Ohh a video dedicated to me. Very flattered here.
But that means that it should be possible without interference of addon developers to solve this issue. Luckily I have PIe Menu Editor and so I will experiment with it.
Thanks a lot making this video
Well, the Add-ons would have more places in “Add-On Groups”, but it’s better than nothing.
1 Like
I found the replies very arogant on Right Click Select and I can’t work in such environment so I wanted to delete my account over there but that seems not possible.
I really don’t understand their approach. You do a proposal and “it has nothing to do with addons” or “What you are looking for is tab-management”. Then you do a new proposal and then addon-Groups was the most viable idea. Well any way it’s an approach that doesn’t bring us anywhere.
I believe it’s kind of illegal not to be able to remove your account if you want.
Sorry if it’s looks I am ranting in this post which is absolutely not towards you of course but towards Right Click Select, It’s just that I can’t really handle an environment that is not constructive. As far as I know I am always working towards results, solutions or creations.
2 Likes
Peetie, don’t be disheartened, Everyone has own ideas and it becomes overwhelming/underwhelming sometimes. 
Managing large lists of addons is a difficult job, both inside and outside of Blender.
In some ways when we found the “change tab names” code from mano-wii Rename Tabs Function we were able to solve this issue for addons that come shipped with Blender. That and careful naming of tabs so there are not too many when you enable all built in Panel addons. (by having sensible Tab names I was able to halve the amount of tabs used by addons shipped with Blender.) This also allowed me, right or wrong to say the problem is solved in Blender bundled addons and the issue lands squarely at the feet of the external addons devs to follow suit. Some have as it’s simple to add to their addons and very useful to users and customers. Others have not and that leads to bloated Tab bars.
The current solution “rename tabs” from addons preferences is seemingly too simple for some, usually the some who always demand more and give little.
From a practical stand, this is how Rename Tabs Function works.
1/ You enable the addon.
2/ Once the addon is enabled you press the Left triangle to expand the addons information.
2.1/ In the addons information a New area is created. (Addons Preferences")
3/ In the Addons Preferences you can Rename the Tab to suit yourelf.
4/ Saving User Preferences Saves the new Tab name until you change it or deactivate the addon and save new User Preferences.
It’s pretty simple, your at the addon with your mouse, from the same ui location with minimal effort you can choose what name you like. There’s no limit to what you can call them and you can use this to group addons into tab names (individually as you enable addons you like or into existing tab names.)
I could go on and on… As I said before. If users Tabs are filling up with your external free or paid for addons that use their own often long custom names, ask the addons author to adopt the rename tabs code. At least then you have the choice. Maybe something better will come along one day. Until that’s written or invented, there is already a simple solution.
If external addons devs don’t use the rename tabs function, it falls on them that they are bloating the tabs list.
hehe, I did go on and on…
2 Likes
Hi @Meta-Androcto,
Thanks for letting me remind myself to study the code and practice with it. Without doubt you are guiding me in a good direction.
Once I understand how I can implement the code in some addons, I know then where I am talking about and from that moment I can take further steps. Maybe it means that I try to promote the idea as much as possible or who knows, I can add the code myself to some of the most populair or most useful free addons and post them / show it the developer.
This is the first post of a new member.
I want to share with you a workaround to overcome the clutter in the Tool Shelf, but the forum’s software rejects my post, because for a first time poster only 2 pictures and 2 links in the first two post are allowed.
So I reduced the amount of 4 pictures to 2 and tried anew to upload.
Then the software allowed only one picture and 2 links for a first time post.
After the third trial with one picture I was allowed only 2 links.
Indeed there are URLs as parts of code in my posting, necessary for the understanding of my posting, but no links.
Now it is not possible to upload my very long post.
The second post is following tout de suite.
This is the second post of a new member.
The third one is following, hopefully allowing now the upload of my posting with 4 small picture.
OK, now I’m somewhat disheartened.
I logged out and tried a fourth time to upload my posting, but the software forbade for a new user to give more than 3 replies in the same thread,
but left the possibility to edit a post, proving now that it is able to count more then up to three. I apologize! Please let me upload now the result of many hours of experimenting.
After another attempt to upload:
New user 1 picture, 2 links
Now I’m going to cripple my post before my head explodes.
