Hey there! So I’ve been following the whole UI discussions that have been going around, but have stayed out of them for the most part. Well I wanted to start getting involved in this, doing whatever I can to help make Blender more user friendly.
I plan on posting a video at some point, but right now I wanted to mention the idea of having a tool bar with icons. Let me explain it better.
It would be shown by hitting a key, just like when you press N or T while in your 3D view. Once it appears, you would see a list of icons that preform any action you may need to do on the selected object. The icons would be arranged from most used to least used; think of beginner tools and advanced tools. When you hover over an icon, it gives you a tool tip listing what it does, as well as the keyboard shortcut for it. You can also drag and drop icons (possibly with a separate click from what you use when pressing it) to arrange them to fit the purpose it is used for. You would also be able to search for an icon for quick locating if you know the name.
Here is an image I made to give you a visual:
If you are wondering why the same symbols are repeating, it’s because what is shown is for the concept alone, and I didn’t want to make an icon for every possible action. They are in no particular order.
This would be a great help to both new and experienced users. For new users, they would be able to go there, see visuals of all the actions right at once, and wouldn’t need to memorize dozens of shortcuts in order to do anything. For existing users, it would help with finding the name of a tool, or remembering the shortcut if you forgot it.
So there it is!
Please post any agreements or disagreements you have with this idea, as well as suggestions. I want to see how many like/dislike it, so say exactly what you’re thinking!
That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I said “say exactly what you’re thinking”, but oh well. I was just thinking more along the lines of opinions…
My point is there’s already a number of UI posts and one of the Moderators will probably move or close this post because this is already being discussed.
And my point is that there are no threads focussed on this topic specifically, but rather the UI as a whole. A thread with only one topic is way more organized than random discussions.
Hey, thanks for your reply! And I’m sorry, but I just have to respond to that.
New users don’t “play jazz”, because they have no idea how to. Many potential users leave because blender relies on hotkeys. Now you are probably thinking that this is one of the benefits of using blender, and it is, but the point is that there is no clear alternative. I am not suggesting that we get rid of the shortcuts at all; just that we have a hidden panel. If it’s hidden there really is no downside at all, and it could even be turned off in user preferences.
sorry to say but if the new user can’t learn 6 kotkeys G R S E F TAB. it will not learn software in feature i mean he will make some shit work and say nahh 3D is not for me. I don’t need such people. And i am not going to make program with a lot of buttons just for basic suff, that after 2 days will be just place takers.
New users don’t “play jazz”, because they have no idea how to. Many potential users leave because blender relies on hotkeys. Now you are probably thinking that this is one of the benefits of using blender, and it is, but the point is that there is no clear alternative. I am not suggesting that we get rid of the shortcuts at all; just that we have a hidden panel. If it’s hidden there really is no downside at all, and it could even be turned off in user preferences.
As a new user, i do not play any jazz, just i play more like guetta. Two keys. But as soon as i’ve learned i start playing more interesting songs. Much more. And quick. So, i think that if a musician don’t have the time and motivation to learn, well, there are autodesk max, with lots of nice buttons. Just my opinion.
Just my opinion.