Changelog

Slides 1.6.2 - LTS

Slides is a lightweight Blender add-on for creating and presenting slide-based timelines directly inside Blender.

It is designed for artists, teachers, presenters, animators, and technical users who want to organize a Blender scene as a sequence of slides, each with its own frame range, title, notes, camera, color tag, and playback behavior.

This is the first public release prepared for Blender Extensions.

---

Basic Features

Slide-Based Timeline Workflow

Create a list of slides and use them as structured timeline sections.

Each slide can store:

• A title
• Start and end frame
• Optional speaker notes
• Optional checkpoint behavior
• Optional transition settings
• Optional assigned camera
• A visual color tag

This makes it easier to organize presentations, tutorials, animation breakdowns, lectures, previs projects, and Blender-based talks.

---

Slide List

The add-on adds a dedicated slide list where you can:

• Add slides
• Remove slides
• Select slides
• Reorder and manage the presentation structure
• Jump directly to a slide on the timeline

When a slide is selected, Blender moves the timeline cursor to the slide start frame.

In version 1.6.1+, selecting a slide also updates:

• frame_start
• frame_end
• The assigned slide camera, when available

---

Timeline In / Out Management

Each slide works as a timeline range.

When selecting a slide, the scene range is updated automatically so the current slide becomes the active playback section.

This is useful when working on one section at a time or presenting a specific part of the timeline.

---

Speaker Notes Overlay

Slides can contain speaker notes.

The notes can be shown as a viewport overlay during presentation.

Available overlay options include:

• Show or hide notes
• Title font size
• Notes font size
• Notes position

Supported note positions:

• Bottom Left
• Top Left
• Bottom Right
• Top Right

---

Presentation Controls

The add-on includes controls for navigating a slide presentation.

Supported actions include:

• Go to next slide
• Go to previous slide
• Play the current slide
• Loop slide playback
• Pause at checkpoints
• Continue after checkpoints

This allows Blender to be used as a simple live presentation tool.

---

Color Tags

Slides support Blender-style color tags.

In version 1.6.1+, the slide settings show the Color Tag selector as an icon-only control, keeping the interface cleaner and more compact.

---

Autoplay When Selected Slide

A new option was added:

Autoplay When Selected Slide

When enabled, selecting a slide from the list can automatically start playback from that slide.

This option is disabled by default, so the default behavior remains safe and predictable.

---

Clean View Option

The add-on includes a clean-view option for presentation use.

This helps reduce visual distractions when using Blender as a presentation environment.

---

Blender Extensions Ready

This package was prepared for Blender Extensions with:

• A clean manifest
• Only runtime files included in the extension package
• Only the 3D View tag
• No unnecessary files inside the extension ZIP
• Registration-safe code

The extension package contains only:

__init__.py
blender_manifest.toml

---

Technical Details

Registration Safety

The add-on was updated to avoid unsafe access during registration.

Blender restricts access to file data during register(). For this reason, the add-on no longer iterates over scene data during registration.

The following kind of code was removed from register():

for scene in bpy.data.scenes:
    ensure_scene_slide_notes(scene)

This avoids errors such as:

'_RestrictData' object has no attribute 'scenes'

The add-on also avoids direct context-dependent operations during registration.

---

Scene Properties

Slides are stored using a scene-level collection property.

The add-on registers properties such as:

bpy.types.Scene.slides_collection
bpy.types.Scene.slide_index
bpy.types.Scene.slide_show_notes
bpy.types.Scene.slide_notes_position
bpy.types.Scene.slide_list_rows

These properties allow each Blender scene to store its own slide presentation data.

---

Slide Selection Update

The slide index uses an update callback to respond when the selected slide changes.

When a slide is selected, the add-on updates the timeline and presentation state.

The workflow is based around:

update_slide_index

This update function is responsible for keeping the selected slide, timeline cursor, and scene range aligned.

In the current release, slide selection can update:

scene.frame_current
scene.frame_start
scene.frame_end

and, when available, the active scene camera.

---

Notes Handling

Slide notes are ensured dynamically when needed instead of being pre-filled during registration.

This keeps the add-on compatible with Blender's registration restrictions.

Notes are initialized or updated during normal user interaction through functions such as:

ensure_slide_has_note
ensure_scene_slide_notes

These are called when the add-on is already running in a valid context, not during restricted registration.

---

Blender 5.1 Annotation Compatibility

The add-on was updated for newer Blender annotation API behavior.

Direct access to:

context.space_data.annotation_data

can fail in Blender 5.1 because SpaceView3D may no longer expose that attribute.

The add-on now uses a safer compatibility function:

get_annotation_data(context)

This avoids errors such as:

AttributeError: 'SpaceView3D' object has no attribute 'annotation_data'

The function uses safer lookups and fallback behavior instead of assuming that a specific API attribute exists.

---

Keymap Registration

Automatic keymap registration was removed from register() to avoid context access during add-on registration.

This helps keep the add-on safer for Blender Extensions review and installation.

---

Manifest

The Blender Extensions manifest uses the extension name:

name = "Slides"

The extension identifier remains:

id = "slides_pro"

The tag list is limited to:

tags = ["3D View"]

Project links were updated to the correct repository:

https://github.com/Cre-Pan/Blender-Slides
https://github.com/Cre-Pan/Blender-Slides/issues

---

Version Notes

1.6.2

Fixed

• Fixed Blender 5.1 compatibility issue caused by direct access to context.space_data.annotation_data.
• Added a safer annotation compatibility function.
• Updated website and issue tracker links.
• Kept the Blender Extensions package minimal and review-friendly.

---

1.6.1

Added

• Added Autoplay When Selected Slide option.
• Selecting a slide now updates timeline in/out range.
• Slide camera assignment is updated when selecting a slide, if available.

