This is a custom theme that samples colours and replicates as many nuances of the Windows 98 desktop as possible. Ideally I tried to change all the colours to look how 3D modelling software in the 90s would look. Some liberties were taken for the sake of readability. The ZIP download here has two versions of the theme: one for Blender 2.7 and one for 2.8.
Who is this theme for?
It’s for everyone, but I feel it appeals mostly to people born before the 2000s (80s and 90s) who have nostalgia for old computer UI.
What is the font?
It’s the Windows 95 font, M 8pt. Download it here.
How do I install the font into Blender? 2.79 : Edit > Preferences (Ctrl + Alt + U)> System . Click the Interface Font folder icon, select the M 8pt font and uncheck Text Anti-Aliasing . 2.8 : Edit > Preferences> Interface . Go to Text Rendering, click the Interface Font folder icon, select the M 8pt font and uncheck Anti-aliasing .
Thank you! And sorry about that; I felt I was missing something. I’ll add it right now.
EDIT: to clarify, there’s a link to the font but I forgot to add the ZIP file containing the themes. Oops!
Excelent, there was another in the call for themes thread in devtalk, I’m waiting for someone to make a windows XP and Vista version, thought the later might be more complicated…
Thank you very much! I just finished making a Zbrush theme so I’ll look into those. It’d be pretty easy as I already have my Windows 98 theme to work from.
This is amazing. I won’t use it personally, because even though I grew up during the days of Windows 95, I’m happier leaving those days relegated to nostalgia hazed memory, but I can respect it’s just about dead on accurate to the look and style of the time.
This is amazing. I won’t use it personally, because even though I grew up during the days of Windows 95, I’m happier leaving those days relegated to nostalgia hazed memory, but I can respect it’s just about dead on accurate to the look and style of the time.
Awesome job, man!
Thanks Renzatic. That’s completely fine; in all honesty I had nostalgia in mind, and I can understand how the theme can be offputting to people nowadays, given changes and trends in UI design. But it was fun to make. Again thank you!
So, an interesting origin as to why I made this theme: I was researching 3D modelling software of the 90s and figured it’d have the cream-ish UI colour in 1998, so I went with it. I pictured the way I customised it to be how game developers of the 90s would’ve used 3D software to make games like Banjo Kazooie, Half-Life and so on.
I even considered making the background a neutral grey tone but in the end I settled on the default Windows 98 desktop wallpaper.
If I were to nitpick anything, I’d say that your grey might be just a tad too bright. Compare it to 3DSMax 4, which used that same Windows grey that everything else used back when, and you can see that your take is a little bit lighter, more like XP than 95.
Yeah, I know. This is a pretty slight thing, but if you’re wanting to go for total accuracy…
If I were to nitpick anything, I’d say that your grey might be just a tad too bright. Compare it to 3DSMax 4, which used that same Windows grey that everything else used back when, and you can see that your take is a little bit lighter, more like XP than 95.
Yeah, I know. This is a pretty slight thing, but if you’re wanting to go for total accuracy…
I do like the shade of grey it uses. The screenshot I used for my custom theme used a creamy colour for windows, so I just sampled that. i’d be down for making a grey shaded version in the future. Sadly Blender makes reaching the true authenticity a bit hard, especially with value sliders for example.
You guys may know my laptop screen resolution is large, which explains some of the issues encountered with text sizes, outline thickness, and so on. I’ll need to update the themes to better suit smaller screens.
Sorry I didn’t see your message. I don’t think I was notified.
The transparencies can be removed, making the panels opaque, in the preferences. You go the the 3D View tab in the Themes window and go down to Theme Space and change the opacity of Header and Region Background.
And sorry about that; I felt I was missing something. I’ll add it right now.
