For Dummies Blender, 2nd Edition 978-0-470-58446-0 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-470-58446-0
17
Chapter 1: Discovering Blender
If you want to remove an area, the process is similar. Rather than splitting an
area in two, you’re joining two areas together. So instead of left-clicking the
corner widget and dragging your mouse cursor away from the area border,
drag it toward the border of the area you want to join with. This action dark-
ens the area your mouse is in and draws an arrow to indicate which area you
want to remove. Figure 1-5 shows the basic steps for splitting and joining
areas.
area in two, you’re joining two areas together. So instead of left-clicking the
corner widget and dragging your mouse cursor away from the area border,
drag it toward the border of the area you want to join with. This action dark-
ens the area your mouse is in and draws an arrow to indicate which area you
want to remove. Figure 1-5 shows the basic steps for splitting and joining
areas.
Duplicating an area to a new window
In addition to the new way of splitting and joining areas, the Blender devel-
opers have also introduced a brand-new feature in the 2.5 series via corner
widgets. You now have the ability to take any area and duplicate it to a new
Blender window. You can move that window to a separate monitor (if you
have one), or it can overlap your original Blender window. And within this
new Blender window, you can split the duplicated area into additional ones
as you like. This area duplication feature is a slight violation of Blender’s non-
overlapping principles, but the benefits it provides for users with multiple
computer screens make it very worthwhile.
widgets. You now have the ability to take any area and duplicate it to a new
Blender window. You can move that window to a separate monitor (if you
have one), or it can overlap your original Blender window. And within this
new Blender window, you can split the duplicated area into additional ones
as you like. This area duplication feature is a slight violation of Blender’s non-
overlapping principles, but the benefits it provides for users with multiple
computer screens make it very worthwhile.
To take advantage of this feature, follow these steps:
1. Shift+left-click one of the corner widgets in an area and drag your
mouse cursor away from it.
This step duplicates the area you clicked in and creates a new Blender
window to contain it. You can also achieve this effect from the menus
in the header region of some editors by choosing View
in the header region of some editors by choosing View
➪Duplicate Area
into New Window.
2. Close the additional Blender window by clicking the close button that
your operating system adds to the border of the window.
All editors in Blender areas have a horizontal region called the header run-
ning along either the top or bottom of the editor. The header usually features
specialized menus or buttons that are specific to the editor you’re using.
Here are some ways you can customize the header:
ning along either the top or bottom of the editor. The header usually features
specialized menus or buttons that are specific to the editor you’re using.
Here are some ways you can customize the header:
✓
Hide the header. If you drag the seam all the way to the area border,
then the header becomes hidden, leaving only a small plus icon (+) in
the corner of the area. If the header is at the bottom of the editor, the
plus icon appears at the bottom right. If the header appears at the top,
it’s at the top left. Left-click this icon, and the header reappears.
then the header becomes hidden, leaving only a small plus icon (+) in
the corner of the area. If the header is at the bottom of the editor, the
plus icon appears at the bottom right. If the header appears at the top,
it’s at the top left. Left-click this icon, and the header reappears.
✓
Change the location of the header. You can also change the location of
the header to either the top or bottom of the editor it belongs to. To do
so, right-click the header and choose Flip to Top (or Bottom, depending
on where your header currently is).
the header to either the top or bottom of the editor it belongs to. To do
so, right-click the header and choose Flip to Top (or Bottom, depending
on where your header currently is).
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