Blender 2.5 - Basic Interface

16/06/2010

Well! This is the first tutorial! As the first one, we'll talk about the Blender's interface, so the people out there who is not used to Blender can understand it (at least basically). So let's go for it! ;) I recommend you to see the video in HD, so you will appreciate better the buttons and all that stuff.

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NOTE: For those who would like the music to be off during the video, I'm aware of that, but a lot of time have passed since I published this videos, and I don¡t have the original files, so I can't just turn the music off and re-release this tutorial. Anyway, I'm planning on making a new video for the interface, because a few things have changed since I recorded this video, and on the new one I'll get rid of the background music ;) Sorry for the inconvenience!

In this tutorial you'll learn:
- Navigating in the 3d view.
- Types of panels.
- Interface layouts.
- Adapting interface to your needs.
- Customizing Blender 2.5 (Shortcuts, colors...)

Level of complexity: Beginner

And here is one thing I forgot about the interface: Presing Ctrl while dragging on the panel corners will swap the selected panel and the one where you release the left click ;) On the next tutorial we'll take a look at how to create and modify objects! Take care!

Level: 
Beginner
Tags: 
blender
tutorial
interface

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/05/2011 - 02:21
This is really helpful for beginning on Blender. I am now much less confused, having seen this video.
Submitted by oliver villar on Mon, 02/05/2011 - 21:26

Great to hear that, glad it helped ;)

Submitted by Viko on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 21:52
Im Agree, is clear and easy, congratz
Submitted by arne darnell on Sun, 21/08/2011 - 12:07
looks good
Submitted by Paul on Mon, 02/05/2011 - 22:34
Exellent tutorial, ive just downloaded the new blender 2.57 and the interface is very different so this helped enormously! Thank you very much :D im relatively new to blender but the quality of websites like this one and the people who contribute to them have inspired me! hopefully when im a bit better i can help give back the gift of knowledge to other blender beginners!
Submitted by Paul on Mon, 02/05/2011 - 23:52
Happy Blending!
Submitted by oliver villar on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 20:55

Thanks, Paul! ;)

Submitted by therabbit86ed on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 19:25
I am having an issue with the interface (great tutorial btw) I am mostly an object modeler. I don't have a middle mouse button, because I don't use a mouse. I use a tablet. Is there a way that I can work around with a tablet instead of a mouse? I also work on a laptop, so really, a mouse is not efficient for me. Thanks
Submitted by oliver villar on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 20:58

Hi there, therabbit86ed. Actually, I'd recommend you to use a mouse for general purposes with blender, as it's thought for working that way. Anyway, you can, of course, work with a tablet, but you'll need to find the options that fit with you, so you're confortable working with it. I know some people uses tablet for working with Blender, but as far as I know, they had some trouble at the beginning, because by default, some things are probably not prepared for working with tablets :)

Good luck! ;)

Submitted by jp on Mon, 01/08/2011 - 23:13
In the Preferences, under Input, there's the option Emulate 3-Button Mouse. WIth that selected alt-click will give you rotation, for example. If it's a Wacom (probably if it's someone else's, but I wouldn't know), you can configure the button on the stylus to do right-clicking (and middle-clicking too, come to think of it).
Submitted by Capt. Incompetent on Thu, 10/11/2011 - 05:54
Sorry, maybe I'm stupid, but where is preferences? I use a laptop, and I don't have a 3rd mouse button. My version is 2.5
Submitted by Ciro on Wed, 04/05/2011 - 00:55
Gracias. Está super este video.
Submitted by beginner on Wed, 04/05/2011 - 10:02
Nice video's, but I think the background music makes it difficult to listen to your voice...
Submitted by oliver villar on Wed, 04/05/2011 - 16:46

Yeah, that's right :( The newer videos already don't have music ;)

Submitted by Viko on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 21:58
Noooo, the music is fine!!!. leave music :)
Submitted by lewis on Sun, 19/06/2011 - 20:09
wow!!!!!!!!!this is awesome starter software!!!!!!!!!!!im new in cgi animation world and blender is perfect. thank you blender!
Submitted by Akira on Fri, 06/05/2011 - 00:39
very helpful, but the music is annoying
Submitted by Akira on Fri, 06/05/2011 - 00:44
actually the music makes this tutorial unusable, so irritating. why f up a good tutorial with such a horrible loop?
Submitted by Viko on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 22:02
the music is not really annoying, I had no trouble hearing the narration, the music seems very relaxing and good level of perseption
Submitted by dimage on Fri, 06/05/2011 - 02:21
nice brother,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Submitted by Ian on Fri, 06/05/2011 - 11:17
My mouse doesn't have a middle button. Use Mac and a trackpad. Guess that's it for Blender, I can't even navigate. :(
Submitted by oliver villar on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 01:23

Hmmm well, blender is made for working with it using a mouse, but I think that you can still use blender with your trackpad. There are options on the user preferences for emulating middle button, and also, with multitouch I suppose that you can configurate your trackpad to emulate midde button using two fingers at a time or something. But well, that are just ideas, i haven't used a trackpad yet :S

Good luck!

