OLD BlenderFDS_UI
| Updated to 2.0 |
|---|
BlenderFDS is based on Blender. You do not need to be a Blender power user to use BlenderFDS, but it is much better if you are already familiar with its particular interface and you are able to quickly build simple architectural models. See the list of resources provided in the Learning Blender page for help.
Before starting the detailed description of BlenderFDS UI, let's give a quick look to the default Blender user interface organization.
Before starting, please watch this screencast:
http://www.blendercookie.com/getting-started-with-blender-navigation-and-interface/
and read the first part of Blender User Manual:
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual
The Blender UI is composed of editors, headers, context buttons, panels, and controls.
The editors are non-overlapping parts of the UI that divide the Blender application window. There are several types of editors, which respond to specific functions. Each editor has its own header. An header is a menubar positioned either at the top or at the bottom of its hosting editor.
The previous figure shows a typical Blender application windows divided into the following editors:
-
3D view editor, positioned at the upper left side. It shows a 3D view of thescene. -
outliner editorat the upper right side, that lists the created Blender entities and their relations. -
properties editorat the bottom right side of the application window. This editor groups options and properties of active Blender entities. -
timeline editorat the bottom left side of the interface. This is not used for BlenderFDS and can be closed.
In the upper right hand corner of each editor is the editor splitter widget. It looks like a little ridged thumb grip. When you hover over it, your cursor changes to a cross: left-click and drag it to split and combine editors.
To hide an editor header, just drag the header down till it folds. To unhide it, click on those small white + icon that you see on the sides.
The 3D view editor is used for viewing and editing scenes.
The tool shelf and the properties of the 3D view editor can be unfolded by clicking on the small white + icon at the upper left and upper right corners of the editor.
The outliner editor is a hierarchical diagram displaying a list of all Blender entities, their parents and progeny. It is used for easily navigating complex scenes:
The properties editor displays options and properties of active Blender entities. The properties are grouped in homogeneous panels. The context buttons at the top of the editor let the user select the panels that are to be shown depending on the desired context.
Every Panel contains controls, that let the user handle options and properties.
Depending on the chosen context, BlenderFDS adds several FDS-specific panels to the properties editor.
When opening a new Blender file, the BlenderFDS panels are listed as the last ones at the bottom of the properties editor, and can be hidden under the pile of the other default panels. If needed, the user can easily reorder the pile by dragging the hidden panels to the top of the list.
