Hi Ced, you're missing text labels for the buttons (a huge improvement for browsing the UI) and you're missing one really particularly key thing which is expandability - the ability to have a few commands have a more detailed set of options without getting in the way. The regular MoI UI has the ability to put command options within the top of the dedicated side pane area, where they will not obscure your actual model. This makes it possible for MoI to "scale up" in command complexity without causing workflow problems.

In the previous modeling program that I created (Rhino) I had a UI design very much like what you're suggesting, but over time as more and more icons are added without text labels users end up confronted with a big mass of cryptic images and "browsability" becomes greatly impaired.

The MoI UI is designed to avoid problems the type of UI you are asking for tends to end up with.

Certainly there's also a personal preference to UI as well, and I can understand if you would still want to work with that style of UI especially if it's what you're already familiar with. I'm just trying to explain to you why MoI is not set up that way.

Instead of trying to re-arrange MoI's UI to try and make it a clone of Rhino, I'd recommend at least trying MoI's regular UI structure (change colors to whatever you prefer certainly) for at least a while to see how having your workspace clean and clear feels like without having stuff overlapping right on top of your drawing area all the time.

Basically you will probably end up enjoying the fast fluid workflow feel in MoI a lot more if you don't try to switch it to a different program's UI design right off the bat. That does mean trying to have an open mind and sticking with it for a little while to get over some of your baked in habits though. If you're able to make it over the hump you'll end up with increased speed and more of a fun feeling while modeling because it feels less like you're in a battle with the UI to get things done.

These concepts of "fast and fluid feeling" and "less interruptions and obscuring" and "browsability" are some big things the MoI UI is focused on.

- Michael