developer-notes.md

• Add Features

  • SNOT (studs not on top) functionality
  • Add 'exclusion' functionality so that one model doesn’t create bricks where another model already did
  • Generate model with bricks and slopes to more closely approximate original mesh (USER REQUESTED)
  • Add customization for custom object offset, size, and brick scale (amount of bricksdict locations it takes up), default to scale/offset for 1x1 brick with stud
  • Add more brick types
  • Improve brick topology for 3D printing
  • Use shader-based bevel as opposed to geometry-based bevel
  • improve intelligence of get_first_img_from_nodes function
    • choose prominent textures
    • ignore normal/bump textures
  • improve speed of get_first_bsdf_node function
    • store first nodes of materials so it doesn't have to recalculate every time
  • Improve model connectivity
    • Store each brick parent as a BMVert, with vert.co being the dloc
    • connect each BMVert with an edge if the two bricks are connected
  • (EASY) New animation types (loop, boomerang, etc)
    • this would be implemented in the handle_animation function
  • apply modifier to bricker model group instead of each object (requires Blender 2.81)
  • switch use_blend_file to False for backproc calls (saves memory and time)
    • Use dump_cm_props() and load_cm_props() code to convert cmlist item to and from dictionaries
    • Figure out a way to maintain parented matrix_world info, etc. for objects appended to background blender instance
  • Switch calculation_axes property to expanded bools in user interface

• Fixes

  • when brickified model's parent is rotated, bricks drawn by customizing model are often not rotated correctly
  • Custom object rotation is not maintained when instanced for in bricker model (is this behavior desired?)

Blender 2.80 Notes

Blender 2.80 Python API Changes

GPU Shader Module

GPU Types

Updating Scripts from 2.7x

UI Design

Update Addons with both Blender 2.8 and 2.7 Support | Moo-Ack!