NovaStrikes / Blender Addon
SMART
AUTOSAVE
+ PRO FOR BLENDER
Blender’s built-in autosave only saves to a single temp file on a timer, frequently overwriting your only recovery point. Smart AutoSave+ Pro for Blender solves this by tracking scene changes in real-time to save secure, versioned, and named checkpoints locally and to the cloud (Google Drive & Dropbox) without interrupting your creative flow.
Looking for Export & Handoff tools? Smart AutoSave+ Pro is fully integrated with One-Click Safe Export, helping you pack textures, linked libraries, and organize folders in one click with visual handoff logs.
EXPLORE ONE-CLICK EXPORT →WHAT THIS
APP DOES
Core Mission
Smart AutoSave+ Pro is a Blender addon that solves the biggest flaw in Blender's built-in autosave: it overwrites the same temp file every time with no version history. This addon creates organized, named, numbered backups of every version of your Blender work — automatically, silently, in the background.
Cloud Backup (Drive & Dropbox)
Version 8.7 adds optional cloud backup support for both Google Drive and Dropbox. When enabled, the addon automatically uploads your Blender checkpoint files to your personal cloud storage after each save — keeping your creative work secure off-site.
Edit-Based Detection
Unlike timer-based autosave, this addon computes a scene hash every 5 seconds and only saves when your scene has actually changed. Sit idle for an hour — nothing saves. Work for 10 minutes — exactly one backup, automatically. Zero duplicate files.
Session Timeline
Every backup gets a viewport thumbnail, timestamp and reason. The Timeline panel lets you browse, filter, search and restore any version of your work with one click — or open it in a new Blender window without touching your current file.
vs. Blender Default &
Other Addons
Blender's built-in autosave gives you one overwritten file and hopes it survives. Smart AutoSave+ Pro gives you a searchable history of every meaningful version of your work, with zero duplicate saves and secure off-site backup.
vs. Blender's Built-in Autosave
| Feature | Blender Built-in Autosave | Smart AutoSave+ Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Timer-based only, saves on interval regardless of activity | Edit-based — computes a scene hash every 5 seconds, only saves when something actually changed |
| Idle behavior | Can still fire on schedule even with zero changes | Sit idle an hour → nothing saves. Work 10 minutes → exactly one backup |
| File history | Single overwritten temp file — one shot at recovery if it's bad | Full history across 4 dedicated folders: Auto, Edit, Manual, Checkpoints |
| Named milestones | Not possible | Named Checkpoints (e.g. Client_Submission_v1) — protected from auto-pruning forever |
| Version browsing | None | Session Timeline — thumbnails, timestamps, save reasons, search/filter, restore or open any version in a new window |
| Cloud backup | None | Google Drive and Dropbox, background thread upload, optional delete-local-after-upload |
| Render safety | No render-specific handling | Auto-backup before and after every render, engine + frame range in filename |
| Crash-prone workflows | No special handling for compositing/EXR-heavy scenes | Dedicated compositing freeze fix — background saves pause during renders/compositing |
| Restore safety | N/A | Restores save as _restored_1.blend next to the original — never overwrites your working file |
vs. Other Blender Autosave Addons
| Feature | Typical Autosave Addons | Smart AutoSave+ Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Save trigger | Usually timer-based only | Edit-based detection (hash comparison every 5s) |
| Cloud backup | Rare | Google Drive + Dropbox, both supported |
| Named/organized checkpoints | Rare | 4 dedicated folders + named, unprunable checkpoints |
| Render-aware behavior | Rare | Pauses during renders/compositing, dedicated pre/post-render saves |
| Team features | Mostly single-user | User/team tags in filenames, multi-seat Team license |
| Transparency on data | Varies | GPL v3, source available, no telemetry |
CHOOSE YOUR
LICENSE.
Licensing options tailored for freelancers, indie studios, and collaborative production teams.
Basic timer-based autosave utility for students and hobbyists.
- Timer-based autosave only
- Basic backup log
- Cross-platform support
Core professional autosave for individual freelancers and artists.
- 1 User seat
- Core edit-based autosave
- Force save button
- Smart startup popup
- Compositing freeze fix
- Free updates & full support
Complete toolkit with advanced customization for small indie teams.
