cloning
link-mesh-array.py
link-mesh.py

mesh fabrication
staircase.py
triangle-donut.py
vertexAccumulator.py
randomSquareArray.py
meshFromBathymetry.py
cylinders-from-list-of-radii.py
binary-image-to-mesh.py
sphere-minecraft-schematic.py
spikify.py
add-to-mesh.py
mobius-strip.py
split-copy-mesh.py

fabricating other objects
create-text.py
text-from-file.py
create-camera.py
create-bezier.py
helix-bezier.py

material slots
cube-copy-blue.py
cube-turns-red.py
red-blue-per-object.py

animation and fcurves
csv-to-fcurve-loc-rot.py
csv-to-fcurve.py
pop-in-material.py
spike-wiggle-2.py
spike-wiggle.py
sweep-animate-size.py
animate-cycles-lamp-strength.py

incorporating python libraries
exec-text-library.py
exec-external-python.py
import-python.py

constraints
camera-track-object.py
text-track-camera.py

shape keys
explore-shape-keys.py
shape-key-fin.py
docking-tube.py

animating curve bevel
data-graph.py

drivers
scan-drivers.py
copy-drivers.py
driver-fin.py
driver-multi-chain.py

UV layers
barber-pole.py
expand-uv-to-fit.py
uv-from-geometry-cubic.py
flip-texture-v-coordinate.py

modifiers
hook-modifier-curve.py
rounded-prisms.py
make-tile.py
remove-action-modifiers.py

NLAs
explore-NLAs.py
spinning-frogs.py

video sequence editor (VSE)
create-vse-image-strips.py
slide-show.py
vse-strip-gap.py

images and textures
image-on-mesh.py
image-to-material-node.py
load-image-texture.py
texture-one-cube-face.py
condense-duplicate-images.py

analytic geometry
animate-random-spin.py
camera-cone-exp-2.py
camera-cone-exp.py
compute-circle-center.py
dihedral-angle-from-xy.py
extrude-edge-along-custom-axis.py
orientation-matrix.py
two-spheres.py
bezier-interpolate.py
rotate-to-match.py

node trees
change-diffuse-to-emission-node.py

etc
add-plane-from-selected-vertices.py
adjust-all-materials.py
all-nodes-cycles-materials.py
bit_shift.py
bone-orientation-demo.py
cannonball-packing.py
comb.py
convert-quaternion-keyframes-to-euler.py
copy-location-from-vertex-group.py
create-cycles-material.py
demonstrate-decomposition-instability.py
dump-point-cache.py
dump-screen-layout-info.py
expand-nla-strips.py
explore-edge-bevel-weight.py
find-action-users.py
find-green-rectangle.py
find-new-objects.py
fix-scene-layers.py
generate-makefile.py
link-external-data-blocks.py
list-referenced-files.py
material-readout.py
movie-card-stack.py
movies-on-faces.py
next-file-name.py
object-font-from-regular-font.py
operator-mesh-gridify.py
particle-animator.py
particle_loop.py
pose-match.py
pose-sequence-to-fbx.py
prepare-texture-bake.py
raining-physics.py
random-pebble-material.py
reverse-keyframes.py
scale-parallelogram.py
screenshot-sequence.py
select-objects-in-modifiers.py
select-vertices.py
shift-layers.py
snapshot-keyframes-as-mesh.py
sphere-project-texture.py
squish-mesh-axis.py
subdivide-fcurve.py
thicken-texture.py
transform-selected.py
voronoi-madness.py

__author__ = 'thoth'

import bpy
from mathutils import *
import random
from math import *

def random_in_circle():
    while True:
        x = random.random()*2-1
        y = random.random()*2-1
        l2 = x * x + y * y
        if (l2<=0):
            continue
        if (l2 <=1):
            return x,y

def random_quaternion():
    """
    http://mathworld.wolfram.com/HyperspherePointPicking.html
    """
    x,y = random_in_circle()
    z_,w_ = random_in_circle()

    r5 =sqrt( ( 1-x*x - y*y) / (z_*z_+w_*w_))

    z = z_ * r5
    w = w_ * r5

    return [x,y,z,w]

kludge=0

def make_test_cube(loc, scn):
    global kludge

    q = Quaternion( random_quaternion() )
    #q = Quaternion( [cos(kludge), sin(kludge), 0, 0 ] )
    kludge = kludge+0.05

    #creating the cube with a bear picture on a single face is an exercise left to the reader
    mesh = bpy.data.meshes['bear cube']

    obj = bpy.data.objects.new("cube", mesh)
    obj.location = loc
    obj.rotation_mode = 'QUATERNION'
    obj.rotation_quaternion = q
    # the cube is now rotated.

    scn.objects.link(obj)

    # create a vertex group for the armature
    vg = obj.vertex_groups.new('bone')
    vg.add(range(len(obj.data.vertices)), 1.0, 'REPLACE')

    #

    #let's see what happens when we need to put the bone at != [0,0,0]
    translate = Vector([0,0,1])

    arm = bpy.data.armatures.new('armature')

    ao = bpy.data.objects.new('armature', arm)
    ao.location = Vector(loc) - translate

    scn.objects.link(ao)

    scn.objects.active = ao
    bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')  # I hate this shortcoming of armatures

    bone = arm.edit_bones.new('bone')
    bone.head = [0,0,0]
    bone.tail = [0,1,0] # Using the Y axis is pretty important, otherwise we can't use the inverse of Q to pose the cube to an unrotated state
    bone.transform(q.to_matrix())
    bone.translate(translate)
    # the bone is now aligned with the cube at its random orientation

    bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')

    # let's rig the cube to be posed by the armature
    mod = obj.modifiers.new("armature", 'ARMATURE')
    mod.object = ao

    #

    # two different ways to pose the bone into an "unrotated" orientation
    if True:
        q_inverse = [-q[0], q[1], q[2], q[3]]
        ao.pose.bones[0].rotation_quaternion = q_inverse
    else:
        #boring: set the world orientation of the bone to the identity.
        # This sort of ignores the rest orientation of the bone, but is useful in some situations.
        ao.pose.bones[0].matrix = Matrix()
    # the above works because our bone is aligned with the cube's Y axis.
    # If the bone is aligned with some other axis, the cube will be aligned with that other axis.

    #

def purge(scn):
    doomed = []
    for obj in scn.objects:
        if obj.name[:4] == "cube" or obj.name[:8]=="armature":
            doomed.append(obj)
    for obj in doomed:
        scn.objects.unlink(obj)

def mission1(scn):
    for u in range(5):
        for v in range(5):
            make_test_cube([u*3, v*3, 0], scn)
#
#

scn = bpy.context.scene
purge(scn)
mission1(scn)

Blender python API quick-start

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