[WML-Source: InfoWindow.wml][TOC][Part00]
[chapter]
[section]The InfoWindow
[subsection]InfoHeader
[point]WindowType (IconMenu)
As in all Blender window headers, the first button allows you to configure the window type.
[point]Menus
With the menus you can easily access common commands, like saving and
loading.
The menu entries are very common and doing the things they are
labeled. A special thing is the Tools menu:
With Pack Data you can pack Images, Fonts and Sounds into the
Blend-file, allowing to distribute easily your files as a
single file. As a sign that your file is packed, a little icon
of a parcel appears in the menu-bar.
Unpack Data into current dir unpacks into the current
directory on your harddisk. It creates directories for
textures, sounds and fonts there.
The Advanced Unpack menu gives you more control to unpack
files. The entries are self-explaining.
[point]Screen Browse (MenuBut)
Allows you to select a different Screen from a list. The option "Add New" creates an exact copy of the current Screen. The copy is 'invisble': only the name on the adjacent button changes.
HotKey for next or previous Screen: (CTRL-)ALT+ARROWLEFT or
(CTRL-)ALT+ARROWRIGHT
[point]SCR: (TextBut)
Assign a new and unique name to the current Screen and then adds the new name to the list in alphabetical order.
[point]Delete Screen (But)
"Delete Current Screen?" The current Screen is deleted and released.
[point]Scene Browse (MenuBut)
Select a different scene from a list. This button is blocked in EditMode.
"Add New" displays a PopupMenu with four options:
- "Empty": create a completely empty scene.
- "Link Objects": all Objects are linked to the new scene. The layer and selection flags of the Objects can be configured differently for each Scene.
- "Link ObData": duplicates Objects only. ObData linked to the Objects, e.g. Mesh and Curve, are not duplicated.
- "Full Copy": everything is duplicated.
[point]SCE: (TextBut)
Assigns a new and unique name to the current Scene and places the new name in the list in alphabetical order.
[point]Delete Scene (But)
"OK? Delete Current Scene". This button deletes and releases the current Scene without deleting Objects.
Objects without users are not written to a file.
[point]The information text
The standard text is:
- www.blender.nl: the location at which the software can be obtained.
- V 2.03: the version of Blender. This manual is applicable to the V2.x series only.
- Ve: 4 Fa: 1: the number of vertices and faces in the current 3DWindow. If in doubt, use NUMPAD-9 to count the vertices and faces again.
- Ob: 0-1: the number of selected Objects and the total number of Objects in the current 3DWindow.
- La: 1: the number of lamps in the current 3Dwindow.
- Mem: 1.9M: the amount of memory in use in Megabytes, not including fragmented memory.
- Time: 00.01.56 (00:44): the pure rendering time for the last picture rendered in minutes/seconds/hundredths of a second and the actual extra rendering time in seconds/hundredths of a second. Excessive swap time or poor file accessibility can cause high 'extra rendering time'.
- Plane (or similar): the name of the active Object.
[point]Changes in EditMode:
- Ve: 0-4 Fa: 0-1: The first numeric value is the number of selected
vertices, the second is the total number of vertices. The numeric
values for the second variable apply to faces and have the same
significance.
During and after rendering:
The values for the totals are changed to reflect the rendered
picture. These values may be different from the totals displayed in
the 3DWindow.
[point]The Toolbox-icon
Clicking the Toolbox-icon will pop up the Toolbox, like SPACE
does.
[subsection]UserMenu
The UserMenu allows you to configure personal settings. These settings
are automatically loaded from the file $HOME/.B.blend each time
Blender is started.
Personal settings cannot be written to a file other than .B.blend.
The HotKey CTRL-U can be used to overwrite the file .B.blend.
[point]Font: (TextBut)
The directory from which Blender retrieves vector fonts for Font Objects.
[point]Render: (TextBut)
The directory to which Blender renders by default.
[point]Textures: (TextBut)
The directory from which Blender retrieves pictures for textures and texture plugins.
[point]TexPlugin (TextBut)
The directory from which Blender retrieves Texture plugins.
[point]SeqPlugin (TextBut)
The directory from which Blender retrieves Sequence plugins.
