Interface basics
The UI is made of several different workspaces. Each workspace is made of several editors for the different purposes. And this editors are made of several sub elements. Like a Header or a tool shelf, or a sidebar. UI…
Interface
User Interface Principles
The UI is made of several different workspaces. Each workspace is made of several editors for the different purposes. And this editors are made of several sub elements. Like a Header or a tool shelf, or a sidebar. UI elements are organized in tabs, menus and panels.
The idea is to have a non overlapping and blocking UI with a non modal tool set. Which is just partially to achieve. See header below. And by the fact that you work in modes ...
As a consequence of the non overlapping UI concept, the interface avoids to work with popup panels where possible. You can adjust the tool after you use it, in the so called last operation panel. It can be found in the 3D view for example, down left.
Tooltips
When you hover with the mouse over an UI element, like a button, then you can see a tooltip.
A tooltip can contain the tool name, a short description of the tool, the hotkey, and a Python tooltip.
The Python tool tip shows you the name of the operator. It is of interest for programming needs. It can be turned off in the User Preferences.
The tool tips in the Tool Shelf acts a bit different than the tool tips in the rest of the UI. It will not show you the Python tool tips, since it is a gigantic hack on top of the existing UI.
Splash Screen
The splash screen shows at startup. The splash screen will vanish when you click with the mouse. You can also turn its showing at startup completely off in the User Preferences.
At the very first start you can do a quick setup, and choose with what language and key map and what theme you want to work. Clicking at the Save new Preferences button will then make this change permanent.
When you don't have any recent files, then the splash screen shows a Getting Started section with some links to useful resources.
And when you have recent files, then the splash screen lists them instead of the Getting Started section.
In the splash screen you can also read at what Blender version the current Bforartists version is based at.