How to start with a specific workspace?

Technical Support Basics & Interface
1

I’d like to have two shortcuts on my desktop:

  1. Start Blender with a 2D oriented workspace
  2. Start Blender with a general workspace

I have both workspaces configured, I just want to skip the part where I have to choose the desired workspace after I have launched Blender.

Are there any switches I can add to the shortcut on the desktop to force a specific workspace? Or any other tricks?

2

Set workspaces as you wish then go to File>Defaults>Save Startup File.

3

This part is clear, that’s not what I asked about.

4

What about creating .bat (for WIN) file with path to desired .blend file which has properly configured workspace. Something like "(your_blender_path)\blender.exe" "(your_file_path)\(your_file_name).blend"

Here is more arguments: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/command_line/arguments.html

5

… or start by running a .blend file/ files set to your specifics (just be sure to have “Load UI” enabled)

6

Add:

--python-expr "import bpy; bpy.context.window.workspace = bpy.data.workspaces['MyWorkspace']"

Replace MyWorkspace with your workspace.

7

Thank You all. I’ll try and see what works best.

@iceythe I guess I need to append this after “…blender.exe”? Within the quote marks?

image

8

After everything.

9

https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/app_templates.html

there’s more you can do with this, also scripting.

10

Thanks a bunch guys, I realize I wasn’t using the correct terminology. What are these entries called on the splash screen? Workspace or Template?

image

11

OK, answering my own question: these are referrd to as templates. The process of creating my own in order to use them with the --app-template switch is described here:
https://artisticrender.com/how-to-use-application-templates-in-blender/

12

Nope. Follow the link in the docs I posted earlier.
The workflow at artisticrender doesn’t work correctly. For instance, you cannot save your preferences that way.

edit: as I ran into the same thing not long ago, here’s the devtalk thread on this: https://devtalk.blender.org/t/q-custom-application-templates-saving-out-preferences-and-scene-files/10872

13

I read throught the docs link but I was missing an example or two. While not entirely correct, the artisticrender guide still helped me getting started.

So meanwhile I can start Blender with a custom app template, but I noticed that my preferences were somehow off. Your last link explains why, thanks for that.

14

Great it helped :slight_smile:

I was fighting with the scripting as well, so in the end after some nagging on devtalk, they updated the docs with some init.py examples of how to tweak the preferences on startup.
This is also very useful to work with, and extends the functionality of templates.

Information on customization of Blender and workflow stuff is still somewhat thin unfortunately, especially when you want to implement Blender into a existing pipeline setup.

cheers!