Is there a way to keep my blender plugins updated when new versions of them are released? Is there a plugin/package manager that can track them so that i don’t have to go to each one, download and re-install?
How do you all do it?
I have this question too (rather than start a new topic, I’ve revived this unanswered one from the crypts).
Since I have plugins from both gumroad & blendermarket, is there a better method than just go individually to each one’s page to see if an update is available/needed? I’ve signed up for emails on BM, but haven’t seen any emails from plugins I know have updated since purchase, so that doesn’t seem to be a viable solution.
I could just keep a spreadsheet with which I have installed, which version, etc etc, but I was hoping for a more … automajick way? at least of alerting me to which have updates?
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I’m not aware of any solution which tracks add-ons installation versions across the multiple websites where they are downloaded from, and alerts the user that a new version is available and allows them to download it.
The blender foundation has some long range plan to create some sort of repository where this would be possible, but there are various reasons why even this may not be a great solution.
Okay, sad to hear, but thank you for the information. 
mebbe I can figure out a script to do that for me, mebbe separate/outside of blender.
I swear there’s a Blender add-on manager that does all this on GitHub somewhere, I don’t use it but I know it’s out there. Try searching on GitHub
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It has been requested but far too many problems have cropped up that has stalled development…I think that the one @joseph mentioned is made to check and update addons on Github/Gitlab etc…
There is also code to download for developers to add to their plugin to auto-check for updates, but as yet only a handful are doing it…
that brings me to If you do have an updater, I can guarantee you Blender Start time will be extended exponentially, you have to open a new socket via another Python Script ( Numby I think but don’t quote me on that), and wait for connection, then you have time-outs waiting for a response and finally you get a notice in the console there is an update…now you still have to go get it and install…all the while you are still waiting for Blender to start up…
Also, you have to log on and input your user name and passwords ( by script to be sure but still has to be in a text file somewhere and maintained), for each site…etc etc…
It would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath…There is ONE thing I do to help me out is to download all addons for Blender in a Download Folder for each version…as well as keeping a snort List of URL and discription…really helps when I update Blender and have to re-install add-ons…
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that’s the method i’m using now, the organized folder system, though i haven’t put together an url list yet. what i was thinking of scripting, if i find the time, would be offline from blender… separate. so you’d run it, it’d check which versions you have (by folder, if the info can’t be retrieved from blender’s files without blender running), and if there is a new version. i don’t actually want it to .install. said addons, just let me know which are out of date. that way i can decide if it’s worth updating at that point or not.
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I think the ultimate challenge on this is for a script (or whatever) combined with a URL destination to be able to actually determine that a version update exists.
Like, it can’t just read the screen on gumroad and see the words “new update released”. 
Once Extensions platform is set up I think this problem will fade a little bit. Of course creators can still upload their addons on any platform (especially paid ones), but large chunk of addons and scripts will be on one platform, accessible from inside the Blender. At least for free addons that is the solution. I don’t think many will choose to not use such a platform
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Perhaps I’m looking at it too negatively, but I believe many will NOT use such a platform, given the many requirements and restrictions.
From the BF overview:
Extension’s code must be compliant with https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Process/Addons/Guidelines
“must pass the Flake8 / other PEP 8 checker Tool For Style Guide Enforcement”.
Seriously? Yeah, no. I use 3rd party Blender tools all day long that don’t comply with that… they work fine, btw.
Plus, the whole submission has to go through a review process.
I think a lot of the more casual developers (I made a quick tool, hope it helps you too, enjoy!) won’t even bother with the potential hassle.
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You could, with Selenium etc, it’s just a question of if it’s worth the overhead
Get out of here with your magical mind reading visual recognition computer code.
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I’m not saying it’s a good idea
I’m not sure if those requirements are still in place, they’ve been written before 2.8. Extensions platform will not have strong review process, because they’re not shipped with Blender, therefore Blender doesn’t have to take responsibility for them.
So far what they’ve said about requirements is CC-0, shouldn’t install anything on computer, and shouldn’t need connection to internet.
If creators care about bringing their scripts to people they will, there won’t be a better place to share your scripts than something that can be literally opened with Blender. Everybody will check there, tutorials will mention them, like node wrangler.
If creator just made something for themselves and doesn’t care much about who uses it, well, it’s your risk to use that script, and if you don’t know how to modify and maintain addon you shouldn’t expect updates anyway.
This is a bit of an off-topic discussion, it would be better suited for a unique thread
Shame they can’t all be like Simplebake. It notifies me there is an update, I go to preferences, click update and restart…done.
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Animation layers as well. Excellent design
Personally I find there’s a bit of hubris in the ask.
We’re building a website that offers artists free texture maps, we really need content. Would you be willing to send us some textures you’ve created?
Sure, I’m happy to help. I’ll send you a few that I often use.
Excellent! Please comply with the following:
** Filenames must contain no more than 11 characters*
** Filenames must not be a person, place, or thing*
** Files must contain all layers (no flattened images)*
** Image must be created in an open source format (gimp acceptable, photoshop is not)*
** Images must be 1200 pixels, with a 1:1 ratio*
** Do not use dark purple colors*
** Create and fill the provided 20 meta fields for all images.*
** Images must have a 12 pixel border, hex code #673542*
** Each image must be accompanied by the attached release form*
** Use Arial 9.5 pt, normal font to fill out the form. Use double space after each sentence, and observe the oxford comma rule*
Thank you for helping us create this new resource repository!
Erm… yeah. Good luck with your website…
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Well we shall see, but I don’t see any indication that Extensions platform aims to have filters like that
All right, yet another zombie revival.
Since I want to finally switch to 4+, but constantly get crashes over a once subdivided cube with no clues from the console…
I have addons like PowerSave & PowerBackup. But those won’t really help if I still have to go through every single addon (approximately 120 in total) and disable/restart/retry etc. - even if there are errors in the console from startup, I can’t fathom a way of interpreting what addon these belong to. Sometimes, if devs use naming conventions that make sense, I can trace the culprit back.
Adding to this misery, many devs don’t send out messages when they update, and Blender Market has no system in place to automatically do that. Some devs even don’t add version numbers or any other clue. On Gumroad, you at least have the most recently updated stuff on top of the library.
Long whining short - serious questions, not sarcasm:
- is there no way to have Blender tell you what addon an error belongs to?
- what sense does backing up preferences/addons do when you’re supposed to wipe those anyway, every time a new version is being released?
- is there a way to automatically check for compatibility with installed addons, or in reverse? Like when you try to install 64 bit software on a 32 bit system. A script that runs some sort of test and disables incompatible addons? I mean, if Blender manages to crash itself or write errors into the console, this should be possible, right? When something doesn’t sit right, it being GPU drivers etc, it SHOULD be possible to log some errors - like some invisible calculations going on (blender logo in task bar with a green bar filling up behind it with a basic cube in VP) that strangle the entire system?
Sorry, going a bit crazy again. Could be a hint for addon devs - develop an addon for addons. I imagine auto checking online would be hard to impossible, given the inconsistent way devs sometimes work, but some compatibility checker would be fantastic!