Having been delayed earlier this year, Blender Development Coordinator Dalai Felinto has announced that the stable release of Blender 3.0 is now scheduled for early December. You can see the major landmarks on the run-up to release on the developer website.
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I hope some day they implement a proper python scripting api. It’s one of the roughest implementations I’ve seen in an application. Aside from that it seems promising for artists, but from a pipeline standpoint it’s bottlenecked.
What’s wrong with it? Big chunk of Blender is a python code. Their FBX I/O, majority if the UI code, etc… While it doesn’t exceed capabilities of scripting languages in other major DCCs, it doesn’t seem to be much worse than them either.
To elaborate, you can even build custom node editors using it. There’s node based tree generator or texture baker built using the Python API for example. In other major DCCs, you’d usually have to dig down into the native plugin level rather than a simple script, with all the implications that has.
from what i’ve read online and attempted to do myself.
It’s not to say they don’t let you write python scripts to do one off things. But something as simple as creating a QDialog fully written in PySide2 attached to the main window and non blocking process is not possible. There are some hacky solutions online to get around this. but not production stable solutions.
Don’t get me wrong, what blender is doing from an artist stand point is great.
That’s true… their API, when it comes to UI, is a bit too internal. At the same time the UI elements themselves are really solid, flexible yet easy to use. Yes, you are unfortunately forced to put your addon in predefined space, such as the sidebar, operator panel, tool, or a preferences addon tab. But if you get over that, the UI itself should suffice for vast majority of pipeline tools.
It also comes with many benefits, such as Blender UI elements having native support for Blender functions, such as copy pasting by just hovering over the UI element and pressing ctrl+c, unified theme, and so on.
Within the constrains of this system, people were able to build very capable tools. For example Ubisoft has built Mixer – a collaborative network multi user scene editing addon. I’d consider that pretty advanced pipeline tool.
I don’t think it’s justified to call their implementation rough just based on the fact you can’t use external GUI libraries. I personally can’t blame them for not wanting Blender looking like for example 3ds Max, where every window has different GUI framework, different visual style and different UI element functionality, different drawing performance, more often than not incompatible with the rest.
Just the other day I was reading one of the news articles here, and saw a video with this in it:
And I immediately thought how happy I am I no longer have to deal with dumpster like that.
I am not implying that inability to use custom GUI solution is the best thing that could happen, but it comes with significant benefits.
Of course, 3ds Max has over 5 different GUI’s which is far from ideal lol. Side note i work for ubisoft 🙂 so i know well about these types of things. Seems like we are on the same page. I understand both sides of it. Just wish it was easier out of the box for PySide2 tools. Helps develop tools for modern day pipelines that all support PySide2 and the things i mentioned above. Rather than writing app specific code and syntax. 🙂
Agree with the lack of PySide2 support in Blender. There’s no point to develop a Qt GUI that works both in standalone and in every major 3D application (Maya, Houdini, Substance, Katana, Nuke) which thanks to PySide2 can even adapt to the native UI automagically and then create a bespoke UI just with the Blender API only for Blender, nobody has the time for that except maybe Ubisoft who use Blender as their main collaboration tool.
you blenderetards love to hate on 3dmax, dont you? Take care of your crappy,laggy,clunky soft instead.
YouTube are happy, not using vray5 and renderstack? I guess thats possible, although you are missing out on some amazing features.
And while I agree the different interfaces are not looking nice togheter, on the otherhand you could argue that the many UI frameworks in 3ds max give developers a greater change to have the best UI for them specifically.
In the end the scope of capibilities drives the UI. The complexity of both those plugins are pretty steep. If you are not familiar, it will always look overwelming.
Sorry, first word was auto-corrected. Should just be: ‘You are happy…’
This is about as close as you can get. Hopefully someday Blender, out of the box, will better support this.
Community solution > https://github.com/friedererdmann/blender_pyside2_example
Here’s another implementation that works ok:
https://github.com/techartorg/bqt
I have no idea why do people talk about this expensive orange software. It’s closed, based on commercial purposes, developed by a giant company that buys and kills software.
Better use open-source software like 3ds Max or Houdini
haha what? this makes no sense … ‘Better use open-source software like 3ds Max or Houdini’???
he did not emphasize his text as irony. It is upside-down.
dont fall for it. its just pathetic troll looking for a reaction.
without insulting please, I am free to say my opinion.
Peace
Another salty boy
Yes, correct, that is why you work with max. it’s open and free to use even for commercial purposes.
BTW Joker I like your plugins, they helped me a lot, Thank you!
Thanks holy poly.