Hi,<br><div class="gmail_quote">I've thought of a summer of code proposal (not for me... though I could apply for it later) today.<br>That actually came out after I discovered <a href="http://www.blender-materials.org" target="_blank">www.blender-materials.org</a> where you can :<br>
- browse through a website interface for materials and download them<br>- or use a python script which gives you previews and text details of materials and downloads and install those materials for you in the current scene.<br>
What has been done for blender-materials could be done for more than materials : scripts, plugins, models etc...<br>Since, there are many models, scripts or materials repositories out there, but they have not easy to browse automatically and the assets to download are not as easy<br>
to install as with that kind of python script mentioned above.<br><br>so... I submit that proposal here first for peer review<br>then, I could post it to blenderartists hopefully very quickly. And add a one line description on the SoC Idea blender wiki page (cwant on #blendercoders or someone else would give me edit access).<br>
<br>So I copy paste the online description first :<br>In the section: Networking (which does not exist yet on the ideas page, though there's an Import / Export section)<br>Implement a protocol, repository and client for blender users to be able to submit blender data (materials, scripts, models, nodes, blender updates...) with preview and accompanying details to a repository as well as fetch all of those and install them locally.<br>
<br>I would take the permission to link the blenderartist forum's thread list to that one line idea.<br><br>Here's my proposal, presented formally as asked on <a href="http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/BlenderDev/GSOC_Application_Template" target="_blank">http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/BlenderDev/GSOC_Application_Template</a><br>
<br>Synopsis<br>Create protocol specification and code (online server and Blender client) for a Blender repository for blender users to download diverse assets (like what has been done with <a href="http://www.blender-materials.com" target="_blank">www.blender-materials.com</a> for materials, but now for any kind of assets) and install them inside Blender/onto the user hard drive. This would allow anyone to get assets in a way simpler than browsing the web, downloading, opening blender, doing File > Link/Append.<br>
<br>Benefits to the Blender Community<br>Deliverables<br>There are 3 deliverables: a protocol specification/documentation, code for a server, blender python code.<br>1. A protocol documentation which details how a client (a Blender Python script) and the server (the online assets repository) should communicate for any user to:<br>
- browse through the server database in a nice way and find what he is looking for (have a preview of the things).<br>- download a chosen asset onto the user's hard drive.<br>- upload (submit) a created asset to the server along with text and automatically or not generated-preview for it.<br>
This protocol could be implemented in SOAP (XML) sent over HTTP.<br><br>2. PHP or Python code for the server, handling a local MySQL database or just files, to send/receive assets with clients : * first without an web interface (just XML), * secondly with a web interface.<br>
This code should help people to setup their own repository, so that there's not just one of them (ie. <a href="http://repository.blender.org" target="_blank">repository.blender.org</a>) with much download charge but many more with varying contents.<br>
<br>3. A Blender Python script run by the user, allowing him/her through some user interface to : search the online database, read details and view previews, download assets and install them (into the current scene or on the hard drive), (automatically) update some of the assets (ex : scripts when new versions are up). The script will be importable as library by other python scripts.<br>
<br>Project details<br>This is a proposal to generalize what the project on <a href="http://www.blender-materials.com" target="_blank">www.blender-materials.com</a> has started to do, but now for any kind of Blender assets, not just materials and if possible with available server code for users to have more than one online repositories to fetch from/submit to.<br>
<br>Some examples of the assets that users could upload to - and download from - a repository are : blender scripts, binary plug-ins, materials, sounds, images and videos, 3d objects, animations, nodes, logic bricks, UI skins, Blender binary updates.<br>
<br>Project Schedule<br>project duration: 2 months<br>with limitation on features: You are asked to implement 4 kinds of assets among those mentionned in the "Project details" example list.<br>estimated timeline: - protocol: 1.5 week; - server code : 0.7 month, - python code : 1 month.<br>
It would be nice if more than one student (i.e. 2) worked on this so as to have a friendly atmosphere between collaborating students, have more work done / done in parallel.<br clear="all"><br><br>So... I think that would be awesome. Though this is not a new idea.<br>
<br>Could you please review and correct the proposal and tell me whether I should go and post it on blenderartists (full proposal) and the blender wiki (one line description), or decide of something else you think is better ?<br>
<br>For now, I am not applying to this proposal, I'm just proposing it.<br><br>Sincererely,<br>Jonathan-david Schröder<br><font color="#888888"><br>-- <br><a href="http://www.jaxtr.com/myselfhimself" target="_blank">http://www.jaxtr.com/myselfhimself</a>
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