wow. i appear to be the only person here who has no idea what’s going on. and i’m running a mac… double trouble…
my question - am i kidding myself that as a complete newcomer peering quizzically at blender from the soft warmth of Cinema 4D, I can be taught how to get the simplest of python plugins to work? or should i run away now, back to the soft glow of corporation software?
all i really want to do is import in 3ds format, but to do that i have to run a script it says, in python - one of those programmer’s thingies that us artists aren’t supposed to know about.
so i install Macpython, download a script that says “3ds import” on it and i load it into the text editor and i hit Run Python Script and i get an error.
after a bit of surfing it becomes apparent that everyone knows how to get these script thingies working and nobody seems to feel the need to mention how!
can someone point me to a really basic tut on how to get python scripts working with blender with NO previous knowledge - on a mac.
There can be problems with Python on a Mac. See the link in my sig about installing with Fink (I heard what you just said!). If you read the threads by Brooks and Darko you’ll see it gives some people unending problems and it seems that the Mac users who do get it up and running either don’t come here or solved the mystery unawares and can’t pass it on.
That being said the concept is straightforward; you open a script (in Blender a Plugin is something else) in the Scripts window if it shows up in the menu in that window, or in the text editor where you will have to run it with Alt-P with your mouse cursor over the text. This initiates a call to both the Python module(s) in Blender and the Python version on your C-Drive. The tricky bit is getting the Path to wherever you installed the Python version to actually find it (called setting your PythonPath, much like the recipe for gumbo since it depends where y’all live). Once you have that all sorted out though you should be good to go.
I would advise you to PM some of those who (sometimes so proudly) use Mac and hassle them for help if need be.
Check this out for information, I had to do some tweaking to get scripts to run. Several scripts, one which is titled Make Human, run with out doing anything to them. At least in my case it did. I’m running Jaguar, it could be different with Panther.
