Better AutoSave for Blender

Current Version: 1.6.2
Author: KerkLord
Blender Compatibility: 3.3.0+

Overview

BetterAutoSave is a powerful Blender addon that automatically saves your work at set intervals, ensuring you never lose progress. It enhances Blender’s default autosave by adding backup creation, ZIP compression, and smart handling during rendering. BetterAutoSave starts running as soon as you manually save your file, and it can even restart automatically when you reload your project.

Key Features

🔹 Reliable Auto-Saving

• Automatically saves your .blend file at a user-defined interval (default: 5 minutes).
• Starts autosaving only after the first manual save, preventing unnecessary files.
• Adjustable autosave interval (minimum 10 seconds).

🔹 Backup & Version Control

• Enable Backup: Creates a separate backup file (BACKUP.blend) in the same directory as your project.
• Compress Backups: Option to save backups as compressed ZIP files instead of .blend files, reducing file size.
• Backup Rotation: Maintain up to 20 previous backups within a ZIP file to avoid clutter.
• Backup Overwriting Control: Automatically renames older backups in the ZIP instead of deleting them.

🔹 Smart AutoSave Management

• Stops During Rendering: Temporarily disables autosaving when rendering starts to prevent lag or crashes.
• Auto Resume After Render: If enabled, autosave resumes automatically once the render is complete.
• Auto Start on File Load: Autosave automatically activates when you open a Blender file (waiting for the first manual save).

🔹 Instant Controls

• Set Interval: Adjust autosave frequency on the fly without restarting Blender.
• Manual Start/Stop: Easily start or stop the autosave process from the Better Blender panel or the File menu.
• Live Feedback: Console messages confirm when autosaves and backups are made.

How It Works

1. Set Autosave Interval – Choose how frequently your project should be autosaved.
2. Enable Backups (Optional) – Turn on backup creation with optional ZIP compression and versioning.
3. Start BetterAutoSave – Autosave begins after your first manual save.
4. Stop or Adjust Anytime – Modify settings on the fly without restarting Blender.

Installation

1. Download the .py file from Gumroad.
2. Open Blender and go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons.
3. Click Install, then select the downloaded .py file.
4. Enable the addon by checking the box next to BetterAutoSave.
5. A new “BetterAutoSave” panel will appear under 3D Viewport → Sidebar → Better Blender.

Usage Tips

• For Large Projects: Enable backup compression to save disk space while keeping version history.
• During Rendering: The addon automatically stops saving during renders to prevent performance drops.
• For Peace of Mind: Turn on Auto Start on Load so you never forget to activate autosaving.

Support

If you have questions, issues, or feature requests, feel free to reach out via Gumroad or Email at contact@kerkfx.ca any time.

🔥 Never lose your work again! BetterAutoSave ensures your Blender projects stay protected at all times. 🔥