Blender and Ubuntu

Support Basics & Interface
1

I just installed Ubuntu on my laptop (for the first time), and the first thing I did was download Blender.
However, I have some problems. First is that when Blender starts, it takes up the WHOLE screen, with no known way to me to minimize it other then Atl+F9, which isn’t very convenient. Another issue is that while I can download a Linux blender package, it doesn’t recognize .blend’s outside the folder that contains blender.exe, for example, i can’t open a .blend on the desktop. I can download the Blender from the Add/Remove… thing under applications which works and will open .blends from wherever, but its version 2.46 instead of the latest.

So what I really need to know, is how to use Blender with the toolbars (at least the bottom on, so i can easily switch between windows) and where or how to let Ubuntu open .blends outside the main folder.

2

you will need to open blender in window mode

if you installed it from the repos (add programs thingy) then in the menu you should have 2 versions of blender in you app list - one is full screen and one is windowed

I usually use full screen and have that the only program on that desktop
to get the the other desktops I use Ctrl Alt Left/Right arrow

but if you want to open in in windowed mode you will need to type this into a terminal


blender -W

I’m pretty sure it’s a capital W - but if it doesn’t work try a lower case one

hope that helps you with the blender window problem

Sometimes the people who update the repos are slow in adding the current version of Blender (don’t hate them because they give their spare time to do it all and develop the stuff - respect, where respect is due)

but you can download the latest version form the blender site - or build the SVN version with the daily source

3

How would you install the lastest version so Ubuntu will know its installed?
EDIT: Hmm, the repos install still goes full-full screen even with Blender (windowed).

4

There are a few ways to resolve this.
Download 2.48 from www.getdeb.net
Start Blender in the Terminal(Applications => Accessories => Terminal) with blender -w (that’s small case. Cap -W for fullscreen)

Configure the Applications menu entry:-
System => Preferences => Main Menu => Graphics You should have a choice of Blender (fullscreen) and (windowed). Either way right click on the Blender entry choose properties and change the command to what you want it to read. You can also add new entries if you want one for the installed version and one for the official release from blender.org

Try turning off Compiz if you are using it, sometimes it causes display problems(I think it disagrees with some graphics drivers). System => Preferences => Appearance => Visual Effects

EDIT - You can also right click on a .blend file, choose properties, open with, click Add and where it says custom command, click on the triangle and browse to the blender executable. It will then open all .blend files with that if you double click them.

5

Having no visual effects seems to work, although both top and bottom tool bars both turn black until i run the mouse over the individual icons. I installed the getdeb.net blenders, and that solved the problem of not being able to open blender from elsewhere. Are there any ways to turn Combiz off without killing the rest of the effects? On the visual effects panel, I only have three options, None, Normal, and Extra.

6

That doesn’t sound right. Something like that sometimes happens with Compiz on. As far as I know ‘None’ is off, so it shouldn’t need to be any more off than that.

Don’t know what to say - possibly update graphics drivers.
Are you using an ATI card?
Possible Desktop bug?(Less likely)

7

Yes, an ATI card.

Also, when it full-full screen mode, moving to other desktop brings blender with it so it stays open.

8

ok
There was a thing about ATI cards recently. I don’t remember if it was with Blender or Ubuntu - search here or ubuntuforums.org

For the desktop thing try right clicking on the Blender window title bar and check ‘Only on This Workspace’ (though it probably already is).

Sorry I can’t help more, it is getting late here, but I hope you find a solution.

best of luck.

9

sadly you will need to turn it off

it is pretty cool - but I got rid of it because I needed to turn it off to run blender
(I know Linux can be is pretty than Windows and even a Mac - but I don’t need the eye candy)

10

This should be a sticky.
Guiltfeeder: next time you are going to start a thread, try typing your thread title into google first.
I personally have answered this question at least 4 times already.

  • disable “dektop effects”
  • get the latest blender from getdeb.net
  • launch with blender -w
11

Yes, that is a lower case “-w”

12

If you want real control over Compiz, do

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

A useful program if Compiz doesn’t play nice with some of your programs is Compiz Fusion Icon. Use


sudo apt-get install fusion-icon

to install it. Then open System>Preferences>Sessions and Add it as a new startup program, with the command

fusion-icon --nostart

Now when you log in, Compiz Fusion Icon will start. To switch window managers, right click on the tray icon and choose Compiz or Metacity.

13

Here is how I open Blender from an Ubuntu terminal window. It opens in a window of the size that I specify (1024x768 shown here). You have to be in the directory where the Blender program sits. You could also add these same command line options to a shortcut to the Blender executable.


./blender -p 5 225 1024 768
14

Thanks for the help all, will try a soon as possible. If I find a way that works, I’ll report it for future issues. Hope Blender 2.5 will work without a hitch.

15

It’s desktop effects…not blender dude