User Preferences

[stratacator]

I'm well aware of the blender paradigm of non-overlapping windows, but I believe that in the case of the user preferences window this template has been implemented at a too high cost. In my opinion, said window should be split into two components. The first would be the header portion, which ought to be a dedicated menu (not necessarily at the top of the window) unto itself. This is especially true since these menus do not even really pertain to user preferences. The remaining portion should be located in its own window which could be activated (pop-up) via a menu item or a keyboard shortcut or what have you. Since the preferences are more likely than not rarely modified after a certain point, the violation of the non-overlapping windows model would not be so heinous, and new users would likely not have as much trouble locating the preferences window.

As a side note, renders (can) occur in a separate, overlapping window, and panels in the 3D view can obscure content in the 3D view. Since these are used quite a bit more often, I'm guessing, and nobody's yet had a problem, overlapping windows can't be all that bad.

[z3r0_d]

I hate the panels in the 3d view, but don't really have a better option

what options are you saying should go to panels?

[stratacator]

I was just mentioning the panels to show that blender's UI is already not entirely non-overlapping. I don't particularly mind them, although I do dislike that at times you can accidentally click "through" them.

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, though. Do you think you could elaborate?

[z3r0_d]

which options from the prefrences dialog belong on panels in the 3d view?

[stratacator]

Oh, none. Again, I brought up the panels and the render view to illustrate the point that blender is not truly non-overlapping. I think the preferences would do well to be in their own window which could be summoned when needed.