Browse skills

Use when drawing custom overlays, viewport visualizations, or offscreen renders in Blender Python. Prevents the critical mistake of using the deprecated bgl module (removed in Blender 5.0) instead of the gpu module. Covers gpu.shader, gpu.batch, gpu.state, SpaceView3D draw handlers, built-in shaders, and BGL-to-gpu migration. Keywords: gpu module, bgl, draw handler, viewport overlay, offscreen rendering, SpaceView3D, shader, UNIFORM_COLOR, Blender Python drawing, draw on viewport, custom overlay, draw lines in 3D view.

Use when dealing with Blender Python runtime behavior -- mathutils, threading, handlers, timers, or crashes after undo/redo. Prevents the #1 runtime crash: using threading for bpy operations instead of bpy.app.timers, or caching bpy.data references across undo boundaries. Covers Vector/Matrix/Quaternion, KDTree, BVHTree, @persistent handlers, bpy.msgbus subscriptions, and background mode limitations. Keywords: mathutils, threading, undo, ReferenceError, bpy.app.timers, @persistent, bpy.msgbus, KDTree, BVHTree, background mode, Blender crash, startup script, auto-run, run on open, Blender freezes.

Datadog CLI for searching logs, querying metrics, tracing requests, and managing dashboards. Use this when debugging production issues or working with Datadog observability.

Use when writing Blender Python code that must work across multiple versions (3.x/4.x/5.x), or when migrating scripts between Blender versions. Prevents breakage from renamed APIs, removed modules (bgl in 5.0), and changed function signatures. Provides the complete breaking changes matrix, deprecation timeline, and version-safe coding patterns. Keywords: Blender version, migration, deprecated, breaking change, bgl removal, bpy.app.version, version compatibility, 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, API changes, which Blender version, what changed in Blender 4.

Use when debugging Blender RuntimeError from restricted context, operator poll() failures, or wrong context for bpy.ops calls. Prevents the #1 Blender Python error: calling operators or accessing context attributes from wrong areas (e.g., timer callbacks, draw handlers). Covers context override removal in 4.0+, temp_override migration, and context-dependent attribute access patterns. Keywords: RuntimeError, restricted context, poll failure, context override, temp_override, bpy.ops error, wrong context, modal context, Blender context error, operator not available, cannot call operator.

Use when debugging Blender ReferenceError from removed objects, undo-invalidated bpy.data references, or stale ID pointers. Prevents the common crash of caching bpy.data references across undo/redo operations (references become invalid). Covers safe data access patterns, ID reference caching pitfalls, data lifecycle management, and bpy.data collections. Keywords: ReferenceError, undo, stale reference, bpy.data, ID pointer, data invalidation, removed object, data lifecycle, StructRNA, Blender crash, object disappeared after undo, StructRNA has been removed.

Use when debugging Blender AttributeError from removed APIs, ImportError from deprecated modules (bgl in 5.0), or breaking changes in operator signatures between versions. Prevents silent failures from using APIs that were renamed or removed in newer Blender versions. Provides migration patterns from 3.x to 4.x to 5.x with complete replacement mappings. Keywords: AttributeError, ImportError, deprecated, version error, bgl, migration, breaking change, removed API, 3.x to 4.x, 4.x to 5.x, Blender upgrade, module has no attribute, addon not compatible.

Use when building a production Blender addon -- project structure, testing, CI/CD, or packaging for extensions.blender.org. Prevents the common mistake of hardcoding paths or skipping the extension manifest for Blender 4.2+. Covers multi-file addon structure, testing strategies, dependency management, and distribution workflows. Keywords: addon development, extension packaging, CI/CD, testing, multi-file addon, blender_manifest.toml, distribution, extensions.blender.org, how to make a Blender addon, publish addon, package addon.

Use when implementing AEC-specific animations -- construction sequences, camera walkthroughs, solar studies, or phasing visualizations in Blender. Prevents the common mistake of keyframing visibility instead of using proper collection visibility for construction phases. Covers NLA workflow orchestration, batch keyframe operations, and time-based visualizations. Keywords: construction animation, camera walkthrough, solar study, phasing, NLA, keyframe, construction sequence, visibility animation, AEC visualization, animate building, show build sequence, camera fly-through.

Use when automating Blender workflows -- batch rendering, headless processing via blender --background, file format conversion, or pipeline integration. Prevents the common mistake of using viewport operators in background mode (no UI context available). Covers command-line rendering, file I/O automation (OBJ/FBX/STL/USD/glTF), scene assembly, and CI/CD pipeline integration. Keywords: batch rendering, headless, blender --background, automation, file conversion, OBJ, FBX, STL, USD, glTF, pipeline, command-line, STEP import, CAD format, convert file format, export to web.