Changed

• Updated version number to 1.6.1.
• Changed Color Tag control to icon-only display in slide settings.
• Improved slide selection behavior.

---

1.6.0

Initial Blender Extensions Preparation

• Prepared add-on for Blender Extensions submission.
• Cleaned registration behavior.
• Removed unsafe access to Blender data during registration.
• Limited extension tag list to 3D View.
• Reduced the extension ZIP to only necessary runtime files.

---

Summary

Slides turns Blender into a simple slide-based presentation and timeline organization tool.

It is useful for:

• Presentations
• Lectures
• Animation breakdowns
• Tutorials
• Shot planning
• Previsualization
• Scene-based explanations
• Blender-based live demos

The add-on focuses on a compact workflow: create slides, assign frame ranges, add notes, navigate the timeline, and present directly inside Blender.

Changelog

Slides PRO — Initial Release

Version: 1.6.1
Category: 3D View
Type: Add-on

Overview

Slides PRO is a presentation workflow add-on for Blender's 3D View.

It lets you create, organize, and play slide-based presentations directly inside a Blender scene using cameras, timeline ranges, viewport objects, speaker notes, checkpoints, and presentation controls.

Main Features

Slide Management

• Create and delete slides from the 3D View sidebar.
• Organize slides in a compact UI list.
• Use slide titles for clear presentation structure.
• Select a slide from the list to jump to its timeline range.
• Automatically update the scene In and Out range when a slide is selected.
• Optional Autoplay When Selected Slide setting.

Timeline-Based Presentation Workflow

• Each slide has its own In and Out frame range.
• Use the current timeline frame to quickly set slide start and end frames.
• Use transition frame values between slides.
• Loop the active slide during playback.
• Navigate to the next or previous slide during a presentation.
• Hard-skip to the next or previous slide without transition playback.

Camera Support

• Assign a camera to each slide.
• Automatically switch the active scene camera when selecting or playing a slide.
• Use Blender scenes as presentation spaces, combining cameras, objects, lights, images, annotations, and animation.

Speaker Notes Overlay

• Add one or more speaker notes to each slide.
• Display notes directly in the 3D View as an overlay.
• Show the slide title with the notes overlay.
• Choose the notes position:
  • Bottom Left
  • Top Left
  • Bottom Right
  • Top Right
• Adjust title font size.
• Adjust notes font size.
• Notes use a shadowed overlay style for readability during presentation.

Checkpoints

• Add checkpoints inside a slide.
• Pause playback automatically at checkpoint frames.
• Continue playback from a paused checkpoint.
• Use checkpoint tags for visual organization.

Visual Tags

• Assign visual color tags to slides.
• Tags are shown as icons in the slide list.
• The selected slide settings now use an icon-only tag selector for a cleaner interface.

Presentation Controller

• Start presentation playback from the selected slide.
• Stop presentation playback.
• Move to previous or next slide.
• Skip transitions manually.
• Continue from checkpoints.
• View the current active slide number and title.

Viewport Presentation Tools

• Toggle a cleaner viewport presentation mode.
• Hide unnecessary viewport overlays while keeping the notes overlay available.
• Toggle between Rendered View and Solid View from the add-on controller.
• Open a dedicated projection window for presenting.

Initial Release Notes

This is the first public Blender Extensions release of Slides PRO.

This release focuses on a stable, scene-based presentation workflow for artists, students, teachers, designers, and creators who want to present directly inside Blender instead of exporting to external slide software.

Typical Uses

• Portfolio presentations
• Project pitches
• Storyboard presentations
• Concept art reviews
• Art direction breakdowns
• Lessons and visual explanations
• Scene-based demos
• Animation and film project presentations

Changelog

1.6.0

Improved UI and Blender Extensions preparation update.

Added:

• Cleaner slide list layout
• Compact slide rows with active slide indicator
• Visual color tags for slides
• Selected slide details panel
• Add and delete slide controls above the slide list
• Automatic jump to the selected slide frame when choosing a slide from the list
• Clean View overlay toggle for presentation mode
• Rendered/Solid View toggle in the controller
• Safer note handling for empty and multiple notes

Improved:

• Better UI for the slide list and selected slide settings
• Better alignment for Title and Note fields
• Cleaner notes layout with add/remove note buttons
• More compact slide rows for projects with many slides
• Simpler checkpoint display
• More readable controller layout
• Better presentation workflow inside the 3D View

Fixed:

• Notes no longer disappear when empty
• Removing a note now deletes the correct note row
• Slide selection from the list now updates the timeline position
• Overlay toggle now keeps notes visible while hiding unnecessary viewport overlays
• Registration process cleaned up for Blender Extensions
• Extension package now includes only the files required to run the add-on
• Manifest now uses only the 3D View tag

Changelog

1.5.2

Initial public release of Slides Pro.

Slides Pro is a presentation workflow add-on that lets users create, organize, and play slide-based presentations directly inside the 3D View.

Main features:

• Create slide-based presentations inside a scene
• Use cameras as slide viewpoints
• Navigate between slides from a dedicated panel
• Play and stop presentations manually
• Add and display speaker notes
• Use text, objects, images, lights, cameras, and scene elements as presentation content
• Build visual presentations without leaving the 3D workspace
• Keep presentation playback lightweight and user-controlled
• Presentation handlers are registered only when playback is started manually
• No unnecessary startup handler is registered automatically
• Suitable for project pitches, portfolio presentations, lessons, art reviews, storyboard presentations, and creative talks

The add-on includes:

• Extension-ready manifest
• Public README
• Changelog
• Support information
• GPL-compatible license
• GitHub Issues support workflow