Send2UE - Added object_collection_override list to properties (#104)

* Added object_collection_override list to properties

* Prevent displaying the pipeline menu based on environment variable

docs/send2ue/customize/python-api.md

@@ -111,5 +111,20 @@ bpy.ops.send2ue.start_rpc_servers()
     bpy.ops.wm.send2ue()
     ```
 
+!!! tip
+
+    Here is how you could use Python to override what objects are collected.
+    ```python
+    import bpy
+
+    # override what objects are collected
+    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.object_collection_override.extend([
+        bpy.data.objects['Cube']
+    ])
+
+    # run send to unreal
+    bpy.ops.wm.send2ue()
+    ```
+
 The same process can be used to dynamically set any property on the Send to Unreal tool.
 

src/addons/send2ue/__init__.py

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 bl_info = {
     "name": "Send to Unreal",
     "author": "Epic Games Inc (now a community fork)",
-    "version": (2, 5, 0),
+    "version": (2, 6, 0),
     "blender": (3, 6, 0),
     "location": "Header > Pipeline > Send to Unreal",
     "description": "Sends an asset to the first open Unreal Editor instance on your machine.",

src/addons/send2ue/blender_manifest.toml

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ schema_version = "1.0.0"
 id = "send2ue"
 name = "Send to Unreal"
 tagline = "Send assets directly to an open Unreal Editor on your machine"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 type = "add-on"
 tags = [ "Pipeline" ]
 blender_version_min = "4.2.0"

src/addons/send2ue/core/export.py

@@ -542,12 +542,14 @@ def send2ue(properties):
     utilities.escape_local_view()
 
     # clear the asset_data and current id
-    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.asset_id = ''
-    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.asset_data.clear()
+    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.asset_id = '' # type: ignore
+    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.asset_data.clear() # type: ignore
 
     # if there are no failed validations continue
     validation_manager = validations.ValidationManager(properties)
     if validation_manager.run():
         # create the asset data
         create_asset_data(properties)
         ingest.assets(properties)
+
+    bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.object_collection_override.clear() # type: ignore

src/addons/send2ue/core/utilities.py

@@ -367,11 +367,17 @@ def get_from_collection(object_type):
     """
     collection_objects = []
 
+    # first check if the collection_objects is overridden
+    for collection_object in bpy.context.window_manager.send2ue.object_collection_override: # type: ignore
+        if collection_object.type == object_type:
+            collection_objects.append(collection_object)
+
     # get the collection with the given name
     export_collection = bpy.data.collections.get(ToolInfo.EXPORT_COLLECTION.value)
-    if export_collection:
+    # if the collection exists and the collection_objects is not overridden
+    if export_collection and not collection_objects:
         # get all the objects in the collection
-        for collection_object in export_collection.all_objects:
+        for collection_object in export_collection.all_objects: # type: ignore
             # if the object is the correct type
             if collection_object.type == object_type:
                 # if the object is visible
@@ -1107,7 +1113,7 @@ def setup_project(*args):
         create_collections()
 
     # create the header menu
-    if importlib.util.find_spec('unpipe') is None:
+    if not os.environ.get('SEND2UE_HIDE_PIPELINE_MENU'):
         header_menu.add_pipeline_menu()
 
 

src/addons/send2ue/properties.py

@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ class Send2UeWindowMangerProperties(bpy.types.PropertyGroup):
     """
     This class holds the properties for a window.
     """
+    # This can be set programmatically to override the default collection behavior.
+    # This is cleared back to an empty list after the send2ue operation has completed.
+    object_collection_override = []
     # ------------- current asset info ------------------
     asset_data = {}
     asset_id: bpy.props.StringProperty(

src/addons/send2ue/release_notes.md

@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
-## Patch Changes
-* Fixed Texture filepaths post operation
-  * [99](https://github.com/poly-hammer/BlenderTools/pull/99)
+## Features
+* Enhanced Python API by allowing other scripts to set `object_collection_override` to a list of objects to override collection behavior. Check out example in [docs](https://poly-hammer.github.io/BlenderTools/send2ue/customize/python-api/#examples)
+  * [101](https://github.com/poly-hammer/BlenderTools/issues/101)
+  * [104](https://github.com/poly-hammer/BlenderTools/issues/104)
+* Made the extensions repo path a list view in addons preferences.
+  * [102](https://github.com/poly-hammer/BlenderTools/issues/102)
+  * [103](https://github.com/poly-hammer/BlenderTools/pull/103)
 
 
 ## Special Thanks
-
+@jack-yao91
 
 ## Tests Passing On
 * Blender `3.6`, `4.2` (installed from blender.org)