Module API_intro

Source Code for Module API_intro

  1  # This is not a real module, it's simply an introductory text. 
  2   
  3  """ 
  4  The Blender Python API Reference 
  5  ================================ 
  6   
  7          for a full list of changes since 2.45 see U{http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Release_Notes/Notes246/Python_API} 
  8   
  9          Top Module: 
 10          ----------- 
 11   
 12                  - L{Blender} 
 13                  - L{bpy<Bpy>} (experimental) 
 14   
 15          Submodules: 
 16          ----------- 
 17                  - L{Armature} 
 18                          - L{NLA} 
 19                          - L{Action<NLA.Action>} 
 20                  - L{BezTriple} 
 21                  - L{BGL} 
 22                  - L{Camera} 
 23                  - L{Curve} 
 24                  - L{Draw} 
 25                  - L{Effect} 
 26                  - L{Geometry} 
 27                  - L{Group} 
 28                  - L{Image} 
 29                  - L{Ipo} 
 30                  - L{IpoCurve} 
 31                  - L{Key} 
 32                  - L{Lamp} 
 33                  - L{Lattice} 
 34                  - L{Library} 
 35                  - L{Material} 
 36                  - L{Mathutils} 
 37                  - L{Mesh} 
 38                    - L{MeshPrimitives} 
 39                  - L{Metaball} 
 40                  - L{NMesh} (deprecated) 
 41                  - L{Noise} 
 42                  - L{Object} 
 43                          - L{Modifier} 
 44                          - L{Pose} 
 45                          - L{Constraint} 
 46                          - L{ActionStrips<NLA>} 
 47                  - L{Particle} 
 48                  - L{Registry} 
 49                  - L{Scene} 
 50                          - L{Radio} 
 51                          - L{Render} 
 52                  - L{Sound} 
 53                  - L{Text} 
 54                  - L{Text3d} 
 55                          - L{Font} 
 56                  - L{Texture} 
 57                  - L{TimeLine} 
 58                  - L{Types} 
 59                  - L{Window} 
 60                          - L{Theme} 
 61                  - L{World} 
 62                  - L{sys<Sys>} 
 63   
 64  Introduction: 
 65  ============= 
 66   
 67          This reference documents the Blender Python API, a growing collection of 
 68          Python modules (libraries) that give access to part of the program's internal 
 69          data and functions. 
 70           
 71          Through scripting Blender can be extended in real-time via 
 72          U{Python <www.python.org>}, an impressive high level, multi-paradigm, open 
 73          source language.  Newcomers are recommended to start with the tutorial that 
 74          comes with it. 
 75   
 76          This opens many interesting possibilities, ranging from automating repetitive 
 77          tasks to adding new functionality to the program: procedural models, 
 78          importers and exporters, even complex applications and so on.  Blender itself 
 79          comes with some scripts, but many others can be found in the Scripts & Plugins 
 80          sections and forum posts at the Blender-related sites listed below. 
 81   
 82  Scripting and Blender: 
 83  ====================== 
 84   
 85  These are the basic ways to execute scripts in Blender: 
 86   
 87          1. They can be loaded or typed as text files in the Text Editor window, then 
 88          executed with ALT+P. 
 89          2. Via command line: C{blender -P <scriptname>} will start Blender and execute 
 90          the given script.  <scriptname> can be a filename in the user's file system or 
 91          the name of a text saved in a .blend Blender file: 
 92          'blender myfile.blend -P textname'. 
 93          3. Via command line in I{background mode}: use the '-b' flag (the order is 
 94          important): C{blender -b <blendfile> -P <scriptname>}.  <blendfile> can be any 
 95          .blend file, including the default .B.blend that is in Blender's home directory 
 96          L{Blender.Get}('homedir'). In this mode no window will be opened and the 
 97          program will leave as soon as the script finishes execution. 
 98          4. Properly registered scripts can be selected directly from the program's 
 99          menus. 
100          5. Scriptlinks: these are also loaded or typed in the Text Editor window and 
101          can be linked to objects, materials or scenes using the Scriptlink buttons 
102          tab.  Script links get executed automatically when their events (ONLOAD, 
103          REDRAW, FRAMECHANGED) are triggered.  Normal scripts can create (L{Text}) and 
104          link other scripts to objects and events, see L{Object.Object.addScriptLink}, 
105          for example. 
106          6. A script can call another script (that will run in its own context, with 
107          its own global dictionary) with the L{Blender.Run} module function. 
108   
109   
110  Interaction with users: 
111  ----------------------- 
112   
113          Scripts can: 
114                  - simply run and exit; 
115                  - pop messages, menus and small number and text input boxes; 
116                  - draw graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with OpenGL calls and native 
117                          program buttons, which stay there accepting user input like any other 
118                          Blender window until the user closes them; 
119                  - attach themselves to a space's event or drawing code (aka space handlers, 
120                          L{check here<API_related>}); 
121                  - make changes to the 3D View (set visible layer(s), view point, etc); 
122                  - grab the main input event queue and process (or pass to Blender) selected 
123                          keyboard, mouse, redraw events -- not considered good practice, but still 
124                          available for private use; 
125                  - tell Blender to execute other scripts (see L{Blender.Run}()); 
126                  - use external Python libraries, if available. 
