Blender 2.80: User Interface API

Toolbar

The 3D viewport toolbar was replaced with a new toolbar that only contains active tools. Addons that were previously placed in the old toolbar can be updated in a few different ways:

• Addons that need a more persistent user interface can register tabs and panels in the sidebar of editors, typically the 3D viewport. This moves the addon user interface from one side of the 3D viewport to the other.
• Interactive tool addons can be converted to the new active tools system, and be placed in the toolbar. For example addons for drawing or measuring, interactive mesh modeling tools, or interactive procedural geometry generators. By adding gizmos in the 3D viewport these can be made more intuitive.
• Command like addons can be added in menus, with any settings in the adjust operation popup. This can be in the editor header menus, or in the context menu.
• Settings specific to a mode can be added as tool settings panel, which appear in the top bar and the properties editor tool settings tab.

Buttons and Panels

Single Column Layout

Most of the Blender user interface has been changed to use a single column layout for properties, particularly the properties editor. For consistency with the rest of the Blender UI addons should follow the same layout.

def draw(self, context):
    layout = self.layout
    layout.use_property_split = True # Active single-column layout

    scene = context.scene
    view = scene.view_settings

    layout.prop(view, "view_transform")
    layout.prop(view, "look")

Sub Panels

Panels can now have sub panels to organize their contents and hide advanced or rarely used functionality by default. Sub panels are created by adding a bl_parent_id referring to the parent panel.

# Parent panel
class RENDER_PT_color_management(RenderButtonsPanel, Panel):
    bl_label = "Color Management"
    ...

# Sub panel
class RENDER_PT_color_management_curves(RenderButtonsPanel, Panel):
    bl_label = "Use Curves"
    bl_parent_id = "RENDER_PT_color_management"
    ...

Icons

The icon set has been refreshed, with icons added, removed or updated to reflect changes in Blender functionality. The table below should make it easier to update Python scripts with broken icon identifiers.

The Icon Viewer addon built into Blender can be used to get an overview of all the new icons.

Renamed

Old                 New

ZOOMIN              ADD
ZOOMOUT             REMOVE
NEW                 FILE_NEW
BBOX                SHADING_BBOX
POTATO              SHADING_TEXTURE
SMOOTH              SHADING_RENDERED
SOLID               SHADING_SOLID
WIRE                SHADING_WIRE
ORTHO               XRAY
BUTS                PROPERTIES
IMAGE_COL           IMAGE
OOPS                OUTLINER
IPO                 GRAPH
SCRIPTWIN           PREFERENCES
CURSOR              PIVOT_CURSOR
ROTATECOLLECTION    PIVOT_INDIVIDUAL
ROTATECENTER        PIVOT_MEDIAN
ROTACTIVE           PIVOT_ACTIVE
FULLSCREEN          WINDOW
LAMP                LIGHT
LAMP_DATA           LIGHT_DATA
OUTLINER_OB_LAMP    OUTLINER_OB_LIGHT
OUTLINER_DATA_LAMP  OUTLINER_DATA_LIGHT
LAMP_POINT          LIGHT_POINT
LAMP_SUN            LIGHT_SUN
LAMP_SPOT           LIGHT_SPOT
LAMP_HEMI           LIGHT_HEMI
LAMP_AREA           LIGHT_AREA
VISIBLE_IPO_ON      HIDE_OFF
VISIBLE_IPO_OFF     HIDE_ON

Removed

LINK_AREA           (use LINKED)
PLUG                (use PLUGIN)
EDIT               
GAME               
RADIO              
DOTSUP             
DOTSDOWN            
LINK                (maybe use DOT, LAYER_ACTIVE or LAYER_USED)
INLINK             
GO_LEFT            
TEMPERATURE        
SNAP_SURFACE       
MANIPUL            
BORDER_LASSO       
MAN_TRANS          
MAN_ROT            
MAN_SCALE          
BBOX               
RENDER_REGION      
RECOVER_AUTO       
SAVE_COPY          
OPEN_RECENT   
LOAD_FACTORY
ALIGN
SPACE2
ROTATE
SAVE_AS
BORDER_RECT
ROTACTIVE
ORTHO
OOPS

Added

ALEMBIC
ALIGN_BOTTOM
ALIGN_CENTER
ALIGN_FLUSH
ALIGN_JUSTIFY
ALIGN_LEFT
ALIGN_MIDDLE
ALIGN_RIGHT
ALIGN_TOP
ASSET_MANAGER
BOLD
DECORATE
DECORATE_ANIMATE
DECORATE_DRIVER
DECORATE_KEYFRAME
DECORATE_LIBRARY_OVERRIDE
DECORATE_LINKED
DECORATE_LOCKED
DECORATE_OVERRIDE
DECORATE_UNLOCKED
DRIVER_DISTANCE
DRIVER_ROTATIONAL_DIFFERENCE
DRIVER_TRANSFORM
DUPLICATE
FACE_MAPS
FAKE_USER_OFF
FAKE_USER_ON
GP_MULTIFRAME_EDITING
GP_ONLY_DSELECTED
GP_SELECT_POINTS
GP_SELECT_STROKES
GREASEPENCIL
HEART
ITALIC
LIBRARY_DATA_OVERRIDE
LIGHTPROBE_CUBEMAP
LIGHTPROBE_GRID
LIGHTPROBE_PLANAR
LINE_DATA
MATCLOTH
MATFLUID
MATSHADERBALL
MOD OPACITY
MOD_HUE_SATURATION
MOD_INSTANCE
MOD_NOISE
MOD_OFFSET
MOD_PARTICLE_INSTANCE
MOD_SIMPLIFY
MOD_THICKNESS
MOD_TIME
MODIFIER_OFF
MODIFIER_ON
MOUSE_LMB
MOUSE_LMB_DRAG
MOUSE_MMB
MOUSE_MMB_DRAG
MOUSE_MOVE
MOUSE_RMB
MOUSE_RMB_DRAG
NORMALS_FACE
NORMALS_VERTEX
NORMALS_VERTEX_FACE
OBJECT_ORIGIN
ONIONSKIN_OFF
ONIONSKIN_ON
ORIENTATION_GIMBAL
ORIENTATION_GLOBAL
ORIENTATION_LOCAL
ORIENTATION_NORMAL
ORIENTATION_VIEW
OUTLINER_DATA_GREASEPENCIL
OUTLINER_OB_IMAGE
OUTLINER_OB_LIGHTPROBE
OVERLAY
PRESET
PRESET_NEW
SEALED
SETTINGS
SHADERFX
SMALL_CAPS
SYSTEM
THREE_DOTS
TOOL_SETTINGS
TRACKING