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Summer of Code Python Editor Project

46

(Submitted by Chris Want) This summer the Blender text editor is getting some love, thanks to the 2008 Google Summer of Code program. Student Ian Thompson (aka quorn) is working on a project to improve Blender's python editing capabilities, which is based on a system of 'text plugins'.

This system adds popular functions like code completion and automatic access to documentation -- features that are common in most modern integrated development environments. To check out these features (and more) check out Ian's project page.

About the Author

Avatar image for Bart Veldhuizen
Bart Veldhuizen

I have a LONG history with Blender - I wrote some of the earliest Blender tutorials, worked for Not a Number and helped run the crowdfunding campaign that open sourced Blender (the first one on the internet!). I founded BlenderNation in 2006 and have been editing it every single day since then ;-) I also run the Blender Artists forum and I'm Head of Community at Sketchfab.

46 Comments

  1. This is pretty cool! I've been itching to learn python for a while now but I just haven't had the time. This will help us non coders a great deal!

  2. Nice! I love to see work and improvements on the text editor.

    Will there be possible to import other modules than "Blender" too?

    Like "import random" or something?

  3. Looks very very good, thanks for those videos. Usually I use an external Python editor with Blender, but this project looks as I won't have to anymore soon. :)

  4. That has to be the best python code completion I've ever seen!

    Could I request you integrate this into Eclipse, SPE or even IDLE? That would be Ace.

    Or maybe I'll just write all my normal python stuff in blender instead from now on :)

  5. Wow, this is awesome !!!

    I'm completely wordless ...

    Two questions?
    1) Is it working with Game Engine modules?
    2) There is any plans to support regex in the find/replace funtions?

    Thanks a lot for this ...

  6. Artisten:
    Blender's Python integration already allows import of Python modules, both standard package and anything else you (or someone else) wrote.

    Dalai Felinto:
    Regular expressions already work and have, afaik, all along. Just 'import re' and you're off to the races. You may need a full install of Python on your system, though.

    Gold Guy:
    Syntax highlighting (coloring) is already featured in Blender's text editor and has been, afaik, all along. Click the 'AB' button in the editor. The video above shows it is in this new revised text editor as well.

    I'll still stick to UltraEdit for my Python coding that's not Blender-centric, but it looks like I will be abandoning SPE for my Blender stuff. This update to the internal editor is nothing short of brilliant! Fantastic work!

  7. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! no that's not a list of my STD outbreaks, that's a standing ovation! BRAVO!

  8. It's SOOOO AMAZING, that I'll use it even for non-blender code. The only thing I would miss is the regexp search&replace, but I'll code a search&replace gui that uses kregexpeditor as kate/kwrite/kdevelop/quanta do.

    It's the python editor I've always wanted to have. Now that python GUIs don't dissapear with undos, I may even make a default .blend with editing stuff and kdialog or pyqt4 for open/save dialogs and such...

  9. This is just amazing!
    Now there's now need to code Python scripts in IDLE before running them in Blender!
    Actually, this seems even better than IDLE.

  10. thank you very much for your work.
    This was so annoying to have to have a documentation side by side.
    The refactoring tool is nice also.

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