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#What is the project Simply, this is an experiment into how far I am capable of modifying the Blender interface. I feel its non-native conventions and interaction model potentially scares away first-time users. Many features are not particularly visible, or are primarily available via keyboard shortcuts. This is optimised for power users, which is valid of course; but perhaps more users could become confident and proficient if we could flatten the learning curve somewhat by surfacing options without causing clutter or information overload. Who knows, even a seasoned user could discover new things this way, which benefits everyone.

I'm following the proposals outlined in Andrew Price's proposal as inspiration, although I may not stick to everything for technical, difficulty, time, or subjective reasons.

Consider this a prototype, and not necessarily production-ready.

#Why? Two reasons

• To learn. There are lots of things I've never used, or at least never used in anger.
• In this case, that includes Blender itself, Git, C, Python, and the experience of participating in an open source community
• I'd really like to make a difference. If this project becomes a success, I think that the Blender experience could be made better for everyone (and myself! The tool I want never seems to be to hand)

#Why Blender? I started toying with the idea of creating a game using Unity. It wasn't long before I wanted to produce some of my own 3D assets to use, and discovered Blender. However, first impressions left a lot to be desired. Even after a week, I was struggling to produce even a simple mesh. This wasn't because I don't have passable artistic skills (although I don't), and it wasn't because I hadn't learnt how to use the software (although I hadn't, and I still haven't); but because the user interface did not conform to platform standard conventions that have been hard-wired in my brain for many years, making every interaction frustrating.

Given Blender's power, flexibility, and extensibility, I expected to find a plug-in of sorts that would remove some rough edges; but I did not find anything. However, I did find Andrew Price's promising-looking proposal (he has published a few videos outlining his ideas). As far as I could discover, nobody has taken up his ideas. I don't expect to be able to cover all of the points-of-friction Andrew discussed in his presentations, but perhaps I can cover some, and inspire others to help with what I can't manage by myself.

Thus, this project is an experiment to see how far I can take Blender. Can I implement some of Andrew's proposals, and, if not all, could this become a starting point for others to fill in the gaps? If this project pays off, my vision is for a Blender that is approachable to first time users, while still retaining the power and features that make it is so popular. In this fashion, I hope power users can also enjoy a more productive and streamlined experience.