Init method for Blender 2.8 Grease Pencil

grease_pencil_init.py

import bpy

def get_grease_pencil(gpencil_obj_name='GPencil') -> bpy.types.GreasePencil:
    """
    Return the grease-pencil object with the given name. Initialize one if not already present.
    :param gpencil_obj_name: name/key of the grease pencil object in the scene
    """

    # If not present already, create grease pencil object
    if gpencil_obj_name not in bpy.context.scene.objects:
        bpy.ops.object.gpencil_add(view_align=False, location=(0, 0, 0), type='EMPTY')
        # rename grease pencil
        bpy.context.scene.objects[-1].name = gpencil_obj_name

    # Get grease pencil object
    gpencil = bpy.context.scene.objects[gpencil_obj_name]

    return gpencil


def get_grease_pencil_layer(gpencil: bpy.types.GreasePencil, gpencil_layer_name='GP_Layer',
                            clear_layer=False) -> bpy.types.GPencilLayer:
    """
    Return the grease-pencil layer with the given name. Create one if not already present.
    :param gpencil: grease-pencil object for the layer data
    :param gpencil_layer_name: name/key of the grease pencil layer
    :param clear_layer: whether to clear all previous layer data
    """

    # Get grease pencil layer or create one if none exists
    if gpencil.data.layers and gpencil_layer_name in gpencil.data.layers:
        gpencil_layer = gpencil.data.layers[gpencil_layer_name]
    else:
        gpencil_layer = gpencil.data.layers.new(gpencil_layer_name, set_active=True)

    if clear_layer:
        gpencil_layer.clear()  # clear all previous layer data

    # bpy.ops.gpencil.paintmode_toggle()  # need to trigger otherwise there is no frame

    return gpencil_layer


# Util for default behavior merging previous two methods
def init_grease_pencil(gpencil_obj_name='GPencil', gpencil_layer_name='GP_Layer',
                       clear_layer=True) -> bpy.types.GPencilLayer:
    gpencil = get_grease_pencil(gpencil_obj_name)
    gpencil_layer = get_grease_pencil_layer(gpencil, gpencil_layer_name, clear_layer=clear_layer)
    return gpencil_layer