wtd-libreflow-addon/README.md

Melvile Tools

Blender add-on for the Melvile pipeline (Walking The Dog). It brings together:

• Sanity Check: checks a file against the production specs and fixes what can be fixed.
• Rename: batch renames objects and materials to the naming convention, with consistent numbering.
• Shot Viewer: switch, create and delete the shots of a sequence (camera markers) from the sidebar, with quick access to the character and prop rigs.
• Scene Manager: loads the assets cast in a shot from Libreflow, keeps them up to date, and publishes scene collections as new assets.
• Get Oid: asks Libreflow for the id of the open file.

Most values the tools rely on (prefixes, shot naming, frame rate…) live in config.py and can be overridden per studio without touching the code. See Configuration.

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Contents

• Installation
• Where to find the tools
• Sanity Check
• Tools panel
• Rename
• Shot Viewer
• Scene Manager
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• For developers

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Installation

Tested on Blender 5.2.

The Shot Viewer builds its cameras with the Add Camera Rigs extension (Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions, search "Add Camera Rigs"). Install and enable it next to Melvile Tools.

The Scene Manager talks to a running Libreflow with the wtdcmds extension, on the same machine.

As an extension (artists): build the package, then in Blender go to Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions > Install from Disk… and pick the .zip.

blender --command extension build --source-dir path/to/wtd-libreflow-addon

From source (development): put the wtd-libreflow-addon folder in the addons folder of your Blender scripts directory, then enable Melvile Tools in Edit > Preferences > Add-ons. Reload Scripts (F3) picks up code changes in every file.

Preferences

Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Melvile Tools:

Setting	Use
Character Reference	JSON file exported from the master character, used by the character checks (see Character reference). Falls back to the WTD_CHAR_REFERENCE environment variable.
Config Override	JSON file overriding values of config.py (see Configuration). Falls back to the WTD_SANITY_CONFIG environment variable.

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Where to find the tools

Open the sidebar of the 3D Viewport (N) and click the WTD tab.

Panel	Editors
Sanity Check	3D Viewport, Video Sequencer
Tools (Get Oid)	3D Viewport
Rename	3D Viewport, Shader Editor
Shot Viewer	3D Viewport
Scene Manager (Casting, Loaded, Assetize)	3D Viewport

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Sanity Check

Checks the open file against the specs of a production context (the kind of file it is), reports the problems and fixes the ones that can be fixed automatically.

Quick start

1. Pick the context at the top of the panel (for example Asset: General or Shot: Layout).
2. For asset contexts, the Asset name is read from the file name. Type it in if the file is not named yet.
3. Click Run Checks.
4. Click Fix All to fix everything that can be fixed, then look at what is left.

The counters under the buttons sum up the result: passed, warnings, errors, skipped and crashed checks.

Contexts

Context	For	File name expected
Asset: General	Props, sets, generic assets (modeling and lineart)	prp_name_mod.blend, set_name_lineart_v002.blend…
Character: Modeling	Character modeling	chr_name_mod.blend
Character: Lineart / Shading	Character lineart and shading	chr_name_lineart.blend, chr_name_shading.blend
Shot: Layout	Shot layout	sq010_sh0010_layout.blend
Shot: Animation	Shot animation	No checks yet

The context and the disabled checks are saved in the .blend.

Buttons

Button	Action
Run Checks	Runs every enabled check of the context.
Fix All	Runs the fix of every failing check that has one, then runs all checks again.
Report icon (right of Fix All)	Writes the last report to the text datablock WTD_Sanity_Report (open it in the Text Editor). Useful when there are more issues than the panel shows.
Export Character Reference	Character: Modeling only. See Character reference.

On each check row:

Element	Action
Checkbox	Enables or disables the check for this file.
Arrow	Unfolds the description and the list of issues.
Status icon	Not run, passed, info, warning, error, skipped or crashed. The number in brackets is the issue count.
Arrow-cursor icon	Selects the objects of the issues. For geometry issues, it enters Edit Mode with the faulty vertices, edges or faces selected.
Wrench icon	Fixes this check. It is shown only when the check failed and has a fix. Hover it to see what the fix does.
Refresh icon	Runs this check only.