@anon72338821 and anyone who cares to read this long posting about the cluttered Tool Shelf
My first post here or ever in any forum
I’m following this thread from the start.
I want to thank you, Peetie, for the help you’re handing out with so much kindness, ever being patient when asked for the umpteenth time to enter an addon to the list. Thank you for so much time you are spending for the benefit of the community.
And thanks to the many members of the community for their helpfulness and to the developers, offering generously their work of many many hours for free or, when making a living of it, for very fair prices, for the benefit of their fellow enthusiasts.
Referring to the clutter in the Tool Shelf I’d like to offer a workaround, if that’s not too naive from my side, as I know nothing about python and have in general no clue about blender or any other 3D program.
When opening the *.py-file of an addon, consisting of a single file, with a text editor like Notepad++, then calling the search option with Ctrl+F and filling in the term “category” or “panel”, you often find a distinct portion of text like the following for the addon “Welder”, serving here as an example (in Peetie’s list in the category “Modeling HardSurface” which I have shortened to “ModH” for my own use as a four-letter-name for the Tool Shelf.)
Quotation marks only are of importance within a code string. In all other cases within my own text, it indicates solely fix names.
class PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_label = “Welder”
bl_idname = “OBJECT_Welder”
bl_space_type = “VIEW_3D”
bl_region_type = “UI”
bl_category = “Welder”
The “bl_category” name “Welder” is the one, that is adding itself to the clutter in the Tool Shelf, should there be enough space on the tab to see even the first letter of it.
So, when changing the name “Welder” to one, that already is in the Tool Shelf e. g. the first one in the row,“view”, you can thereby add your addon to the Tab “view”, or in this case to the tab “ModH”.
The “bl_label” is the name of the entry you’ll find in the Sidebar, representing your addon you presently are tinkering with. You can also name this one to your liking. This can be useful, if the developer gave it a label name like ‘main settings’, being not very helpful for the identification of the respective addon within a heap of others.
So having done this, this part of your addon looks like this
class PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_label = “Welder”
bl_idname = “OBJECT_Welder”
bl_space_type = “VIEW_3D”
bl_region_type = “UI”
bl_category = “ModH”
With this code “bl_category = “ModH”” you have either created a new tab in the Tool Shelf named “ModH”, or you have your addon added to an already existing tab “ModH”, containing already other addons for this category.
Then you have to change to the User Preferences -->Add-ons and look for your addon you were customizing. There you must deactivate it by deleting the little hook. By doing so, you can watch the tab ‘Welder’ disappear from the Tool Shelf (if it was visible before). Then you activate it again and open the either newly created, or already populated tab “ModH” (if visible) and voila there you see the addon’s label in the Sidebar with the name designated in the string "bl_label = “Welder”, in this case. More of that below, near the end of this long post.
In the case you are satisfied with the customization of your one-file addons you don’t need to read any further.
In the case the addon consists of a folder containing multiple files and/or folders, it’s a bit trickier.
When having a folder with only one *.py-file like “init.py”, you can go on like before.
Having folders or files with other names, look for folders or files with terms like “UI” or “panels” or the like in its name.
When nothing significant is to find, you have to open the *.py-files one after the other. Or you look with a text search tool into the range of files for the terms “category” or “panel”
The following is an example by way of the fantastic addon “AssetGen” to describe my workflow:
Don’t be mad at me, when expressing myself like a beginner, because I am, or when explaining things you know for decades, but newbies like me don’t.
In no way I intend to criticize any aspect of this addon. I only want to explain by which considerations I am led when customizing it to MY needs, which may differ from the ones of the author.
I also don’t intend to violet any (copy-)rights of the author’s by citing some paragraphs of his work. If so, please accept my heartfelt apologizes and, please, don’t sue me.
First thing to be done, is building a list with categories (Tool Shelf tabs) you plan to distribute your addons to.
I like to follow partially the list, Peetie already has created on top of this thread. So e. g. I would like to collect my asset addons under the category “assets” - for a short Tool-Shelf-tab-four-letter-name that would be “Asst”.
After downloading I get a folder “AssetGen-master.zip” and
after unpacking the zip-file I get the folder “AssetGen-master”.
This folder I copy to this path: "c:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.80\scripts\addons", along one of two methods to install an addon.
