Summary

A collection of helper functions and code used for speeding up Blender 3D Python script development.

Checkout project examples YouTube: Art with a Python script

Important: This package assumes you are using Blender's embedded Python interpreter.

Installation

Installation Walkthrough Video

YouTube: How to install the bpy Building Blocks Python package

From the command line via pip (into Blender's embedded Python interpreter)

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on Windows

Important: Make sure the site-packages folder of Blender's embedded Python interpreter is writable. See video ^ if you are not sure how to do that If you won't do this the package will be installed into another folder outside of Blender's embedded Python interpreter. And you will see this warning: Defaulting to user installation because normal site-packages is not writeable

Run the pip install:

• Blender <VERSION>/<VERSION>/python/bin/python.exe -m pip install bpy-building-blocks

Example:

• > cd C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 3.2\3.2\python\bin
• > .\python.exe -m pip install bpy-building-blocks

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on macOS

Important: Make sure pip is available.

Run ensurepip

• /Applications/Blender.app/Contents/Resources/<VERSION>/python/bin/python -m ensurepip

Run the pip install:

• /Applications/Blender.app/Contents/Resources/<VERSION>/python/bin/python -m pip install bpy-building-blocks

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on Linux

Important: Make sure pip is available.

Run ensurepip

• ~/<INSTALL LOCATION OF BLENDER>/<VERSION>/python/bin/python -m ensurepip

Run the pip install:

• ~/<INSTALL LOCATION OF BLENDER>/<VERSION>/python/bin/python -m pip install bpy-building-blocks

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Via Blender Add-on

bpy_building_blocks_addon on github

See video for details YouTube: How to install the bpy Building Blocks Python package

Package Contents

Utilities

• bpybb.utils.active_object() - Get a references to the currently active object
• bpybb.utils.clean_scene() - Removing all of the objects, collection, materials, particles, textures, images, curves, meshes, actions, nodes, and worlds from the scene; Checkout this video explanation with example "How to clean the scene with Python in Blender (with examples)"
• bpybb.utils.purge_orphans() - Remove all orphan data blocks; see this from more info: https://youtu.be/3rNqVPtbhzc?t=149
• bpybb.utils.edit_mode() - A context manager to get into and out of edit mode
• bpybb.utils.make_active(obj) - Make the passed in object active
• bpybb.utils.parent(child_obj, parent_obj, keep_transform=False) - Parent one object to another
• bpybb.utils.duplicate_object(obj=None, linked=False)
• bpybb.utils.render_animation() - Renders the animation in the currently active scene
• bpybb.utils.render_image(write_still=False) - Renders the currently active scene
• bpybb.utils.remove_libraries() - Remove libraries that were linked into the Blend file
• bpybb.utils.deselect_all_objects() - Similar to bpy.ops.object.select_all(action="DESELECT")

Color Utilities

• bpybb.color.convert_srgb_to_linear_rgb(srgb_color_component) - Converting from sRGB to Linear RGB based on sRGB to CIE XYZ
• bpybb.color.hex_color_to_rgb(hex_color) - Converting from a color in the form of a hex triplet string to a Linear RGB (Supports: "#RRGGBB" or "RRGGBB")
• bpybb.color.hex_color_to_rgba(hex_color, alpha=1.0) - Converting from a color in the form of a hex triplet string to a Linear RGB (Supports: "#RRGGBB" or "RRGGBB") with an Alpha value

Add-on Utilities

• bpybb.addon.enable_addon(addon_module_name) - enables a given addon; Checkout this video explanation with example "How to enable add-ons with Python in Blender (with examples)"
• bpybb.addon.enable_animation_animall() - enable Animall addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_ant_landscape() - enable ANT Landscape addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_extra_curves() - enable Add Curve Extra Objects addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_extra_meshes() - enable Add Mesh Extra Objects addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_import_images_as_planes() - enable Images as Planes addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_mod_tools() - enable Modifier Tools addon
• bpybb.addon.enable_pointcache_pc2() - enable Pointcache (pc2) addon

Collection Utilities

• bpybb.collection.create_collection(col_name) - creates a Blender Scene Collection
• bpybb.collection.create_collection(collection_name: str, location: mathutils.Vector, rotation_euler: Optional[mathutils.Euler] = None, base_collection: Optional[bpy_types.Collection] = None) -> bpy_types.Object - creates an instance of a collection

HDRI Utilities

• bpybb.hdri.apply_hdri(path_to_image, bg_color, hdri_light_strength, bg_strength) - creates a HDRI setup based on a technique from a FlippedNormals tutorial