In the unfolded list, each issue has its own select button. For naming checks, the name can be edited right there.

Ctrl+Z undoes every fix.

Checks

✔ means the check has an automatic fix.

All contexts

Check	What it checks	Fix
Units	Unit system, scale and length unit follow the specs.	✔
File name	The file is saved and its name follows the pattern of the context.

Asset contexts (General, Character Modeling, Character Lineart / Shading)

Check	What it checks	Fix
Naming convention	Objects, mesh data, collections, materials and node groups carry the type prefix (GEO_, COL_, MAT_…). No Blender default names (Cube, Material…), no .001, no spaces or accents. Mesh data is named like its object.	✔ when a name can be derived
Collection structure	No object directly in the Scene Collection, no empty collection, the required collections exist.	✔ removes empty collections
N-gons	Only triangles and quads.
Concave faces	No concave quad or n-gon.
Non-manifold geometry	No wire edges, edges with more than two faces, flipped normals, bow-tie vertices or open borders.
UVs	Every mesh has a UV map and no negative UV coordinate.
Modifiers	Only Subdivision Surface and Multiresolution. Lineart / Shading files also allow Line Art and Thickness.	✔ applies the others
Transforms applied	Rotation and scale of geometry objects are applied.	✔
Unused nodes	No node disconnected from the output in materials, worlds and node groups.	✔ deletes them
No animation	No action or NLA track assigned (drivers are fine).	✔

Character: Modeling

Check	What it checks	Fix
Inner mouth & eyes naming	Inner mouth and eye objects carry exactly the names of the reference character.
Body vertex order	The body has the same vertex count and order as the reference character.
Body vertex groups	The body has the required vertex groups.	✔ creates them empty

Character: Lineart / Shading

Check	What it checks	Fix
Color management	Display, view transform, look, exposure, gamma and colorspaces follow the specs.	✔ (except the working space)

Shot: Layout

Check	What it checks	Fix
Frame rate	Matches the production frame rate.	✔
Resolution	Resolution, percentage and pixel aspect match the production format.	✔
Shot start / end	The frame range matches production tracking. Skipped until the Libreflow / Kitsu connection is set up.	✔
Duplicated names	No local datablock with a .001 suffix.	✔ when the base name is free
Set positions	Instanced set collections sit at the world origin.	✔
Sound versions	Sound files exist and are the latest published version.	✔
Sound track active	Scene audio, sound strips and their channels are not muted.	✔

Character reference

The character checks compare each character to a master character:

1. Open the master character file, set the context to Character: Modeling and make sure the asset name is right.
2. Click Export Character Reference and save the JSON in a shared location.
3. Set that file as Character Reference in the add-on preferences, or in the WTD_CHAR_REFERENCE environment variable for everyone.

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Tools panel

Get Oid For Open Scene

Asks Libreflow for the object id (oid) of the open file and shows it in the status bar. Blender must have been started from Libreflow, so that the Kabaret connection is available.

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Rename

Renames the selected objects, or their materials, following the production naming convention. Numbering stays consistent across renames.

Names are built from these parts, joined with _. Empty parts are left out:

prefix _ name _ side _ number _ suffix
GEO    _ box  _ center _ 001  _ mesh     →  GEO_box_center_001_mesh

Settings

Setting	Use
Objects / Materials	Rename the selected objects, or the materials used by the selected objects.
Name	The new name. Leave it empty to keep each item's current name and only bring it to the convention: box2 becomes box_….
Prefix	None, By Type (GEO_ for meshes, CRV_ for curves, MAT_ for materials… the same prefixes the Sanity Check expects) or Custom.
Side	Orientation token: center, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, or none.
Suffix	None, By Type (mesh, curve, mat…) or Custom.
Order	The order numbers are given in: current name, or position along X, Y or Z. Ordering along an axis numbers a row of pillars from one end to the other.
Rename Data	Objects only. Gives the object data (mesh, curve, light… Maya's "shape" node) the same name as its object.

The box under the Rename button previews every change (old name → new name) before you click.

