[Bf-committers] Blender App Central / Add-on Manager

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi Moraes,

Good you remind us, and a promising concept this... it is probably well possible to make this work inside a browser and somehow hook it up via python with Blender itself. Makes it more feasible to implement too.

Next steps could also be to add import/exporters, themes, default startup blends, material repositories, node groups... or then even docs, tutorials, video tuts?

And then the obvious question pops up "But would it allow commercial offers too?". I am well aware of the success of Mac's appstore, Android Market and Ubuntu Centre.

It's something we could carefully look into and investigate. Blender Foundation/Instutute is doing good bizz still selling dvds and books, but that won't last forever. Selling (licensed) digital data is not something BF itself should do though, we have a mission to keep things free and open.

However; there must be ways to cooperate with a 'closed' world, especially if the boundary is clear, and when the spirit of our project is not in danger (Blender as a full functional open and free environment for 3d creation).

-Ton-

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation   ton at blender.org    www.blender.org
Blender Institute   Entrepotdok 57A  1018AD Amsterdam   The Netherlands

On 9 Jan, 2012, at 14:22, Mango Jambo wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> At Blender Pro, the Blender conference Brazil, I was talking to Ton, Dalai,
> Pablo Vasquez and other artists about a great idea for Blender: the Blender
> Addon/App Central.
> 
> *The problem today:*
> - It is hard to find an add-on if you never did before;
> - Even if you did it, you need to find it again: Blender.org > Download >
> wiki Python Scripts (add-ons?) > Script Catalog;
> - Some of them gives an outside link to download, like blenderartist,
> dropbox, etc.;
> - To install you need to Download and then install by Blender Add-on
> install button or copy straight to the add-on folder (and find this
> folder). Some Add-ons has folders and other files, so the install button
> doesn't work for it;
> - We never know if there is a new add-on version (Contrib and External);
> - We don't know which add-ons are most downloaded or even users feedback
> about it. Well, there is some Blenderartists threads, but nothing more
> "official" about it;
> - Every time we need to install Blender in another computer, we need to
> copy/download add-ons again. Some people makes use of Dropbox for it, or
> copy the Blender user Preferences Folder, but it is not a casual task
> (mainly for artists, thrust me! ;] );
> 
> *Proposal*
> To transform the current Script Catalog into a friendly and intuitive
> Add-on/App Manager inside Blender, showing votes, comments, updates,
> favorites, etc. and, optionally, being able to log-in and automatically
> install "my add-ons" in another computer/Blender installation.
> An image is better than a thousand words:
> http://www.pasteall.org/pic/show.php?id=24117 (initial layout proposal from
> the designer and my friend Allan Carvalho)
> Probably being inside Blender it should be more Blender colors and layout
> like.
> 
> *Goals*
> - To make add-ons looks more friendly, like apps. This could attract more
> users and more developers;
> - Being able to log-in for easier management and consistence on any user
> machine(laptop, home and work pc), like in Google Chrome. This could work
> for preferences too;
> - To have vote and comments, increasing user participation, feedback and
> sharing;
> - To manage channes (repositories), like on Ubuntu: Official and Partner
> channels (to exempt Blender Foundation Servers from some "Contrib Scripts",
> how already is today);
> 
> 
> *References*
> - https://chrome.google.com/webstore
> - Unity Store;
> - Android Market.
> 
> 
> The big problem is: I can´t code! So I need help, ideas, suggestions from
> you developers.
> There is more ideas that I want to discuss about it, so lets keep it warm
> if you like it! :)
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Moraes Junior - aka mangojambo
> Animator & 3D Artist
> +55 43 88133399 <http://www.oniria.com.br>
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