Weight Calculator Add-on for Blender

Introducing.

Are you a designer, engineer, or architect looking to estimate the weight of your 3D models accurately? Look no further! The Weight Calculator Add-on for Blender is here to help.

Overview

The Weight Calculator Add-on is a powerful tool designed to help Blender users calculate the weight of selected mesh objects based on their material properties. This add-on is particularly useful for engineers, architects, and designers who need to estimate the weight of 3D models for construction, mechanical manufacturing, and other applications. This add-on supports a wide range of materials and provides options for custom density and volume inputs, making it versatile for various applications.

Key Features

• Wide Range of Materials: Choose from a variety of common materials used in construction and mechanical manufacturing, including metals, plastics, and more.
• Custom Density Input: For materials not listed, input a custom density value to get precise weight calculations.
• User-Friendly Interface: A simple and intuitive panel in the 3D Viewport makes it easy to select materials and calculate weights.
• Solid Mesh Verification: The add-on ensures that only solid mesh objects are considered, providing accurate results.

Features

• Material Selection: Choose from a wide range of common materials used in construction and mechanical manufacturing.
• Custom Density and Volume: Optionally input a custom density and volume values for materials not listed in the default selection.
• Solid Mesh Verification: Ensures that only solid mesh objects are considered for weight calculation.
• Volume Calculation: Accurately calculates the volume of the selected mesh objects.
• Weight Calculation: Computes the weight of the selected objects based on their volume and material density.
• User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use panel in the 3D Viewport for selecting materials and calculating weights.
• Unit System Support: Supports both Metric and Imperial unit systems.
• Error Handling: Provides informative error messages for better user experience.

Supported Materials

• Metals: Iron, Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Titanium, Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Magnesium, Nickel, Uranium, Mercury
• Non-Metals: Plastic, Wood, Concrete, Glass, Brick, Marble, Granite, Carbon Fiber, Foam, Rubber, Diamond

Installation

1. Download the Add-on:

• Download the weight_calculator_addon.py file from the provided source.

2. Install the Add-on:

• Open Blender.
• Go to Edit > Preferences (or press F4 and then P).
• Navigate to the Add-ons tab.
• Click on Install at the top left corner.
• Select the weight_calculator.py file and click Install Add-on.

3. Enable the Add-on:

• In the Add-ons tab, search for "Weight Calculator".
• Check the box next to "Weight Calculator Add-on" to enable it.

Usage

1. Open the Weight Calculator Panel:

• In the 3D Viewport, go to the Tool tab in the right-hand side panel.
• Scroll down to find the "Weight Calculator" section.

2. Select a Material:

• From the "Material Type" dropdown menu, select the material of the object you want to calculate the weight for.

3. Use Custom Density (Optional):

• If the material you need is not listed, check the "Use Custom Density" checkbox.
• Enter the custom density value in the "Density (kg/m³)" field.

4. Use Custom Volume (Optional): Check this box to input a custom volume value.

• Enter the custom volume value in the "Volume (m³)" field.

5. Length Unit: Select the length unit (Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters, Inches, Feet).
6. Select Objects:

• Select one or more mesh objects in the 3D Viewport.

7. Calculate Weight:

• Click the "Calculate Weight" button.
• The add-on will compute the total weight of the selected objects and display the result in the Info area at the bottom of the Blender window.

8. Calculate Volume:

• Click the "Calculate Volume" button to compute the total volume of the selected objects.
• The result will be displayed in the Info bar at the bottom of the Blender window.

Example Usage

1. Select a Mesh Object:

• In the 3D Viewport, select a mesh object (e.g., a cube).

2. Choose a Material:

• In the "Weight Calculator" panel, select "Aluminum" from the "Material Type" dropdown menu.

3. Calculate Weight:

• Click the "Calculate Weight" button.
• The add-on will display the total weight of the selected object in the Info area.

4. Calculate Volume:

• Click the Calculate Volume button to compute the total volume of the selected objects.
• The result will be displayed in the Info bar at the bottom of the Blender window.

Troubleshooting

• No Object Selected:
  • Ensure that at least one mesh object is selected in the 3D Viewport.
• Non-Solid Mesh:
  • The add-on only calculates the weight of solid mesh objects. Ensure that the selected objects are solid and do not have non-planar or split faces.
• Custom Density Not Applied:
  • If you are using a custom density, make sure the "Use Custom Density" checkbox is checked and the density value is entered correctly.

License

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.