Background scripts and context (blender 2.62)

Coding Python Support
#1

Hi all,

I am not a big blender user, but I want to use it for 3D-visualization purposes.

I am trying to run the following script


import bpy

scenes=['file01.blend','file02.blend']

for i in steps:
    frame_num = i
    for s in scenes:
        bpy.ops.wm.open_mainfile(filepath=s)
        my_obj = bpy.data.objects['MyObj']
        for x in bpy.data.objects:
            x.select=False
        my_obj.select=True
        scn = bpy.data.scenes[0]
        scn.objects.active=my_obj
        bpy.ops.object.shade_smooth()
        scn.frame_current=frame_num
        bpy.ops.render.render(write_still=True)

I need to run it in background mode, but it will always crash when using function like bpy.ops.object.shade_smooth() because of incorrect context.

Is there a way to apply such operators in background mode? Any workaround?

The point is that I absolutely need to re-open the blend file because each frame involves hundred of megabytes of data and this is (as far as I understand) the only way to free memory in blender.

Any suggestion?

Thanks a lot

#2

If the intent is to simply set all the faces of the mesh to smooth then you can write your own auto smoother which will not require bpy.ops.


if my_obj.type == 'MESH':
    my_mesh = my_obj.data
    for face in my_mesh.faces:
        face.use_smooth = True

This may just move the error to the next usage of bpy.ops, however.

bpy.ops.render.render(write_still=True)
#3

Hi Atom,

I did not see your answer.
Thanks a lot, the render operation does not seem to be a problem in background mode. It works perfectly!