Utilities (bpy.utils)

This module contains utility functions specific to blender but not associated with blenders internal data.

Submodules

• bpy.utils submodule (bpy.utils.previews)
• bpy.utils submodule (bpy.utils.units)

bpy.utils.blend_paths(absolute=False, packed=False, local=False)

Returns a list of paths to external files referenced by the loaded .blend file.

Parameters

• absolute (boolean) – When true the paths returned are made absolute.

• packed (boolean) – When true skip file paths for packed data.

• local (boolean) – When true skip linked library paths.

Returns

path list.

Return type

list of strings

bpy.utils.escape_identifier(string)

Simple string escaping function used for animation paths.

Parameters

string (string) – text

Returns

The escaped string.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.flip_name(name, strip_digits=False)

Flip a name between left/right sides, useful for mirroring bone names.

Parameters

• name (string) – Bone name to flip.

• strip_digits (bool) – Whether to remove .### suffix.

Returns

The flipped name.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.unescape_identifier(string)

Simple string un-escape function used for animation paths. This performs the reverse of escape_identifier.

Parameters

string (string) – text

Returns

The un-escaped string.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.register_class(cls)

Register a subclass of a Blender type class.

Parameters

cls (class) – Blender type class in: bpy.types.Panel, bpy.types.UIList, bpy.types.Menu, bpy.types.Header, bpy.types.Operator, bpy.types.KeyingSetInfo, bpy.types.RenderEngine

Raises

ValueError – if the class is not a subclass of a registerable blender class.

Note

If the class has a register class method it will be called before registration.

bpy.utils.resource_path(type, major=bpy.app.version[0], minor=bpy.app.version[1])

Return the base path for storing system files.

Parameters

• type (string) – string in [‘USER’, ‘LOCAL’, ‘SYSTEM’].

• major (int) – major version, defaults to current.

• minor (string) – minor version, defaults to current.

Returns

the resource path (not necessarily existing).

Return type

string

bpy.utils.unregister_class(cls)

Unload the Python class from blender.

If the class has an unregister class method it will be called before unregistering.

bpy.utils.keyconfig_init()

bpy.utils.keyconfig_set(filepath, *, report=None)

bpy.utils.load_scripts(*, reload_scripts=False, refresh_scripts=False)

Load scripts and run each modules register function.

Parameters

• reload_scripts (bool) – Causes all scripts to have their unregister method called before loading.

• refresh_scripts (bool) – only load scripts which are not already loaded as modules.

bpy.utils.modules_from_path(path, loaded_modules)

Load all modules in a path and return them as a list.

Parameters

• path (string) – this path is scanned for scripts and packages.

• loaded_modules (set) – already loaded module names, files matching these names will be ignored.

Returns

all loaded modules.

Return type

list

bpy.utils.preset_find(name, preset_path, *, display_name=False, ext='.py')

bpy.utils.preset_paths(subdir)

Returns a list of paths for a specific preset.

Parameters

subdir (string) – preset subdirectory (must not be an absolute path).

Returns

script paths.

Return type

list

bpy.utils.refresh_script_paths()

Run this after creating new script paths to update sys.path

bpy.utils.app_template_paths(*, path=None)

Returns valid application template paths.

Parameters

path (string) – Optional subdir.

Returns

app template paths.

Return type

generator

bpy.utils.register_manual_map(manual_hook)

bpy.utils.unregister_manual_map(manual_hook)

bpy.utils.register_classes_factory(classes)

Utility function to create register and unregister functions which simply registers and unregisters a sequence of classes.

bpy.utils.register_submodule_factory(module_name, submodule_names)

Utility function to create register and unregister functions which simply load submodules, calling their register & unregister functions.

Note

Modules are registered in the order given, unregistered in reverse order.

Parameters

• module_name (string) – The module name, typically __name__.

• submodule_names (list of strings) – List of submodule names to load and unload.

Returns

register and unregister functions.

Return type

tuple pair of functions

bpy.utils.register_tool(tool_cls, *, after=None, separator=False, group=False)

Register a tool in the toolbar.

Parameters

• tool (bpy.types.WorkSpaceTool subclass.) – A tool subclass.

• space_type (string) – Space type identifier.

• after (collection of strings or None.) – Optional identifiers this tool will be added after.

• separator (bool) – When true, add a separator before this tool.

• group (bool) – When true, add a new nested group of tools.

bpy.utils.make_rna_paths(struct_name, prop_name, enum_name)

Create RNA “paths” from given names.

Parameters

• struct_name (string) – Name of a RNA struct (like e.g. “Scene”).

• prop_name (string) – Name of a RNA struct’s property.

• enum_name (string) – Name of a RNA enum identifier.

Returns

A triple of three “RNA paths” (most_complete_path, “struct.prop”, “struct.prop:’enum’”). If no enum_name is given, the third element will always be void.

Return type

tuple of strings

bpy.utils.manual_map()

bpy.utils.script_path_user()

returns the env var and falls back to home dir or None

bpy.utils.script_path_pref()

returns the user preference or None

bpy.utils.script_paths(*, subdir=None, user_pref=True, check_all=False, use_user=True)

Returns a list of valid script paths.

Parameters

• subdir (string) – Optional subdir.

• user_pref (bool) – Include the user preference script path.

• check_all (bool) – Include local, user and system paths rather just the paths blender uses.

Returns

script paths.

Return type

list

bpy.utils.smpte_from_frame(frame, *, fps=None, fps_base=None)

Returns an SMPTE formatted string from the frame: HH:MM:SS:FF.

If fps and fps_base are not given the current scene is used.

Parameters

frame (int or float.) – frame number.

Returns

the frame string.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.smpte_from_seconds(time, *, fps=None, fps_base=None)

Returns an SMPTE formatted string from the time: HH:MM:SS:FF.

If fps and fps_base are not given the current scene is used.

Parameters

time (int, float or datetime.timedelta.) – time in seconds.

Returns

the frame string.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.unregister_tool(tool_cls)

bpy.utils.user_resource(resource_type, *, path='', create=False)

Return a user resource path (normally from the users home directory).

Parameters

• type (string) – Resource type in [‘DATAFILES’, ‘CONFIG’, ‘SCRIPTS’, ‘AUTOSAVE’].

• path (string) – Optional subdirectory.

• create (boolean) – Treat the path as a directory and create it if its not existing.

Returns

a path.

Return type

string

bpy.utils.execfile(filepath, *, mod=None)

Execute a file path as a Python script.

Parameters

• filepath (string) – Path of the script to execute.

• mod (Module or None) – Optional cached module, the result of a previous execution.

Returns

The module which can be passed back in as mod.

Return type

ModuleType