Installing what you need
There are three things that you need to install on your computer before you can make sculpties in Blender:
Blender 3d
The Python software
The Primstar sculptie scripts
Installation is… fairly straightforward if you do it right, but unfortunately, there are two steps that are easy to mess up, and can make things very difficult, so I had to write up this short tutorial.
Go figure.
Installing Blender
Download Blender 3d from here.
Installing Blender is fairly easy. For the most part just follow the instructions. However, there is ONE thing that Windows XP users will have to change
There is a point during installation that asks you where you want to store the user data files. By default, the ‘Application Folder’ is selected. Switch this to the “Installation Directory. This will save you some hassle in a bit.
After that, just wrap up the installation as normal.
Python
Download Python 2.6.6 from here.
For the current stable version of Blender (2.49) you’ll want to download the latest 2.6 build of Python. Do NOT download 3.1 or 2.7. Install normally.
Domino’s Primstar Scripts
Download the scripts from here.
Installing the Primstar scripts is probably the most troublesome of the three. Go into your file explorer, and navigate to the Blender data directory. You’re looking for the .blender/scripts folder.
.blender is a “hidden folder.” If you can’t see it, you may need to change your settings to show hidden files and folders.
In the Windows file explorer, go to Tools > Folder Options, and in the View tab check “show hidden files and folders.
In the Mac OSX, type the following in the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder
Try looking for the folder in the following directories:
Linux: ~/.blender/scripts
Mac: /Applications/blender/blender.app/Contents/MacOS/.blender/scripts/
Windows XP: c:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts
Windows Vista: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts
Once you’ve found the scripts directory, find the folder called “primstar” inside the zip file you downloaded and copy the whole folder into the blender scripts directory. If you’ve installed Domino’s scripts previously, you might have to find the old ones and delete them manually. Now you’re ready to start Blender.
nothing to add, just wanted to say a big thank you for your tutorial work. the effort you put into these is much appreciated as they are some of the MOST helpful tutorials around. i hope you stick with it, even though the lack of comments on the whole page is not a good sign! :/
i like the new look of the page too
keep it up and THANK YOU!
Heheh. Well I only started redirecting people to the new site a couple of days ago, so I’m actually more surprised that I’ve already gotten one comment.
I’ve hardly given up hope. xD
I have some what of a problem when i go to install Domino’s script my blender directory path ends at “C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender” ( i have show hidden file and folder on) I am using blender version 2.6.2. I have to wonder is blender.\script a directory i have to make ..
Ahh found it your file path is a little off i believe… you tell me… “C:\Documents and Settings\Nick\Application Data\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts” Where as “Nick” is your user name on your computer
It looks like you have Windows XP, and in this tutorial, I tell people to change the user data directory from the “Application Data” to the “Install Directory.”
I suppose I could change this to reflect the default now, but back when Blender first made this change, people were getting confused as all of the long-time Blender users still had the directory in the old location.
I suppose the short answer is, yes, you can use the scripts folder in the Application Data directory if you want to.
Arrghhh,
Windows 7 32 bit – and I did the same thing, installed before reading your tutorial… so my default was also nder “MYNAME/APPDATA/BLENDERFOUNDATION/BLENDER/.BLENDER/SCRIPTS”.
Love the Tutorials,
I will promote as much as I can to fellow scripters.
Thanks,
Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to make these tutorials! Great work! I love “old school” primwork for the challenge, but finally caved and decided to learn sculpties. Thanks to you I was able to get “up and running” over this weekend. Awsome stuff! If I could think of anything you could add would be perhaps a tutorial (or just the basic information) on importing objects and converting them to sculpties. I am aware this can be tricky due to various factors such as general complexity. just a thought
I can’t say it enough Thank you so much for making my transition into the world of sculpties a lot easier than I expected. 
I suppose maybe I should look into how to convert objects… I know there’s a function to do this with the Primstar scripts. I haven’t really bothered because, in my experience, models that weren’t built in the sculptie format generally don’t make good sculpties. Even WITH the Primstar scripts, I’ve seen Domino tell people pretty often that the object that they’re trying to convert simply won’t work.
If I do write it, I’d probably have to tell people not to attempt it until they know enough about sculpties to have an idea what will and will not convert. Or… well no. I don’t like telling people to not try something. I’d probably just tell them not to expect stellar results. Hehe.
I’m a longtime Maya and Cinema 4D creator/designer. Could no longer afford the cost of updating either one, so decided to give open source a chance. Although Blender has a steep learning curve, it is actually very powerful if you can figure out the interface. Didn’t expect to see 90 percent of Maya ‘under the hood’. From a professional: Give Blender a chance!
Also, a note to Blender Ubuntu 9.10 users: If Domino’s Primstar Scripts are not working due to script errors: Find Blender’s scripts directory and copy them to the directory above. Ubuntu made a mistake and the Primstar scripts will not work otherwise. Took me hours to find this information so I thought I’d spead the word
Well, I used Terminal to reveal the hidden .files on my Mac: no problem. Then I looked for the .blender/scripts folder: can’t find it, using the path that you give, viz., Mac: /Applications/blender/blender.app/Contents/MacOS/.blender/scripts/
The troubles is, the third term in this list, blender.app, is the naked app itself, and not a folder containing Contents/MacOS/.blender/scripts. So, clicking it just launches blender, rather than navigating further. I have tried looking in username/Applications, and in username/Library/Application Support, but can’t find it. Looked for .blender/Scripts using Spotlight, the system-widen search function, but no result.
