Bits and bobs for Blender Wiki

Python scripts for personal use in Blender

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Zaloopok

Zaloopok is a collection of tools borrowed from Wings3D. Most of them are available in the Tools panel (in the 3D view or UV editor) in mesh edit mode. You can also assign hotkeys for quick access.
This addon doesn't support Blender versions after 2.79. For Blender 2.80 and later, get Loopanar.

Mesh Tools

The following tools are included:

Grow Loop
Extend all selected loop fragments by one edge on either side (if possible).
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_grow_loop.

Shrink Loop
Deselect both ends of all selected loop fragments.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_shrink_loop.

Grow Ring
Extend all selected ring fragments by one edge on either side (if possible).
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_grow_ring.

Shrink Ring
Deselect both ends of all selected ring fragments.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_shrink_ring.

Select Bounded Loop
Select the gaps between selected loop fragments. If there are no gaps, just select the entire loop or loops.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_select_bounded_loop.

Select Bounded Ring
Select the gaps between selected ring fragments. If there are no gaps, just select the entire ring or rings.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_select_bounded_ring.

Video about the six tools above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI5j05e8Hyo

Selection Conversion Tools: To Vertices, To Edges, To Faces
Convert component selections as in Wings:

To Vertices: select the vertices that belong to the selected edges or faces. Works in edges-only and faces-only selection mode. In the absence of a selection, just switches the mode to vertices-only. Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_to_verts.
To Edges: select the edges that connect the selected vertices or belong to the selected faces. Works in vertices-only and faces-only selection mode. In the absence of a selection, just switches the mode to edges-only. Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_to_edges.
To Faces: select the faces that contain the selected edges or touch the selected vertices. Works in vertices-only and edges-only selection mode. In the absence of a selection, just switches the mode to faces-only. Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_to_faces.

Converting to faces and edges also switches the transform mode to Individual Origins.

Equalize Edges
Equalize the lengths of edges in selected chains. This command ignores any selection fragments where edge paths fork. Closed chains turn into polyline circles; open chains turn into straight lines with evenly spaced vertices.
Equalize Edges does the same thing as the first step of Wings' Circularise command without secondary selections.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mldDHnqoi9c
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.eq_edges.

Line Up Edges
Similar to Equalize Edges but keeps the realative edge lengths proportional.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeR1XN8Z1-g
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.line_up_edges.

Delete Selection
This is a convenience operator that simply bypasses the component deletion prompt. It deletes components based on the current selection mode.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_delete_mode.

Put On
Affix a face, and everything that's attached to it, to another face. (Commonly followed by a Bridge.)
For the command to work, select two faces: first the source, then the destination. The inactive selected face and its piece of mesh will be put on the active selected face. The Turn angle parameter lets you turn the piece about its new alignment axis.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ZmqPnfIMU
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_put_on.

Connect Edges
This operation is an alternative to Blender's Subdivide and behaves more similarly to the Wings3D Connect operation in edge mode. It leaves the newly-created edges selected.
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_connect.

Mirror
Welds a mirrored copy of the mesh onto each selected face.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCttVQKTd5E
Operator name for hotkey assignment: mesh.z_mirror.

UV Tools

Equalize
Equalize the lengths of UV edges in selected chains. This command ignores any selection fragments where edge paths fork. Closed chains turn into circles; open chains turn into straight lines with evenly spaced UVs.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ClqttCWRo
Operator name for hotkey assignment: uv.equalize.

Line Up
Similar to Equalize but keeps the realative edge lengths proportional.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeR1XN8Z1-g
Operator name for hotkey assignment: uv.line_up.

Rotate Fragments and Scale Fragments
These tools let you individually transform multiple contiguous UV selection fragments (meaning, stuck-together UV edges) at once. Blender has this functionality for mesh components, but not for UVs.
To adjust the rotation or scaling speed, hold Ctrl or Shift. To constrain scaling to the X or Y axis, press X or Y in the middle of the operation.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLkZgpH6E1E
Operator names for hotkey assignment: uv.z_rotate_fragments and uv.z_scale_fragments.

Videos

Youtube playlist with Zaloopok feature demos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7rzQuKvaeOTqfFJJ0vn_KvmbYjp7IUGf

Download

Get zaloopok-*.*.*.zip from https://sourceforge.net/projects/blenderbitsbobs/files/

Setup

Open Blender's User Preferences window and go to the Addons tab.
Click Install Addon and specify the zaloopok.py file.
Enable the Mesh: Zaloopok addon.
To make your changes persistent, click Save As Default.