blender-as-a-pipeline (BAAP)

Template pipeline for individual, small-team sized Blender project development.

Build	Status
Sample PR Render Build
Sample Full Render Build
Docker Container Creation Build

This uses Docker to run a small image of blender into a Github Action that has staged rendering. The Stages in rendering are tightly coupled with the animator's workflow in mind.

Quick Links

Site	URL
Docker Container	https://hub.docker.com/r/tennisgazelle/blender-pipeline
Website Repo	https://github.com/TennisGazelle/baap-website
Website	https://github.com/TennisGazelle/blender-pipeline

Quick start

Prerequisites:

Needed to be installed/configured on your local machine.

• python3
  • pyyaml
• blender (technically optional)
• docker
  • You may run ./scripts/install_docker_linux.sh if you are using a linux machine.

Set Up

Copy this repo's contents to your projects workdir. Place your blender files into blender/ and your image resource files into imgs/resources. Be sure to relink everything.

Terminology - "Stage"

A stage is a specific rendering configuration, details in config.yaml, consisting of at least one blender file to be rendered. The information held in such a stage includes:

scene:
  buffer_frames: 1-9,11-20      # frames 1 through 20 except 10
  force_update: false           # force frame to rerender, even if file exists
  render_output: 'imgs/buffer/' # where to put the output of that file
  engine: CYCLES                # EEVEE support coming soon
  blend_file: scene.blend       # the blend file in question
  render_format: PNG            # what format the output should be in
  blender_flags: ''             # parameters for blender to be used in the docker call
file_output_format: '{bfile}_{stage}_####'

for blender_flags:, use flags found for blender arguments found here

file_output_format arguments:

Arg	Desc
bfile	Blender file
stage	Name of stage
####	Frame number

In this project, Stage scene refers to the blend file that contains the models/textures to be build, and stage edit includes the blender file with post processing.

Terminology - "Model"

A model is reference to an OBJ file outputted by a 3D modeler, void of static (image) and dynamic (procedural) texture information. A model may be autorendered in turnstyle format based on configuration as defaulted below:

models:
  - cool_cube:
    obj_file: 'blender/models/curve-skeleton-cube.obj'
    render_output: 'imgs/out/models/'
    scaling_factor: 1 # default (1)
    remove_doubles: true # default (false)
    edge_split: false # default (false)
    depth_scale: 1.4 # default (1.4)
    color_depth: 8 # default (8)
    format: PNG # default PNG
    video: false # default (false); if true, format is ____ and rotation_iteration will be 5 sec rotation at 30 fps (150)
    resolution: 600 # is square; default (600)
    rotation_iterations: 30 # default 6
    include:
      - color # default only one active
      - depth
      - normal
      - albedo
      - id
model_output_format: '{model}_{angle}_{map}

model_output_format arguments:

Arg	Desc
model	name of model (ex. 'cool_cube')
objfile	Object file
angle	Angle of Camera [0-360)
map	which type of map it is (see models.MODEL_NAME.include options)

In this project, cool_cube is the shape found in blender/cool_scene.blend.

Render

0. (optional) Set up the Docker image locally (this will take some time).

docker build -t blender-pipeline scripts/

You can also just download the image to save time

docker pull tennisgazelle/blender-pipeline:latest

1. If you just downloaded this project, first set the paths of your working directory.

make set_paths

You can verify the output of this with make get_paths

2. Render the scene stage

make scene_render

3. Render the post processing stage (edit)

make edit_render

Raw, individual frames will populate in imgs/buffer/ without post processing. A video file will be found in imgs/out/ with post processing.

Research and Bibliography

• ikester/blender - Dockerfile that has Blender in it
• dolphinkiss/blender-python-docker - Similar to above; Dolphin Kiss's implementation is also simple and easy to understand.
• Raymond Lo - Article helping detail how to write one's own blender-based dockerfile and how to get dependencies in it.
• Amber Wilkie - FreeCodeCamp - Calling webhooks from Github Actions.
• Stack Overflow/Stack Exchange
  • Pip for Blender's Installed Python
• mvoelk's fork of Stanford Shapenet Render - Object rendering suite for modelers
  • Props to both Stanford researchers and Github user mvoelk for his update for Blender 2.9
  • For Help: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/43346/how-do-you-set-the-current-image-as-far-as-bpy-is-concerned
  • Blender docs:
    • https://docs.blender.org/api/current/bpy.data.html
    • https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/command_line/arguments.html

Links I want to use

• https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-properly-use-the-gpu-within-a-docker-container-4c699c78c6d1
• https://tabreturn.github.io/code/blender/python/2020/11/01/a_quick_intro_to_blender_creative_coding-part_3_of_3.html

https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/104651/selecting-gpu-with-python-script