The PDF file is made available from the publisher, is completely free and legal. Download Blender 2.49 Scripting Chapter 5 now.
I have been writing a lot of Python codes lately, and have since grown increasingly fond of the language over its minimalist approach to programming. For the newcomers here: Python is what Blender uses for its scripting interface, with Python linked to the Blender API, one can access and modify almost anything programmatically. This scripting interface significantly extends what is possible with Blender. Although to call Python a scripting language is perhaps a disservice to this supremely capable and elegant language. Python’s simplicity means it can be used as a scripting language, but it also has the power to do so much more.
Around the Blender community, I have seen some people approach Python with certain skepticism. (“It’s programming, it must be hard!”) But Python is intuitive. Writing Python code is the closest one can get to writing in an natural language. Compare with other languages, there is no semicolons, no excessive symbols and punctuations, no long compilation process before one can test the code. To make a program in Python is a think-type-run process.
Blender 2.49 Scripting
Perhaps due to my recently found enthusiasm, I was given a chance to take a sneak peak at Michel Anders’ upcoming book Blender 2.49 scripting. Flipping through this ~300 page book, I realized this is exactly what I would have asked for as a beginner wanting to learn how to script in Blender. This wonderfully comprehensive book covers everything from editing object to working with material to PyDrivers, Constraints, IPOs and shapekeys. The only notable omission seems to be the game engine component.
Sure you can look at the Blender API documentation for help, but ingredient lists does not make a cookbook. As there still isn’t a centralized repository for Blender scripts in the Blender community,Michel managed to bridge a rather large knowledge gap with this book that is filled with useful snippet of code.
Python is not as fast as C, or as ubiquitous as Javascript. But one can accomplish a task in Python at a fraction of the code and mental power it takes in other languages. Which makes it an ideal language to learn as a beginner.
Blender 2.49 Scripting is available from Packt Publishing. I eagerly awaits a second edition of the book, no doubt slewed for Blender 2.5 and Python 3?
Realtime visualization
Import > Simulate > Export
Going nuts with F-Curves
No words today. Just pictures.
A friend and fellow blenderhead was the first to drop the news, then my photos on Flickr confirmed it, and now, you get to hear the news from me: For the next few month, I’ll be working at the Scientific Visualization Unit at IFC – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Pisa, on a research project to develop new ways to visualize proteins molecules using Blender.
The project team is a well balanced mixture of scientists and artists, so you know you can expect something incredible from us :D. The short movie they made had already been submitted to Siggraph 2010.