Blender/newsportal/post.php?newsgroups=3D.Blender&type=new
Put [BPY_Exporter] in front of the "Sujet:" field

visitors since creation on december the 20th of 2005.

visitors since creation on december the 20th of 2005.
(C) 2005 Jean-Baptiste PERIN - released under Blender Artistic License - www.blender.org