Material Utilities

• bpybb.material.apply_material(material) - apply a material to the currently active object.
• bpybb.material.make_color_ramp_from_color_list(colors, color_ramp_node) - creates new sliders on a Color Ramp Node and applies the list of colors on each slider

Mesh Utilities

• bpybb.mesh.get_vert_coordinates_list(obj) - get a list of vertex coordinates for a given object
• bpybb.mesh.subdivide() - subdivide the current active object

Random Utilities

• bpybb.random.time_seed() - Sets the random seed based on the time and copies the seed into the clipboard
• bpybb.random.get_random_rotation() - Returns a random Euler rotation on X, Y, Z

Object Utilities

• bpybb.object.add_empty(name=None) - Add an Empty object into the scene
• bpybb.object.apply_location() - Applies the location of the current object
• bpybb.object.rotate_object(axis: int, degrees: float) - Rotate the active object about a given axis
• bpybb.object.track_empty(obj) - Adds an Empty object and adds a To Track Constraint on the passed in object to track the Empty
• bpybb.object.add_bezier_circle(radius: float = 1.0, bevel_depth: float = 0.0, resolution_u: int = 12, extrude: float = 0.0) - Adds a Bezier circle curve into the scene.
• bpybb.object.add_round_cube(radius: float = 1.0) - Adds a Round Cube into the scene.
• bpybb.object.add_subdivided_round_cube(radius: float = 1.0) - Adds a Round Cube into the scene and applies a Subdivision modifier.
• join_objects(objects: list[bpy_types.Object]) -> bpy_types.Object - Joins the provided objects into one object

Animation Utilities

• bpybb.animate.set_fcurve_extrapolation_to_linear(obj=None) - loops over all the fcurves of an action and sets the extrapolation to "LINEAR"
• bpybb.animate.set_fcurve_interpolation_to_linear(obj=None) - loops over all the fcurve key frame points of an action and sets the interpolation to "LINEAR"
• bpybb.animate.animate_360_rotation(axis_index, last_frame, obj=None, clockwise=False, linear=True, start_frame=1) - animates the 360 rotation of an object about the given axis
• bpybb.animate.animate_rotation(angle, axis_index, last_frame, obj=None, clockwise=False, linear=True, start_frame=1) - animates the rotation of an object about the given axis
• bpybb.animate.create_data_animation_loop(obj, data_path, start_value, mid_value, start_frame, loop_length, linear_extrapolation=True) - make a data property loop
• bpybb.animate.animate_up_n_down_bob(start_value: mathutils.Vector, mid_value: mathutils.Vector, obj: bpy_types.Object = None, loop_length: int = 90, start_frame: int = random.randint(0, 60)) - animate the up and down bobbing motion of an object
• bpybb.animate.add_fcruve_cycles_modifier(obj: bpy_types.Object = None) - Apply a cycles modifier to all the fcurve animation data of an object.

Modifier Utilities

• bpybb.modifier.add_displace_modifier(name: str, texture_type: str, empty_obj: bpy_types.Object = None) - Add a displace modifier and a texture to the currently active object.

Output Utilities

• bpybb.output.set_1080p_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1080p
• bpybb.output.set_1080px_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1080 by 1080 pixels
• bpybb.output.set_1440px_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1440 by 1440 pixels
• bpybb.output.set_2048px_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 2048 by 2048 pixels
• bpybb.output.set_2k_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 2K
• bpybb.output.set_4096px_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 4096 by 4096 pixels
• bpybb.output.set_4k_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 4K
• bpybb.output.set_720px_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 720 by 720 pixels
• bpybb.output.set_instagram_portrait_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1080x1350
• bpybb.output.set_instagram_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1080x1080
• bpybb.output.set_square_render_res(pixels) - Set the resolution of the rendered image to a square
• bpybb.output.set_twitter_landscape_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 1280x720 from Twitter's Media Best Practices ref: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/v1/media/upload-media/uploading-media/media-best-practices
• bpybb.output.set_twitter_square_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 720x720 from Twitter's Media Best Practices ref: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/v1/media/upload-media/uploading-media/media-best-practices
• bpybb.output.set_wqhd_render_res() - Set the resolution of the rendered image to 2560x1440 (QHD)

World Shader Utilities

• bpybb.world_shader.set_up_world_sun_light() - Set up the lighing in a scene using the ShaderNodeTexSky world shader node