Extensions talk:Py/Scripts/Catalog

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[edit] article for BlenderNation

hi Bart, Just a heads up on the Blender Wiki Scripts Catalog. http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Scripts/Catalog As you probably know, the Scripts Catalog in home to more than 300 links to scripts. There is now a concerted effort by myself Brendon (meta-androcto), migius & Roger (Papa Smurf), to update the catalog further. The basic idea is to have a Centralized location for blender python scripts & script information. This includes, but not limited to, an effort to properly document individual script usage, upgrade scripts to the python api & adding GPL Licenses where applicable. A thread was started on BA forums: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=116238 , the response was nominal, some good permissions were gained, here is an extract from that thread:

Currently we are seeking to do the following upgrades to the Wiki.

A/ One page per script, with docs, pics & small tutorials on script use.

B/ Upgrade scripts to GNU GPL status. (Where Applicable)

C/ Track & Upgrade "Orphaned Scripts" (Scripts no longer available or no longer maintained)

D/ Repair minor script errors to fall in line with the current Python API.

E/ Seek Permissions to Upload scripts & existing Documentation to the Wiki for direct download from or use in the Wiki. (to help tracking & losing valuable scripts/docs)

E.1/ Note: All links to authors sites/original documentation will remain & the Wiki downloads will serve as a mirror. Scripts remain copyright of the original author.

F/ Seek Permissions from script authors to include their scripts in new Bundled script packages. These will be available as a separate download from Blender & designed for easy user install to enhance the Blender experience.

As your script/s have or are soon to be noted in the Wiki,

We would ask your permissions:

1. to use any documentation you have & to mirror the docs on the wiki either via zip pdf or writing to the wiki.
2. to re-release the script under GNU GPL General Public License. (Where Applicable)
3. to modify the script only to repair errors & bring the script up to date with the API.
4. to upload the latest/most stable version of the script to the Wiki.
5. to redistribute scripts (mirror)
6. to redistribute scripts (bundle)

All work will be done by Wiki maintainers. (Script authors are welcome to document their own scripts on the Wiki, but volunteers are happy to do it for you.) An effort to check authors sites for upgrades/updated scripts will follow each new release of Blender. Any Modifications will be noted in the script, date, mod made, person modifying. Then the script author will be notified of the mods, & sent a link or copy of the script.

Any help or especially, permissions you can give would be greatly appreciated.

end extract, any help you can give us would be great.

thanks Brendon, Migius & Roger.

• discussion on #blenderwiki on 2008.02.17:

<Meta-androcto>	the concept, what do you think? Bart will fix it anyway.
<migius>imo: could be simpler, not so many details, concentrate more of peoples not technik
	the technical stuff can everybody see on catalog page
	it could be interesting for reader "your history"
<Meta-androcto>	not much to tell there. =)
<migius>main goal: inform community about recent restart of Script Catalog
	and that is a result of long time work of you
	and additionally links to details about writer-request and so on
	maybe some words about difficulties by catalogizing of scripts
<Meta-androcto>	mm, maybe, the catalog is already well known, people are lazy in this area of documenting Bender.
<migius>like time consuming recherche,
<Meta-androcto>	yes, thats why i left it so long before you joined.
<migius>time consuming: permission request,
	time consuming: code updating to be complain to current blender version
	so why is it so time consuming, and what sort of help do we need from community
	i can help only this way - pointing themes
	the text you must do yourself... :)

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[edit] new structure for Catalog Page

I've divided the catalog into two parts, because of some browser limitation with wiki pages bigger than 32kb. The catalog page is wip atm: i will create step by step individual manual pages and will sort the links in catalog respective the information from Brendon(Meta-Androcto). migius 03:01, 27 January 2008 (CET)

I test the comeback to one Catalog Page, because for users it is easier for browsing/searching. The browser editing limitation 32kb problem will be solved through divide the page in two edit-sections. migius 17:19, 1 February 2008 (CET)

rolled back: it does not work well with Templates which have (__NOEDITSECTION__) :( migius 18:33, 1 February 2008 (CET)

