NebulaLink I/O — Documentation

Unified Import/Export Hub for Blender

Version: 1.0.0
Publisher: Anvil Interactive Solutions
License: MIT
Supported Formats: OBJ, FBX, glTF/GLB
Supported Blender Versions: 3.0+ (optimized for 4.x & 5.x)

1. Overview

NebulaLink I/O is a high-performance, artist-friendly import/export system built to replace Blender’s fragmented file pipeline with a single smart, preset-driven workflow.

It automatically:

• Detects the correct file handler (OBJ/FBX/glTF).

• Applies post-import cleanup (normals, bone roll, material normalization).

• Performs pre-export validation (scale, transforms, UV checks).

• Fixes common issues that break Unity, Unreal, and WebGL pipelines.

• Writes JSON diagnostic reports for asset history & debugging.

NebulaLink I/O is designed for solo artists, technical directors, and full studios seeking a clean, predictable pipeline.

2. Key Features

Unified Import/Export

• One operator per workflow: Import (Auto) and Export (Auto)

• Automatically determines proper settings based on file extension

• Better errors, better diagnostics, better consistency

Smart Presets

• General (default)

• Unreal Character (unit scale 0.01, bone roll fixes, material normalization)

• Unity Static Mesh

• WebGL Low Poly

Each preset controls:

• Unit scale expectations

• Auto scale apply

• Normal recalculation

• Material safety rewiring

• Bone roll cleanup

• Format-specific FBX/glTF options

Advanced Import Controls

Selective object filtering during import:

• Meshes

• Armatures

• Cameras

• Lights

• Empties

• Other object types (curves, volumes, etc.)

Lets you strip out unwanted junk from game engine exports, DCC tools, or CAD files.

Advanced Export Pipeline

• Preflight warnings for:

  • Non-uniform scale

  • Non-identity rotation

  • Missing UVs

• Automatic fixes based on preset

• Material normalization (Principled → Output pipeline rebuild)

• Two-stage logging (Blender + JSON report)

Fixers System

NebulaLink includes several fix modules that run automatically:

• Unit Scale Fixer

• Apply Scale Fixer

• Normals Fixer

• Mesh Sanity Fixer

• Material Normalize Fixer

• Bone Roll Fixer

This ensures data is always consistent before hitting the game engine.

Blender UI Integration

Appears in:

• View3D → Sidebar → NebulaLink I/O

• File → Import → NebulaLink I/O (Auto)

• File → Export → NebulaLink I/O (Auto)

Diagnostics System

Every import/export:

• Stores messages in the NebulaLink panel

• Generates a JSON report beside the target file (optional)

3. Installation Guide

Install via ZIP

1. Download the addon ZIP from Superhive.

2. In Blender, go to:
   Edit → Preferences → Add-ons → Install

3. Select the ZIP.

4. Enable NebulaLink I/O in the addon list.

5. Optional:
   Open the add-on preferences to configure default preset, logs, and export paths.

There is no need to unzip the file — Blender handles that automatically.

4. Add-On Preferences

Find under:
Edit → Preferences → Add-ons → NebulaLink I/O

Settings:

5. Importing With NebulaLink

Access via:

• File → Import → NebulaLink I/O (Auto)

• N-Panel → NebulaLink I/O → Import (Auto)

Import Options

Before running the operator, you can toggle which object types to keep:

• Meshes

• Armatures

• Cameras

• Lights

• Empties

• Other object types

This is extremely useful for:

• Cleaning up disorganized source files

• Removing cameras/lights from Maya/Max exports

• Extracting only meshes for Unity/Unreal

Import Steps

1. Click Import (Auto)

2. Choose file (OBJ, FBX, glTF/GLB)

3. NebulaLink imports, prunes filtered objects, and auto-fixes:

   • normals

   • bone rolls (if enabled)

   • materials

4. Diagnostics appear in the sidebar

6. Exporting With NebulaLink

Access via:

• File → Export → NebulaLink I/O (Auto)

• N-Panel → NebulaLink I/O → Export (Auto)

Export Behavior

• Exports selected objects

• Applies preflight checks

• Applies preset-based fixes

• Writes JSON reports if enabled

Supports:

• OBJ

• FBX

• glTF / GLB

Format-specific additions (per preset)

Example (FBX):

• Apply unit scale

• Bake animation (Unreal preset)

• Remove leaf bones

Example (glTF):

• Toggle texture embedding

• Toggle normals export

7. JSON Report System

For every import/export, NebulaLink can generate a .json report containing:

• Operation type (import/export)

• Target file

• NebulaLink version

• Preset name

• Blender version

• Timestamp

• Message log (INFO/WARNING/ERROR)

Useful for:

• Production tracking

• Automated build pipelines

• Large team handoff documentation

• Asset troubleshooting

8. Seat Licensing Overview

NebulaLink I/O uses pricing variants to define seat counts.
Each purchase tier corresponds to a maximum number of allowable users.

Seat Tiers

Seat License Rules

1. A seat equals a single person using the addon.

2. All users under a studio license must belong to the same company or studio.

3. Granted seats allow installation on multiple machines per user (home + work OK).

4. Redistribution outside your studio or team is not permitted.

5. If your team grows beyond your seat tier, upgrade pricing applies.

License Enforcement

Superhive does not enforce seats automatically; compliance is contractual.
Seat details are included:

• On the product page

• Within the variant description

• Inside the included LICENSE_SEATS.txt

I can generate this file for you if you’d like.

9. Troubleshooting

❓ Import says “No handler for file extension”

File extension not supported (e.g., .blend, .dae, .usd).
NebulaLink currently supports:

• OBJ

• FBX

• glTF / GLB

❓ “Failed to recalc normals” warnings

Some meshes (especially from CAD or InstaLOD pipelines) have:

• No normal data

• Non-manifold geometry

• Corrupt topology

NebulaLink will skip these safely.

❓ “Non-uniform scale” warnings

Indicates the mesh has different X/Y/Z scale.
This can break:

• Unreal skinning

• Unity physics

• glTF exporters

Fix: Apply transforms (Ctrl+A → Scale).

❓ Bone roll fixes not applying

Bone roll auto-fix runs after import, not pre-export.
Only activates if preset enables auto_fix_bone_roll.

❓ Addon fails to load (registration errors)

Caused by old Blender cache or partial installs.

Fix:

1. Disable addon

2. Remove NebulaLink ZIP from scripts/addons

3. Restart Blender

4. Reinstall clean version

10. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does NebulaLink support animation export?

Yes — all Blender animation data supported by FBX/glTF is preserved.

Q: Can I export multiple objects as multiple files?

Feature is planned for v1.2 (Batch Export).

Q: Does it support Rigify rigs?

Yes — the Unreal Character preset is optimized for game-ready skeletons.

Q: Does it modify my materials?

Only if preset enables material normalization.
It never deletes nodes.

Q: Can I use NebulaLink in Blender 5.x?

Yes — fully compatible.

Q: Can studios automate the workflow?

Yes — all operators are scriptable:

bpy.ops.nebulalink.import_auto(filepath="asset.fbx")
bpy.ops.nebulalink.export_auto(filepath="export.glb")

11. Support & Contact

For bug reports, feature requests, and studio inquiries:

Publisher: Anvil Interactive Solutions
Support Email: [email protected]
Superhive Contact: Use the “Contact Creator” button on the product page

Enterprise users (50+ seats) may request custom builds or pipeline integration support.

12. Changelog

1.0.0 – Public Release

• Full import/export pipeline

• Preset system

• Fixer registry

• Import filtering

• JSON diagnostics

• Menu integration

• Full UX panel

• Studio seat licensing