Blend2TD

Blender → TouchDesigner asset export addon

A Blender addon that exports 3D assets — meshes, materials, UV maps, and animations — directly into TouchDesigner via a clipboard-based Python script workflow. No intermediate file formats; TD operators are auto-generated from Blender data.

Based on Factory Settings TD Scripts v1.4.2, extended and rewritten by Patrick Hartono.

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Requirements

Software	Version
Blender	5.0+
TouchDesigner	2025.32050+

Dependencies: NumPy (bundled with Blender — no separate install needed)

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Installation

1. In Blender: Edit → Preferences → Add-ons → Install
2. Select Blend2TD-Beta_AddOn.py
3. Enable the addon (checkbox)
4. The Blend2TD panel appears in the 3D View sidebar (press N to open)

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How It Works

All operators follow the same clipboard-based workflow:

1. Select object(s) in Blender
2. Click the export button in the Blend2TD panel
3. A Python script is auto-copied to your clipboard
4. In TouchDesigner: open a Text DAT, paste the script, and run it
5. TD operators are created automatically

Textures are not embedded — TD loads them from their original paths on disk.

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Features

Stable

Button	What it exports	TD result
Mesh	Vertex positions, normals, polygon indices	dattoSOP with docked data DATs
Material	Principled BSDF parameters + texture paths	pbrMAT + moviefileinTOP / nullTOP per channel
UV-Map	Active UV layer coordinates per vertex loop	UV data table, ready for SOP pipeline

Beta (Experimental)

Button	What it exports	TD result
Export MultiMat POP	Multi-material static mesh, split per material slot	Parent geometryCOMP → per-material sub-pipelines with pbrMAT
Export Animated POP	Keyframe mesh deformation + materials, multi-object	Parent geometryCOMP → per-material sub-pipelines with lfoCHOP + chopExecuteDAT animation

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TD Architecture

MultiMat POP (static mesh, multiple materials)

geometryCOMP "ModelName"                    ← parent container
  ├─ dattoSOP_{mat0}                        ← geometry data
  │    └─ (docked tableDATs: points, polygons, vertices)
  ├─ soptoPOP_{mat0}_POP
  ├─ geometryCOMP_{mat0}_GEO               ← renders sub-mesh
  │    ├─ inPOP
  │    └─ pbrMAT + texture TOPs
  └─ ... (repeated per material slot)

AnimMesh (animated mesh deformation)

geometryCOMP "ModelName"                    ← parent container
  ├─ dattoSOP_{mat0}                        ← geometry data
  │    └─ (docked tableDATs: points, polygons, vertices)
  ├─ soptoPOP_{mat0}_POP
  ├─ geometryCOMP_{mat0}_GEO               ← renders sub-mesh
  │    ├─ inPOP
  │    ├─ pbrMAT + texture TOPs
  │    ├─ lfoCHOP (sawtooth playback)
  │    └─ chopExecuteDAT (updates P(0)/P(1)/P(2) per frame)
  └─ ... (repeated per material slot)

Both operators mirror the hierarchy of TD's native FBX fileinCOMP — move/rotate/scale the parent container and all children follow.

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Usage Notes

• Mesh: Select any mesh object before exporting
• Material: Active object must have a Principled BSDF material node
• UV-Map: Object must have at least one UV map; the active UV layer is exported
• MultiMat POP: Object must have multiple material slots assigned to faces
• AnimMesh: Respects the scene frame range (Start / End); supports multi-object selection (select all mesh objects to export, with one active object)

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Known Limitations

• AnimMesh performance: Vertex positions are updated via a Python loop in chopExecuteDAT — O(n_verts) per frame. High-polygon models will be slow. GPU texture-based animation is planned but not yet implemented.
• Texture paths: Absolute file paths are used. If you move texture files after exporting, TD won't find them.
• Materials: Only Principled BSDF nodes are supported. Custom node setups are not parsed.
• Deformation only: AnimMesh captures vertex position changes per frame (shape deformation / morph). Skeletal/armature animation is not supported.

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File Structure

Blend2TD/
├── Blend2TD-Beta_AddOn.py    # Main addon — all operators and UI panel
├── scripts/
│   ├── EXPORT.py             # Camera export helper (TD-side script)
│   ├── IMPORT.py             # TD clipboard integration helper
│   ├── td_gen_geo.py         # Legacy helper (unused since PBR MAT rewrite)
│   ├── vertexShader.glsl     # Legacy GLSL (unused)
│   ├── fragmentShader.glsl   # Legacy GLSL (unused)
│   └── vertexShader_anim.py  # Legacy animation shader (unused)
├── Blend2TD.tox              # TouchDesigner template file
└── log.md                    # Development changelog (detailed)

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Changelog

See log.md for a full development log including architecture decisions, bug fixes, and known issues.