Then I open Blender and the User Preferences and find in User Preferences, with the help of the search function, the addon under the new category “Game Tool” in the already long list of categories.
A glance into the properties/preferences/infos, or whatever this is called, of the addon, by klicking the small triangle, reveals:
There is no description, location, version, documentation!!
--------Deleted picture of User Prefs before editing the the addon code
So, first thing: Chasing around in Blender after the addon, until, after a long search, looking in all the suspicious places, I hunt it down by scrolling up and down the one or no letter tabs of the Tool Shelf.
The sidebar shows an entry “Game Asset Generator”, giving a clue for the identification of the addon. But there are two others: “Advanced Settings” and “Tools”.
Deactivating the addon in User Preferences causes all three entries to disappear from the Sidebar and reappear when reactivating the addon “AssetGen”.
So for sure these entries belong to the addon “AssetGen”.
Since I’m sure to having forgotten by tomorrow where to look for this addon, I’m going to change the addon some to meet my needs.
When opening the addon’s folder in the path mentioned above I see the following files
pycache (folder - here not of interest, when deleted, Blender builds it anew)
init.py
GA.py
GA_material.py
GA_tools.py
GA_user_interface.py
From tinkering with many other addons, I know to find the info I’m looking for under the label “bl_info = …” most probably within the text of the file “init.py”
In this case it looks like
bl_info = {
“name” : “AssetGen”,
“author” : “Srdan Ignjatovic aka zero025 (deleted email adress) and Bekhoucha Danyl aka Linko (deleted email adress)”,
“description” : “”,
“blender” : (2, 80, 0),
“location” : “”,
“warning” : “”,
“category” : “Game Tool”
}
These are the information this script is writing into the User Preferences (to be seen, when the addon’s info is being opened by tapping the little triangle).
Now I’m going to add the information helping me to recover the addon when needed, and where to gather more information about its use.
After doing so, the code looks like
bl_info = {
“name” : “AssetGen”,
“author” : “Srdan Ignjatovic aka zero025 (deleted email address) and Bekhoucha Danyl aka Linko (deleted email adress)”,
“description” : “AssetGen automates the tasks to get game assets ready for video games from a High Poly model.”,
“version”: (28, 2, 19),
“blender” : (2, 80, 0),
“location” : “Tool Shelf > Asst > Sidebar > AssetGenerator/AssetGen Adv. Settings/AssetGen Tools”,
“wiki_url”: “file colon slash slash slash t colon slash Blender slash addons_2-8 slash Tuts slash AssetGen slash”,
“warning” : “”,
“category” : “Import-Export”
}
The line “wiki_url” points to a local folder (indicated by “file colon slash slash slash” instead of “https colon slash slash” - the path must contain slashes instead of backslashes) where I have stored all information about this addon, like Youtube videos, websites, manuals, Readme.md etc), because my computer is not connected to the internet.
This draws a new button in the addon’s preferences (the small triangle) in User Preference - Internet: “Documentation” to the left of the button “Remove”.
In User Preferences the addon “AssetGen” now looks like
-------Deleted picture of User Prefs after editing
I also have changed the category, because, as I said before, my list of categories is already long enough, and Import-Export matches the addon’s purpose too.
The line “location” demands some explication too. This is the check point, where it leads to the “decluttering” of the Tool Shelf.
Before the editing of the addon’s code the Tool Bar and its corresponding Sidebar entries look like this
--------Deleted picture of the Sidebar of AssetGen before editing
Here too I had to delete the picture becaus of restrictions for new users, sorry!
When looking into the file “init.py”, hoping to find code similar to the above mentioned lines for the addon “Welder”, looking perhaps like this
class tools_name of the addon(Panel):
bl_space_type = ‘VIEW_3D’
bl_region_type = ‘UI’
bl_category = ‘AssetGen’
bl_label = “AssetGen”
bl_options = {‘DEFAULT_CLOSED’}
you have no such luck.
So you have to look into the other files of the folder “c colon backslash Users backslash xxx backslash AppData backslash Roaming backslash Blender Foundation backslash Blender backslash 2.80 backslash scripts backslash addons backslash AssetGen-master” (The “xxx” in the path you have to exchange against your own username).
The most promising candidate is the file named “GA_user_interface.py”, because this here is all about the interface.
