Requirements

Blender 5.0 or newer — Path Templates are a native Blender 5.0 feature, so Zap Output does not invent its own token engine. Folder per Pass (Pro) needs Blender 5.1+.

Installation

1. Blender → Edit → Preferences → Get Extensions
2. Top-right dropdown → Install from Disk...
3. Pick the zap_output zip file for your edition (Free or Pro) — done. Find the tools in Properties → Output.

Quick Start

1. In the Output panel, set Name (e.g. S03) and Folder (default render)
2. Click Path Preset and pick a layout, or press the star favorite button (Pro)
3. Before a new take, press Version Up — that's it

Feature Reference

Output panel (Properties → Output) — included in Free

• Live path preview above the File Path field, including the frame counter and extension Blender will add
• Date stamp (e.g. 260713, YYMMDD) — inserts today or updates an old date
• Version Up / Down (v001 to v002) — scans the disk and skips versions that already have renders, so nothing is overwritten
• Copy path button and open/create folder button on the preview
• Native token buttons: insert scene name, camera name, FPS, width and height with one click, no typing

Pro adds

• Path presets with placeholders (folder, name, date), editable in Preferences, plus a one-click global favorite
• Camera folders — every camera you switch to renders into its own folder automatically
• Folder per Pass (Blender 5.1+) for File Output nodes — one click sends every pass into its own subfolder
• Preview Render / Animation buttons that send viewport renders to a separate preview folder, so a quick look never overwrites the final render
• Auto-Save Still Renders — F12 renders are saved automatically and never overwritten (a taken name gets _1, _2 appended)
• Version Up on Render, plus Archive to an _old folder

File Output nodes (Compositor → sidebar → Zap)

The same stamps, tokens, folder helpers and live preview, applied to the node's Directory and File name fields.

Notes

• A File Output node writes files on every render, including F12 test renders — keep its path versioned so tests never overwrite good frames.
• If the Output panel path and a File Output node produce the exact same filename, Blender silently overwrites the older one — keep prefixes different.

License & Support

Licensed GPL-3.0-or-later. For support, email [email protected] with your Blender version and the path shown in the preview box.