[Bf-funboard] Another sort of plugins

Daniel Barbeau bf-funboard@blender.org
Sun, 6 Jul 2003 00:19:57 +0200


Hello people.

Earlier there was some quick talk about a C/C++ API.

Well, I though it couldn't be a bad idea.
It could help in keeping the interface's consistency.

Say you write a "render with yafray" plugin. (but it could be anything =
else)

The plug would load when firing up blender.

This plug would operate a complete "upgrade" of blender's functionality.
-- It could add a new type of material. When you click on "Add New"=20
    it could add a "Add New Yafray Material" and this material would=20
    contain all the specificities of Yafray's shaders, like a complete =
new material panel.
    (or it could also modify the existing one, i'm just exposing what =
could=20
    be the possibilities of such an API, not designing a new plug :)
-- It could add a new entry to the Spacebar ADD menu, such as Add Yafray =
Lamp.
-- The lamp panel (with a yafray lamp selected) would show Yafray's =
Lamps' specific functions.
-- It could also draw the new lamp types differently in the 3D views. =
(area lights, phton lights, etc...)
-- and add a new option to the render window... "Render to Yafray"

This design isn't perfect (but i think it could be a way to go in the =
futur for export plugins). But it wasn't my point as I said.
I don't think scripts aim at the same goal as "plugins". in example: I =
do beleive (though I may be wrong)
that dynamics such as soft bodies would better be written in a compiled =
language than a scripted one,=20
for speed reasons (cloth, fluids.... require a lots of maths).

But this API, if t was ever to come, should come with B3, not before.

I hope this points can be discussed.

Respectfully
Dani