- Up to 6 User seats
- Everything in Basic
- Google Drive & Dropbox Backup
- Session Timeline with thumbnails
- Named checkpoints & 4 subfolders
- Save log history & UI tweaks
Priority workflow features for growing studios and collaborative pipelines.
- Up to 10 User seats
- Everything in Studio License
- Priority support queue
- Early access to new builds
- Free updates & full support
CLOUD BACKUP
GOOGLE DRIVE & DROPBOX
Keep your Blender checkpoints secured off-site automatically. Authenticate once and your files upload silently to your personal Google Drive or Dropbox account on a background thread after every save. Optionally enable Delete Local After Upload to save local disk space while keeping a complete version history in the cloud.
Enable & Connect
Preferences → Cloud Backup → Enable → Connect Google Drive or Dropbox → your browser opens the authentication page.
Approve Once
Sign in with your cloud account and click Allow. Token is saved locally on your machine — you never sign in again.
Works Automatically
Create a checkpoint or force save — file uploads in the background. Live status shown in Blender's N-Panel.
PERMISSIONS &
TRANSPARENCY
Smart AutoSave Pro uses standard OAuth authentication protocols to request permissions to upload files to your personal Google Drive or Dropbox storage. This is the only external network connection the addon makes. All tokens and login keys are saved locally on your workstation.
Can Do
Upload new .blend checkpoint files created by this addon to Google Drive or Dropbox. It only manages files created during your session.
Cannot Do
Read, view, modify, or delete any existing files in your Google Drive or Dropbox. The requested scopes strictly block other folder access.
Local Storage
Authentication tokens are stored locally on your machine only. They are never sent to any NovaStrikes server or third-party relay.
No Data Collection
The addon collects no telemetry, tracking cookies, personal usage details, or external analytics metrics.
drive.file scope (restricted upload access).
App Folder permission (Apps/Smart AutoSave Pro), isolating it from all other files.
ONE SCOPE.
NOTHING MORE.
| Scope | What It Allows | What It Prevents | Why It's Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| drive.file | Upload and manage files created by this app in the user's Google Drive. | Cannot access, view, read, modify or delete any files the user already has in Drive. | To silently upload Blender .blend checkpoint files after each save in the background. |
BUILT FOR
PRODUCTION.
Edit-Based Autosave Flagship
Computes a scene hash every tick. Only saves when something actually changed. Zero duplicate files when idle.
Cloud Backup (Drive & Dropbox) New
Authenticate once. Checkpoints upload silently to Google Drive or Dropbox in background threads. Optional local file cleanup.
Named Checkpoints
Save milestones with custom names like MyProject_Before_Rigging.blend. Protected from auto-pruning forever.
Session Timeline
Browse every save with thumbnails, timestamps and reasons. Filter, search, restore or open in a new window.
4 Dedicated Folders
Auto, Edit, Manual and Checkpoints each get their own subfolder. Checkpoints never crowd out auto saves and are never pruned.
Compositing Freeze Fix
All background processing pauses during renders and compositing — fixing freezes with large EXR sequences.
Save Before Undo
Saves on the first undo after real work. Protects against the most common Blender crash scenario.
Render Start/End Saves
Auto-backup before and after every render. Engine name and frame range included in the filename.
Session Summary New
One-click styled HTML export of your session — duration, saves, checkpoints, backup sizes, full history.
WHO IS
THIS FOR?
Freelance 3D Artists
Version history without managing it manually. Named checkpoints let you save milestones like "Client_Submission_v1" that never get overwritten or pruned — update in one click when the client requests changes.
VFX & Heavy Scene Artists
Working with large EXR sequences, high-poly meshes or complex simulations? Cloud backup uploads to Google Drive/Dropbox and deletes local copies automatically — keeping your SSD clean while your work stays safe.
Studio Teams
User tags and team tags in filenames make every backup attributable. Export the full save history as HTML or CSV for project audits. Custom folder names keep different projects cleanly separated.
ABOUT
NOVASTRIKES
Smart AutoSave+ Pro is developed and maintained by Hamayl Shahbaz, founder of NovaStrikes — an independent software studio building professional tools for Blender artists worldwide.
This addon is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPL). Source code is available on GitHub. All updates are included for Studio license holders.
Contact & Support
NEVER LOSE
WORK AGAIN.
Available on Superhive Market. Free basic version on GitHub.