This thread will cover updates to Addons For Blender 2.79
Whilst mostly limited to bug fixing & api changes, some context sensitive panel issues with the toolshelf addons & general code clean will apply.
New addons 2.79: Guidelines:
will be limited to 8.
given this release marks the end of the 2.7 series, I think it’s appropriate to include a very select list of addons that have proven time & time again to be of value to Blender users.
The selection process for new addons will be Addons Dev Peer Orientated & By Public notice on BA Python Released Scripts section, from which many of the addons we have in Blender have evolved & been maintained by many individuals, over many years.
Note:
Some code from addons in our contrib is widely used in external addons, this will be taken into account.
Some Addons in the tracker have been sitting there for years & are widely used by Blender users.
This will also be taken into account, leaving limited places indeed.
Potential Adoons Should be listed here so the Community from which Blender has drawn so many addons can be involved.
So the input here I’m after is simple, What free addons should be in Blender but are not.
Rules:
No market addons requests unless the author offers themselves.
Suggest addons that are useful every day.
Think about addons that do something different to what Blender does & fills maybe a gap or speeds up workflow.
I’ll go first: Auto Mirror by Lapineige:
I see this addon being repeated & used in conjunction by blender market & external addons & studios
This is the type of addon I am after, having used it myself for years too, it’s a very worthy candidate. Mesh Extra Tools from Contrib Addons:
Whilst not the most perfect addon, there’s been recent efforts to upgrade this addon into acceptable in Blender.
It includes working zmj100, liero, PKHG, brikbot, dustractor & many more tools. many of these tools are not possible in Blender, yet imo should be.
rewrite in progress atm. Display Tools from Patch Tracker: https://developer.blender.org/T32253 being the oldest unaccepted addon, there’s always been a reason for me not to close this task.
Complete rewrite in progress atm.
I would also note: Align Tools by mkb & various authors BTrace from addons contrib is worth a mention
Time frame for this is very limited, there’s no guarantee any addon suggested will get into Blender
Feedback is essential if we are going to work together to make this happen.
Hi Metandrocto, here are some of my choices in no particular order. I tried not to include anything commercial and anything whose functionality I’ve already seen in some of your addon packs. I also tried to include as little overlap between the items in this list as possible. This list is just a suggestion. As far as I know, all of these addons work as per 2.78a.
multiedit v.5 - antonis karvelas
object name to mesh name
orphan slayer - cotejrp1
pose library previews - jasper van nieuwenhuizen
selection restrictor - Alesis Sidenko
display layers unlimited - vincent gires
import images as planes ( updated for animation ) - vicentecarro, Florian Meyer (tstscr), mont29, matali
mkb, hey,
‘retopo mt’ not bad
snap utils line, hmm we have the lite version in contrib
Offset edges is in mesh edit tools, which are looking good due to code clean by lijenstina & yes thanks for mention, it really is a great fundamental tool.
hmm, as far as origin tools go, your tools plus version rules.
Your align tools also are a step above.
emboo, such a long list, I know all the addons you mention, selection restrict I’ve already ported into display tools *new wip for this release
tissue is good but might still be easy to crash for new users, it was close to getting into last release
easy fx is gold, really like that one, only first tested a week ago & fell in love with it.
interesting you mention meshio, I really found that mmd tools does a better overall job with less fails per 100 imports.
more interesting you mention xps tools, it (along with mmd tools) are the two best importers out there. pity the content we import with them is sometimes of a dubious nature
@ Metandrocto : Sorry for the long list. I didn’t realize the 8 addon suggestion number in your OP. I hope you know I don’t expect you to get any* of them if you don’t want or if time does not allow. I was just brainstorming to get the list going. I agree with you about mmd tools over meshio. Good call. BTW, thanks for managing and updating so many builds and addons over the years. I wish there was an addon called ‘Metandrocto Updates.’ I would install that and recommend it in a heartbeat.
Animation Nodes by Jacques Lucke
https://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?350296-Addon-Animation-Nodes
https://github.com/JacquesLucke/animation_nodes
soul: thanks for feedback
particle link sounds good, would need to check with other devs, I do tend to focus on 3d view tools maybe too much
multi extrude is also in mesh edit tools in contrib & marked tentatively for this release, really I should have put it in years ago, such a great fun practical tool.
animation node & sverchok are a little too big & complex, great works in themselves.
emboo2, np, big list brainstorming is what this is about, thanks for kind words.
Meta androcto, lets say you have many curves in edit mode but they are one object.
1) Are there tools so you can extrude many vertices proceduraly all at once in edit mode ? 2) If you have many paths in one object, and select beginning/end of one path, select similar does not have option to select beginning/end of other paths.
Are there tools with such features ?
Similar principle are in multiple extrude for faces from liero addon.
soul: not sure on vert extrude, maybe an example of how you expect to work?
possible bsurfaces has a switch direction & set first points , you need all the directions the same way before setting the first point. (not sure if this function is in blender elsewhere…
Harvester: Thanks for list, looks really good & i know near all addons,
Blam is interesting suggestion
The floor gen addons can bug out… would be better with jarchvis instead. (that said I have an addon for add mesh extra objects addon, it appends extra add mesh into the menu structure of add mesh extra objects & includes floor & plancher already, might be good for contrib pack.)
Keep suggestions coming if you would like to see 2.79 addons improved.
For example, if you select beginning/end of one path and press shift+G, you can’t select beginning/end of other paths.
Etc,
if you select third vertex in one paths, you can’t select all 3rd vertices of other paths. This is small example, but if you have more curved paths in space with even more vertices, selecting similar beginning/end could be very hard.
So, it would be very nice to do this procedurally.
Bsurfaces expect BEZIER curve but I couldn’t find selecting similar order in path.
BTW, thanks for managing and updating so many builds and addons over the years. I wish there was an addon called ‘Metandrocto Updates.’ I would install that and recommend it in a heartbeat. 
