Wishlist For Darkradiant

[datiswous]

Could the Layers window be made dockable or being placed inside the Properties-dock?

Edited October 13, 2022 by datiswous

[greebo]

The wxAUI framework we're using for the docking is a bit limited, it appears. It's not possible to drag windows/panes in and out of wxAuiNotebooks, which would make things very flexible. The windows like the Console or the Texture Browser would need a different way to be converted to dockable panes.

[greebo]

I've opened an issue on the tracker to explore things a bit (#6131). Maybe we can improve the dockable layout to replace all existing hardcoded window layouts.

[Baal]

Is it feasible to have the properties change size on switch of its subtabs so that the user can size them individually?

 

[greebo]

You mean that the floating dialog is adjusting its size based on the selected tab? It'd be possible, I guess.

[Baal]

28 minutes ago, greebo said:

You mean that the floating dialog is adjusting its size based on the selected tab? It'd be possible, I guess.

An example:

I have properties docked on the right. Most of the time I want it narrow, leaving more space for the 2d and 3d view. When I switch to the texture tab, I want it large and at the same time I don't need 2d, so it can be narrow or hidden. Switching tabs should automatically restore the sizes I set.

I hope that makes it more clear.

[greebo]

Got it. It's possible, but I can't estimate yet how much work that'd require. I'm going to do some experimenting on the layout handling first.

[Baal]

The possibilty of maximizing the 3d or 2d view temporarily on a keypress would be nice to have.

[greebo]

For the camera this should already be possible, I think the key command is named "ToggleFullScreenCamera".

[Baal]

Thanks, I didn't know that. 

It does not work in the dockable layout, though. Nothing happens.

[greebo]

1 hour ago, Baal said:

It does not work in the dockable layout, though. Nothing happens.

Great. In my branch with the experimental layout there's already a button to maximise the docked panes, but I'll have to look into it if there's a way to maximise a certain area using a shortcut. I bet there is.

[SeriousToni]

I checked out Dark Radiant again and especially the new layer system is amazing I must say.

Is it maybe possible to give the entity list also a little make over? I noticed while revisiting my old map that some entities are quiet hard to find if I don't know their names. Is it possible to filter by entity type in the future? E.g. Doors, humans, lights

[greebo]

54 minutes ago, SeriousToni said:

Is it possible to filter by entity type in the future? E.g. Doors, humans, lights

It depends on how difficult or expensive it is to classify the entities. Should doors be recognised by their classname, or by the model they use? If it's too hard to figure out for an algorithm, then the filter wouldn't be very responsive.

[SeriousToni]

1 hour ago, greebo said:

It depends on how difficult or expensive it is to classify the entities. Should doors be recognised by their classname, or by the model they use? If it's too hard to figure out for an algorithm, then the filter wouldn't be very responsive.

That's true. It was just an idea. In the end the mapper needs to find a naming convention that makes sense personally. This way it will be easier to find things by name. Maybe together with the layer system the entity journal is even more powerful now. Thanks for your response!

[Baal]

Is the 'userinterface' branch on github stable enough to work with it?

[greebo]

2 hours ago, Baal said:

Is the 'userinterface' branch on github stable enough to work with it?

It has a bug with the camera arrow keys not working. I'll fix that in a few days, until then I wouldn't recommend switching. Otherwise it'd be functional.

[Baal]

I just changed the mouse bindings to cycle select with left mouse button in the camera view. Much more comfortable than Shift-Alt-LMB, but now I can't use the rotate and move handles anymore. 

The 2d view has the same problem.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Baal

[greebo]

35 minutes ago, Baal said:

I just changed the mouse bindings to cycle select with left mouse button in the camera view. Much more comfortable than Shift-Alt-LMB, but now I can't use the rotate and move handles anymore. 

The 2d view has the same problem.

So you have LMB assigned to both Sekection and Manipulation? I guess that's just a conflict of interest, DR can't know what you intend to do with the LMB.

[Baal]

40 minutes ago, greebo said:

So you have LMB assigned to both Sekection and Manipulation? I guess that's just a conflict of interest, DR can't know what you intend to do with the LMB.

Selection is left clicking while manipulation is left dragging. It works perfectly this way in other editors (Trenchbroom for example). And Cycle selection is the mode I use almost all of the time, so it would make sense (for me at least) to use simple left click instead of having to use a modifier. 

If it's to much work to implement that, I understand; but it's a huge useability improvement in my opinion.

 

Edit: Rebinding Manipulate works ok. But it's not ideal.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Baal

[greebo]

You can also drag-select items, so dragging alone wouldn't determine the action yet. One had to separate the drag-selection from the regular toggle selection command (they are bound to the same mouse action at the moment).

Note, I'm not trying to defend the system, just stating how DR's code is determining things (it is still using the same old GtkRadiant principles, once you perform the click (mouse down) the action is determined immediately).

Of course it's possible to fundamentally change the way DR is handling manipulations and selections, but for every such change you'll probably face differing opinions and/or resistance.

[Baal]

4 minutes ago, greebo said:

You can also drag-select items, so dragging alone wouldn't determine the action yet. One had to separate the drag-selection from the regular toggle selection command (they are bound to the same mouse action at the moment).

I don't find drag selection to be very useful in practice. I never use it. So that would be a welcome change.

[OrbWeaver]

22 hours ago, greebo said:

Of course it's possible to fundamentally change the way DR is handling manipulations and selections, but for every such change you'll probably face differing opinions and/or resistance.

I actually had a go at this myself once, but found it far too difficult. Personally I too hate the default input style, particularly the requirement to constantly hold down modifiers just to select things, but changing the defaults just breaks too much stuff because the selection system isn't designed to work that way.

In order to allow "normal" selection rules, we would also need:

• A different method to create a new brush (since left-drag is now a selection or manipulation operation), for example something like Blender's Shift+A shortcut.
• A different way to resize brushes. Currently dragging anywhere outside the brush performs a resize, but if clicking/dragging on empty space is supposed to define a new selection, this will no longer work. So we would need something like traditional resize handles instead of the planar dragging approach.
• The selection system to decide what operation is being performed after the initial click or drag starts (as Greebo already mentioned).
• [Optional but almost certainly necessary] A system for setting up alternative keyboard profiles so people could choose between classic Radiant selection or the new system, since not everybody would agree with the changes.

[Baal]

Thanks for the info on that.

The way I have set it up now is:

LMB -> Cycle Select (the previous selection is deselected) 

Shift-LMB -> Select (select the target and keep the previous selection, drag selection is also done this way)

Alt-LMB -> Manipulate

Ctrl-LMB -> Surface Selection

This works pretty well (after you have unlearned the old bindings).

[OrbWeaver]

What do you use to drag out a new brush?

[Baal]

That is still LMB as before.