Show us your DarkRadiant layout

[SneaksieDave]

I wanted to start this thread based on discussion starting up in a separate topic. Of course so as not to derail the other thread, but also because I think it might be fun. Maybe it'll catch on, maybe not; we'll see.

 

What does your current DarkRadiant window layout look like? I've tried a number of setups over the years, and recently made a drastic change to a 50/50 cam/ortho split (I simply couldn't stand 1/6 cam view anymore), with pop-up dialogs in reasonable locations (shown open here, but of course they're usually closed). I still occasionally double-click the cam so it goes fullscreen, but that has limitations with using the pop-ups.

 

I figured, if I need to adjust light, I don't need ortho. If I need to adjust texture alignment, I don't need ortho. If I need to pick and apply textures, I certainly don't need ortho. So, those items go there. Entity editing is rare compared to brush building, so that gives it a second reason to claim no fixed space of its own. When I do need it, I make use of it either where it is (one extra click to bring it forward), or slide it behind cam if needed. I also swapped the horiz and vert toolbars, because there's more space along the top.

 

I'm pretty happy with it at this point, but of course improvement is probably possible. Current gripes (minor as they are) that remain are that the cam is not full screen (can't have everything), and needing to bring the Entity dialog forward often when doing entity work, though of course that's irrelevant when doing brushwork, and, translation mode and very versatile selection in the cam mitigate this problem somewhat.

 

So, what does your layout look like? Share your ideas.

[greebo]

I use a mostly vanilla floating window layout. I usually move the surface inspector somewhere over the orthoviews too.

 

[OrbWeaver]

@SneaksieDave: is that 1024x768? I haven't seen that resolution for a while...

[SneaksieDave]

Yep! I suppose I could go higher, on a 21" monitor, but I never have. I may just look into that.

 

Edit: Hm, not sure I like higher. It really only gives me smaller fonts (unless I go change that) and a little more space on fixed dialogs and bars, so it seems six of one, half dozen of the other. Maybe someday.

 

Edit: The most significant change 1024 -> 1280 is in for instance the Entity inspector (image below). But, that's usually tucked away behind an unused view anyway. The savings on top bars is about 1/2 cm, and sidebars is about 1/4 cm. I'll think on it more, but as above, maybe someday.

[Fidcal]

Here's mine. Note, my monitor is only about 19", my font is slightly larger than normal for this res, and my eyesight is not great so I just strain to see tiny icons and text. This is why I want a 30" monitor for this sort of application else double monitors.

 

Like Sneaksie I open most dialogs over the top of ortho. The main difference is I have the entity inspector etc and camera sharing the left space. Occasionally drag one or the other over ortho and sometimes go full screen with camera, even with ortho now and again (you know a double click on the title bar switches?)

 

Anyway, having studied what Sneaksie has said I think I'm going to try my entity inspector top right behind ortho for a while.

 

Oh yes, and ortho hides only curves and help menu so no regulars and so I pinch a little more height.

 

[Komag]

It seems I'm the only one who uses Split view, like Dromed

 

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/oddpics/drlayout.jpg

 

It works well for my wide 1280x800 desktop res

[AluminumHaste]

It seems I'm the only one who uses Split view, like Dromed

 

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/oddpics/drlayout.jpg

 

It works well for my wide 1280x800 desktop res

 

I use i on my 17" widescreen at 1920*1200, can't stand not being able to see all views.

[jdude]

You guys have weird layouts mine is pretty basic:

[SneaksieDave]

Hooray, all of your words above (and discussion of Always On Top in the other thread) have possibly facilitated another improvement to my layout (exactly as I was hoping from such a thread).

 

My second gripe above related to having to bring the entity inspector forward to do entity work. Basically, it amounts to a little frustration and an extra click each time. Not a huge price for a big cam window. Well my slow wit put that together with the Top discussion, and seeing the users with docked views, and thinking, "huh, where is their entity inspector?" Nowhere, it goes away, and since it's docked view, it has always on top functionality! Duh. Ya see, I didn't realize this, because on day one, I decided I didn't like docked view, and went with floating, never looking back. Now it appears with a press of N, and stays on top for as long as I want it there. (Note: It did occur to me from this, there is no Media tab hotkey, but all others exist).

 

So, my new trial layout is pictured. Thanks for the ideas. It's basically the same, but with Always On Top functionality (I think I like this... will have to use it for a while to be sure). I think there are no problems, but I'm watching for any performance decreases. The downside to this change though, is my first gripe gets a little worse -- I can no longer d-click the cam to go fullscreen. Hmm... Any chance for a fullscreen (as in, full sized window) cam hotkey? Resizing by dragging a single bar is nice, but it is a little more tedious to get to "full" (not really; some space is lost all the way round) screen this way.

[Komag]

Yeah, I live without full screen and am just really used to it. It would be nice though

[Fidcal]

Here's my new layout with entity inspector panel top right. I can access all four tabs. I can see all menus. My camera view is bigger than before. My orthoview is also slightly bigger. Plus full screen whenever I want. I like the look of it. It will be interesting to see if it works out practically.

 

Ha! This was inspired by Sneaksie's original and now he's changed it to docking. Don't think I'll be going with docking - too restrictive for me.

