Blender Extension Development integration for PyCharm. This plugin allows you to launch Blender from within PyCharm and automatically or manually reload your Blender extensions during development.

Features

• Automated Environment Management: One-click downloads for Blender versions 4.2 to 5.0, automatic system installation detection, faster scans with version metadata caching, and integrated connection status.
• Sandboxed Development: Isolate your development environment using a project-local .blender-sandbox folder, with support for multiple addon source folders and custom project-specific preferences.
• Real-time Hot-Reloading: Automatically or manually reload your extension in Blender with robust sys.modules cache purging and a real-time status bar widget for monitoring connection states.
• Smart Project Templates: Quickly bootstrap new extensions with a structure that mirrors PyCharm’s Pure Python setup, including a New Project Wizard for blender_manifest.toml configuration and specialized project types, and setting the project interpreter to your MBV's (Managed Blender Version) packaged python runtime.
• Integrated CLI Tools: One-click building into ZIP distributions, manifest validation, and support for custom Blender commands directly from the IDE.
• Smart UI Integration: Automatic custom Blender icons for .blend and .blend1 files, and integrated logging via blender_plugin.log.
• User Configuration Import: When sandboxing is enabled, optionally import your main Blender preferences, startup files, and bookmarks into the sandbox.
• Custom Splash Screens: Use a project-specific splash.png in your project root to personalize your development sessions.

Configuration and Setup

1. Download the latest plugin ZIP file from the GitHub releases page.
2. In PyCharm, install the plugin from disk via Settings > Plugins > Gear Icon > Install Plugin from Disk....
3. Create a new Blender Run Configuration (Testing, Build, Validate, or Command).
4. Select your Blender version and optionally enable Sandboxing for project isolation.
5. Enable Auto-reload extension on save in Settings > Tools > Blender Extension Integration.

Blender Management

The Blender Management tool window on the right sidebar allows you to download Blender versions (4.2+ to 5.0) and manage your .blender-sandbox folder.

Usage

• Automatic Reload: Triggered on file save (Ctrl+S) once enabled in settings.
• Manual Reload: Use Ctrl+Alt+R or the Blender > Reload Extension menu.
• Custom Splash: Add splash.png to your project root to personalize sandboxed sessions.

For any bugs, feature requests, or general issues, please file a report on the GitHub repository.

Currently there are no known issues impacting user experience, though there are guaranteed to be more as the plugin is tested and stressed. Issues listed here are confirmed, verified, and are either planned or are currently being worked on.