Submitted by Adam on Wed, 18/05/2011 - 03:12
You can use the + and - keys to emulate scrolling in and out... only thing is its the + and - on the numpad... :\ I don't know you might be able to use them some what for scrolling. :p
Submitted by oliver villar on Thu, 19/05/2011 - 04:31

Thanks for the input, Adam ;) And... I don't know if it's possible to pan with numpad :S

Submitted by Nicole on Sat, 11/06/2011 - 06:27
Yeah, I don't have a middle mouse button either... I'm thinking of getting a wireless mouse. I don't know if that would work for you, but it's just a thought.
Submitted by oliver villar on Sun, 12/06/2011 - 19:04

Of course, getting a good new mouse is a good idea :) Anyway... make sure that the new mouse has middle button!! :D

Submitted by StevenR on Tue, 14/06/2011 - 23:36
Regarding a new wireless mouse: I've been struggling with the Blender interface for several days and couldn't get the middle mouse button to function properly in any view. Turns out the problem was the Microsoft wireless mouse (I surfed the net and found LOTS of folks with similar problems). Just be warned that many Microsoft wireless mouse models suffer from an ailing middle mouse button; it has to do with the wireless receiver looking for a joystick or something! I do not yet have a recommendation for a wireless that does work, does anyone else? My old (corded) USB mouse is working OK for now though, and thank you for a very nice (and much needed) tutorial.
Submitted by oliver villar on Fri, 17/06/2011 - 15:36

Thanks for your advices!! I normally use Logitech wireless mouses, and at least for me... they work like a charm :)

Submitted by wess on Sun, 08/05/2011 - 07:45
Im so glad there are finnally official videos... its a jungle out there
Submitted by oliver villar on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 01:20

This is not official, but thanks a lot :)

Submitted by Olugbenga Oyewole on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 21:43
I love to use blender.
Submitted by oliver villar on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 21:44

Me too!

Submitted by Olugbenga Oyewole on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 22:26
I love blender
Submitted by Brian on Wed, 11/05/2011 - 18:48
Thank you so much! i've been using 2.49 for about 2 years, and i've been refused migrate to 2.5 because of interface. but after watching this, i really feel like i now know where the things are, so i think finally i'll be able to stay with 2.5 thank you!
Submitted by oliver villar on Thu, 12/05/2011 - 00:17

Glad you found it useful, Brian! :)

Submitted by Carla on Sat, 21/05/2011 - 16:28
Is there a way to get transcripts of what is being said, if anything? I'm deaf but I would REALLY love to learn blender and at least get a basic understanding of it. As for the music, well, guess being deaf makes it easier? lol
Submitted by oliver villar on Sat, 21/05/2011 - 18:44

xD Hi there, Carla. For a while, on some of my tutorials, I added the option of subtitles, because some deaf people like you emailed me. Unfortunately, I'm not able to make subtitles now because it takes a lot of time :S Anyway, I'm looking for alternatives, like let people help subtitling my tutorials and things like that. I'm studying the posibility of using Universal Subtitles (www.UniversalSubtitles.org). Please, feel fre to contact me by email, so I can comment with you what I'm thinking about to see if it can actually help deaf people ;)

Thanks for your comment!

Submitted by Priv on Sat, 21/05/2011 - 18:41
Have you forgot adding closed caption on that video? Because there's another deaf like me, please add it! Then I will learn to love Blender....
Submitted by oliver villar on Sat, 21/05/2011 - 18:56

I've just replied a comment about this. I'll quote it for you ;)

"For a while, on some of my tutorials, I added the option of subtitles, because some deaf people like you emailed me. Unfortunately, I'm not able to make subtitles now because it takes a lot of time :S Anyway, I'm looking for alternatives, like let people help subtitling my tutorials and things like that. I'm studying the posibility of using Universal Subtitles (www.UniversalSubtitles.org). Please, feel fre to contact me by email, so I can comment with you what I'm thinking about to see if it can actually help deaf people ;)"

Again, feel free to contact me by email to help me find a solution that works for you ;)

Submitted by Viko on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 22:04
the music is not annoying!!!
Submitted by Paul on Mon, 23/05/2011 - 07:54
I like the background music... helped me to focus.
Submitted by oliver villar on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 04:54

First person who say that :) Actually, after a lot of complains from people about music... I decided to just put it off :(

Thanks anyway! :D

Submitted by Story2rewrite on Mon, 23/05/2011 - 14:51
Thank you so much. It helped a lot.
Submitted by oliver villar on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 04:54

Great! Love to hear that ;)

Submitted by SciFi Sid on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 14:08
Ahoy there guys! I think Blender is nice. I have seen the most basic introduction with the "Getting started". I will leave a comment on how this video is like after some 3-4 hours.
Submitted by oliver villar on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 14:15

Great! :D I hope you find it useful ;)

Submitted by kadir on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 22:44
it s avesome because your expression is very helpfully thank you very very much.thanks a lots of.and the music is harmonic :)
Submitted by oliver villar on Fri, 27/05/2011 - 22:46

Thanks, Kadir, glad you liked it ;)

Submitted by Lars on Sun, 29/05/2011 - 04:56
Dude awesome tut, could you give me a link to download it or give it to me via email. I don't have much time with the internet, plus my connection is horribly slow -_-;. i'd appreciate it very much. :)
Submitted by oliver villar on Sun, 29/05/2011 - 05:49

Hey Lars! :) You can download all my videos at vimeo. Just click the title into the video player before playing it (I think also when it's paused), and you will be directed to that video at vimeo, you can download them right there ;)

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