Problem with Blender Pipeline v2.3

I am running CC 4.54.4225.1 and iClone 8.54
Reallusion HUB is showing Blender Pipeline installed in BOTH iClone and Character Creator
Neither iClone nor CC has Blender Pipeline installed. This is by looking at the Toolbar and the Plugins dropdown.
This is the same problem that I started the week with.
I have installed and uninstalled the Blender Pipeline REPEATEDLY.
I have manually deleted the folder in both locations
I have uninstalled and reinstalled both CC and iClone.

I downloaded the plugin from GitHub and manually installed it. Still not in iClone or CC
In CC and iClone, I tried to run the main.py script as a standalone script from the Script > Load Python menu. Still nothing. Though when I checked the Console Log, I found an error. “<class ‘TypeError’>, File: C:/Program Files/Reallusion/Character Creator 4/Bin64\lib\genericpath.py, Line: 19, Function: exists”

Can someone help me out?

Sorry to hear about the issue. I would recommend contacting Technical Support, who will be able to advise you further.

I had the exact same issue and managed to solve it. Here’s what worked for me:
The key was updating to the latest Python version - Python 3.13.5. After installing that, everything works perfectly now.
For some strange reason, ReallusionHub wouldn’t properly install the Blender plugin for me either, so I downloaded the plugin directly from GitHub, manually copied the CCiC-Blender-Pipeline-Plugin-2.3.0 folder to OpenPlugin folders, and installed the CC/iC tools 2.3.1 addon in Blender.
After doing these steps, both Character Creator and iClone properly recognize the Blender Pipeline plugin and everything works flawlessly.
I hope updating to the latest Python version (3.13.5) will solve your problem like it did for me!

Spent, literally, 5 days with technical support. Asking in this forum was the only useful help they gave.

The dev for the plugin helped me out. My Blender exe is in my Steam folder and the plugin didn’t look there for it. He updated the dev version with this path. I can now run it as a script.

1 Like

Can you provide the link? I also have my Blender installed via Steam

I also have my Blender installed in the same steam folder. He updated the one on the github website?

Here is a link to the thread Latest update · Issue #90 · soupday/CCiC-Blender-Pipeline-Plugin · GitHub
You will need to replace both the CC and Blender addons

Character Creator

Blender

Thank you very much, my friend. The developer needs to make 2.3.2 public - tons of ppl install their blender through steam

I wonder why?

2 Likes

So the root cause of issue is Blender install via Steam?

Such people are very likely indie game devs
who acquire most their content though their steam account (entrenched habits) :roll_eyes:
as there really is no actual advantage to doing so with Blender.

Now someone will say: “But dude the steam version updates your blender installation automatically” :nerd_face:

Trust me, Blender is the LAST application you want to just update itself ,without your active intervention ,because unless you are that one Blender user ,on the planet, running a completely factory, default vanilla version of Blender (without any addons)
You will very likely break compatibility with some critical third party addon that has not yet been updated for the latest “bleeding edge” build of Blender.

5 Likes

It is true, but it steam you can block the auto-updates and choose if and when you want to do so.

But the default option is it gets updated.
Additionally the installation path, the environment variable , registry etc all causing the issues with third party.

Lesson learnt , use default instalation of Blender and not update it before all the desired addons are confirmed working.

2 Likes

N.B. This issue also occurs if you purely run Blender as stand-alone.

I had this issue, and struggled with it with support for many days. It was only when I was directed to this thread by support and read talkingheads mention that their “Blender exe is in their Steam folder and the plugin didn’t look there for it” that it dawned on me that running Blender stand-alone from a custom directory would cause the same issue.

I’ve just installed the latest Blender using the installer, reattempted install of the Blender Pipeline, and it worked.

So not just people running Blender out of Steam.

Great find @zx650476 .
So custom directory whether Steam or Custom can cause issue.

I have tons of different Blender versions installed in custom folders. I keep most frequently used updated with the same pipeline add-on. And I can fire up any version by supplying respective path to Blender executable.

Out of curiosity I installed one from Steam (have not used Steam since Half-Life 2 :grinning:)
It worked just fine as well…

Untitled-3

1 Like

The bug only happens if there is no existing config file and it can’t find a Blender path.

Putting a valid config file: ccic_blender_pipeline_plugin.txt inside your Reallusion Custom Content folder should get round it. (The folder should be listed in the content settings)

{
    "blender_path": "",
    "datalink_folder": "",
    "export_morph_materials": true,
    "default_morph_slider_path": "Custom/Blender",
    "auto_start_service": false,
    "match_client_rate": true,
    "datalink_frame_sync": false,
    "cc_use_facial_profile": true,
    "cc_use_hik_profile": true,
    "cc_use_facial_expressions": true,
    "cc_delete_hidden_faces": false,
    "cc_bake_textures": false,
    "ic_use_facial_profile": false,
    "ic_use_hik_profile": false,
    "ic_use_facial_expressions": false,
    "ic_delete_hidden_faces": true,
    "ic_bake_textures": true,
    "cc_export_mode": "Animation",
    "ic_export_mode": "Animation",
    "export_preset": 0,
    "export_bake_hair": false,
    "export_bake_skin": false,
    "export_t_pose": false,
    "export_current_pose": false,
    "export_current_animation": false,
    "export_motion_only": false,
    "export_hik": false,
    "export_facial_profile": false,
    "export_remove_hidden": false,
    "toolbar_state_cc": true,
    "toolbar_state_ic": true
}

That at least should let you find the Blender path for yourself.

1 Like

This version of the plug-in should work if Blender is not found and it will work with Version 2.3.1 of the Blender add-on:

Can anyone test it?

From what I can tell, if you had Blender installed in any location other than the default location, it would be a problem.

1 Like