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Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta)

by 3D CADence·Workflow

Images © 3D CADence. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

A beta release, Swift Pie Menu stands out in the Superhive library for its framework approach: instead of fixed tools, it hands users a codeless builder and a multi-layered menu system to assemble their own layouts.

What is Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta)?

Swift Pie Menu is a framework for building your own menus and UI panels inside Blender rather than a pre-made set of tools. It provides a toolkit for constructing personalized pie menus, popup UI panels, and traditional vertical menus, all managed from one interface. The stated goal is to reduce clicks, eliminate menu diving, and centralize access to any function, property, or custom script.

The pie menu architecture uses a block-based grid: up to 18 blocks (8 left, 8 right, top, bottom), each holding 1 to 10 action buttons, with customizable visibility, labels, icons, and color-coding. A button acts as a universal entry point, able to run any bpy.ops operator, control animatable properties via their data path, display standard Blender UI panels in a popup, chain to another independent pie menu, or execute external .py files.

A visual UI Snippet Builder allows codeless interface creation by adding operators, properties, labels, separators, spacers, collapsible blocks, and tabbed sections. Snippets can deploy as a customizable-width popup window or dock as a persistent panel in the 3D Viewport's N-panel. Context Override restricts any button to specific editing modes across Object, Edit, Sculpt, Vertex Paint, and 60+ other contexts.

Who is Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta) best for?

Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta) is best for blender users who want to build custom pie menus, popup panels, and vertical menus, including technical directors linking external Python scripts to a centralized UI.

How much does Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta) cost?

Swift Pie Menu V.2.0.3 (Beta) is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • High-density pie layout: up to 18 blocks (8 left, 8 right, top, bottom), each holding 1 to 10 action buttons, with per-block visibility, labels, icons, and color-coding
  • Unified action system: buttons execute any bpy.ops operator, control animatable properties by data path, display standard Blender UI panels in a popup, or run external .py files
  • Pie sub-menu chaining, where an action button calls another fully independent pie menu; each sub-menu is configured in an editor simulating the 8-slot structure
  • Visual UI Snippet Builder for codeless interfaces using operators, properties, labels, separators, spacers, collapsible blocks, and tabbed sections
  • Layout engine grouping elements into rows with horizontal alignment (Expand, Left, Center, Right) and proportional width factors
  • Two deployment modes for snippets: a customizable-width popup window or a docked panel in the 3D Viewport sidebar (N-panel)
  • Context Override to restrict any button to specific editing modes, graying out buttons outside their active context

Tags

#Blender#pie menu#custom UI#workflow#menu builder#N-panel#Python scripts#addon

Frequently asked questions

How many buttons can a Swift Pie Menu pie hold?

Swift Pie Menu uses a block-based grid that supports up to 18 individual blocks per pie menu, arranged as 8 left, 8 right, top, and bottom. Each block can hold between 1 and 10 action buttons and functions as an independent module, so you can set its visibility, number of buttons, label, icon, and color-coding separately. An Icons Only mode is also available for compact, minimalist layouts. This structure is designed for maximum density and logical grouping of elements within a single radial menu.

Can Swift Pie Menu run external Python scripts?

Swift Pie Menu supports External Script Execution, letting you link buttons to external .py files. This provides a pathway for technical directors and advanced users to run proprietary tools from a centralized UI. Beyond scripts, a button can execute any bpy.ops operator, directly control any animatable property via its data path, display a standard Blender UI panel in a popup window, or chain to another independent pie menu, making each button a universal entry point into Blender's core functions.

How can UI Snippets be deployed in the Blender interface?

Swift Pie Menu offers two deployment modes for the UI Snippets you build in its visual editor. The first is a popup window that deploys the snippet as a modal window, callable from any action button, with a customizable window width. The second is a docked panel that integrates the snippet natively as a persistent panel in the 3D Viewport's sidebar, the N-panel. An integrated live preview in the addon preferences gives real-time feedback as you construct the interface.

Is Swift Pie Menu free to use?

Swift Pie Menu is listed as free in this catalog. It is currently a beta release (version 2.0.3), so features may still be evolving. For current licensing terms, details on the beta status, and any conditions attached to use, check the developer's page from 3D CADence directly. A demo video is also available for those who want to see the addon before installing it in Blender.

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