Blender developer Nathan Letwory has a few tips on how to get your Blender 2.5 up and running.
Nathan writes:
With Blender 2.5 alpha 0 we've seen the first release in the 2.5 series, boasting a great many new features on top of the all-new event system – a major overhaul of one of the most central parts of Blender. As one can expect, many problems were readily found during the first few moments after the release. I've tried to summarize most of the problems that users may run into that are easy to fix or work around.
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Seriously.. this program is awesome! -I mean, it's quite a small shift from the way 2.4x does things as far as where some options are..and remember not all features are ported over completely *either that or I can't do projection paint yet >.>..* but it's super efficient in so many ways it's scary :D
0.0.. I can model as I render... -I guess someone's just gotta go out of their way and clone the 2.49 interface to please convertees, but on the other hand, I think python controlled script spaces (If I got my sources right) will make that task trivial for whichever coder wants to go down that path :D
ps.. gotta admit.. I was sorta stuck on how to fuse windows together *hold mouse over edge.. a crosshair appears.. click and drag to merge a window :D*
Middle mouse needs to have the pan option working.
You now where you hold shift to change pan to rotate.
@xsinick: The option you're looking for has been disabled in the official release, and supposedly removed entirely from more recent builds. Instead, you can change the behavior of the middle mouse button in the keymap settings, like this:
-Open a "User Preferences" window;
-switch to the "Input" tab and click "Edit" (if you haven't already);
-in the "Map:" text field, type (or select) "View3D";
-find the options "view3d.rotate" and "view3d.move";
(there are multiple instances of these; you want the ones mapped as mouse events, with "Middle Mouse" and "Shift Middle Mouse" as the events -- should be near the top of the list.)
-expand these entries by clicking the triangle on the left of each one;
Click the "Shift" checkboxes under "view3d.rotate" and "view3d.move" to get the functionality you're looking for.
It seems logical to me, but it'll take some getting used to. I like the amount of freedom that the new settings offer.
On topic:
Thanks Nathan! This'll be very helpful! And Bart; six articles in one day?! Wow!
I wish 2.5 would open across both monitors like 2.49b. I use the command:
"C:\Program Files\Blender2.49\blender2.49.exe" -w -p -1280 53 2960 1000
in my 2.49 shortcut, and Blender 2.49 correctly opens spread across both monitors. 2.5 ignores the switches and just opens on my primary monitor only...
@Reaction: for dual monitor displays, create a new window and move it to the second monitor. much more friendly than spanning one giant window (esp. when monitors are not the same resolution)
Ah ha! At last I found the function you are referring to... Ctrl+Alt+W 'Duplicate Window".
Many thanks.
Blender box select is glitchy in UV sphere
@Gryphon
Sorry for reviving zombie comments here, but I can't believe they removed the Pan/Rotate option! No no no no no! This is NOT how you design software! This is why OSS is criticized so much! That is the hallmark of coding for coders instead of end users--there is no, none, zero justification for hiding a button I use, what every 3 seconds, burying it four layers deep into the interface menu and leaving no documentation to point the way! What's the next step, asking you to code a custom python script if you want to change the default MMB behavior, set a system variable, RECOMPILE? This is completely backwards. Yes, shift pans. I got it. But now I have to reach the keyboard to pan? What if I'm translating or rotating etc or editing my mesh? You know, making actual changes to my model? In the past, consistently since even before blender went OSS, we could navigate simply with the mouse. Pan. Click. Rotate. Click. As long as you have the user preferences open. And I thought that was a stupid place to hide it. Honestly where it should be is on the 3D view header. BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT! I've been downloading the builds, following the 2.5 developement--and I thought great, finally a UI overhaul--they're going to put the pan button somewhere more sensible, but this... THIS...
This isnt' jumping the shark; this is jumping off a cliff!
Im new to Blender and i have a problem sometimes where the different menu items dissapear then one that i click on will apear but the rest will not. What's going on?