User Interface

Combo Panel & Multi-Panel Interface

The Combo Panel is the central hub containing all Zen UV operators, organized into thematic sections along the left side. It is accessible from the Sidebar (N-Panel), the Properties editor (when the Zen UV Transform Tool is active), or via the global Pop-up Menu (Shift + U).

Fig. 1. Combo Panel Overview

Note: The available set of operators in the Combo Panel automatically adapts based on context. Certain tools are designed exclusively for the 3D Viewport and will not appear in the UV Editor. You can further customize panel appearances in Preferences.

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Multi-Panel Workflows

You can open, stack, and pin multiple subpanels simultaneously to customize your workspace layout for specific UV editing tasks.

Action	Shortcut / Interaction	Description
Switch Subpanel	LMB on section icon	Switches the view to the selected subpanel.
Open Multiple	Shift + LMB on section icons	Opens and appends multiple subpanels at the same time.
Pin Subpanel	Ctrl + LMB or click Pin icon	Locks the selected subpanel open, keeping it visible when switching between other tabs.

Fig. 2. Open Multiply Panels	Fig. 3. Pin Some Panels

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Panel Status Indicators

The visual state of each subpanel is color-coded on its icon for quick identification:

• Pinned (Red): The panel is locked open. The Pin icon next to its title is filled.
• Active (Cyan / Blue): The panel is currently open and active, but not locked. Its Pin icon shows an unfilled outline.
• Inactive (Uncolored): The panel is closed.

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Access & Interface Modes

N-Panel & Pop-Up Menu

The main Combo Panel resides in the Sidebar (N-Panel), but can also be summoned anywhere under the mouse cursor using the default shortcut Shift + U.

Pop-Up Combo Panel (Shift + U)

Properties Editor Integration

When the Zen UV Transform Tool is active, the Combo Panel also automatically displays inside the Blender Properties Editor.

Combo Panel in Properties

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Update reminder

Reminds you that a new version has been released and you can update the addon.

Fig. 1. Update Reminder in the panel header

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Blender Version Warning

Appears at the top of the panel when Zen UV detects that it is running on an untested or experimental Blender version (such as Alpha, Beta, or Daily Builds).

Fig. 1. Blender Version Compatibility Warning banner

• Triggers: Running Zen UV on a Blender version higher than the supported range.
• Reason: Blender’s Python API frequently undergoes breaking changes during pre-release stages. Official Zen UV updates supporting new Blender versions are published alongside stable Blender releases.
• Dismissing: Click the close button (✕) in the top-right corner of the banner to dismiss the warning for the current Blender session.

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Pie Menu

Pie Menu interaction

To use alternative commands in the Pie Menu, use a quick keypress. Avoid holding the Pie Menu hotkey for too long. Follow these steps:

Quick keypress:

• Press and immediately release the hotkey to open the Pie Menu.
• The Pie Menu will stay on the screen, and you can perform alternate actions using modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift).
• To do this, press a modifier key and then click the desired option in the Pie Menu.

If you press and hold the hotkey for just over 1 second, the Pie Menu will automatically close once you release it, unless you hover over a section.

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Pie Menu Operators

Quadrify | Relax 

• Default — Quadrify Islands. Straighten rectangular-shaped Islands.
• CTRL — Relax. Relax Selected Islands.
• SHIFT — Hotspot Mapping. Map Islands by matching Islands to predefined Trims from Trimsheet.

Zen Unwrap | Pack 

• Default — Zen Unwrap. Unwrap by Marked edges. If you have selected edges or faces they will be Marked as Seams and/or Sharp Edges and Unwrapped after.
• ALT — Pack Islands. Pack Islands by chosen Pack Engine.
• SHIFT — Zen UV Transform Tool. Move, Rotate, Scale, Fit, Align and Flip Islands in 3D View and UV Editor using Zen UV Gizmo.

Checker | Finished 

• Default — Checker Texture (Toggle). Add/Remove Checker Texture to/from the mesh.
• CTRL — Display Finished. Display Finished Islands (Toggle).
• ALT — Display Stretch Map. Display an angle-based stretching map.

Unmark | Tag Unfinished 

• Default — Unmark. Unmark selected edges or face borders as Seams and/or Sharp edges.
• CTRL — Tag Unfinished. Tag selected Islands as Unfinished.
• ALT — Unmark All. Remove all Seams and/or Sharp edges from the mesh.

Mark | Tag Finished 

• Default — Mark. Mark selected edges or face borders as Seams and/or Sharp edges.
• CTRL — Tag Finished. Tag selected Islands as Finished. Islands Taged as Finished won’t be unwrapped, recommended to Tag manually changed Islands (e.g. Quadrified Islands).

Select: Islands | Overlapped 

• Default — Select Islands. Select Islands by selected edge/face of the Islands.
• CTRL — Select Flipped Islands.
• ALT — Select Overlapped Islands.
• SHIFT — Select Similar Islands.

Isolate Islands (Toggle)

• Default — Isolate Island (Toggle). Isolate Islands by selected edge/face of the Islands.
• CTRL - Isolate Part (Toggle). Isolate mesh part by selected edge/face of the mesh.

Mark by Angle

• Default — Mark by Angle. Mark edges as Seams and/or Sharp edges by Angle.

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Pie Menu Assist

Pie Menu Assist is special help window, which is located below the Pie Menu. There you can find, highlight and execute all the alternative ALT, CTRL, SHIFT Pie Menu commands.

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Default Shortcut

Zen UV Pie Menu — Alt + U

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Progress Bar

Progress Bar is designed to display the progress of the operator execution process. Not all operators use the Progress Bar, only those that require complex calculations. On some operating systems of the Linux family, the Progress Bar can cause Blender to crash. To avoid this situation, you can disable the Progress Bar in Panel - Preferences - Display Progress Bar.

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Transform Tool

Move, Rotate, Scale, Fit, Align and Flip selected Islands or Faces/Edges/Vertices in 3D Viewport and UV Editor using Zen UV Gizmo.

Follow the link to find more information about Transform Tool.

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Touch Tool

Zen Touch Tool is a universal UV transformation tool that provides fast and intuitive control over moving, scaling, and rotating UV islands in the UV Editor. It allows for quick and easy execution of both basic and advanced transformations.

Follow the link to find more information about Transform Tool.

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Darken Image

Darken Image operator is designed to adjust the darkening of an Image in the context of the UV Editor. It does not change the texture but uses color management curve to darken it.

You can find this operator in UV Editor Overlay.

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Right menu assist

• Right Menu Assist - Enables or disables the ‘Add to ZenUV Favorites’ option in the right-click menu.

Right Menu Assist

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Save As Default Operator Properties

Starting from Zen UV 4.5.2, the ability to save default properties for certain operators has been introduced. This feature allows you to customize operators to your preferences and eliminates the need to adjust them every time you restart Blender.

Operators that support saving default properties
Zen Unwrap
Quadrify
Mark By Angle

How to Set Default Properties

1. Run the operator normally.
2. Locate the property you want to save as default.
3. Adjust the property to the desired value.
4. Hover the mouse over the property.
5. Right-click on the property.
6. From the context menu, select Save As Default.
   
7. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click OK.
8. Restart Blender to apply the saved default settings.

• Mode - Defines what to save.
  • Property - Save only active property.
  • Active Operator - Save all properties of the active operator.
  • All Operators - Save default values of all available operators.
• Revert - Revert to the initial state as it was deployed with the addon.