Documentation: Quick Pie & Favorites (v1.10)

Add-on Name: Quick Pie & Favorites

Version: 1.10

Author: Shift4Cube

Blender Version: 4.0+

Category: Interface (Pie Menu)

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1. Overview

Quick Pie & Favorites is a context-sensitive productivity tool designed to speed up your workflow. It replaces the default Q (Quick Favorites) menu with a powerful Pie Menu that adapts to your current mode.

Key Features:

• Smart Modifiers: Add modifiers (Subdiv, Mirror, Bevel) with instant setting popups.

• Modeling Toolkit: Fast access to extrude, inset, loop cut, and knife in Edit Mode.

• Smart Materials: Instantly apply Checker patterns, Emission, or random colors.

• Old Material Selector: Quickly re-assign materials already existing in your scene.

• Favorites Manager: Launch panels from your other installed add-ons directly from the pie menu.

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2. Installation

1. Download the quick_pie_v1_10.py file.

2. Open Blender and go to Edit > Preferences.

3. Select the Add-ons tab and click Install....

4. Locate the file and click Install Add-on.

5. Enable the checkbox next to Interface: Quick Pie & Favorites.

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3. Global Controls

• Shortcut: Press Q in the 3D Viewport.

• Sidebar (N-Panel): Go to the "Quick Pie" tab on the right side of the viewport to customize the menu. You can toggle specific tools on or off to declutter your view.

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4. Object Mode (The Modifier & Material Suite)

When in Object Mode, the menu focuses on modifiers, view settings, and material management.

• Left (West): Subdivision Surface (Auto-opens settings).

• Right (East): Mirror (Auto-opens settings).

• Top (North): Bevel.

• Top-Left (NW): Array.

• Top-Right (NE): Solidify.

• Bottom (South): Display / Select Menu (Toggle Wireframes, X-Ray, Statistics).

• Bottom-Right (SE): Fav Add-ons (Your custom favorites list).

• Bottom-Left (SW): Manage & More

  • Smart Materials: (See Section 6).

  • Apply Tools: Apply All Modifiers or Specific Modifiers.

  • Extra Modifiers: Access Physics, Deform, and Generate modifiers.

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5. Edit Mode (The Modeling Suite)

In Edit Mode, the menu transforms into a direct modeling toolkit.

• Left (West): Extrude Menu (Region, Manifold, Along Normals).

• Right (East): Inset Faces.

• Top (North): Loop Cut.

• Top-Left (NW): Knife / Bisect.

• Top-Right (NE): Bevel.

• Bottom (South): Display / Select Menu.

• Bottom-Right (SE): Fav Add-ons.

• Bottom-Left (SW): Mesh Tools & UVs

  • Smart Materials: (See Section 6).

  • UV Tools: Smart UV Project, Unwrap.

  • Mesh Ops: Merge (Center/Collapse), Normals (Flip/Recalculate), Symmetrize.

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6. Smart Materials & UVs (New in v1.10)

Located in the Bottom-Left (SW) sub-menu of both modes.

1. Choose Old Material: Opens a list of all existing materials in your blend file. Click one to instantly apply it to the selected object.

2. Checker (Scale 40): Applies a UV Checker texture with a scale of 40 (useful for checking UV distortion).

3. New Material: Applies a basic Principled BSDF with a random pastel color (great for color blocking).

4. Emission: Applies an orange emission shader (Strength 5.0).

5. UV Tools: Quickly "Smart UV Project" or "Unwrap" without opening the UV editor.

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7. Favorites Manager

This feature allows you to access UI panels from other installed add-ons (like Node Wrangler, HardOps, etc.) directly inside the Pie Menu.

1. Open the N-Panel > Quick Pie tab.

2. Expand "Manage Fav Add-ons".

3. You will see a list of your installed add-ons. Check the box next to any add-on you use frequently.

4. Press Q > Fav Add-ons (Bottom-Right).

5. Your checked add-ons appear in the list. Clicking one opens its panel instantly at your mouse cursor.