developing new export script

Coding Beginning Blender Code and Development
1

Hy,

I just started developing an exporter for blender because I need some specific file format. I have a basic script I use to load the addon which looks like this:

import bpy  import os  
  
filename = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(bpy.data.filepath), "export.py")  
exec(compile(open(filename).read(), filename, 'exec'))

The rest of the addon is still very basic (something similiar to this: http://www.blender.org/api/blender_python_api_2_65_5/info_tutorial_addon.html#write-the-addon-simple)

My problem is that everytime I execute my load script, it adds a new entry to the export menu. It never removes the old one. I can’t seem to find any explenation on how I can remove this menu entry.

Any suggestions? Thanks

2

That’s by design, because the unregister() function which may contain code to remove the entry isn’t called on a re-run.

You could clear the internal draw function list, but that would remove all entries:

bpy.types.INFO_MT_file_export.draw._draw_funcs.clear()

Thus you might want to use the following, but only during development:

register():
    try:
        bpy.types.INFO_MT_file_export.remove(menu_func)
    except:
        pass
    bpy.types.INFO_MT_file_export.append(menu_func)
    ...
3

Of course, I’m only looking for something during development.
However, the trick didn’t work… It doesn’t remove the previous entry.

4

Hm okay, seems like the menu_func is re-defined and therefore different from the earlier registered one.
You could try

bpy.types.INFO_MT_file_export.draw._draw_funcs.pop()

which is not fully safe, and it will actually remove another entry on the first run…

Maybe it’s better if you just press F8.

5

F8 is indeed the best way to go, I see. I was wondering, since everything in blender has a python call, is there no python method to execute the ReloadScripts from code?

6

bpy.ops.wm.addon_refresh() should do the trick

7

That doesn’t work because the script is not loaded as an actual addon. As I mentioned in my first post, I use a script that loads it manually. Calling bpy.ops.wm.addon_refersh() doesn’t remove the menu item.

8

My bad, F8 is not refresh addons, but this operator:

bpy.ops.script.reload()

9

Perfect, that’s exactly what I needed. Thanks a lot.