# Is GUI making better in Cabbage 3 vs 2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Csound Noobs\ **Created:** [29 December 2025 21:16 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959 "2025-12-29T21:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Terracides](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/terracides/32/6146_2.png) [@Terracides](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/Terracides)\ **Post date:** [29 December 2025 21:17 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/1 "2025-12-29T21:17:00Z")
I’ve recently downloaded cabbage and started making a midi control plugin for a synthesizer the Roland S-1 as a test project to get to know it and I’m trying to make it look nice. Next is making the knobs animated using filmstrips. I’ve borrowed a nice LCD from someone here that I found and it works but the values of the knobs are still not showing but I’ll get there. Was I wrong to start with Cabbage 2? I’m on a Mac and did not want to download a 24gb xcode framework for other tools to make a plugin. I like that it’s small and clean. ![IMG-20251229-WA0001](https://forum-next.cabbageaudio.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e3e02ffdcf76400b3e064c61aaee69d445bd916f.jpeg) this is my plugin that I’m working on. ---
**Author:** ![rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/rorywalsh/32/165_2.png) [@rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/rorywalsh)\ **Post date:** [30 December 2025 09:12 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/2 "2025-12-30T09:12:46Z")
Hi @Terracides, welcome to the forum. I’d have to say that making UIs with Cabbage 3 offers far more in terms fo customisation. But it’s not quite there yet. If you’re new to Csound/Cabbage then Cabbage2 might be the path of least resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Terracides](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/terracides/32/6146_2.png) [@Terracides](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/Terracides)\ **Post date:** [30 December 2025 09:26 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/3 "2025-12-30T09:26:30Z")
Thank you Roy, I think for now i’ll stick to Cabbage 2. It’s a great plugin thank you for you time to make the world a better place. Actually it does everything I want, I can just solve the graphics using images and animations. Even the text can be an overlay so ---
**Author:** ![rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/rorywalsh/32/165_2.png) [@rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/rorywalsh)\ **Post date:** [30 December 2025 09:36 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/4 "2025-12-30T09:36:37Z")
Another trick that works quite well is to overlay images, but set interactable to 0. This way mouse clicks and pass through the images. There isn’t a whole lot you can’t actually do with graphics in Cabbage 2, apart from animations and transitions. ---
**Author:** ![rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/rorywalsh/32/165_2.png) [@rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/rorywalsh)\ **Post date:** [31 December 2025 19:46 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/5 "2025-12-31T19:46:43Z")
Some recent messages were lost during a migration to a new forum server. It seems that your last message featuring your instrument was caught in the cross fire. Apologies for this, feel free to repost 👍 ---
**Author:** ![findsp](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/findsp/32/6185_2.png) [@findsp](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/findsp)\ **Post date:** [19 January 2026 01:33 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/6 "2026-01-19T01:33:05Z")
Is it possible to use .png or .bmp for custom backgrounds? ---
**Author:** ![rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/user_avatar/forum.cabbageaudio.com/rorywalsh/32/165_2.png) [@rorywalsh](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/u/rorywalsh)\ **Post date:** [19 January 2026 09:09 UTC](https://forum.cabbageaudio.com/t/is-gui-making-better-in-cabbage-3-vs-2/4959/7 "2026-01-19T09:09:36Z")
Yes in bother version. Just use an image widget. It can display a png, and probably bmp too, but you’re better off using a PNG if you can.