When opening and looking for the term “category” or “panel”, you find something quite similar to those lines above:
class GA_generatePanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.generate"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "Game Asset Generator"
bl_category = "AssetGen"
It is quite obvious, what is meant by these lines.
The most important for our needs are “bl_category”, which represents the tab in the Tool Shelf
and “bl_label”, which represents one of the 3 options (entries) the addon “AssetGen” offers in the Sidebar, which are aside “Game Asset Generator” the options “Advanced Settings” and “Tools”.
When scrolling down a little more, you find also
class GA_advancedPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.advanced"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "Advanced Settings"
bl_category = "AssetGen"
bl_options = {'DEFAULT_CLOSED'}
and
class GA_toolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.tools"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "Tools"
bl_category = "AssetGen"
bl_options = {'DEFAULT_CLOSED'}
To change the settings to your liking should not be difficult.
The category is to be changed to “Asst” to accompany three other addons already there (in my own installation of Blender), but while the option “Game Asset Generator” is quite unique, the other two cannot unmistakably be attributed to the addon “AssetGen”.
For this reason I changed the labels by setting “AssetGen” in front of their names.
So it looks now like
class GA_generatePanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.generate"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "AssetGenerator"
bl_category = "Asst"
and
class GA_advancedPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.advanced"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "AssetGen Adv. Settings"
bl_category = "Asst"
bl_options = {'DEFAULT_CLOSED'}
and
class GA_toolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_idname = "ga.tools"
bl_space_type = "VIEW_3D"
bl_region_type = "UI"
bl_context = "objectmode"
bl_label = "AssetGen Tools"
bl_category = "Asst"
bl_options = {'DEFAULT_CLOSED'}
After having this done, save the changes made in this file “GA_user_interface.py”.
Save the User Preferences and RESTART Blender for the changes to take effect.
This is the Sidebar after restarting
Sure, it would be better, having a Sidebar entry for AssetGen and 3 subentries for its 3 options. But that is for later, because I don’t know yet how it’s to be done. But I intend to look more closely into this matter.
I know, on the last two images the clutter in the Tool Shelf is not gone, but I have just started with cleaning up in my own Blender installation…
Btw, doesn’t everyone know the fabulous addon “Tabs Interface” by Vilem Duha? This one, should it be changed from 2.79 to 2.80, would be the answer to all prayers. Who doesn’t know it, should take a look at it.
Perhaps the above workaround is of some use for you, or perhaps it’s only a silly idea - but for now it works for me.
The code, provided by Meta-Androcto, should be very helpful, when applied at the right place in the code, whatever that is, and adjusted to the respective addon, I will experiment with it, but it doesn’t solve the problem with indistinct panel names in the Sidebar.
The building of my English phrases reveals, that I’m not a native English speaker, so cut me some slack, please, when, in the effort to express myself very clearly, I became very unclear.
In this case ask me for an explanation. But, please, keep in mind, that I know nothing about python, and that the above said only is the result of trial and error.
2 Likes
Hi @ultson,
Welcome to the forum. I forgot how it was to post the first few times. I believe there were some troubles with spammers before, and so it’s hard to post the first time I believe.
But more solutions for the clutter on the right are very welcome.
@ultson Oh my gosh, that was quite some research you did. And thanks for the effort to note that all down here.
In Blender 2.79 I used the Tabs Interface but for some reason (I forgot) it was not a solution for me. There was also another addon (paid) that offered a similar solution in 2.79 and was not a water-tight solution either.
And indeed I ended op after those two addons to adjust the code. Now you say so, I remember now, that was bl_catergory. And indeed for some addons that was tricky and there I got stuck. But now you are here and you went a few steps further than I did.
Still I have to look at @Meta-Androcto 's solution, but like you I didn’t learn yet where exactly to put the code. (I still have to make some time of which I am not sure I can manage that).
I will see if it’s not to tricky to apply your solution but again, time is flying.
There is also another solution as I wrote before: Make some workspaces (The tabs on top (Layout, Modeling, Sculpting, etc) and then in the Properties Panel (right) you click the most top Tab called “Active Tool and Workspace Settings”. There under Workspace you click on Filter addons. You will see that nearly all tabs dissapear. Below that, there is a list off addons and you can activate addons for that Workspace.
That works, but then it’s sometimes a hassle for example when you quickly need an addon but that is in another Workspace (if you remember what workspace) and need more steps/clicks.