Please could you suggest a path?
Many thanks!
Devi
Unfortunately, I don’t really know the answer to this one. I’ve heard that Mac users often have trouble with installation. Your best bet is probably to go to the forums on Domino’s site and ask for help there. The people who frequent the forums there are a lot more knowledgeable about this sort of problem than I am.
Murgy, I’m very much a beginner in all this, so maybe I don’t see the difficulties that you and everyone else does.
All I’m asking is for an accurate file-path to a folder where I can install Primstar so that Blender can find it.
The file-path you provide has as its 3rd term, ‘blender.app’ and that must be a misprint, since it’s a _folder_ we need there, no? I have tried placing nested folders called ‘Contents/MacOS/.blender/scripts’ into the folder called ‘Blender’, as the nearest thing to what you’re saying, but it doesn’t seem to work: the Blender File:import command doesn’t see Primstar.
I just don’t see why this is all so difficult…!
Kind regards
Devi
The file path I provided was copied directly from Domino’s site. I checked it again today and its the same, and after doing a google search, it seems that this is the correct file path. You just can’t get to the folder by the conventional route.
You can blame Blender 3D for that. In any case, here’s a forum entry from Blender.org. Hopefully it’ll help some. http://www.blender.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=70779&sid=c8ccd843623ce74c5aab27a930cd8952
Edit: Oh. Alternatively, you can customize blender to use an additional user-defined scripts folder. http://blog.machinimatrix.org/2009/12/07/the-blender-basic-customization-guide/
Hello Murgy: thank you for your patience! I’ll try both suggestions. I posted twice on the Blender forums, as you suggested, but have had no response over 4 days…
Ok i have a problem with adding the sculptie mesh i am running mac os on an intel mac and when i try to add a sculpty mesh it says Python script error:check console what does this mean does it mean i have done something wrong?
Are you running it on Windows or Mac OS? (Assuming that you may have both, since you have an intel machine.) There are several things that could be wrong, but it helps to know what is actually written in the console. On Windows, the console is the second window that opens up. On OSX, you have to use the Mac console program, which you should be able to find using the Mac search thing.
A common problem seems to be people extracting the entire primstar ZIP file, and place the whole thing (the folder named Primstar_1.0.0 or something similar) into the script folder. Instead you want to JUST copy the subfolder (called primstar) into the scripts directory. Everything else in the zip file is if you want to try to use the installer, which is more confusing to me than installing the scripts manually.
everything appeared to be installed properly, but when I open up blender I get a command line window with the following message:
Compiled with Python version 2.6.2
‘import site’ failed; use -v for traceback
Checking for installed Python… No installed Python found.
Only built-in modules are available. Some scripts may not run.
Continuing happily
I’ve got Blender 2.6.5 installed
It sounds like you don’t have Pythong 2.6.* installed. If you installed Python, its likely that you installed 3.0.* instead, which isn’t compatible with the current version of Blender.
Sorry I meant to say I have Python 2.6.5 installed not Blender. I tried uninstalling and re-installing it. I am using the X86-64 version will that make a difference?
Hmm. Very possible. Blender’s current version certainly wouldn’t be able to take advantage of 64 bit in any case, though I don’t know all of the technical details as to why it wouldn’t work.
So yeah, i got the “portable” version of Blender 2.49 64 bit…
im currently runnign windows7 ulötimate 64bit, installed python and the domino scripts like you said.
the last action obvously failed as i am getting this when trying to make a sculpty mesh:
Checking for installed Python… got it!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “”, line 1, in
File “C:\Program Files\Blender\.blender\scripts\primstar\add_mesh_sculpt_mesh.
py”, line 50, in
from Tkinter import *
File “C:\Python26\Lib\lib-tk\Tkinter.py”, line 38, in
import FixTk
File “C:\Python26\Lib\lib-tk\FixTk.py”, line 63, in
import _tkinter
ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found.
I’d be very pleased if this issue can be resolved, as i desperately need to learn how to sculpt. no learning without practice and something to work on, right?
You want to uninstall the 64 bit versions of Blender and Python and instead install the 32bit versions. Primstar doesn’t work with 64 bit.
I am runnig Window 7. C:\Program Files (x86)\Blender Foundation\Blender\Scripts is where my old version of python script files are in. They work fine. However, when I extract primstar I can not create a C:\Program Files (x86)\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\Scripts path as instructed. \.blender can not be used as a file name so, I am force to use the old path
C:\Program Files (x86)\Blender Foundation\Blender\Scripts
and I do not get the panel displayed in the Jass 2 tutorials.
What am I doing wrong?
I’m also using Windows 7, and .blender can still be used as a folder name. I’m guessing that your folder options aren’t set up to show hidden files and folders. You need to set it to do so by going to Organize > Folder and search options, then look under the View tab for “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
Just FYI for Mac users, if you right-click (or control-click) the application itself, you get an option called “Show Package Contents.” That’s where the path is.