Numbering

• It continues after the existing names. Rename three objects to pillar and you get pillar_001 to pillar_003. Rename two more later and they become pillar_004 and pillar_005.
• Each pattern counts separately. pillar_left_… and pillar_right_… each have their own numbers.
• Renaming again is safe. Objects that already follow the pattern keep their number when ordered by name, and new ones are numbered after them. Ordering along X/Y/Z renumbers them all by position.
• Items in a linked library also count, so local numbers never repeat a library's numbers.

Examples

Selection	Settings	Result
temp, temp2, whatever	Name pillar, Prefix None	pillar_001, pillar_002, pillar_003
two more objects	same	pillar_004, pillar_005
box, box2	Name empty, Side center, Suffix By Type	box_center_001_mesh, box_center_002_mesh
same	+ Prefix By Type	GEO_box_center_001_mesh…
materials of the selection	Materials, Name wood, Prefix and Suffix By Type	MAT_wood_001_mat…

Good to know

• With Name empty, the tool strips the old prefix, side, number, suffix and .001, and trailing digits (box2 → box, GEO_box_center_002_mesh → box). A name like tree_v2 therefore becomes tree_v. Type the name in such cases.
• Data shared by several objects (instances made with Alt+D) is renamed after the first of them, and only when all of them are being renamed.
• Linked (library) objects and materials are not renamed.
• Ctrl+Z undoes the rename.

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Shot Viewer

A sidebar panel to go through the shots of a sequence in their camera. You can switch shots, add and delete them, and grab the character and prop rigs.

How shots are stored

The whole sequence lives in one scene:

• Each shot is a timeline marker bound to a camera. To bind one by hand: select the camera, put the playhead on the marker, then Marker > Bind Camera to Markers (Ctrl+B) in the Timeline.
• A shot runs from its marker to the frame before the next camera marker. The last shot runs to the scene's End frame.
• Markers without a camera are ignored, so you can keep using them as notes.
• Several shots can use the same camera.

During playback, Blender itself switches to the camera of each marker, so playing the scene plays the cut.

Where it is

3D Viewport sidebar (N) > WTD tab > Shot Viewer.

Choosing a shot in the panel moves the playhead to it and puts the 3D view you clicked in into that shot's camera view. Keep a Timeline open (for example at the bottom of the Layout workspace) to see the camera markers and where you are in the sequence.

The list always highlights the shot under the playhead. The file does not need any shots yet: add the first one with +.

Sequence

Set the sequence number in the Sequence field at the top of the panel. It is saved with the scene, and the formatted name is shown next to it (10 → sq0010). It is used to name the cameras of new shots: CAM_sq0010_sh0030. Both formats can be changed in the Configuration (SEQUENCE_NAME_FORMAT, SHOT_CAMERA_NAME_FORMAT).

Moving through the sequence

To…	Do…
Jump to a shot	Click it in the shot list (name, camera, frames). The playhead jumps to the first frame of the shot.
Go to the previous / next shot	Previous / Next.
Find a shot by name	The filter field at the bottom of the shot list.
Scrub the sequence	Drag the playhead in the Timeline. The camera and the shot list follow.
Play one shot	Tick Loop Shot and press play: playback loops on the shot under the playhead.
Play the whole sequence	Press play with Loop Shot unticked (the default): the cameras switch at each marker.

Loop Shot works by setting the scene's preview range to the shot frames (the shaded part of the Timeline). It follows when you change shot. Unticking it turns the preview range off.

Adding a shot

Click + next to the shot list:

Setting	Use
Name	Pre-filled with the next free shot number (sh0010, sh0020…). This is the marker name.
Duration	Length of the shot in frames.
New Camera	On: builds a camera rig with the Add Camera Rigs add-on. The camera is named CAM_<sequence>_<shot> (shown in the dialog) and its rig RIG_<sequence>_<shot>. Off: pick an existing camera of the scene.
3D Camera	On: a 3D crane rig. Off: a 2D camera rig.

The shot is added at the end of the sequence and the scene's End frame grows to include it. The first shot starts at frame 1001, and the scene Start moves there too. The playhead and the 3D view then jump to the new shot.

The rig is built at the 3D cursor, in the active collection: place the cursor and pick the collection first if you have a camera collection. The add-on keeps the rig's bone shapes in a hidden Widgets collection. If the add-on is not enabled, the dialog says so and no shot is added.