 

[sparhawk]

It seems I'm the only one who uses Split view, like Dromed

 

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/oddpics/drlayout.jpg

 

It works well for my wide 1280x800 desktop res

 

I use the same layout, so you are not alone.

[greebo]

Actually, I intended to take my layout above and convert it a split view (one orthoview, one camera and the EntityInspector at the bottom left). I would already have done it, but then I mused about creating a proper system which allows users to customise the layout themselves by editing an XML file. This way we could get quite even more flexibility.

 

Of course, this requires a lot of work, therefore it hasn't been done yet.

[AluminumHaste]

Okay here's the layout I love

I just open the inspector windows and stuff when I need them.

 

[SneaksieDave]

And a further tweak, because I'd forgotten about Fidcal's outside-the-box thinking of putting the entity inspector right over the menu bar. Now I've got it jammed all the way up in the right corner as shown, which gives two advantages:

1. another inch or so of screen space on the ortho, and still with Always On Top func, and,

2. now closing the entity inspector, when I'm done with it, is a simple blind flick and click. Try it some time if you aren't aware of this, maybe it's well known, but a friend showed me it years ago: maximize any window, or get the Close "X" near enough to the upper right corner of the desktop. Now, without even looking, you can close the window, by a simple mouse flick up to the right corner, and a click. No more precision mouse movement to click a button to close the entity inspector, but instead a simple gesture closes it without even looking. It's something designed into Windows I guess, that it takes any click in the upper right corner as a click to the close button of a maximized (or properly positioned in this case) window, regardless of whether you've actually hit the button or not. Best of all, DR retains that position, and doesn't try to "correct" it for me (by dragging it too close inward), so it works. A thing of simple beauty.

 

@Greebo: I didn't want to track it without asking directly first: is there any possibility of a hotkey that toggles cam to fullscreen (just a fullsize window, or at least all size available) and back? Not a "game mode" or anything new, still edit mode of course, just a quick keypress to get cam to go to maximum and back?

[greebo]

@Greebo: I didn't want to track it without asking directly first: is there any possibility of a hotkey that toggles cam to fullscreen (just a fullsize window, or at least all size available) and back? Not a "game mode" or anything new, still edit mode of course, just a quick keypress to get cam to go to maximum and back?

I don't know for sure if it's possible with the GTK API to programmatically maximise a window, but I think it is. Feel free to track it.

[AluminumHaste]

And a further tweak, because I'd forgotten about Fidcal's outside-the-box thinking of putting the entity inspector right over the menu bar. Now I've got it jammed all the way up in the right corner as shown, which gives two advantages:

1. another inch or so of screen space on the ortho, and still with Always On Top func, and,

2. now closing the entity inspector, when I'm done with it, is a simple blind flick and click. Try it some time if you aren't aware of this, maybe it's well known, but a friend showed me it years ago: maximize any window, or get the Close "X" near enough to the upper right corner of the desktop. Now, without even looking, you can close the window, by a simple mouse flick up to the right corner, and a click. No more precision mouse movement to click a button to close the entity inspector, but instead a simple gesture closes it without even looking. It's something designed into Windows I guess, that it takes any click in the upper right corner as a click to the close button of a maximized (or properly positioned in this case) window, regardless of whether you've actually hit the button or not. Best of all, DR retains that position, and doesn't try to "correct" it for me (by dragging it too close inward), so it works.

 

@Greebo: I didn't want to track it without asking directly first: is there any possibility of a hotkey that toggles cam to fullscreen (just a fullsize window, or at least all size available) and back? Not a "game mode" or anything new, still edit mode of course, just a quick keypress to get cam to go to maximum and back?

 

What I liked about the GTKRadiant is that when you open an inspector like the texture browser with the letter "t" when you hit the letter "t" again it closes the window. I wish this program had it, so that I don't have to use the mouse.

[Komag]

I've already tracked that one

[Nebrekker]

My $0.02.

 

Two displays so the camera view gets it's own fullscreen monitor!

 

This isn't the same as "Split View," mentioned previously, is it?

[OrbWeaver]

Two displays so the camera view gets it's own fullscreen monitor!

 

Multiple displays is not an application feature, it is something provided by the graphics card and operating system.

 

Is there a problem with placing the camera view window on a second monitor? I only have one so I can't test this.

[Komag]

dual monitors/displays works GREAT with DR! I recently got a nice LCD monitor to hook up to my laptop and yes, it's VERY nice to have a whole screen just for the Camera 3D view, and plenty of editing space on the other screen for everything else.

 

You can even stretch the camera view all across both screens for a super huge panoramic display which is pretty freakin' awesome, if mostly impractical

 

(Of course, you need to use "Floating" layout for this, so you can move and position the windows)

[OrbWeaver]

Duh, I just realised this isn't a bug report thread -- Nebrekker was presumably just describing his layout, not reporting a problem.

[STiFU]

You guys have weird layouts mine is pretty basic:

Hehe assface. Working on two 1680:1050 (probably 22'') Screens, huh?

[Nebrekker]

Duh, I just realised this isn't a bug report thread -- Nebrekker was presumably just describing his layout, not reporting a problem.

 

 

:-)