Interface

Clipping regions can be useful tools in Blender for hiding parts of a model or scene when working to improve performance or visualize specific areas. However, clipping can also be unintentionally enabled while navigating the viewport, resulting in confusion when parts of your model suddenly disappear. This article covers what clipping regions are, why they…

Understanding Clipping Planes in Blender Clipping planes are objects in Blender that allow users to hide or reveal parts of a scene. They consist of an invisible plane that clips and cuts off anything behind it. This allows artists to get clean views of their models without unnecessary background clutter. While useful, clipping planes can…

Defining Clipping Regions vs Select Render Borders Clipping regions and select render borders are two techniques in Blender that allow controlling the visible and rendered areas of a scene. Understanding the difference between the two is key to using them effectively. Clipping regions set an area in 3D space to clip away geometry, limiting the…

The Problem: Frequent Viewport Refreshing Slows Down Scripts A common bottleneck that slows down Blender Python scripts is the frequent refreshing of the 3D viewport required to show changes to the scene. Each time an object is added, moved, rotated or otherwise modified, Blender must re-draw the viewport to match the updated state of the…

Using Blender’s Python API Efficiently The Blender Python API provided by the bpy module allows convenient access to Blender’s data and utilities from Python. However, care must be taken to use the API efficiently to avoid slowdowns in operator performance. Leveraging bpy Module for Faster Access The bpy module contains data structures and utilities designed…

Overprotecting Your Models As a Blender parent, it’s natural to want to protect your modeled children from harm. However, not allowing enough freedom when modeling can lead to stiff, unrealistic results. Your modeled children need room to explore their creativity, try new things, and gain modeling experience through trial and error. Provide clear modeling goals…

What are Blender Addons and Why Create Custom Ones? Blender addons are Python scripts that add new functionality to Blender. They allow customizing and automating workflows in modeling, animation, materials, rendering and more. Reasons to create custom addons include: Improve efficiency by automating repetitive tasks Customize Blender to suit specific needs Integrate Blender with external…

Finding Outdated Add-ons in Your Blender Installation Using the Add-on Info Panel to Check Versions The Add-on Info panel in Blender’s user preferences provides detailed information on all add-ons currently installed. This includes the add-on name, author, version number, and a description. Checking this can quickly identify any add-ons that are outdated and in need…

The Problem of Scattered and Disorganized Addons When working on complex Blender projects, artists and technical directors often use multiple third-party addons to augment Blender’s built-in tools. However, dealing with a large number of individually installed addon files can quickly become an organizational nightmare. Addons scattered across the file system in random locations are tough…

Locating Addon Files The first step in troubleshooting addon installation issues is to locate the addon files on your system. Most Blender addons consist of a .py or .zip file that contains the python scripts that make up the functionality of the addon. Check the download folder where you originally downloaded the addon files. If…