I will come back to it later once once having done more experiments. (If I have time).
Again thanks for all the steps! I keep it in mind.
1 Like
Added HDR-ProStudio to Paid ones and PBR Materials to Free ones.
1 Like
Phew - I think, I have “depuzzeled” Meta-Androcto’s code riddle.
Seeing that you are hard pressed by lack of time, and I, having more of it, since I’m a retiree, I thought, I could take over a small part of your burden by taking a deeper look into the magic code of Meta-Androcto’s.
It’s more fun than doing crossword puzzles. I hope you see it as an attempt to help, not as an attempt to forcing my way into your domain.
My previous candidate “Welder” addon is at stake once more.
The addon “AutoMirror” version 2.5.2, from the directory, where Blender is installed to (not Blender Foundation in the user path), containing Meta-Androcto’s code, serves as an example.
The last part of Welder’s code looks before editing like
class PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
bl_label = “Welder”
bl_idname = “OBJECT_Welder”
bl_space_type = “VIEW_3D”
bl_region_type = “UI”
bl_category = “Welder”
def draw(self, context):
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane"
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane.001"
self.layout.operator("rotate.rotate")
—> here I’m going to insert Meta-Androcto’s code
classes =(
OBJECT_OT_HelloButton,
OBJECT_OT_RotateButton,
PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel
)
register, unregister = bpy.utils.register_classes_factory(classes)
if name == “main”:
register()
Now, after pasting the Meta-Androcto code, copied from this thread, it looks like
class PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel): ##<— here stems the panel class name from, see below
bl_label = “Welder”
bl_idname = “OBJECT_Welder”
bl_space_type = “VIEW_3D”
bl_region_type = “UI”
bl_category = “Welder”
def draw(self, context):
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane"
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane.001"
self.layout.operator("rotate.rotate")
---------Here begins Meta-Androcto’s code
Add-ons Preferences Update Panel
Define Panel classes for updating
panels = (
VIEW3D_PT_3dnavigationPanel, ##<— this has to be exchanged against the panel class name above
VIEW3D_PT_pan_navigation1, ##<— this has to be deleted because there is only one panel class in this addon
)
def update_panel(self, context):
message = “: Updating Panel locations has failed”
try:
for panel in panels:
if “bl_rna” in panel.dict:
bpy.utils.unregister_class(panel)
for panel in panels:
panel.bl_category = context.preferences.addons[__name__].preferences.category
bpy.utils.register_class(panel)
except Exception as e:
print("\n[{}]\n{}\n\nError:\n{}".format(__name__, message, e))
pass
<—> Here exchange the string “NavAddon” against “WelderAddon”
class NavAddonPreferences(AddonPreferences): ##<— this inquires an import from bpy.types
# this must match the addon name, use ‘package’
# when defining this in a submodule of a python package.
bl_idname = name
category: StringProperty( ##<--- this inquires an import from bpy.props
name="Tab Category",
description="Choose a name for the category of the panel",
default="Display",
update=update_panel
)
def draw(self, context):
layout = self.layout
row = layout.row()
col = row.column()
col.label(text="Tab Category:")
col.prop(self, "category", text="") ## <--- Here is the end of Meta-Androcto's code
classes =(
OBJECT_OT_HelloButton,
OBJECT_OT_RotateButton,
PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel ##<— here is to be added the new class from M-A’s code, separated by a comma (,)
)
register, unregister = bpy.utils.register_classes_factory(classes)
if name == “main”:
register()
-------------------> for the altered code see below
After editing this part of the code, it looks like
class PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel(bpy.types.Panel): ##—>
bl_label = “Welder”
bl_idname = “OBJECT_Welder”
bl_space_type = “VIEW_3D”
bl_region_type = “UI”
bl_category = “ModH”
def draw(self, context):
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane"
self.layout.operator("weld.weld").obje = "Plane.001"
self.layout.operator("rotate.rotate")
—> Beginning of Meta-Androcto’s code (adjusted)
# Add-ons Preferences Update Panel
Define Panel classes for updating
panels = (
PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel, ##<—
)
def update_panel(self, context):
message = “: Updating Panel locations has failed”
try:
for panel in panels:
if “bl_rna” in panel.dict:
bpy.utils.unregister_class(panel)
for panel in panels:
panel.bl_category = context.preferences.addons[__name__].preferences.category
bpy.utils.register_class(panel)
except Exception as e:
print("\n[{}]\n{}\n\nError:\n{}".format(__name__, message, e))
pass
class WelderAddonPreferences(AddonPreferences): ##<— and to be added to “classes” below, also imp. req.
