2.8 Application Templates

[xrg]

Application Templates: make templates more prominent in the UI.

The goal here is to make app templates usable for default templates
that we can ship with Blender. These only have a custom startup.blend
currently and so are quite limited compared to app templates that fully
customize Blender.

But still it seems like the same kind of concept where we should be
sharing the code and UI. It is useful to be able to save a startup.blend
per template, and I can imagine some scripting being useful in the future
as well.

Changes made:

• File > New and Ctrl+N now list the templates, replacing a separate
  Application Templates menu that was not as easy to discover.

• File menu now shows name of active template above Save Startup File
  and Load Factory Settings to indicate these are saved/loaded per
  template.

• The “Default” template was renamed to “General”.

• Workspaces can now be added from any of the template startup.blend
  files when clicking the (+) button in the topbar.

• User preferences are now fully shared between app templates, unless
  the template includes a custom userpref.blend. I think this will be
  useful in general, not all app templates need their own keymaps for
  example.

• Previously Save User Preferences would save the current app template
  and then Blender would start using that template by default. I’ve
  disabled this, to me it seems it was unintentional, or at least not
  clear at all that saving user preferences also makes the current

Workspaces: move 2D Animation, VFX and Video workspaces into own templates.

These can now be acessed from the File > New, Ctrl+N, or the splash screen. Since these are application templates, users can save a separate startup.blend for each. User preferences are shared between these templates though.

This also fixes some issues in the default startup.blend (triangulated cube…).

First Run Splash:

Splash with new templates:

[Regnas (• I don't speak English "by default", so...)]

Still there’s no a standard layout?
And why the 2d animation and video editing workspaces are hidden now?

Things are getting scary man…

[xrg]

Workspaces are still being worked on.

[zeauro]

You can see it as 4 standard layouts instead.

2D animation template corresponds to a different scene. No default cube. No lamp.
But a Grease Pencil stroke as active object.

It is a lot better than starting with a modeling workspace if you are only interested in 2D animation.

You can create your own template and share it.
So, if some one is making a tutorial that requires a specific workspace, he is able to share it.
User just have to go to File menu → Install Application Template.

[TheRedWaxPolice]

@xrg

Workspaces are still being worked on.

Some little improvements. (even though consistency kills flexibility in some layouts)
I see that there’s a default layout with timeline which is nice.
Modeling layout is fine…
The UV Editing has the 3d view on the left which is the right place to be imo…
Not sure about the Shading layout without the properties editor, it should be there imo, it’s useful…
The Sculpting layout is better now with just one properties editor on the right imo…
Character Animation specific layout???
Rendering? Hmm, not sure about that…
2D Animation layout seems okay, but I still think that the GP interface is terrible, things could be more unified and simpler imo…

[Regnas (• I don't speak English "by default", so...)]

The “template” side of this is ok, the issue is with the defaults workspaces, all the essentiall workspaces should be there… but it seems like they are thinking about it already, even though video editing/motion tracking are not there (yet?)

Also they shouldn’t destroy the “File -> New” with this. This should be separate, like: “File -> New Template”.

Hope they can see it.

[zeauro]

@Regnas

Also they shouldn’t destroy the “File -> New” with this. This should be separate, like: “File -> New Template”.

Yes. I agree. There should be a a quick File → New skipping template choice and using template from User Preferences.
But maybe, it is just temporary to make templates ability more discoverable for the moment.
They are present in 2.79. But not so much demos of the feature exist.

About workspaces, they could be better. Basically, the last iteration was relative to the idea of making them all in same file.
IMO, 2D Animation template could have more workspaces. Drawing but also Rigging/Cutout for bones use.

@Regnas

even though video editing/motion tracking are not there (yet?)

You can add a workspace from another template than the one chosen at first intention.
So, as long as they are in one official template, they are available for any new file.

[Regnas (• I don't speak English "by default", so...)]

@zeauro

You can add a workspace from another template than the one chosen at first intention.
So, as long as they are in one official template, they are available for any new file.

Yeah… The issue is that they excluded video edting etc from the general template. Imo, general should contain all the essential workspaces.

[COB-666]

I hope somebody make this template or something like this for 2.8. I love it.

[PierreSchiller]

Currently Blender 28 says that the .zip template IS installed but there is NO WHERE in the interface to select it. Where do we “apply” the Application Template?
(No option on the splash screen like on 2.79)

[Secrop]

The splash screen still has that option, hidden in ‘…’ below the “new file”, in the end of the original templates.
And in File>New, you should see the installed templates there.

[PierreSchiller]

Application templates was reported fixed and working again, yesterday. Thought I must imagine the main branch has them (2.83) I don´t know about 2.81a.
I will try 2.83, as it seems 2.82 is still fixing some things…
https://developer.blender.org/tag/application_templates/