Godot-proposals: Use the 2D main screen plugin as default instead of 3D (affects empty scenes without root node)

[akien-mga]

Describe the project you are working on:
Godot Engine :)

Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project:
When you create a new Godot project, or create a new scene (empty initially), the default main screen plugin (i.e. the central part of the editor) is the 3D viewport, like this:

https://github.com/godotengine/godot/pull/41036 and this proposal suggest to change that to the 2D viewport, which is the first top menu item:

This proposal serves to gather feedback from the community on which one is preferred, to see if we should change it or keep things as is. (I'm neutral myself, just opening the proposal as it's the intended workflow to get community feedback.)

Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation:

PR https://github.com/godotengine/godot/pull/41036 changes the default to "2D".

Note that this will only impact empty projects. As soon as you add a Node to the scene tree, the default main screen plugin for that scene will be the one that best matches the root node (2D for CanvasItem-derived nodes, 3D for Spatial/Node3D-derived nodes).
Then, any subsequent empty scene will use the same main screen plugin as the previously opened scene.

Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudocode, mockups, and/or diagrams:

See https://github.com/godotengine/godot/pull/41036

If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?:

Not relevant, it's about changing a default for the engine.

Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?:

Yes, it's about changing a default for the engine.

[Ophiolith]

I have no idea how feasible this would be, but I guess some kind of toggle in the project settings between 3D/2D/Script for new projects might be a nice little quality-of-life feature. That said, I mainly work in 3D, so my preference is for the current default, but I'd have no strong feelings about one extra click per new project.

[vnen]

Honestly I think it would simpler and more relevant to store the last one that you had open. Like what happens on a new scene, but store that across sessions too.

[eon-s]

I agree with @Ophiolith , when creating a new project one should be able to put if the project will be mainly for 2D or 3D, store in on project settings and the editor always leaves you on that type of editor.

This may help on modernizing a bit the Project Manager too.

[pycbouh]

While I'm currently not interested in 3D capabilities of Godot myself, I can see why making 3D the default is a better option for, lets say, engine promotion. Probably makes it look more seriously aimed at 3D than many would believe it is otherwise.

So I would keep it as is, but if there are some side issues which that PR addresses, like defaulting to the first tab instead of an arbitrary tab, maybe this should still be implemented in some form.

[reduz]

I would leave as is. While the majority of Godot users seem to use it for 2D, we don't know if this will remain being the case after 4.0 is out.

More like, I would leave it as is, but make it customizable in the editor.

[hoontee]

The engine would probably shift towards 3D use after 4.0, so I'd say leave it as is.

[KoBeWi]

IMO this change is fine. It simplifies current behavior and changes very little actually. The viewport is already remembered when you create new scenes (even if they have Node root). So when you create a 3D project, the only thing that changes is that you have to switch to 3D once (and in 2D project you will likely never see the 3D viewport, unless you open it accidentally). I just don't understand why there's so much discussion over a trivial thing like this 🙃

I mean, the new behavior is at least justified (2D viewport is first on the list), instead of being arbitrary like now.

[ArdaE]

Why not a special "splash" mode with the Godot logo and some helpful information below it for beginners (such as links to documentation, tutorials, the latest news, and how to donate via Patreon)?

This should only be for newly created projects though (i.e. the very first scene in a new project). For scenes that are created later, Godot's current behaviour is perfectly fine and shouldn't change in my opinion.

[aaronfranke]

One of the main reasons for this change is to make this code more generic, to avoid hard-coding any specific main screen plugin. The PR changes the logic to make the default be whatever the first plugin in the list is, as explained here:

    // Switch to the first main screen plugin that is enabled. Usually this is
    // 2D, but may be subsequent ones if 2D is disabled in the feature profile.

[Vivraan]

Why not have this as a toggle when you create a new project?

[aaronfranke]

@ShivamMukherjee There is no point. The main screen automatically switches once you create a node anyway.

[TheNeoGameFactory]

Why Not a Option in Project creation Like unity do in their unity Hub?

Godot Project window -> create new Project -> 2d or 3d -> Render pipeline (Low or high)

[pycbouh]

@TheNeoGameFactory Exactly the same question is answered in the comment right above yours. There is no point in this setting because it would only affect the first time you see the project before making any scene with any node.