# this must match the addon name, use ‘package’
# when defining this in a submodule of a python package.
bl_idname = name
category: StringProperty( ##---> about this you get a complaint - has to be imported from bpy.props
name="Tab Category",
description="Choose a name for the category of the panel",
default="Tools",
update=update_panel
)
def draw(self, context):
layout = self.layout
row = layout.row()
col = row.column()
col.label(text="Tab Category:")
col.prop(self, "category", text="") ##---> End of Meta-Androcto's code
classes =(
OBJECT_OT_HelloButton,
OBJECT_OT_RotateButton,
PANEL_PT_WelderToolsPanel, ##<— added comma
WelderAddonPreferences ##<— this is to add from “class WelderAddonPreferences” above
)
register, unregister = bpy.utils.register_classes_factory(classes)
if name == “main”:
register()
After having altered the code so far, you get after restarting Blender and trying to activate the addon, some complaints from Blender Python (bpy) about missing names.
Comparing the code of “Welder” with the code of “AutoMirror” led to some heavy trial and error which resulted in the following solution (and the loss of some hair):
The Code at the very beginning of Welder’s code shows some imports from Blender python modules:
Copyright (C) 2016 Lukasz Hoffmann
— here e-Mail-adress deleted by me
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
‘’’
import bpy # )
import bmesh # ) <—like these
import mathutils # )
import os # )
bl_info = {
“name”: “Welder”,
“author”: “Lukasz Hoffmann”,
“version”: (0,0, 3),
Adding two lines which import two bpy modules (?) as follows, ends all the trouble:
Copyright (C) 2016 Lukasz Hoffmann
[email protected]
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
‘’’
import bpy
import bmesh
import mathutils
import os
from bpy.types import (AddonPreferences,) ##<— here
from bpy.props import StringProperty ##<— and here
bl_info = {
“name”: “Welder”,
“author”: “Lukasz Hoffmann”,
“version”: (0,0, 3),
Leading to the happy end, a picture of the heavily misused “Welder” in User Preferences, showing the category I have it shipped into - should the forum’s software algorithm allow it. If not, you will see only the name of it:
Welder_UserPrefs_after_edit.png
--------------------- CAVE!-------------------
When exchanging in the “Tab Category:”, in User Preferences, the default entry “Tools” against your chosen one, and pressing “Refresh”, you can observe the developing of the ordered changes in the Tool Shelf and in the Sidebar. Then you tap “Save Preferences” and hope to be done with it.
That is so - as long as you don’t deactivate the addon (temporarily) for any reason. After the reactivation of any number of (temporarily) deactivated addons they are all fallen back to the default category entry “Tools”, returning to clutter the Tool Shelf. So you have to change after reactivation every single addon’s “Tab Category:” anew, manually, to the desired one, maintaining the organization in your Tool Shelf, every time you had it deactivated.
Deleting the default category “Tools” or the whole string “default=“Tools”” in the code, only leads to an empty field in User Preferences -->Addon -->Tab Category, the said behavior persisting.
This is not a behavior caused by an error of mine, because you find the same behavior in the addon “Auto Mirror” version 2.5.2, which is (or seems to me to be) altered by Meta-Androcto himself.
Sic! – scrolling backwards in this thread just up to the post around number 370 you find Meta-Androcto’s post talking about this matter. It seems to be a wanted feature.
Perhaps you can ask Meta-Androcto to add a small augmentation to his code, so it can outlast any deactivation/reactivation, until one changes it oneself manually.
However, as I understand it, he is one of the developers behind the programming of Blender, so he has to bother about many far more important matters than our small problem here. It’s very kind of him, to look from time to time into this thread, giving some advice.
The similar refers, as I think, to your very good idea to activate/deactivate the needed addons in “Active Tool and Workspace Settings”, as long as the 200 or more addons are sorted in a certain, preferably alphabetical, order, which they are not. Otherwise it is to long lasting a task to look for a certain addon.