127   
128          You can read the documentation for the L{Window}, L{Draw} and L{BGL} modules 
129          for more information and also check the Python site for external modules that 
130          might be useful to you.  Note though that any imported module will become a 
131          requirement of your script, since Blender itself does not bundle external 
132          modules. 
133   
134  Command line mode: 
135  ------------------ 
136   
137          Python was embedded in Blender, so to access BPython modules you need to 
138          run scripts from the program itself: you can't import the Blender module 
139          into an external Python interpreter. 
140   
141          On the other hand, for many tasks it's possible to control Blender via 
142          some automated process using scripts.  Interested readers should learn about 
143          features like "OnLoad" script links, the "-b <blendfile>" (background mode) 
144          and "-P <script>" (run script) command line options and API calls like 
145          L{Blender.Save}, L{Blender.Load}, L{Blender.Quit} and the L{Library} and 
146          L{Render} modules.  
147   
148          Note that command line scripts are run before Blender initializes its windows 
149          (and in '-b' mode no window will be initialized), so many functions that get 
150          or set window related attributes (like most in L{Window}) don't work here.  If 
151          you need those, use an ONLOAD script link (see L{Scene.Scene.addScriptLink}) 
152          instead -- it's also possible to use a command line script to write or set an 
153          ONLOAD script link.  Check the L{Blender.mode} module var to know if Blender 
154          is being executed in "background" or "interactive" mode. 
155   
156          L{Click here for command line and background mode examples<API_related>}. 
157   
158   
159  Demo mode: 
160  ---------- 
161   
162          Blender has a demo mode, where once started it can work without user 
163          intervention, "showing itself off".  Demos can render stills and animations, 
164          play rendered or real-time animations, calculate radiosity simulations and 
165          do many other nifty things.  If you want to turn a .blend file into a demo, 
166          write a script to run the show and link it as a scene "OnLoad" scriptlink. 
167          The demo will then be played automatically whenever this .blend file is 
168          opened, B{unless Blender was started with the "-y" parameter}. 
169   
170  The Game Engine API: 
171  -------------------- 
172   
173          Blender has a game engine for users to create and play 3d games.  This 
174          engine lets programmers add scripts to improve game AI, control, etc, making 
175          more complex interaction and tricks possible.  The game engine API is 
176          separate from the Blender Python API this document references and you can 
177          find its own ref doc in the doc section of the main sites below. 
178   
179  Blender Data Structures: 
180  ------------------------ 
181   
182          Programs manipulate data structures.  Blender python scripts are no exception. 
183          Blender uses an Object Oriented architecture.  The BPython interface tries to 
184          present Blender objects and their attributes in the same way you see them 
185          through the User Interface (the GUI).  One key to BPython programming is 
186          understanding the information presented in Blender's OOPS window where Blender 
187          objects and their relationships are displayed. 
188   
189          Each Blender graphic element (Mesh, Lamp, Curve, etc.) is composed from two 
190          parts: an Object and ObData. The Object holds information about the position, 
191          rotation and size of the element.  This is information that all elements have 
192          in common.  The ObData holds information specific to that particular type of 
193          element.   
194   
195          Each Object has a link to its associated ObData.  A single ObData may be 
196          shared by many Objects.  A graphic element also has a link to a list of 
197          Materials.  By default, this list is associated with the ObData. 
198   
199          All Blender objects have a unique name.  However, the name is qualified by the 
200          type of the object.  This means you can have a Lamp Object called Lamp.001 
201          (OB:Lamp.001) and a Lamp ObData called Lamp.001 (LA:Lamp.001). 
202   
203          For a more in-depth look at Blender internals, and some understanding of why 
204          Blender works the way it does, see the U{Blender Architecture document 
205          <http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Blender_Architecture.336.0.html>}. 
206   
207   
208  A note to newbie script writers: 
209  -------------------------------- 
210   
211          Interpreted languages are known to be much slower than compiled code, but for 
212          many applications the difference is negligible or acceptable.  Also, with 
213          profiling (or even simple direct timing with L{Blender.sys.time<Sys.time>}) to 
214          identify slow areas and well thought optimizations, the speed can be 
215          I{considerably} improved in many cases.  Try some of the best BPython scripts 
216          to get an idea of what can be done, you may be surprised. 
217   
218  @author: The Blender Python Team 
219  @requires: Blender 2.46 or newer. 
220  @version: 2.46 
221  @see: U{www.blender.org<http://www.blender.org>}: documentation and forum 
222  @see: U{blenderartists.org<http://blenderartists.org>}: user forum 
223  @see: U{projects.blender.org<http://projects.blender.org>} 
224  @see: U{blender architecture<http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Blender_Architecture.336.0.html>}: blender architecture document 
225  @see: U{www.python.org<http://www.python.org>} 
226  @see: U{www.python.org/doc<http://www.python.org/doc>} 
227  @see: U{Blending into Python<en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Blending_Into_Python>}: User contributed documentation, featuring a blender/python cookbook with many examples. 
228   
229  @note: the official version of this reference guide is only updated for each 
230          new Blender release.  But you can build the current SVN 
231          version yourself: install epydoc, grab all files in the 
232          source/blender/python/api2_2x/doc/ folder of Blender's SVN and use the 
233          epy_docgen.sh script also found there to generate the html docs. 
234          Naturally you will also need a recent Blender binary to try the new 
235          features.  If you prefer not to compile it yourself, there is a testing 
236          builds forum at U{blender.org<http://www.blender.org>}. 
237  """ 
238