Blender Launcher
Improve the blender launcher program so that it has a UI that allows you to choose any blender exe from the computer, and specify a preferences folder.
Specifying a preferences folder would allow people to launch Blender with only specific addons enabled. This can be very important to avoid module conflicts, for example if two addons are using different versions of the same AI modules. Otherwise the user has to do one of the following:
- launch blender from command line with a custom preferences folder specified.
- try and find conflicting addons and then disable and restart blender repeatedly.
- download a different version of blender for each conflicting addon.
It could also have the ability to set all preferences before launching, in which case that would additionally create a new preferences folder for future use.
Doing it before Blender launches ensures the python environment is initialised correctly. For example, once torch is installed, it's error prone to try and remove it from sys.modules due to addional references to the C++ code continuing to interfere with future imports of different versions.
4 Comments
Hi. 👋
You can already add any custom Blender installation (a portable one for example) into Blender Launcher 2's "Library Folder" folder by pasting your custom Blender installation folder inside the "CUSTOM" folder. More information here: victor-ix.github.io/Blender-Launcher-V2/library_folder/
Regarding the preferences and the use case that you mentionned (to have different custom Blender installations that don't share the same preferences), I have suggested to add a simple option (in Blender Launcher 2) to make any Blender installation really portable. Please, help me convince Blender Launcher 2 developers to bring back this feature (that was available in the now abandonned Blender Launcher 1.16.0-dev branch). More info: github.com/Victor-IX/Blender-Launcher-V2/issues/117
Thanks, I think we're talking about different things. I mean the 'blender-launcher.exe' that ships with Blender (the portable versions at least).
I'd never heard of the one you're talking about, looks cool though. I'll have to give it a try 👍
Oh my bad. Indeed, I was talking about something else.
Can't find the manual page about it, but AFAIK blender-launcher.exe is unique to Windows builds and was made only for the purpose of force hiding the console on startup. Not to be an actual "launcher" like other softwares have like Unity and whatnot.
It would probably make more sense to edit your proposal to not imply that there currently is a launcher that need improving. There simply isn't one at all, and the proposal could phrase it as is. And it would also avoid confusions with the existing 3rd party Blender Launcher.