Perhaps the developers will come to this, when fine tuning, after having managed the most pressing items.
While posting this I see in the preview box, that the forum’ s software has altered the formatting of my post terribly, so that it seems to me to be difficult to understand. I don’t know yet, how to stop this automatism. Sorry!
Should you want an answer to any question about a possible error of mine, you must come back to this post, which I perhaps (hopefully) can edit again (???).
If not, then I cannot answer.
BTW, at which point will I cease to be a “new user” and get some more privileges? Old I am already. When searching the forum, I didn’t find anything about that. Am I judged by an administrator by the quality of my postings, or counted up by the forum’s software algorithms by the amount of postings in all threads together? Very ominous and somewhat Kafkaesque.
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If you added the version number to each addon, it would be easier to check for the latest updates.
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@ultson Hold on, I almost fall from my chair. I believe is very rare to see such an effort in replies like yours. Thanks for figuring it all out and I think it deserves a seperate thread.
Probably you are familiar with Github, a platform where you can collaborate with other programmers or make your own repository.
I think you or we should do something with more then only leaving it in this thread so that it gets more attention.
Maybe @Meta-Androcto has ideas how to go from here since he has quite an experience / history dealing with addons and coding for blender.
I am going through the text you wrote and see how I am going to set my priorities for next few weeks. Python coding is on the roadmap, but it is a long term plan.
Again thanks for working it all out and for the effort showing it to us.
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Warning for today build:
I believe there is a new API change? I’ve seen two time this error today on Blender artists:
‘ImportPanel’ doesn’t contain ‘PT’ with prefix & suffix
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h, dear Peetie, I believe, you are under the very false impression,
me to be a programmer.
I truly know nothing about python.
Every single line of code in my post was copied and pasted from the
addons “Welder” “AutoMirror” and the code Meta-Adrocto has postet.
I had all three opend in a text editor. Then looking from one to the
other I puzzled them together. That’s all. I myself have coded not a
single line, because I cannot.
Often people, asking for help, get short or cryptic answers, only
decipherable by professionals or experts. It’s very frustrating,
when finding a solution one is looking for since long time, but
cannot understand how to apply it to one’s problem.
Therefore I like to describe nitpickingly every single step, for the
earliest beginner to be able to follow the procedure too. That
results in l o n g postings, seeming filled with knowledge and
wisdom. Nevertheless it isn’t.
Me at Github with an own repositery? They would laugh at me. Loud!
That is like sending a six y.o. child to the MIT to demonstrate it's
sand cake.
It's merely, that I like to chase addons for Blender all over the
internet and install them. When that is not possible, because of
some bug, it irks me. Then I start looking for solutions, and I get
my theeth into it, till I find one.
Over the years I'd benefitted so much from the generosity of so many
people. Therefore, when I saw the opportunity to give something
back, I did.
Thank you for your kind words. Could I be of any further assistence
to you, give me a word.
Ciaowhat I wonder … instead of these drastic changes API, it would not be better a transition phase … with the help of aliases, which do not break the addons, and which notify that there is a change taking place the old wording is deprecated
@anon72338821 Hi there:
Please could you add these addons to lists:
Functionality:
https://blenderartists.org/t/addmirrorobject/
https://blenderartists.org/t/interactionops-iops/
IO- IMPORT/EXPORT:
https://blenderartists.org/t/bmax-blender-3dsmax-connector/
PAID:
appLinks(bridges):
Unwrap RIZOMUV and UVLAYOUT:
https://blenderartists.org/t/blender-headus-uvlayout-rizomuv-b2ruvl/
UNREALEngine/Editor:
https://blenderartists.org/t/unrealengine-blender-uebok-clipboard-copy-paste-and-export
Many thanks!
Not sure how that is arranged. When I look in the system console I see warnings like:
class OBJECT_OT_boolean_bevel_make_pipe contains a properties which should be an annotation! Is that a transition phase?
Strange a bit that when there is an API change there is no announcement from developers. Or is there?
I see here a Blender API change log, in the manual for Blender 2.8, but the change log is for 2.56 to 2.57
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Hi @TitusLVR
Thanks! I will add them later, there are a few things I have to do. But you can also do it yourself if you can’t wait: every-one has access to the wiki. In the first post you can see how to add entries.
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