Deleting a shot

Put the playhead on the shot (or select it in the list) and click −:

• The shot's camera marker is removed.
• Delete Camera (off by default): also deletes its camera, unless another shot uses it.
• Deleting a shot in the middle: its frames go to the previous shot. Nothing is moved in time: the animation stays where it is, so cut or shift it by hand if the frames must disappear.
• Deleting the last shot: the scene's End frame moves back to the end of the previous shot.

Ctrl+Z undoes adding and deleting shots.

Selecting rigs

The bottom of the panel lists the armatures of the scene, grouped into Characters, Props and Other:

• Click a rig: selects it and enters Pose Mode.
• Shift+click: adds it to the selection, to pose several rigs at once.
• The rig(s) currently selected are highlighted.

A rig loaded by the Scene Manager is grouped by its Libreflow asset type (main_character, secondary_character, tertiary_character → Characters; main_props, secondary_props, vehicles → Props; see SHOT_VIEWER_ASSET_TYPE_GROUPS). Otherwise, a rig counts as a character or a prop when its name, one of its collections, or the library file it comes from starts with chr_ / prp_ (see SHOT_VIEWER_RIG_GROUPS in Configuration). Hidden rigs cannot be selected. Camera rigs (armatures carrying a camera) are not listed.

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Scene Manager

Manages the assets of a shot by talking to the running Libreflow: it reads the shot's casting (from Kitsu), links the published files of the cast assets, flags the ones that are out of date, and publishes local collections as new assets.

Everything goes through Libreflow: Blender never touches Kitsu or the Libreflow database. Requests run in the background, so Blender stays usable while Libreflow answers. What is in progress shows at the bottom of the main panel, with the last result (or error) under it.

Connecting

Start Libreflow, then open WTD tab > Scene Manager. Blender connects on its own when it starts and when a file is opened. Click the refresh icon on the first line to connect again, for example after starting Libreflow.

The first line shows the Libreflow session, the user and the site. When several Libreflow sessions are open, they are listed: click the one to work with.

The shot (context)

The field under the connection is the context: the Libreflow oid of the shot this file belongs to, like /melvile/films/f01/sequences/s010/shots/p010. It is saved in the file and does not change when you browse in Libreflow.

• Libreflow Oid: takes the oid shown in the Libreflow window.
• Pick Shot: search the shots of the project.

A valid shot is confirmed under the field (shot: f01 / s010 / p010). The casting and the versions are then read on their own.

Casting

Lists the assets cast in the shot, with how many instances are loaded out of how many are cast (2/2):

Icon	Meaning
✔	Loaded.
Import arrow	Not loaded (or fewer instances than cast): click it to load this asset only.
⚠ red	Cannot be loaded, with the reason from Libreflow: not found in the flow, no published file, or nothing available on this site yet.

• Load Missing links every cast asset that is not loaded yet, and adds the missing instances. Running it again only adds what is missing.
• Refresh reads the casting and the versions again.
• Loaded, no longer cast lists assets loaded earlier that the shot's casting no longer contains.

What gets loaded:

• File: the latest publish available on this site of the asset's first file matching rigging/*.blend, then modeling/*.blend (sets, bg_location: setdress_low/*.blend).
• Collection: from that file, COL_<asset>, else <asset>, else environments (set dressing files), else the file's only top-level collection.
• Characters, props and vehicles (*_character, main_props, secondary_props, vehicles) become library overrides, so animators can pose them. Other types, like sets and set props, become collection instances.
• Where they go: each asset type gets its own collection, COL_main_character, COL_main_props, COL_bg_location…

All of these can be changed in the Configuration.

Loaded

Lists everything the Scene Manager loaded, one line per asset, with its version:

• The version is red when it is not the latest publish. The line under it says either "v004 available" (click the update icon), or "v004 published, not available on this site yet" (wait for the download).
• Arrow: shows the asset's instances, each with a button to select its objects and one to remove it.
• Menu icon: pick another published version, for example to roll back. Versions not on this site are marked and cannot be picked.
• ✕: removes the asset entirely: all its instances and the link to its file.
• Update All / Update Selected: switch all the loaded assets (or the ones of the selected objects) to their latest available publish.
• Remove Selected: removes the instances of the selected objects.
• The magnifier re-checks the versions.

