is it possible to open Blender with certain interface?

Support Basics & Interface
1

Hi

I am wondering if it is possible to open Blender with certain inteface like compositing, animating etc via command line? So I can create multiple .bat files or shortcuts to open Blender in certain mode.

thanks

Q

2

You can edit the regular interface and hit Ctrl+U to get a certain result, You can use my main blender scene as an example.

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/4363/materialandrenderingprarj2.th.pnghttp://img240.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

3

Actually that is not what I am asking for. I want to be able to open Blender in certain interface layout via commandline. Instead of opening the default scene and changing to compositing for example, I would be able to open with compositing. I already have my own setups, i just want to be able to contextualize my startups.

4

Oh okay, I think I know what you are getting at. Well if you change to that composition and hit Ctrl+U it will stay that way every time you open up. so you go to the Animation interface and hit Ctrl+U and it will open on that every time. That what you want?

5

yeah kind of. I want to be able to have 5-6 different startup profiles pretty much. Compositing, animation, render etc etc I just do not want to change any interface after opening, I want Blender to to open into whatever profile I want to from the start.

6

Oh… well here is a complicated way of doing it. Go to your Application data, copy your Blender folder however many times. Then make shortcuts for each of the blender.exe’s in the folders. Now they all have desperate B.blends. Then you can go into each one and choose a different interface, then name the shortcut appropiatly. Might be too complucated but gets the job done.

7

I’ve never tried this, and I don’t know what .bat files are for, so I can’t be certain. But this might be worth a try.

When you open a .blend file, there is an option to “load interface” from that blend file.

Try switching to one of your layouts, say “compositing,” then save a blend file in that layout (compositing.blend). If you open that blend file, I think it should bring up your screen layout.

“load interface” is enabled by default, so this should work even when you double-click on the .blend file in the Explorer (or Finder, Nautilus, whatever). Then, if you want to load a different .blend file, but work on it with your custom interface, you can do File>Open, and disable “load interface.”

8

Or you can just use Screens (easily switchable with Control Left/Right).
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/PartI/Interface/Screens
Not what you want per se, but it is plenty functional.

9

Wow these guys really dont get it…lol
I understand what you want, but like stated in one of the above comments all of the information is stored in the .B.blend file so unless you created multiple copies of blender I don’t think this will work.
You might be able to create a bunch of different default .blends and then run a command that opens the correct .blend on startup. That should bring up the interface you want. Seems like it would just be easier to switch interfaces after loading the default though…
Can I ask why you want to go through all this trouble?

10

afalldorf: Speed and staying focused :slight_smile: What I am trying to do is actually replace my pipeline with Blender. So for example instead of running afterfx, I will just fire Blender in compositing mode. Now the difference and effort is so so subtle that it wont make sense for many people. But for me this is important because I will think about the appliction that is opening in front of me as a compositing application rather than “3d software but can do compositing”. Kind of tricking my own brain here.

TheGryphonRider: I kind of thought about it before. But thanks for reminding I will give it a try asap.

11

Use Screens as suggested earlier. If you compare the time writing a command line call like BlenderDoNotUse -screen=animate or BlenderDoNotUse -screen=composite, it is much faster to switch between Screens at startup with the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-Right.

12

thinking outside the (dos) box, why not just set up multiple.b files. then use an icon which runs a bat file to copy the desired .b onto the startup .b and then startup blender. so, blend.bat would be:
if %1==“vse” copy vse.blend “.b.blend”
if %2=“model” copy model.blend “.b.blend”
blender

and you would run this via “blend vse” at the command line. (forgive my ancient and flawed skills)

13

PapaSmurf, I started using multiple .blend shortcuts as suggested. But your is an interesting idea. I will try it today.

I justw atched your compositing videos other day. Great material, thanks.

14

This is what Screens are for: they are “arrangements of windows.” You can define them at will, and save them to use as your startup default. You can also associate them with a particular project.

I don’t recall offhand if a screen-name can be specified on the command line…

The admonition is a good one: “(it’s really all about…) speed and staying focused.” There are a zillion things to distract you.

15

I love the screens and customization, it is all good stuff. Also it is great that files can load their work environment. That really makes projects work very easy because you do not need to set things up again and again.

My proposal is more about using screens idea to replace some applications in the pipeline. I think that having Blender to start in compositiong mode or image editing node mode will make it look like you are not using a 3d applicaion, you are really using a 2d application. It is subtle I know but if I create modes like compositing, image editing, 3d modelling, animating, rendering, painting etc etc then I will have 5 6 different applications rather than 1 app that can do all but you need to change screen thing. It is very very very subtle thing but the evolution is all about subtle changes in the long run as well :slight_smile: