The problem I see in the GUI is that many things only have shortcut keys, and no button or menu item. They should be used together, those who know the program can use the hotkeys, and those learning it the buttons/menus. I mean as a new user, you can experiment with the buttons and menus, but trying out all the combinations of keys (alt-a, crtl-a, alt-ctrl-a, shift-a, etc.) isn’t really a solution. And of course there’s no documentation, how many features are there that many users just don’t know about? Border-render, interactive flight through the scene, scaling along normals, just to name some common examples…
This just discourages people from trying it out… I heard some people saying that learning Blender is like trying to fly a fighter jet…
Of course, I’ll add here that after learning it, and having been a Blender user for 2 and a half years now, it has the most intuitive GUI and the most productive workflow, compared to other similar programs. But at least some documentation!
the problem with a customizable interface is that it becomes unique and unexplainable. I enjoy the circumstance, that blender is the same gui no matter whose version or computer.
I often tell someone where to find a button (upper left…) You cannot do this if everyone has another gui.
Blender is no plaything. It’s a professional workspace and I hope this approach does not get abandoned.
If you want skins, get winamp.
The not so big problem with a professional workspace is of course, that you have to know it. And I fully agree, that Blender’s documentation is its weakest point.
Today I bought a book about php and MySQL. Could help a bit to change that circumstance.
But I would favour a more complete menu. Wouldn´t hurt.
Gee, if the colors are all that you care about thats simple enough to move into a setup file that is read on startup.
What’s much more important IMHO is that the interface needs a complete overhaul. its basic concepts are good I think but there are SOOOOOOO many aggravating things. (managing a skeleton that has 100+ bones in it really isnt practical using the current interface for instance). The windowing system has some annyoning quirks too.
Before any of the ‘purists’ jump on my case, I want to make it clear that I am not suggesting that the interface be thrown out, but that the concepts that make it unique and great be extended and made to fit into a more unified and progressive UI paradigm (possibly have it defined via python, much like mayas interface is completley customizable via python)
I agree with the bones problem. Folders would be good to organize your objects. And the only thing I disagree when it comes to windows are the buttons. There could be a wrapping function instead of this middle mouse moving.
When I first discovered blender years ago, I was too busy with school to learn the interface. Upon graduation, I sat down and read the manual and thanks to wonderfully talented and sharing Blender users, I finally figured out how to use it. I used a few other 3d programs before and wrist got sore from moving the mouse back and forth to click on menu and icons. With Blender I can accomplish so much more in less time with a minimum of mouse movement thanks to an articulate keyboard shortcut system. Credit Europeans for ergonomics, a term, which is unknown here, where I come from. A place where we are basically treated as inconsequential robots, which are supposed to adapt to the technology, rather than design the technology to adapt to the user. Blender is designed to be adapted to the user, it just takes a little getting used to. Mind you, it’s not perfect, but what is?
For the price of a manual I am using a high-end, high- quality, and well conceived program that rivals and even surpasses the $3,500 program in many respects. This is the $3,500 program which, requires another few thousand$ for add-ons, which my University used to create simple flying logos. Please leave the interface as it is.
I would love to change the interface to something like… paintbrush !
Come on guys, don’t waste such amount of coding talent (and time) in changing what makes Blender, Blender.
You can however work around sound editing in animation part, adding video compression formats natively, or gaytracing !
I think sooner or later someone will try to imitate Bryce modelling method…
(God forbids)
… and just in case you missed it…