ReViewer! Ideas needed for revamping an unfinished 3dsmax tool for on-screen review and port it to Blender

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#1

Hi pals!
More than 1 years ago, before our studio switched to Blender and before my switch to Python learning, I wrote a very rough and unfortunately unfinished tool for 3dsmax that I briefly used to do some on-screen review when I received max files from a couple of freelance artists.
It was all maxscript.
One could create a text annotation (no hand-drawn stuff), set an optional line to point a specific position, change note color (edit not implemented), capture a screenshot and (using another maxscript devilry with some .net code) send an email from 3dsmax with the screenshot(s) attached.
Notes were placed in 3d an text was always screen aligned.
I link here a short video I just did to see what I had…
ReVieport wip

Now…I’d like to pythonize this and have a similar tool for Blender.
I saw the annotation tool that is basically a “draw stuff in 3d space”: maybe it could be a starting point.

I ask to you friends, is there anything similar already done as blender addon?
What kind of feature would you like to have in a tool like this?
But in general, do you think that it could be useful?

If you want to brainstorm a little and give me input I’ll take all suggestion!
No hurry in having this, it’s more a side project while I work on other stuff.

I remember also an old pixar backstage video where an internal tool was briefly shown: they could draw on a specific frame, so it was possible to review an animation and not only a model.

Many thanks for your thoughts and ideas!! :slight_smile:

#2

I know jack about it, but could you not use the grease pencil to just scrawl notes into the scene?
I mean hard to do without a pen input, but could be a potential starting point.

#3

Hi Bob!
Yes I saw the pencil tool and surely it’s something I could use.
I liked the idea of typed text because it seems to be easier to edit and save, and everyone can use it even without a pen tablet.
An idea I had in fact was (together withe the send screenshot option) to export the notes in some small ascii file that can be shared faster than a full .blend, so another people can use the addon to reload the notes in his/her scene.