Does Blender Need A Ui Overhaul?
Is Blender’s UI Too Clunky?
Blender is an open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset used for modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, and video editing. As a free and volunteer-developed platform, Blender has seen massive adoption in 3D workflows across industries and by hobbyists alike.
However, one consistent pain point that new and experienced users alike run into is Blender’s user interface (UI). The program accrued many tools and workflows over decades of development, often in an ad-hoc way to serve immediate needs. This has resulted in UI that many users consider confusing, overwhelming, and not user-friendly enough, especially for beginners.
The Problems with Blender’s Interface
Information overload for new users
When beginners open Blender for the first time, they are confronted with an interface crowded with buttons, menus, tabs, shortcuts, options, and workflows that aren’t always logically connected. This leaves new users bewildered about where to begin and how different tools interact with one another.
All the capabilities that Blender provides are impressive for a free software. However, most newbies just trying to learn the basics of modeling or animation get lost. The multitude of settings for advanced functionality distract from core tasks.
Non-standard hotkeys and workflows
Unlike other common 3D software with sets of standardized keyboard shortcuts and click-commands, Blender uses mainly custom hotkeys and navigation. For experienced Blender users, this might boost efficiency. But those familiar with common shortcuts in modeling, texturing, animating, etc have difficulty switching Paradigms. This increases the learning curve drastically.
Similarly, Blender’s unique workflows force users with previous knowledge of 3D tools to relearn fundamental concepts like selecting and manipulating objects, applying materials, building scenes, and setting up renders. This can negate previous experience, rather than letting users apply transferable skills.
Difficult to find commonly used tools
Due to years of cruft and lack of consistent UI rules, many users complain they waste significant time hunting for common functions. For example, toggle buttons that control the same options but are scattered throughout different menus and properties sidebars.
This makes many workflows less intuitive than they could be. Users shouldn’t have to memorize or constantly search how to complete basic tasks between projects. This indicates deeper issues with UI/UX design in Blender.
Suggested Improvements
Blender developers openly acknowledge UI/UX as needing improvement. With Blender 3.0’s Eevee real-time renderer, workspaces for common industry workflows were introduced. This aims to curate specific toolsets and properties for use cases like layout/modeling, texturing, animation, etc.
Additional suggestions from users and industry experts on how to improve Blender’s user experience include:
Customizable workspaces
Allow users to customize workspace layouts with different arrangements of menus, shortcuts, tabs etc. They can then save and load UIs tailored to varying roles and preferences.
Better tool organization
Standardize locations for the most common modeling, texturing and animation tools. Group similar properties into unified sidebars and menus based on clear relationships.
Standard hotkeys
Support common shortcut norms across the industry, either as defaults or alternate key presets. Stop forcing all users to learn an eccentric set of hotkeys.
Interactive tutorials
Don’t just teach features. Build guided tutorials that users can open within live projects, walking them step-by-step through important workflows in context.
Examples of Better UI Design
Other 3D/digital content creation tools demonstrate UI/UX design and user onboarding better tailored to getting users productive efficiently. Blender should draw inspiration from these industry standards.
Industry standard Workflows
Tools like Maya and Cinema4D structure fundamental workflow patterns like scene organization, asset management, rendering setups, etc per norms that transfer between applications.
Contextual menus
Context-sensitive right click menus speed up working by putting the most relevant tools to the selected item front and center, not buried in submenus.
Search functions
Quickly find any tool by name via search bars vs hunting through properties. Support fuzzy partial matching for best results.
The Future of Blender’s Interface
As an open platform developed voluntarily, Blender’s evolution is dictated by available coding resources and consensus from its user community. Priorities have mainly focused on expanding capabilities over refining user experience.
But with the success of Blender 3.0 drawing more commercial interest, expectations for more professional-grade UX are growing. Blender’s roadmap highlights several initiatives on this front:
Ongoing UI polish and refinements
No major overhauls are planned to avoid disrupting existing users’ muscle memory. But gradual UI iteration aims to standardize and clean things up when possible.
Focus on usability and new user experience
New educational content combined with tools like workspaces, template projects and guided tutorials will help flatten the early learning curve.
Community feedback and suggestions
Blender’s design relies heavily on user input to guide improvements aligned with real needs. Surveys, user testing and speaking to industry Workflow requirements will all influence UI decisions.
Only time will tell how drastically Blender evolves from its eccentric but functional UI origins towards more unified and user-friendly direction. But addressing limitations in user experience without alienating its core community is a challenging balancing act for any mature open source tool. Blender’s growth necessitates gradual UI/UX maturity, but the developer community cautions against overcorrecting towards homogeneity with commercial software standards.
