Efficient Workflows and Add-ons

Asset libraries

Mark reusable objects, materials and node groups as assets and store them in a library folder (Preferences → File Paths → Asset Libraries). Drag them into any project from the Asset Browser.

Geometry Nodes

A node-based system for procedural modelling: scatter rocks on terrain, generate shelves of variable length, build parametric products a client can customise. A simple scatter:

Group Input (Geometry) → Distribute Points on Faces → Instance on Points (instance: rock) → Realize Instances → Group Output

Expose inputs (density, seed, scale) so the setup is reusable.

Python scripting

Blender has a full Python API (bpy). Automate repetitive tasks such as batch export:

import bpy, os

out = bpy.path.abspath("//exports")
os.makedirs(out, exist_ok=True)
for obj in bpy.context.scene.objects:
    if obj.type != "MESH":
        continue
    bpy.ops.object.select_all(action="DESELECT")
    obj.select_set(True)
    bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = obj
    bpy.ops.export_scene.gltf(filepath=os.path.join(out, f"{obj.name}.glb"), use_selection=True)

Run it from the Scripting workspace. Scripts and add-ons save hours on catalogue work.

Useful built-in extensions

3D Print Toolbox, Node Wrangler (shader shortcuts), LoopTools, Bool Tool and many more are available from the Extensions platform inside Blender.

Project organisation

project/
├── blend/        (versioned .blend files)
├── textures/
├── references/
├── renders/
└── exports/

Use File → External Data → Make Paths Relative so projects move between computers without missing textures.

Exercise

Build a geometry-nodes shelf generator with inputs for width, number of shelves and board thickness; save it as an asset; write a Python script that exports every mesh in a scene to GLB.

Check yourself

• What are asset libraries for?
• What does Distribute Points on Faces do?
• Why make file paths relative?