Collapse the top menus

[nunodonato]

Taking advantage of the current UI changes being done for 3.0, I was thinking that we could also improve the menu buttons on the top.

Currently, the top-left is occupied by

• Scene
• Tools
• Export

Tools only have one item, making it actually kind of like a button.
Export is a button, not a menu.

On the top-right:

• volume bar?
• settings
• weird icons that nobody understands what they are for :p

I thought in 2 different proposals for a change:

1. Collapse the top-left buttons into just one, maybe call it "Project"?. This means the scene menu will have 2 more items, and we get rid of tools and export, which are seldom used anyway.

2. Since the space is not being used for anything else, make a more functional menu "bar", and split some items into different menus to make things easier to find. I'd also bring the Settings menu on the right, to join the left side. Project settings could be inside it, together with Editor Settings

WDYT? :)

[nunodonato]

Here are two shots of option 1, with close and open menu.

[Zireael07]

I see 'export project' (+1 to moving it to menu) but where did Tools go?

[nunodonato]

@Zireael07 tools only had "orphan resource explorer" which I added it in the menu directly. no point in having a menu with just one option

[vnen]

The Tools menu is meant mostly for plugins to use.

[nunodonato]

Option 2

[Zireael07]

I like option 2, someone tell me what the big tick next to volume bar is for? Because to me, the things on the right hand end are just two big space-filling mysteries :P

[nunodonato]

@vnen good point, I forgot about that.
Maybe a few more things could be added to the tools menu then, I think the main Scene menu has too many items and separators. Things like "convert to" and "run script" could perhaps be under tools?

[akien-mga]

You could also move the Tools menu into the Scene menu, as a submenu (like the "Open Recent" and "Convert To" submenus).

[nunodonato]

Ok, here's a modified option 2, with the tools menu getting some items from the project menu, thus making it more pleasant to look at :)

normal window

project menu

tools menu

[eon-s]

I prefer the "tools" menu visible, even if has nothing inside, it could be renamed to plugins though.

Also, "settings" is editor settings, I prefer to have it on the top right and leave project related things on the top left.

[Zireael07]

Moving run script and convert to tools menu is a good idea, though.

I don't mind either way re: plugins or tools for name.

[nunodonato]

@eon-s I think that's just conditioned behaviour due to using godot for some time :p if you think for normal people, it doesnt make sense to have settings on the left and settings on the right, settings means settings.

[nunodonato]

or.... what about this? :)

(this one is just a mockup)

[eon-s]

@nunodonato leave the 2d/3d/script/assetlib buttons alone! 😂

[reduz]

I was thinking along these lines:

1. We can create a "Project" menu, which contains "Export", "Tools", "Run Script", "Project Settings", etc.
2. We can create an "Editor" menu, which contains "Editor Settings", "Layouts", "Manage Templates" , "About", etc.
3. While I like Play panel in the center, i think this should be given to the main dock selection, which is used far often.
4. Maximize could be moved to the tabs, which takes a tiny bit of space but makes more sense in that context.
5. Help should be big and always visible, we could open a new dialog, which is a mixture of both the class list and the help search dialog. I think someone suggeste this a few weeks ago and it was a fantastic idea.
6. Volume bar has no more reason to be, should be removed as you can see this in the Audio tab

Would this be an improvement?

[reduz]

Re-posting image above, it was broken

[reduz]

Oh also, I htink you never really choose which 2D/3D mode you are using, as this happens automatically when you select a node or open a scene, so this could be moved away and be replaced by a "Viewport" button.

[nunodonato]

@reduz that makes a lot of sense to me :)
having 2d/3d inside the tab is great and also hints that the mode will be saved per-tab (a node2d scene will default to open in 2d mode, etc)

perhaps the tools could still be on its own menu. i guess for people who use menu items from plugins it would be far easier to reach it than inside another menu. also, there's plenty of horizontal space and it will make the project menu less cramped :)

[reduz]

@nunodonato Tools can be a submenu of Project, it can have as many items as you want I guess.
I have no idea how popular the Tools menu is, but we can see if it's used often and then promote it to main menu at some point if worth it.

[nunodonato]

about automatic 2d/3d switching... not sure, I recall having to force a particular mode even though I was selecting a node of a different one.
For instance, if you open the "HDR in 2d" demo and want to configure HDR settings, you need to click the world environment(which is 3d) but you want to see the effects in 2d. Perhaps there are other use cases...

[reduz]

yeah, I'm not saying you never need to do it, which is why you still have the 2D/3D swap, but in far most cases you don't need to.