[point]Sounds (TextBut)
The directory from which Blender retrieves soundfiles by default.
[point]Auto Temp Save (TogBut)
Blender can save 'temp' files at regular intervals as a temporary
backup or as extra protection against disasters. The files are
identical to Blender files saved in the normal manner. If Blender is
in EditMode when this function is used, only the original Data are
saved, without saving the Data with which you are working. Blender
saves 'temp' files in the specified 'temp' directory with the name
"<process-id>.blend". This results in unique names for all 'temp'
files, allowing multiple Blenders to simultaneously write 'temp' files
on the same computer. When Blender is closed down, the file is renamed
"quit.blend", making it easy to retrieve work in progress if the user
inadvertently quits Blender. Blender writes files very quickly, which
means that waiting time is kept to a minimum, allowing the user to
continue working within a split second after saving files of 1-2 Mb.
[point]Time: (NumBut)
The time interval in minutes required to write 'temp' files.
[point]Dir: (TextBut)
The directory to which 'temp' files are written. Do not use network
drives if possible. Instead, use a local directory on your own
workstation.
[point]Load Temp (But)
This button, the Blender 'disaster' button, loads the most recently saved 'temp' file.
[point]Versions (NumBut)
This option also allows you to work with Blender more safely. When
this option is activated, files that are overwritten by Blender are
assigned a new file name with a version number. For example:
If 'Versions' has a value of '2' and the file 'rt.blend' is being written:
- rt.blend2 is deleted
- rt.blend1 is renamed to rt.blend2
- rt.blend is renamed to rt.blend1
- rt.blend is rewritten.
[point]Scene Global (TogBut)
Each Screen can display a
different Scene. In cases involving numerous active Screens, this can
be somewhat confusing. This option can be used to display the current
Scene in all Screens.
[point]NoCapsLock (TogBut)
This button can be used to deactivate the CapsLock key. This button only applies to the TextButton.
[point]ViewMove (TogBut)
By default, MiddleMouse causes a rotation in the 3Dwindow and
SHIFT+MiddleMouse causes a translation. The option "ViewMove" toggles
the key code.
[point]TrackBall (TogBut)
There are two methods to rotate a 3DView with MiddleMouse. The
TrackBall method offers more freedom than the other option, the turn
table method.
[point]2-Mouse (TogBut)
With this option activated, the third mousbutton is emulated by pressing ALT+LeftMouse.
[point]Mat on Obj (TogBut)
By default, Blender assumes that Materials are linked to the ObData
when new Objects are created. This option toggles between the default
and the alternative, which links Materials directly to the Object.
[point]ToolTips (TogBut)
With this option activated, tooltips are shown when you stop with the mousepointer over a button. The tooltip will briefly describe the function.
[point]Grid options
By default, the following limitors apply to grabbing rotating and scaling (press the keys after click and hold with the mouse):
- (no key): fluid change
- SHIFT
: finer control
- CTRL
: large grid steps
- SHIFT-CTRL
: small grid steps
The following alternatives can also be used (when the Viemove option is set):
- (no key): large grid steps
- SHIFT
: small grid steps
- CTRL
: fluid change
- SHIFT-CTRL
: finer control
[point]Grab Grid (TogBut)
Toggle to the alternative limitors for translations.
[point]Size Grid (TogBut)
Toggle to the alternative limitors for scaling.
[point]Rot Grid (TogBut)
Toggle to the alternative limitors for rotation.
[point]Duplication / Linking presets
One of Blender's most advanced features is its use of object-oriented
functions. Blender allows you to reuse (i.e. link) data blocks to
construct compact and efficient structures.
When one of these buttons is pressed, the indicated DataBlock is
duplicated instead of linked when using SHIFT-D
. The ALT-D
command always makes a copy of the selected Objects with all other
data linked.
The most commonly use of links is when activating the Duplicate commands:
[point]ALT+D
create a copy of the selected Objects, reusing
(i.e. linking to) all other data, including Meshes and Materials.
[point]SHIFT+D
create a copy of the selected Objects, using these
button settings to determine whether links to other data are created
or duplicates of other data are created.
-cw-
Last modified: Tue Oct 24 12:37:11 CEST 2000