Feature request: export as .blend files

[gulagkulak]

I'm building an asset set for use in Godot 4, which supports .blend files natively.

Right now I'm working with each asset in a separate .blend file, which makes it really hard to see if assets match up. Your plugin offers the kind of batch export functionality I'm looking for... except it can't export as .blend files.

Can you please add the option of exporting as .blend files?

Also, Godot supports flags to process the meshes when opening the .blend file. For example renaming a "chair" to "chair -col" creates a collision mesh automatically. Sometimes it's useful to have two copies of the same mesh in a .blend file overlapping one another. For example "chair" and a hidden simplified child object named "chair -colonly", so the latter mesh is used for collisions while the former is used for rendering.

It would be great to have the option of stripping all import flags from the file names (so you don't end up with "chair -col.blend"), but still keep these flags for individual object names inside the files.

Furthermore it would be nice to have an extra option in the "limit to" dropdown. In addition to "Visible", something like "Visible + hidden children" to export hidden collision mesh children.

These features would make this plugin an ideal Godot companion :)

[mrtripie]

Unfortunately this is my lowest priority project, and I haven't been able to get much good focused time on my other ones lately. I'm mostly working on powerful generic tools for my 2.5D RPG project in Godot, and I have a feeling many in the Godot community will find them really useful too. Really excited for Godot's future!

I haven't used the asset browser really, but I feel like like it should be able to do an okayish workflow, probably something like:
Create multiple assets in one blend file stored in the asset browser, the create new blend files and individually link them in. Once you have that setup it should work well for iterating on them quickly. I'm guessing after you save big blend file with them in, to import them all in Godot just select them all and click re import in the import tab.

[AdamRatai]

@gulagkulak i know it is not exactly Batch Exporter, but maybe it will help you https://github.com/CGCookie/io_export_blend

[Chevifier]

To be fair I just came across this plugin for use in godot as well and I actually like that the -col -colonly etc gets exported with the name it actually help in making sure you didnt forgot collisions for things that need it and viseversa.
Export by parent works perfectly for the simplifed child mesh with -colonly.

On the bright side end users of your game wond see anything related to these dev side "issues" so its really not a big deal.
A workaround I normally do for the limit to section is just to make the collision meshes visibility to be in wireframe mode instead of hiding them. plus disable selectability if necessary.

Solid plugin. imo