Blender 101: Monkey App #90025

Research blender app templates on current limitations by implementing an minimum example.

The example should display a list of monkeys and a list of materials.

Dragging on a monkey would add the monkey in the 3d environment (3d view)
Dragging the material into the monkey changes the active monkey to the selected material.

The final app should only use a trackball navigation and should be fool proof.

With fool proof we mean that any functionality beside what has been described here should be reported/researched.
It should not be possible to get the app to a state other than described above.

This task is time limited and results should be discussed and prioritized.

Found limitations

- Application templates have to be installed at the moment (no command-line launcher, or better an one-click launcher)
- Registering asset libraries needs better BPY API. This is in the planning with the custom asset libraries. Currently we need to setup context, invoke operators and find out what happened. For the time being there is a hack in the userpref to work around this restriction. Fixed by using an ensure function so the context is correct

Usage

Install the (.zip) template via the "Blender menu"
Launch it with blender -W --app-template "blender_101"

20220112_blender_101.zip

{F10409396, width=100%}

TODO

- There are areas that doesn't work or need blender internal knowledge to setup correctly. This needs to be improved in blender BPY/core
- Remove asset library selection and filtering from UI (needs some tweaks in blender code of the template_asset_view) Use similar API as template_list eg (type=,column=)
  template=my_first_app.blendapp`. Currently users have to start normal blender instance to install the application template. After that they will be able to use such application template.
- Silence warnings in console of missing operators (needs tweaks in blender code.) - done for empty keymaps .
- Support LMB rotation (and RMB panning) - #91538
- Support mouse hover highlight for UIList elements - D12549
[] ...

Wish list

- Way to launch the template from a folder, without having to install it (for development).
- Application launcher (like the Blender benchmark, where it downloads blender on first launch, and run the app - it could have an option to embed Blender with it as well).
- Maybe to have a .blend bundle with all the templates that can be opened by Blender.
- Easier way how to install an application template. eg. double click on an .blendapp file should install the file in the user app templates (if not already existing and latest version) and start a new blender with the app template. `blender --app-

Research blender app templates on current limitations by implementing an minimum example. The example should display a list of monkeys and a list of materials. * Dragging on a monkey would add the monkey in the 3d environment (3d view) * Dragging the material into the monkey changes the active monkey to the selected material. The final app should only use a trackball navigation and should be fool proof. With fool proof we mean that any functionality beside what has been described here should be reported/researched. It should not be possible to get the app to a state other than described above. This task is time limited and results should be discussed and prioritized. ## Found limitations * - [ ] Application templates have to be installed at the moment (no command-line launcher, or better an one-click launcher) * - [ ] Registering asset libraries needs better BPY API. This is in the planning with the custom asset libraries. Currently we need to setup context, invoke operators and find out what happened. For the time being there is a hack in the userpref to work around this restriction. Fixed by using an ensure function so the context is correct ## Usage * Install the (.zip) template via the "Blender menu" * Launch it with `blender -W --app-template "blender_101"` [20220112_blender_101.zip](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F13763769/20220112_blender_101.zip) {[F10409396](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F10409396/blender-101.png), width=100%} ## TODO * - [ ] There are areas that doesn't work or need blender internal knowledge to setup correctly. This needs to be improved in blender BPY/core * - [ ] Remove asset library selection and filtering from UI (needs some tweaks in blender code of the `template_asset_view`) Use similar API as template_list eg (type=,column=) template=my_first_app.blendapp`. Currently users have to start normal blender instance to install the application template. After that they will be able to use such application template. * - [ ] Silence warnings in console of missing operators (needs tweaks in blender code.) - [done for empty keymaps ](https://developer.blender.org/rB73ed07648901c047887f2e8e94750a3eae9afb08). * - [ ] Support LMB rotation (and RMB panning) - #91538 * - [ ] Support mouse hover highlight for UIList elements - [D12549](https://archive.blender.org/developer/D12549) * [] ... ## Wish list * - [ ] Way to launch the template from a folder, without having to install it (for development). * - [ ] Application launcher (like the Blender benchmark, where it downloads blender on first launch, and run the app - it could have an option to embed Blender with it as well). * - [ ] Maybe to have a .blend bundle with all the templates that can be opened by Blender. * - [ ] Easier way how to install an application template. eg. double click on an `.blendapp` file should install the file in the user app templates (if not already existing and latest version) and start a new blender with the app template. `blender --app-

Changed status from 'Needs Triage' to: 'Confirmed'

Added subscriber: @Jeroen-Bakker

https://developer.blender.org/source/bf-app-templates/ repository with app templates.
There would be a VSE annotation tool, but not able to find it right now.

Added subscriber: @JulianEisel

From what I know the idea was that the assets still use drag & drop, so not the mentioned click-to-activate behavior.

The main things I see missing are:

Asset Libraries as part of App Templates - We could support a builtin Current Application Template asset library, like the Current File library. Should be trivial to add.
Ability to hide specific buttons - I could imagine a simple whitelist system, where a configuration file defines which RNA properties and operators should be visible in the UI, others will be hidden. For more flexibility a way to override panels, headers menus and UI lists could be added (later on).
Possibly: Ability to remove action zones to open sidebars, headers and such.

Besides that the important bits should all be supported by app templates already:

Custom startup.blend
- Allows setting the up the minimal screen layout, active tool, active asset library and such.
Custom userpref.blend
- Includes custom keymap support, {nav Preferences > Interface > Corner Splitting} option, UI scale, ...

Further, we may want to look into simplifying the app template installation process. Ideally it should be possible to just download an app template (e.g. a .zip) and drag it into Blender. This may be out of scope of this experiment though.

Added subscriber: @GeorgiaPacific

Added subscriber: @AndresStephens

Is this like an asset reviewer standalone?

Added subscriber: @user1

I have a vision that in a few years Blender might become in Europe what "Scratch" is now in Britain - the open standard tool for teaching young pupil (age >=6) holisticly. I forsee them learning vector maths (intrinsicly!), logically thinking, speaking English, as young artists they'll learn to observe their environment better, and they might even philosophize over the rather numerical than material nature of the Multiverse - using Blender. Apart from just having lots of fun by creating and animating stuff.
I love what you are doing. It is important. Thank you!

Added subscribers: @dfelinto, @pablovazquez

Added subscriber: @Harley

For the records, I uploaded the current version of the Blender 101 template to the svn .

Added subscriber: @dr.sybren

According to @Jeroen-Bakker, @dfelinto took over.

Added subscriber: @Garek

Added subscriber: @AndyCuccaro

Added subscriber: @KevinCurry_Unity

Added subscriber: @edward88

Added subscriber: @Rathe-Hollingum

Added subscriber: @ReyDiaz

Added subscriber: @Cjhosken

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Blender 101: Monkey App #90025

Found limitations

Usage

TODO

Wish list