Blender 2.8 Beta and Roadmap
Brecht gives a status update on Blender 2.80 Beta. We'll have to be a BIT more patient as they're still 2-3 weeks out from the release.
Brecht writes:
We are currently an estimated 2-3 weeks away from releasing a 2.80 Beta version, which will have all the main features that will be in the 2.80 stable release.
Currently, a few areas area still being completed:
- Stable and well documented Python API for add-ons developers.
- User interface for Collections in the 3D viewport.
- Keymap for left-click select that works well with the new tool system, and a new keymap compatible with other software.
- Making image empty objects a fully-featured replacement for background images.
- Restore support for all the physics systems within the new dependency graph.
- New subdivision surface and multi-resolution modifier implementations based on Pixar’s OpenSubiv.
Blender 2.80’s viewport and EEVEE work better on many graphics cards now, but there’s still a long way to go to find and work around the quirks of the various graphics drivers and optimize performance. Besides this, bug fixing and user interface polishing is ongoing; with the stable release expected in early 2019.
Continue reading on code.blender.org.
Would really like some info on when baking is planned to be up and running.
Was really keen to check out all the new inbuilt face weighted normal editing tools in conjunction with baking, alas, baking is borked right now :(.
All I can think of to say is: Excellent!
Left click select!!!!
Thanks to the devs for this. I appreciate your hard work.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, OpenSubdiv Compute (in settings) also is available on linux Mesa 18.2 (open driver) and later.
I do hope that the old method of background images will be back as an option.
I do hope the coloured icons come back. I am now constantly slowed down trying to decipher the confusing mess of grey-on-grey icons. This was one major backward step for Blender 2.8 development, and a completely unnecessary waste of time.
I disagree, and obviously many others do too. You’re just not used to them yet, give it time.
second that – it shouldn’t take long to get comfortable with the new icons. Personally, I pretty much like them, they kind of give a simplistic touch to UI making it sleek and trendy. That being said, such a UI has its obvious downsides too so why not have a separate UI as an option in the Preferences for those who cannot stand the default one?
In Adobe FrameMaker, they decided to replace coloured icons with indistinct grey ones, and there were so many complaints that they brought back the coloured icon option. I cannot see the logic in making icons LESS distinct by *removing* colour. It should at least be optional to use a coloured set.
I’ve already spent a good few hours in 2.8 and I’m still having to think when selecting an icon on the top of a Properties panel. It’s crazy!
I think Blender should just use OPTIONAL PRESETS here. So that everyone gets what they want/need. It’d be so simple to just offer both gray-on-gray icons and various colored icons as preset options.
Every software on the planet should embrace the power of readied OPTIONS. Esp., if it’s a mainstay in our lives.
Seeing the replies on the boards and the community websites and videos on the topic the community is clearly polarised about this – and excellent comparisons were made about the superiority of shape, colour and depth recognition in icons – that come before meaning.
In many ways a monochrome icon is no different then text and more taxing to read – I’ve seen very good comparisons were a blurred version of the interface is presented to simulate peripheral vision with two icon sets – and the when blurred the coloured one are readable while the monochrome ones are a jumbled mess.
It is clear that these new icons by Jendrzych are a lot of masterful work tho, they bring in a lot of consistency and professionalism to the the UI.
Maybe with the inculsion of custom icon loading in the settings we’ll be able to get coloured variants of the icons.
A user by the name of BTolputt seems to be in contact with Brecht about making a patch to allow custom icon sets to be set from the Settings menu:
https://blenderartists.org/t/new-icons-for-blender-2-8/1112701/1579
Thank you for posting that link – it gives me hope that I’m not the only one who hates the grey/grey icons. As one poster on that thread said:
“Color is important because if they are all the same color, the brain has to decode each shape as it cannot make a quick scan based on color and basic shape.”
Exactly.
“I disagree, and obviously many others do too. You’re just not used to them yet, give it time.”
“Option”, did you read what I wrote, I said “option”, so nobody is forced to used it.
It was so cool to be able to set up background images in Blender in seconds, all alone even as a noob, on the contrary to other programs which obliged you to look at videos just to understand how it’s done.
I’m pretty sure he did read it, but I really doubt he was replying to you (:
It would be great if there was a way to get (in edit mode) CTL + TAB for selection mode. I really like using regular key numbers for view and rotation by emulating numbpad.
Numbpad is not very useful cause right hand has to get off of the mouse or stylus. IMO that mapping to a pie menu for vert edge or face worked so well. Unless there is a plan for this key combo, it would be great if there was an option to go back to that.
I use special mouse key G5 on my Logitech G300s with ctrl – shift modifier for setting numpad view
That’s the only suitable way that allows me to model even with gamepad+mouse
because my old PC specs
2.80 not work for me :(
still tied with 2.79
OH MY GOD USER INTERFACE FOR COLLECTIONS (to see what da hell happening in scene) AND IMAGES BACKWARD ENHANCING, YES
PLEASE.
PLEASE!
What does it mean it’s “based” in Opensubdiv. Is it Opensubdiv or not?