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Scripts & Add-ons

Scripts let Vectopen do repetitive work for you: create, move, recolour, rename and group objects. Add-ons are scripts packaged to be reused and shared.

Both live in the Script tab of the Effects window in the Smart interface.

Scripts in Modern and Pro

In 0.2.0-alpha the Script tab is only in Smart. Switch to Smart to run a script — what it creates or changes is there in every interface. Bringing it into the Modern and Pro right panel is planned.

Scripts

The Script tab is a small code editor and console:

  • Write GDScript using the api object — the Vectopen API.
  • Run with Ctrl+Enter or F5. print() output and errors (with their line) appear in the console.
  • Typing api. shows autocompletion; the help button lists every API function.
  • Every run is one undo step. If a script fails halfway, its changes are undone automatically.
  • Save scripts to your library and reuse them.

Templates to start from: grid of circles, random colours, spiral of stars, spread in a circle, Bézier wave, polygons 3 → 12, rename selection, group by type.

A minimal example — 10 circles in a row, each a different colour:

for i in 10:
    var c = api.add_ellipse(Vector2(60 + i * 70, 200), Vector2(50, 50))
    api.set_fill(c, Color.from_hsv(i / 10.0, 0.7, 0.95))

Useful API functions:

Group Functions
Create add_rect, add_ellipse, add_polygon, add_star, add_shape, add_path, add_curve, add_line, add_text, import_svg
Find & select shapes, find, selection, select, clear_selection, artboard, artboards
Change set_prop, set_props, set_fill, set_stroke, set_position, move, set_rotation
Organise group, duplicate, delete, arrange, align
Effects effect_types, add_effect, clear_effects, add_filter

Add-ons

The Add-ons section of the Script tab is the add-on manager:

  • Install from a .zip, a folder or a single .gd file.
  • Enable / disable, reload (after editing its files) and uninstall.
  • An active add-on shows its operators (buttons) and its settings right there.
  • If an add-on fails to start, it stays disabled and shows the error.

Included as examples:

  • Colours — random colours, a gradient from the first to the last selected object, invert, greyscale.
  • Repeat — copy the selection in a grid or around a circle.
  • Hello Vectopen — the smallest possible add-on: one button that writes to the console and creates a text. Start here to write your own.

Writing an add-on

An add-on is a folder with two files: addon.cfg (name, version, author, description) and main.gd (a script that extends VectopenAddon). Look at the Hello Vectopen folder for a complete example.

AI agents

To let an AI assistant drive Vectopen, see MCP Server.