default MMB - Pan
If you put your hard-earned muscle memory aside and reconsider the current default settings, you might find that orbiting with the MMB makes little sense. Let me explain:
Imagine you are working in the Shader Editor (or any 2D editor, really), where you pan with the MMB. When you switch to the 3D Viewport, you must change your mindset and remember that in this context, panning is actually done with Shift + MMB. Chances are, you will first rotate the view instead of panning. This issue becomes even more pronounced when your 3D Viewport is an axis orthographic view (Side, Top, Front etc.), which resembles a 2D editor. Needless to say, it can be very frustrating when you accidentally disrupt your orthographic view (especially with auto perspective, which is another default setting I find odd).
I have had issues with MMB orbiting, and I can’t help but notice that new Blender users I mentor also struggle with navigating the 3D Viewport after working in a 2D editor area.
I propose that MMB - pan should be by default, and MMB - orbit should be optional, just like right-click select is.
6 Comments
Replacing MMB's default behavior would require an extra keypress for what is arguably the most-used method of scene navigation. In Blender's 2D editors panning is the most-used method of navigation. It makes sense for this to replace MMB and drop the need for a modifier key in those editors, as much as it might present a minor inconsistency.
I'd usually refer to an industry standard for this but there doesn't really seem to be one. Something common to a lot of 3D software though is that Orbit is usually the least-complex navigation shortcut, being relegated to alt-LMB in many cases.
LMB for select was an absolutely necessary change since almost no other software uses RMB for select. Orbit is a lot less standardized so it's difficult to support the change as something objectively better. RMB to LMB select was already extremely contentious so I'm not sure you'll have much luck with this.
Although I understand your request coming from 2D software I don't agree with you on this because we're dealing with 3D software here, not 2D software.
Besides that Blender users are already used to this and are having this as muscle memory, by changing this it would be a problem to all of us, because now all of us need to learn new muscle memory only because you didn't have the muscle memory yet.
It's not different in other market leading 3D software. In Maya for instance panning isn't just a middle mouse button either; there it's Alt+MMB (Orbiting there is Alt+LMB). And Maya doesn't let you change this behaviour so also there you just have to get used to it. The same in Substance Painter's default, which uses Maya's workflow on this.
So while you might want to streamline your workflow in relation to other 2D software you use others might want to streamline their workflows to other marketleading 3D software. And those work different.
There's another response here talking about the MMB not always be available and even that it might be broken/worn. Honestly I find that comment quite far fetched. Especially all 3D software just need a working MMB. It's the same in Maya, Substance Painter etc. You just need tools to work with software and the MMB exists for a reason.
I didn't mention other 2d software and my request is about inconsistency of using MMB within blender editors (areas if you will).
Blender users were used to selecting with right click, that didn't mean it should be the default. It's easier for experienced users to change default settings to their liking than having not optimal defaults.
Default Substance Painter 2d view and 3d view navigation is the same if I remember correctly (I have remapped navigation there).
I think there is some misunderstanding. When I mentioned 2D editors I was thinking of UV, Shader, GeoNode editors in Blender, not some other 2D programs. Your assumption about streamlining my workflow is incorrect, I already nave deeply modified settings and I have no need them to be the default. Point of proposal was in helping new users to have more consistent navigation within Blender areas.
Personally, after my third mouse having its mmb dying of exhaustion way before any other button dies, and getting pain from how you need to be more precise and forceful to press MMB vs other buttons, I started questioning Blender's heavy reliance on MMB.
Many other softwares rely only on left/right mb with modifier keys to control their viewports, and MMB is rarely used. And think about this: Blender needs to have a system to emulate 3-button mouse to accommodate touchpads and mouses with no third button... Meaning more effort to maintain for devs, extra headaches when having to change the keymap, and basically another keymap to learn for concerned users. Isn't that quite a lot of extra work and white noise just to be able to use a button?
Not sure how this is related to my proposal but I recommend you Logitech or Razer mouse, they have pretty good MMBs.
Anyway what I am proposing is to change one argument in the code for better new user experience.
If I understood correctly, you note the inconsistency of MMB usage in Blender.
I don't put that to question, I think you pointed out a very correct issue. But I also want to bring additional considerations if any devs walk by: the broader concern of Blender's heavy reliance on MMB: