Regions

Every Editor in Blender is divided into Regions. Regions can have smaller structuring elements like tabs and panels with buttons, controls and widgets placed within them.

The regions of the 3D Viewport showing the Sidebar and the Adjust Last Operation panel after adding a Cube.

Header (green), Main region (yellow), Toolbar (blue), Sidebar (red) and Adjust Last Operation panel (pink).

Main Region

At least one region is always visible. It is called the Main region and is the most prominent part of the editor.

Each editor has a specific purpose, so the main region and the availability of additional regions are different between editors. See specific documentation about each editor in the Editors chapter.

Header

A header is a small horizontal strip, which sits either at the top or bottom of an area. All editors have a header acting as a container for menus and commonly used tools. Menus and buttons will change with the editor type and the selected object and mode.

The Header of the 3D Viewport.

Context Menu

RMB on a header reveals a context menu with a couple options:

Show Header

Toggles the visibility of the header. If a header is hidden it can be made visible again by dragging the small arrow that appears at the top/bottom right of the editor.

Show Tool Settings

Toggles the visibility of the Tool Settings.

Show Menus

Toggles whether the Menus are collapsed or not.

Flip to Bottom/Top

Toggles whether the header or Tool Settings appear on the top or bottom of the editor.

Vertical/Horizontal Split

Shows an indicator line that lets you select the area and position where to split. Tab switches between vertical/horizontal.

Maximize/Full Screen Area

See Toggle Maximize Area.

Duplicate Area into New Window

See Duplicate Area into new Window.

Close Area

Closes the area and replaces it with the expansion of a neighboring area.

Toolbar

The Toolbar (on the left side of the editor area) contains a set of interactive tools. T toggles the visibility of the Toolbar.

This is further documented here: Toolbar.

Tool Settings

The Tool Settings (at the top/bottom of the editor area) contains as its name suggests the settings of the active tool. It’s visibility can be toggled with the header’s context menu just as its position with the Flip to Bottom/Top operator.

Adjust Last Operation

The Adjust Last Operation is a region that shows options when operators are run.

This is further documented here: Adjust Last Operation.

Sidebar

The Sidebar (on the right side of the editor area) contains Panels with settings of objects within the editor and the editor itself. N toggles the visibility of the Sidebar.

Footer

Some editors show a bar (on top/bottom of the editor area) that displays information about for example the active tool or operator.

Arranging

Scrolling

A region can be scrolled vertically and/or horizontally by dragging it with the MMB. If the region has no zoom level, it can be scrolled by using the Wheel, while the mouse hovers over it.

Some regions, in particular animation timelines have scrollbars with added control points to adjust the vertical or horizontal range of the region. These special scrollbars will have added widgets at the ends, as shown in the following image:

Scrollbars with zoom widgets.

This can be used to stretch or compress the range to show more or less detail within the available screen space. To use these control select the dot and drag it to either increase or decrease the displayed range. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl-MMB and move the mouse left/right to adjust the horizontal range and move the mouse up/down to adjust the vertical range.

Changing the Size and Hiding

Resizing regions works by dragging their border, the same way as Areas.

To hide a region resize it down to nothing. A hidden region leaves a little arrow sign. LMB on this icon to make the region reappear.

Hiding and showing the Sidebar.