…

On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 1:00 PM, Nuno Donato ***@***.***> wrote: about automatic 2d/3d switching... not sure, I recall having to force a particular mode even though I was selecting a node of a different one. For instance, if you open the HDR in 2d demo and want to configure HDR settings, you need to click the world environment(which is 3d) but you want to see the effects in 2d. Perhaps there are other use cases... — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#8865 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z24ENgTo1J5JKuyIa30CUyhz-3Ys4ks5r8bECgaJpZM4NidqG> .

[nunodonato]

oh ok, I thought you meant that they could be removed, my bad!

[nunodonato]

menus based on @reduz's suggestions

[toger5]

I really like the Scene project separation.
the editor button though is really good on the right. It just makes so much sense to separate project specific actions and settings which affect every project (editor). And moving it is a great separation.

I love the Viewport script asset store separation!!
fullscreen button location is also perfect in reduz's design.
About the center location for the play pause stop ... debug buttons:
I think they make most sense and look best in the center.
I will post a design later on, because I think putting the viewport, asset store... on the top right corner can look pretty cool.

just my opinions

[reduz]

I agree that play stuff looks best on the center, but for discoverability I think it may be better to move the viewport/script/etc stuff to the center. I dont really know how to solve this..

[volzhs]

who doesnt close scenes using the close button in the tab or the shortcut key

here I am, sometimes. it's some related "revert" I guess.
I did sometimes when I don't like changes after making a few.

[eon-s]

@nunodonato I use revert scene when I break something bad (like animations or shaders), or while creating tools for fast reload

[nunodonato]

point taken. Do you guys want to suggest a way to better organize the menu than just dumping a gazillion items on it? :)

[volzhs]

my quick suggestion is like this.

Acutally, it's almost like what reduz suggested long time ago.

[Zireael07]

I have no preference regarding the Scene and Project ordering. But undo and redo as buttons and not menu options would be wonderful <3

[toger5]

for me having 2d,3d,script on tab level also is still the best solution:
If it is only affecting this main dock why not make it part of the main dock...
discoverability is still there!

If the asset lib is on the top right I think it should be a popup instead of another main dock alternative.
How much effort would it be to move it? What are pros cons?

[volzhs]

my suggestion is based on images on this thread. so it's not what it looks like on current master branch.
but I suggested what is where.

[puppetmaster-]

How about this?

• play scene button inside scene window

[volzhs]

@puppetmaster- there should be for room related what is selected

[toger5]

I really like "play current scene" in the scene dock!! would put it on the right though.
I think the android/html5 button should stay in the top bar though. It only appears when it is set up anyways... so usually it's not there. EDIT:(thats only the case for 2.1... my bad)

[puppetmaster-]

Yeah I know and I would like more of this.
You need to have a scene open to play it so why not put the play scene button inside the scene window

[puppetmaster-]

the html button is always visible but I have no html setup !?!

[toger5]

@puppetmaster- you are right sorry

[puppetmaster-]

And buttons inside the scene are not always very intelligent..

The button should disabled when not working.

[volzhs]

@puppetmaster- oh, only play(run) at there based on what you suggested. now I think it's not about the room.
html5 or android run button is shown or disappeared based on configuration is good I think.
and running project from it directly is best UX I've used.
I really used it a lot when developing modules or testing changes for another platform which is not I am using for developing.

[puppetmaster-]

What about the idea to have a customizable button bar in the middle .

[volzhs]

@puppetmaster- agreed about not very intelligent. it should be better.

[nunodonato]

Guys, please keep discussion on focus. this issue is about the project/scene menus. you can perhaps have the discussion about toolbars in another issue. Can be?

[volzhs]

@nunodonato I'm not talking about toolbars. :)
I was just saying because @puppetmaster- suggested to move something to toolbar.

[Zireael07]

Toolbars and menus are interrelated - if something is moved out of menu to the toolbar or vice versa.

[puppetmaster-]

In the project menu I would like to have something like this

List of the last project I opened.
Also a possibility to jump directly to Input Map would be cool.

[Zireael07]

Do you want recent scenes or recent projects? Because it's not clear...

[puppetmaster-]

Sorry for the bad screenshot .. recent projects

[eon-s]

@puppetmaster- but that is for the project manager, not current project (settings, tools and things like that)

I would not mind having Project and Scene on the same menu entry.
"New Scene" fits with Project.

[puppetmaster-]

@eon-s I thought the menu point Quit to Project List will be also moved to Project menu and a list with recent project would be practically.

[ghost]

As a new Godot user, I've acclimated to having Project come before Scene pretty quickly, and think it makes more sense overall. I'm happy leaving it as is! That said, I don't think many people are too fussed about this, and I wouldn't mind having them swapped back if it really is that big an inconvenience for some.

[djrm]

Is this still relevant? since the top of the engine was redesigned

[vnen]

I guess it's not relevant anymore. The discussion can still go on though.