Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Blender Windowing System
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[edit] Before You Begin
Most readers will run Blender while reading this book, and the book is intended to be used this way. You may be surprised to learn that the first time you run Blender, it runs in full-screen by default. It's not strange that most experienced users prefer this mode, as having a large working area is a must. However, while becoming pros, we need an easy way to switch between Blender and browser windows. You can use OS keyboard shortcuts to switch between applications: ALT+TAB (Linux&Windows) CMD+TAB (Mac); LAmiga+M to switch between programs/screens (Amiga); Amiga window gadget far top right to switch between windows/screens - front/back; or to bring up your desktop: CTRL+ALT+D (Linux), WIN+D (Windows), WIN+TAB (Windows Vista & Windows 7), F3/F11 (Mac), (Amiga - same as above), but keep reading if you find them non-productive. In Linux, running Blender in a separate workspace provides access using a single click of the mouse. Similarly, in Mac OS X you can switch on "spaces" and either use the mouse key to switch between them, or cmd and the directional arrows.
Fortunately, Blender is provided with some command line arguments/parameters that will be helpful at this.
- -w results in Blender window opening non maximized, but this is not enough because the window is still at full size.
- -p <sx> <sy> <w> <h> where sx and sy are the values for the position the lower left corner will start at, w is width and h is height (all in pixels).
For Example: blender -p 0 68 1255 956 results in Blender opening in a 1255x956 window aligned to the top left corner of the screen and leaving a 25 pixels margin at right and 68 pixels at bottom. This is ideal for a 1280x1024 screen resolution setup. Put your browser aligned to the right side of the screen, and switching between the two applications is as easy as clicking the lower right corner of the window that you want to bring to the front. Tweak the values until you find a comfortable working setup and be aware that the -w switch could be required or not depending on the OS you are using. Now working with Blender and reading the book are both a single click away.
[edit] An Interface Divided Will Surely Stand
The Blender interface can be a bit intimidating at first, but don't despair. We will explore the power and flexibility of the Blender windowing system, and how to adapt it to suit your needs, one step at a time. First, we're going to talk about manipulating the 3D Viewport and the Buttons Window.
The 3D Viewport's grid represents Blender Units (BU). A BU can be as large as you would like it to be: an inch, a centimeter, a mile, or a cubit. Blender lets you decide the scale.
[edit] Window Headers
Every window has a window header. The window header can be at the top of a window, at the bottom of a window, or hidden. Let's take a look at the window headers for our 3D Viewport and our Buttons Window.
The header for the 3D Viewport is highlighted in red. Notice that it's actually at the bottom of the 3D Viewport, and not at the top.
The header for the Buttons Window is highlighted in blue.
The active window is the window that will respond to what you type on the keyboard when you're using keyboard shortcuts. One, and only one, of the windows in Blender will be active at all times.
Making another window active is simple: simply move the mouse over one of the windows to make it active! Try changing the active window by moving your mouse rapidly between the 3D Viewport and the Buttons Window now. You'll notice that the window's header lights up when it becomes active.
[edit] Changing the Window Type
There are many window types other than the 3D View and the Buttons Window, and you can easily switch any window to any other window type at any time.
[edit] Resizing Windows
Resizing windows is easy[1].
You'll notice that as you increase the size of one window, you decrease the size of the other. Blender does not allow the windows to overlap, as they may in other programs. This is why Blender's interface is known as a non-overlapping window interface....
1. See related FAQ at bottom.
[edit] Splitting Windows
Splitting windows is just as simple as resizing them, and will give you two windows of the same type.
Splitting a window on a vertical division will give you two windows side-by-side vertically. Splitting on a horizontal division, as we have done, will give you two windows stacked horizontally. While in step 3, to switch between vertical and horizontal division, just use the TAB key. To exit without splitting a window, press the ESC key.
[edit] Joining Windows
Rejoining two split windows is just as easy as splitting them. We'll rejoin the window we just split.
Joining to the left means that the window on the left will be erased, while joining to the right means that the window on the right will be erased. Keep this in mind when joining different window types.
Note: If you right-click on a border and it doesn't give you the option to join, it is because that border touches more than 1 other window. You'll have to cover the window you want removed using a different handle.
[edit] FAQ
- ^ After loading a model in Blender, you can see only the edit window and the options window toolbar at top. Trying to resize or split doesn't work. What happens?
— That occurs because Blender saves windows positions and preferences in the .blend model file. This one was saved while the edit window was maximized, although any other window would have had the same effect over user interface on loading if maximized at saving. To restore the window press Ctrl+↑ or Ctrl+↓ (toggle) and then, if necessary, press Ctrl+← or Ctrl+→ to cycle between different window layouts.