Each manual page is started with a copy of text from table catalog from Meta-Androcto. Many informations have to be updated for 2.45. I try update it on the fly. migius 00:49, 28 January 2008 (CET)

[edit] sub-categories - Invitation to discussion

My old (still current) proposal for structure of categories: because of comfort of "quick overview" i prefer a layout with these sub-categories:

1. bundled 2.45 (= in current release on board)
2. bundled < 2.45 (= no more in current releases (different reasons), but certified to use in the past. This category guarantees good results with older Blender versions. A tip where to get from too.)
3. external 2.45 (= working well with current release = tested & certified)
4. external < 2.45 (= not working well with current release = tested & failed, but working well with previous release. Motivation/signal for developers to do something.)
5. not tested yet (= candidate, declared by author as ready, but first waiting for our "working-certificate". Motivation for the community to test the script for compatibility issue)
6. experimental (= alpha/beta/wip/not_stable/free_ideas/problems/orphaned/ = early stage of developing or waiting for new maintainer, maybe a inspiration for other authors. Presenting the scripts in Catalog increase their chance to be finished)

Ideally each listed script should have an icon indicating "working-status". (similar to "docu-progress" indicator).
For manual editing however the above one is the only practicable solution, as long as no Dynamic-Page-Listing extension is installed. migius 15:54, 12 February 2008 (CET)

After discussion on IRC with Meta-androcto - migius 18:16, 13 February 2008 (CET):

1. both sub-categories "not tested yet" and "experimental" are important, because I want to show difference between fit candidates and weakness prototypes. Eventually another names for them...
2. "not tested yet" is a predicate for potential quality. It only shows: "script probably good, but wiki-team is still testing it before include in official list"
3. important aspect is: to be in wiki-catalog is some sort of prestige for young authors. We have no better mechanism to motivate young people to commit scripts to Blender and the Catalog is at the same time a quality ranking. The "best" come in bundled group - said figurative :)

Hi migius, I can revert everything back easily if you really need.

I am doing all the scripts from 2.45, creating pages & updating old pages.

This was hampered by the two pages, so I combined them for easier browsing & editing.

i am not entirely happy with the text changes i made, nor am i entirely happy with your text (sub categories), i know we can work it out some how.

ok, one 'bigger' problem & hopefully a soloution.

What I am missing from the Catalog, is the page is not in small editable sections, it is in one large chunk.

This is best seen now on the Cells page & the AutoCad DFX page

It is much easier to edit these subsections.

This is needed for the Catalog Proper, each section should be editable on its own.

It would be rare to have to edit the entire page & it the error suggests split up the file, this will do that.

How can we do this with the same layout/structure as it has now.

Anyway I've still got about 40 scripts (Bundled 2.45) to run through.

The smaller editing sections will make it easier to sub category menu's also.

Thanks, Brendon.

To make the sections editable is easy - see the above post from 1.febr. LOL, my problem was, i thought you don't want individually editable tables :). migius 22:05, 12 February 2008 (CET)

Mid Ground:

hi, thinking on the naming of sub categories, within the script sections, this is my combined idea. Bundled Blender 2.45 (Included in Current Blender) Bundled Previous (Included in earlier versions of Blender) Mainly for scripts that are no longer Bundled, then removed for whatever reason. External Scripts (All scripts Tested First then added here) Other (scripts that are buggy but still work) Sort of. Note: The criteria for a script to gain entry to the catalog are: The Script must work or have been working in Blender 2.42a minimum. Bug fixes should be listed in the notes, if a script does not have permissions line notes, this is to try to prevent users getting non working scripts & thus leading to disappointment. This is why I think experimental scripts should not & why old broken scripts are not included. Apart from the sheer Volume of Scripts that do work & need documentation,

[edit] sub-categories "light"-Layout

hi Brendon, here an example of modified layout for sub-categories. What do you think about it?. migius 00:44, 14 February 2008 (CET)

• 3D-Studio (.3ds)

{{K|L=3}} {{{1}}}

[edit] DPL for Script Catalog page

hi all, here are the first tests with automatic generated structures. You can experiment with DPL-code on the discussion-page there. Any feedback will be appreciated. your DPL-tests migius 14:58, 22 February 2008 (CET)