Creating add-ons for Blender

Learn to write Blender add-ons with this fast paced, information dense primer. Now updated for Blender 2.93 (and works with 2.92 as well).

A practical primer

This primer on writing Blender add-ons aims to be short an sweet and pretty fast paced. This means that we cover quite a lot of concepts in a short time but I have provided links to additional information where relevant.
You also need to have some experience in writing Python programs but other than that you will find that writing Blender add-ons is surprisingly simple. Almost anything is possible due to the large amount of built-in functionality available from within Python and this huge collection of classes and functions might be a little bewildering to navigate but the basics of a Blender add-on are easy to grasp in just a few hours.

In this primer you will start with an almost trivial add-on and work your way to a full fledged add-on that manipulates meshes and is fully integrated with Blender's own graphical user interface, complete with user configurable properties and custom icons.

Multiple formats

Formatting books with program listings is always a challenge but the .zip file that you can download when purchasing this e-book contains an .epub version of the book (readable by most e-readers), a .mobi version (readable by most Kindles) and a .pdf version.

Also, the source code accompanying the book is available on GitHub.

Introduction
- Introduction to the 2.93 edition
- Overview
- Notes on code
- Troubleshooting
A Blender add-on: the basics
- Example: move an object
- The anatomy of an add-on
  - bl_info
  - An Operator class
  - The execute() function
  - Registering and adding a menu entry
- Distributing and installing an add-on
A Blender add-on: more complexity
- Example: Arranging selected objects in a circle
- The add-on information
- Defining an operator class
- The poll() function
- The execute() function
- The register() and unregister() functions
- Bundling an add-on with multiple files
Adding properties
- Example: a configurable radius
- Adding an property
- Example: a configurable orientation
- More property types
- Working with the property values
- Layout
- Presets
Working with meshes
- Example: Working with bmeshes
- Creating a bmesh
- Working with elements
- Custom Data Layers
- Loops - vertex colors
Creating meshes
- Example: creating a ladder
- The Ladder operator and its properties
- Adding a mesh object to a scene
- Creating mesh geometry
- Removing doubles
- Adding modifiers
- Smooth shading
Parametric objects
- Example: a parametric ladder
- Defining object properties
- The Ladder operator
- A panel in the toolbar section
- A better ladder mesh
  - Mesh elements
  - Adding the stile
  - Adding the rung
  - Bridging the components
  - Duplication
  - Skewing
- Animating object properties
  - Application handlers
Additional information
- About the author
- Acknowledgments
- Additional information on Blender add-ons

Creating add-ons for Blender

A practical primer

Multiple formats

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