Documentation

Timeline Manager is a Blender add-on for creating, managing, and restoring named file snapshots. It helps protect your work by keeping real, restorable .blend checkpoints throughout your workflow.

Getting Started

1. Install and enable Timeline Manager in Blender.
2. Open the Timeline Manager panel from the Blender sidebar.
3. Choose a storage folder for your snapshots.
4. Create a manual snapshot or enable Auto Snapshot.
5. Use the snapshot list to restore an earlier version whenever needed.

Manual Snapshots

Create a snapshot whenever you want to preserve the current state of your project. You can give each snapshot a custom name, making important versions easy to identify.

Auto Snapshots

Enable Auto Snapshot and choose your preferred interval. Timeline Manager will automatically create snapshots while you work, helping protect your progress without requiring manual saves.

Snapshot Storage

Snapshots can be stored in a custom folder. You can choose a location on your local drive, external storage, or a synced folder.

Snapshot Cleanup

Set a maximum number of snapshots in the preferences. When Auto Cleanup is enabled, the oldest snapshots are automatically removed when the limit is reached.

Compression

Timeline Manager can use Blender's native .blend compression to help reduce the storage size of snapshots.

Restoring a Snapshot

Select a snapshot from the list to restore it. The selected snapshot becomes the active file in Blender. Restoring does not delete the snapshot from disk.

Tip: If you want to keep your current unsaved work, save the current file under a separate name before restoring another snapshot.

Undo vs. Timeline Manager

Timeline Manager does not replace Blender's built-in Undo system. Blender's Ctrl+Z handles actions within the current session, while Timeline Manager keeps complete file-level snapshots that can be restored after closing Blender, restarting the application, or recovering from an unwanted save.

Recommended Workflow

1. Enable Auto Snapshot for regular protection.
2. Create a manual snapshot before major or risky changes.
3. Use descriptive names for important checkpoints.
4. Set a reasonable maximum snapshot count to control storage usage.
5. Use a separate or synced storage location when appropriate.

Supported Platforms

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux

Supported Blender Versions

Blender 4 LTS through the supported Blender 5.x series.

Important Notes

• Snapshots are real .blend files.
• Auto Snapshot works independently from Blender's built-in autosave system.
• Restoring a snapshot does not automatically delete other snapshots.
• Make sure the selected storage location has enough free disk space.

Support

Timeline Manager is developed by 3dmagic. Support and future updates are provided through the developer's Superhive profile.