Updating swaps the linked file and reloads it. Overrides keep their posing and animation. Ctrl+Z undoes removing and updating.

Assetize

Publishes a collection of the scene to Libreflow as its own .blend: a new asset, or a new version of an existing one.

Click Assetize Collection... (in the Assetize sub-panel):

Setting	Use
Collection	Local collections only. Collections holding loaded assets are not offered. The active collection of the Outliner is picked by default.
Asset Type	The Libreflow asset type (props, sets...).
Asset Name	Letters, digits and underscores. Taken from the collection name, without its prefix (COL_street_lamp → street_lamp). The dialog says whether this makes a new asset or a new version of an existing one.
Asset Library	Optional: publish under that asset library.
Task	The asset task to publish in (default modeling). If it does not exist, the error lists the asset's tasks.
File Name	Optional, defaults to the asset name.
Comment	Saved with the revision.
Upload	Also sends the revision to the exchange site.
Replace with the Publish	On by default: once published, the local collection is replaced by a link to the published file, so the Scene Manager manages it like any other asset. The local collection stays in the file, unlinked, renamed <name>_local.

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Configuration

All production values live in config.py. Values marked TODO there are placeholders waiting for the real production specs.

To change them without editing the code, write a JSON file with the keys to override and set it as Config Override in the add-on preferences, or in the WTD_SANITY_CONFIG environment variable. Dictionaries are merged with the defaults, so only the keys you change need to be listed. Every other value replaces the default.

{
  "FPS": 25,
  "RESOLUTION": [1920, 1080],
  "RENAME_SIDES": ["center", "left", "right"],
  "SHOT_FRAME_START": 1001,
  "SEQUENCE_NAME_FORMAT": "sq{:03d}",
  "SHOT_VIEWER_RIG_GROUPS": {
    "Characters": "(?i)^(?:chr|ch)[_-]"
  }
}

Unknown keys are ignored and reported in the system console.

Name formats use Python's str.format: "sq{:04d}" turns 10 into sq0010. SHOT_CAMERA_NAME_FORMAT takes the named tokens {prefix} (the camera prefix of OBJECT_PREFIXES, CAM_), {sequence} and {shot}. The default "{prefix}{sequence}_{shot}" gives CAM_sq0010_sh0030. SHOT_CAMERA_RIG_NAME_FORMAT names the rig the same way, with {prefix} = RIG_. SHOT_CAMERA_RIG_MODES picks the Add Camera Rigs mode for 3D and 2D cameras (CRANE and 2D; DOLLY is also available).

Keys by tool

Tool	Keys
Sanity Check: scene	FPS, FPS_BASE, RESOLUTION, RESOLUTION_PERCENTAGE, PIXEL_ASPECT, UNIT_SYSTEM, UNIT_SCALE_LENGTH, UNIT_LENGTH, COLOR_MANAGEMENT
Sanity Check: files	FILENAME_PATTERNS, VERSION_PATTERN
Sanity Check: naming	OBJECT_PREFIXES, DATABLOCK_PREFIXES, NAME_BODY_PATTERN, MESH_DATA_MATCHES_OBJECT, DEFAULT_NAMES, DUPLICATE_NAME_TYPES
Sanity Check: assets	REQUIRED_COLLECTIONS, MAX_FACE_SIDES, CONCAVE_TOLERANCE, NON_MANIFOLD_ALLOW_BOUNDARY, UV_NEGATIVE_TOLERANCE, ALLOWED_MODIFIERS, ALLOWED_MODIFIERS_LINEART, APPLY_TRANSFORM, APPLY_TRANSFORM_TYPES, TRANSFORM_TOLERANCE, FORBIDDEN_ASSET_OBJECT_TYPES
Sanity Check: characters	CHAR_REFERENCE_PATH, CHAR_BODY_NAME, CHAR_PART_KEYWORDS, CHAR_BODY_VERTEX_GROUPS
Sanity Check: layout	SET_COLLECTION_PATTERN
Sanity Check: panel	CATEGORY_ORDER, MAX_ISSUES_DRAWN
Rename	RENAME_SEPARATOR, RENAME_PADDING, RENAME_SIDES, RENAME_TYPE_SUFFIXES (plus OBJECT_PREFIXES / DATABLOCK_PREFIXES for By Type prefixes)
Shot Viewer	SHOT_VIEWER_RIG_GROUPS, SHOT_VIEWER_ASSET_TYPE_GROUPS, SHOT_NAME_FORMAT, SHOT_NUMBER_STEP, SHOT_FRAME_START, SHOT_DEFAULT_DURATION, SEQUENCE_NAME_FORMAT, SHOT_CAMERA_NAME_FORMAT, SHOT_CAMERA_RIG_NAME_FORMAT, SHOT_CAMERA_RIG_MODES
Scene Manager	LIBREFLOW_SERVER_FILE, LIBREFLOW_TIMEOUT, SCENE_MANAGER_FILE_PATTERNS, SCENE_MANAGER_COLLECTION_NAMES, SCENE_MANAGER_LINK_MODES, SCENE_MANAGER_TYPE_COLLECTION, SCENE_MANAGER_ASSETIZE_TASK