Use when generating mesh geometry for AEC applications -- buildings from vertices, IFC geometry visualization, parametric elements, or custom mesh tools. Prevents the performance mistake of creating vertices one-by-one instead of using from_pydata or BMesh batch operations. Covers mesh creation, BMesh algorithms, foreach_get/set optimization, and mesh analysis tools. Keywords: mesh generation, from_pydata, BMesh, parametric, building geometry, mesh analysis, foreach_get, foreach_set, vertices, AEC mesh, custom mesh tool, create mesh from code, generate 3D shape.

Use when building node trees via Python -- Geometry Nodes, Shader Nodes, or Compositor Nodes. Prevents the breaking change of using node.inputs/outputs by index instead of NodeTreeInterface (4.0+) for node group I/O. Covers node creation, linking, group management, and the NodeTreeInterface API migration. Keywords: node tree, Geometry Nodes, Shader Nodes, Compositor, NodeTreeInterface, node_group, links, nodes.new, node sockets, procedural geometry, create nodes from Python, connect nodes, add node.

Use when building Geometry Nodes or Shader Nodes setups programmatically for AEC applications -- parametric modeling, material generation, or procedural geometry. Prevents the common mistake of not using node_tree.interface for Geometry Nodes modifier inputs (4.0+). Covers creating node groups, linking nodes, custom node groups, and AEC-specific node setups. Keywords: Geometry Nodes, Shader Nodes, node group, parametric modeling, procedural, node tree, modifier inputs, material generation, node_tree.interface, create geometry nodes from Python, procedural facade.

Use when implementing complex Blender operators -- modal operators with timer callbacks, file browsers, batch processing, or multi-step workflows. Prevents the common mistake of blocking the UI thread in long operations instead of using modal + timer pattern. Covers modal operators, file browser integration, undo/redo support, progress reporting, and batch processing operators. Keywords: modal operator, timer callback, file browser, batch processing, progress reporting, undo support, multi-step workflow, INVOKE_DEFAULT, make custom button, add menu item, create toolbar button.

Use when creating a Blender addon or extension, or migrating from legacy bl_info to blender_manifest.toml (required in 5.0). Prevents the common mistake of using bl_info in Blender 5.0+ where only the manifest format is supported. Covers register/unregister lifecycle, multi-file addon structure, AddonPreferences, class naming, and extension packaging for extensions.blender.org. Keywords: addon, extension, bl_info, blender_manifest.toml, register, unregister, AddonPreferences, packaging, extensions.blender.org, addon boilerplate, how to register addon, addon preferences panel.

Use when creating animations programmatically in Blender -- keyframes, FCurves, Actions, NLA strips, drivers, or armature operations. Prevents the breaking change pitfall of using bone.layers (removed in 4.0) instead of BoneCollection. Covers keyframe_insert, FCurve access, Action data blocks, NLA system, driver expressions, and timeline control. Keywords: keyframe, FCurve, Action, NLA, BoneCollection, armature, driver, animation, bone layers, timeline, bpy.ops.anim, set keyframe from script, animate object, move object over time.

Use when managing Blender data blocks -- collections, linked libraries, library overrides, or the asset system. Prevents the common mistake of not handling fake users when removing data blocks, or using append when link+override is needed. Covers bpy.data collections, BlendDataLibraries, library overrides, asset system, and data transfer between files. Keywords: bpy.data, collections, library overrides, linked library, asset system, append, link, fake user, data block, BlendDataLibraries, organize objects, link from other file, asset browser.

Use when creating or modifying Blender materials and shader nodes via Python. Prevents the breaking change of using old Principled BSDF input names (e.g., "Subsurface" renamed to "Subsurface Weight" in 4.0). Covers material creation, node tree setup, Principled BSDF input mapping, UV assignment, texture loading, and material slot management. Keywords: material, shader, Principled BSDF, node tree, texture, UV map, material_slot, ShaderNodeBsdfPrincipled, node links, Blender materials, assign material to object, create material from code, change color.

Use when creating or editing mesh geometry in Blender Python -- vertices, edges, faces, BMesh operations, or bulk data access. Prevents the performance mistake of accessing vertices one-by-one instead of using foreach_get/foreach_set for bulk operations. Covers from_pydata, BMesh creation/editing, UV layers, vertex attributes, normals, and loops. Keywords: mesh, vertices, edges, faces, BMesh, from_pydata, foreach_get, foreach_set, UV layer, vertex colors, normals, bpy.types.Mesh, read vertex positions, edit mesh data, access face normals.

Use when working with Blender modifiers via Python -- adding, configuring, or applying modifiers, or accessing Geometry Nodes inputs. Prevents the common mistake of reading mesh data before applying modifiers (getting unmodified geometry) instead of using depsgraph.evaluated_get(). Covers modifier stack, Geometry Nodes input identifiers, common AEC modifiers (Array, Boolean, Solidify), and evaluated mesh access. Keywords: modifier, Array, Boolean, Solidify, Geometry Nodes, depsgraph, evaluated_get, modifier.apply, modifier stack, input identifier, add modifier from code, apply modifier Python, boolean cut.