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I cannot find any menu or keys that return blender to the view that you see when you start blender. Using save close and then open again but it must be easier than that?

How do you change the view from side or front, or back to the view that is enabled by default at start?

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  • $\begingroup$ This question is too vague, are you looking to reset the entire file? do you care if your data is reset too? to you only want the initial view-port to be reset? Either this is a very beginner question or you need to give more info, it would probably help if you explain why you want to do this. $\endgroup$
    – ideasman42
    Jun 11, 2013 at 2:06
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    $\begingroup$ i would like to know the same thing. I downloaded someones 3D model, and when I open it my entire UI is changed, I think its really annoying when artists do this, i just want to import (open) the object, I dont want to know or see or use all their custom display settings. thanks $\endgroup$
    – user1101
    Aug 12, 2013 at 19:09
  • $\begingroup$ @user1101 See: blender.stackexchange.com/questions/2151/… $\endgroup$
    – iKlsR
    Aug 12, 2013 at 19:36
  • $\begingroup$ See this discussion / addon: developer.blender.org/T38718 $\endgroup$
    – CodeManX
    Mar 1, 2014 at 11:40
  • $\begingroup$ Are you asking how to view the project as it was when you first started Blender? Example: Pressing NUM1 changes to front view, NUM7 changes to top view, etc. I am also trying to figure this out. I am sure there is a simple solution, I just have yet to figure it out. $\endgroup$
    – user20400
    Dec 25, 2015 at 3:32

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
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I assume you are wanting to have the same arrangement of windows as when you start blender.

If you have chosen another screen layout at the top: screen layout chooser, just choose the Default layout.

If you have modified the Default layout, you can reset all your layouts to normal by:

  1. Save your current file.
  2. Choose File > New and reload the startup file.
  3. Open your file, but make sure that the "Load UI" checkbox isn't checked: image showing "Load UI" checkbox unchecked

To save your new layouts, save your file, and the new (default) layout will be saved with it.

If you just want to reset the view of the 3D view in the screen layout "Default", there's some python code that will make that happen. So temporarily change one of your windows to the type "Python Console" and paste this code in:

for space in [area.spaces[0] for area in bpy.data.screens['Default'].areas if area.type == 'VIEW_3D']:
    space.region_3d.view_matrix = Matrix((
        (0.4100285768508911, 0.9119762182235718, -0.013264806941151619, 0.0),
        (-0.401742547750473, 0.19364379346370697, 0.8950446844100952, 0.0),
        (0.8188281059265137, -0.36166486144065857, 0.44577914476394653, -14.988801002502441),
        (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)))

This will reset the view for any 3D view windows you have.

Note:

The numbers in the matrix above are not something I figured out using complex math. I just opened a new blender file and read the value in

bpy.data.screens['Default'].areas[-1].spaces[0].region_3d.view_matrix
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    $\begingroup$ It's much simpler than that - I just want to return the view on the screen to the same angle as it was when Blender starts up, but on whatever scene is current. $\endgroup$
    – richard
    Jun 12, 2013 at 6:18
  • $\begingroup$ I edited my answer to include how to do what you want. $\endgroup$
    – Jason
    Jun 13, 2013 at 18:21
  • $\begingroup$ Do not manipulate the view_matrix directly, it is calculated from view_distance, view_location and view_rotation. Read these three values instead when you have a Blender fresh start, and assign these default values when you want your "default view". If you assign view_matrix directly, you will mess up these original values. $\endgroup$
    – iouzzr
    Dec 14, 2023 at 6:44
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I am not sure exactly what you want so I will list the three most likely options..

You can create a new file at anytime by using Ctrl + N or by going to File > New in the Info header (at the of the screen).

Additionally, you can reset Blender to it's default startup view by going the the File menu and choosing Load Factory Settings.
Also, If you make any changes and want to keep them, you can use Ctrl + U to save these new settings for the times you start Blender after that. You can reset to the original default at anytime after that regardless.

And at anytime, you don't need to close your current file and reopen to bring up the startup dialog to see your recent files or to reopen files. Just use Ctrl + Shift0 to see a popup of recently opened/edited files or by going to the File menu and going to Open Recent.

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  • $\begingroup$ Doe ctrl+ U still work on version 2.8? $\endgroup$
    – sup
    Aug 19, 2019 at 8:22
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If you want to have the start file, follow iKlsR's answer.

But if you want to show the startup dialog, click on the blender icon in the top bar: enter image description here

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I believe what the OP was asking for is something like the "back" button in a web browser that restores the previous view after switching to something like top or front view.

Today when you jump from user perspective view to something else, the prior view state is lost except in the case of switching to the camera view which is a toggle that saves and restores the user perspective view.

The answer to the question is that you simply have to rotate the view so that it becomes user perspective again (hold house wheel and drag, etc.) and there's no command to switch specifically to the user perspective view (and as noted the program currently has no memory of what the previous view state was).

Personally I would like to see all view navigation commands that leave user perspective view save the current view state and then assign a key like Backspace to restore the previous view.

This is particularly relevant in 2.8 with the new view gizmo where a click will take you into one of the orthographic views and new users may bet lost for a while trying to figure out how to get back.

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I am a newbie with Blender, but a simple way (in Linux) to completely return to the the way Blender starts up as it did the first time is to delete the directory ./home//.config/blender/2.74 (or whatever the version number may be). To be able to access .config set 'show hidden files' in the file browser (probably under 'view'). Since this directory doesn't exist just after installation, it shouldn't cause any problems. Still, you might want to not delete it, but simply rename it, in case you change your mind (I assume that will work too). Mind you, I'm a newbie, so correct me if I'm wrong.

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