Changing the Addon category in the Blender UI

Coding Python Support
1

This template shows how to change the category of an Addon in the Addon preferences. Does it have anything I should avoid?


bl_info = {
    "name": "Example Addon Preferences Change Category",
    "author": "Your Name Here",
    "version": (1, 0),
    "blender": (2, 70, 0),
    "location": "View3D > TOOLS > Example > Addon Preferences Example",
    "description": "Example Addon",
    "warning": "",
    "wiki_url": "",
    "tracker_url": "",
    "category": "UI"}


import bpy
from bpy.types import Panel, AddonPreferences
from bpy.props import StringProperty


class VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example(Panel):
    """Display example preferences"""
    bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
    bl_region_type = "TOOLS"
    bl_category = "Example"
    bl_label = "Addon Preferences Example"


    def draw(self, context):
        addon_prefs = context.user_preferences.addons[__name__].preferences
        layout = self.layout
        layout.label(text="Change the category")
        layout.prop(addon_prefs, "category", text = "")


def update_panel(self, context):
    try:
        bpy.utils.unregister_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)
    except:
        pass
    VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example.bl_category = context.user_preferences.addons[__name__].preferences.category
    bpy.utils.register_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)


class ExampleAddonPreferences(AddonPreferences):
    # this must match the addon name, use '__package__'
    # when defining this in a submodule of a python package.
    bl_idname = __name__


    category = bpy.props.StringProperty(
            name="Category",
            description="Choose a name for the category of the panel",
            default="Example",
            update=update_panel,
            )


    def draw(self, context):
        layout = self.layout
        layout.prop(self, "category")


# Registration
def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(ExampleAddonPreferences)
    #bpy.utils.register_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)
    update_panel(None, bpy.context)


def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(ExampleAddonPreferences)
2

Wow… I need this feature to change the category as a separate addon. To help me organize a bunch of addons I have and put them where I wan them.

3

But mano-wii, what is the question, please? I don’t understand : “Does it have anything I should avoid?”

4

If all addons were produced this way greatly facilitate the organization of files. Change with each new version of an addon is a tiring and unproductive task. Congratulations to mano-wii again by the idea and initiative to make it easier for those who do not understand scripts.

5

Thank you guys :slight_smile:

Actually I wanted to say that I am aware of suggestions. So far I have not seen anything like this script.
English is not my native language, so sometimes I cannot be clear. :\

6

mano-wii seria possivel confeccionar um addon onde onde eu possa indicar o nome do addon que se deseja modificar a categoria e a seguir informar qual categoria a ser colocado? Desta forma poderia utilizar para todos os addons facilmente.

mano-wii would be possible to fabricate an addon where where I can indicate the addon name that you want to change the category and then inform what category to be placed? This way could be used for all addons easily.

7

You are doing a great job! Big Thx!

8

Hy @mano-wii!
I want to use your category change for a nested panel,
but i got no registration for it.
I don´t know how to fix it. Can you help?..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5QQIWH-54S1YVBjQmhrSjMtSTQ/view?usp=sharing

9

Hy mano-wii!
i have replace the package template with the fixed one:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5QQIWH-54S1QlA5eU9nTDVuTW8/view?usp=sharing
Thx for your help!

10

What happens if you run the update panel function in a loop for like 1 mio times? Does it leak memory? Ideasman once mentioned that class re-registering might do that.

11

I decided to do a test, I do not know if I got it right but I updated the panel 1000000 times.
All it took was run this code, once the name given to the module was “change_category”.
It took a little bit but did not leak memory.


import bpy


for a in range(1000000):
    bpy.context.user_preferences.addons['change_category'].preferences.category = str(a)
    bpy.context.scene.update()
12

@mkbreuer, the “update_panel()” has to look like this:


def update_panel(self, context):
    try:
        bpy.utils.unregister_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)
    except:
        pass
    VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example.bl_category = context.user_preferences.addons[__package__].preferences.category
    bpy.utils.register_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)

And not the way it is:


def update_panel(self, context):
    try:
        bpy.utils.unregister_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)
    except:
        pass
        VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example.bl_category = context.user_preferences.addons[__package__].preferences.category
    bpy.utils.register_class(VIEW3D_PT_addon_prefs_example)

Be careful there.

1 Like
13

A bit late, but honestly: Thank you!