Interface

Interface configuration lets you change how UI elements are displayed and how they react.

../../_images/editors_preferences_section_interface.png

Display

Resolution Scale

Adjusts the size of fonts and buttons relative to the automatically detected DPI. During typical usage, you may prefer to use zoom which is available in many parts of Blender interface.

Line Width

Scale of lines and points in the interface e.g. button outlines, edges and vertex points in the 3D Viewport.

Thin, Default, Thick

Splash Screen

Display the Splash Screen when starting Blender.

Developer Extras

Show settings and menu items which are intended to help developers, this includes:

  • Operator Search

  • Sequencer Cache Settings

  • Button Context Menu

    • Online Python Reference

      To open the Python reference manual.

      Copy Python Command

      To copy the expression used when pressing the button.

      Edit Source

      To edit Python source code that defines the button.

      Edit Translation

      The option to edit UI translations (only available when the Manage UI translations add-on is also enabled).

    3D Viewport

    • Show Indices

      The option to show mesh vertex/edge/face indices in the overlay popover.

    Preferences

    • Experimental Tab

      Work in progress features can be enabled here which are currently being tested.

Tooltips

  • User Tooltips

    When enabled, a tooltip will appear when your mouse pointer is over a control. This tip explains the function of what is under the pointer, shows the associated hotkey (if any).

  • Python Tooltips

    Displays a property’s Python information below the tooltip.

Search – Sort by Most Recent

Show most recently selected items at the top of search results, otherwise search results are sorted alphabetically.

Editors

Region Overlap

This makes regions overlap the viewport. It means that the Toolbar and Sidebar regions, will be displayed overlapping the main area.

Navigation Controls

Show navigation controls at top right of the area. This impacts the 3D Viewport as well as image spaces.

Note

If you are familiar with navigation key shortcuts, this can be disabled.

Color Picker Type

Choose which type of Color Space you prefer. It will show when clicking LMB on any color field.

See the different color picker types at the Color picker page.

Header Position

The default header position when opening a new editor.

  • Keep Existing:

    Uses top for most editor types and the positions saved in the start-up file.

    Top/Bottom:

    Always positions the header at the top or the bottom of the editor.

Factor Display Type

How factor value types are displayed in the user interface.

  • Factor:

    Values are displayed as float numbers between 0.0 and 1.0.

    Percentage:

    Values are expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100.

Temporary Editors

When performing certain operations, Blender will open a new window. The behavior of these operations can be configured here.

Render In

When rendering, the user interface can do any of:

  • Keep User Interface:

    The user interface does not change and the render is computed in the background.

    Maximize Area:

    A new Image editor is opened as a temporary window in full screen mode.

    Image Editor:

    The area that is the largest on screen is replaced placed by a temporary Image editor.

    New Window:

    A new Image editor is opened as a regularly sized temporary window.

File Browser

When opening files from the computer, the user interface can do any of:

  • Maximize Area:

    A new File Browser editor is opened as a temporary window in full screen mode.

    New Window:

    A new File Browser editor is opened as a regularly sized temporary window.

Status Bar

Preferences that affect the Status Bar.

Show

Scene Statistics

Shows information about the data in the active scene.

  • Collection: The name of the active Collection.

  • Active Object: The name of the active selected object.

  • Geometry: Information about the current scene depending on the mode and object type. This can be the number of vertices, faces, triangles, or bones.

  • Objects: The number of selected objects and the total count of objects.

Scene Duration

Shows the total amount of time of the playback along with the current frame number and total frame count. The format of the duration text is determined by the Timecode Style.

System Memory

Shows an estimate of Blender’s RAM consumption. On a single-instance single-machine scenario, this estimate provides a measurement against the hardware limit of the machine.

Extensions Updates

Shows the number of extensions with available updates.

Blender Version

Shows the version number of Blender that is currently running.

Language

Language

The language used for translating the user interface (UI). The list is broken up into categories determining how complete the translations are.

Translate

  • Tooltips

    Translates the descriptions when hovering over UI elements.

    Interface

    Translates all labels in menus, buttons, and panels.

    New Data

    Translates the names of new data-blocks.

Text Rendering

Anti-Aliasing

Enable interface text Anti-Aliasing. When disabled, texts are rendered using straight text rendering (filling only absolute pixels).

Subpixel Anti-Aliasing

Render text for optimal horizontal placement.

Hinting

Adjust font hinting, controls the spacing and crispness of text display.

Interface Font

Replacement for the default user interface font.

Mono-space Font

Replacement for the default mono-space interface font (used in the Text editor and Python Console).

Menus

Open on Mouse Over

Select this to have the menu open by placing the mouse pointer over the entry instead of clicking on it.

Top Level

Time delay in 1/10 second before a menu opens (Open on Mouse Over needs to be enabled).

Sub Level

Same as above for sub menus (for example: File ‣ Open Recent).

Pie Menus

Animation Timeout

Length of animation when opening Pie Menus.

Tap Key Timeout

Keystrokes held longer than this will dismiss the menu on release (in 1/100ths of a second).

Recenter Timeout

The window system tries to keep the pie menu within the window borders. Pie menus will use the initial mouse position as center for this amount of time, measured in 1/100ths of a second. This allows for fast dragged selections.

Radius

The size of the Pie Menu set with the distance (in pixels) of the menu items from the center of the pie menu.

Threshold

Distance from center before a selection can be made.

Confirm Threshold

Distance threshold after which selection is made (zero disables).