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Troubleshooting

A check says "crashed". The check hit an unexpected error. Unfold it to read the message, and send it with the file to the pipeline team. The other checks still run.

"Shot start / end" is always skipped. The connection to Libreflow / Kitsu (providers.get_shot_frame_range) is not set up yet.

The character checks are skipped. Either no character reference is set (see Character reference), or the character name is unknown: type it in the Asset field, or name the file chr_<name>_mod.blend. Body vertex groups stays skipped until production lists the required groups (CHAR_BODY_VERTEX_GROUPS).

Rename: the preview shows nothing. Nothing is selected, the selection is linked from a library, or (in Materials mode) the selected objects have no local material.

Shot Viewer: a rig is not in the list. Only armatures in the scene's view layer are listed. A collection instance that has not been overridden does not expose its armature: make a library override first.

Shot Viewer: a shot is missing from the list. Only markers bound to a camera are shots. Select the marker, select its camera, and press Ctrl+B in the Timeline.

Scene Manager: "Libreflow is not running". Start Libreflow (with the wtdcmds extension), then click the refresh icon of the Scene Manager. Its IPC server stops 30 seconds after the last Libreflow session closes.

Scene Manager: an asset cannot be loaded. Its red line says why. "No file matching..." means none of its files matches SCENE_MANAGER_FILE_PATTERNS. "No collection named..." means the file has none of COL_<asset>, <asset> or environments, and several top-level collections: rename the published collection, or add its name to SCENE_MANAGER_COLLECTION_NAMES.

Scene Manager: the version stays red after Update. The newer version is published but not downloaded on this site yet. Wait for the sync, then update again.

Shot Viewer: playback only plays one shot. Loop Shot is on. Untick it to play the whole sequence.

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For developers

Layout

Path	Content
__init__.py	Registration
config.py	Production values and the JSON override loader
providers.py	Hooks to production tracking (Libreflow / Kitsu)
core/	Sanity check framework: Check, Issue, contexts, runner
checks/	The checks, one folder per family
ui/	Sanity Check operators, settings and every panel
rename.py	Rename tool (logic, settings, operator)
shot_viewer.py	Shot Viewer (logic, settings, operators)
tools_ops.py	Libreflow tools (Get Oid)
scene_manager/	Scene Manager: ipc.py (Libreflow client and background jobs), library.py (linking, overrides, updates), operators.py

Adding a check

Subclass Check in any module under checks/. A class that defines its own id is registered automatically:

from ...core import Check, Issue, contexts


class NoSuzanne(Check):
    id = "no_suzanne"
    label = "No Suzanne"
    description = "Monkeys are not allowed in production files."
    category = "Objects"
    contexts = contexts.ASSET

    def run(self, ctx):
        for ob in ctx.objects("MESH"):
            if "Suzanne" in ob.name:
                yield Issue.for_id(f"{ob.name} looks like a monkey", ob)

    # Optional: makes the wrench button appear.
    def fix(self, ctx, issues):
        ...

• run yields Issues. No issue means the check passed.
• Raise SkipCheck("reason") when the check cannot be evaluated.
• fix may return messages describing what it could not fix.
• Read config values at run time (config.FPS), never at import time, so that overrides apply.