Godot: 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! :joy:

[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 [e-mail]
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
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303143396,
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..

[toger5]

I think core users will use shortcuts for switching, or just rely on godots really well executed on demand ui changes (clicking on a script -> script editor, clicking on .tscn -> 2d/3d...)

so the buttons might not be used that much anyways. and if they are designed in a way, that they stand out (grey box around them) top right corner is a good place? thoughts?

[nunodonato]

exactly, although I agree that it looks best to see play/stop etc in the center, i barely use them because I just press shortcut keys :)

perhaps the theme guys can also give some ideas :) cc'ing @djrm @volzhs

[reduz]

Yeah, but keep in mind we should make discoverability our top priority.. I can't really believe we can't come up with a solution :P

[reduz]

I still think play controls in the right is more tolerable (here with box removed) than section control in the right.. just picture in your mind switching sections, I think it makes a lot more sense and adds more discoverability to have it on the center..

[akien-mga]

Yeah, I think having the play functions on the right is just fine.

[toger5]

I used reduz design and changed the locations.
also gave the script, assetstore... a box so they pop out more and are easier to find although they are not entered...
those are the options I came up with:

[nunodonato]

I still like reduz's suggestion better... feels more organized and "out-of-the-way" :)

[toger5]

The most reasonable for me is the last one. similar priority, looks clean.
Maybe there could be an option in the settings to remove the text next to the icons, than it looks more balanced between play bar - and - viewport bar
Easy to discover.
Don't know about the lines between viewport, script...

[reduz]

@toger5 can you try your last one, but with play controls and section controls swapped? I think you might be onto something there..

[reduz]

though I still think my suggestion probably feels less intrusive and makes clear both things are not meant for the same..

[akien-mga]

What do we put in the empty top right corner? :p

[volzhs]

@akien-mga what about links for communities / youtube / tutorials...

[HummusSamurai]

@akien-mga It's usually reserved (implicitly) for the Close/Minimize/Maximise buttons, and I can't think of any software that places UI elements there (explicitly, as opposed to an extending of the toolbar like LibreOffice).

The right side with the node tree and inspector gets the most visual action, so I think letting them breathe might not be a bad idea.

[toger5]

with small top icons:

[nunodonato]

looks much better that way... just a bit ... unbalanced :D

[reduz]

@toger5 sorry, I think I still like the play stuff on the right side. Again, it's not so much about aesthetics but usability and discoverability.

Your screenshots looks nice, but the core of the problem is that the view/script/etc menus are MUCH more important than the play menu and used a lot more often. As such, they deserve more importance.

I know they don't look as nice as the play buttons in the center, but It's the right thing to have them there..

[eon-s]

And if you put the script/assetlib/help next to the 2D/3D buttons? these use the same panel anyway.

[reduz]

@eon-s That panel does not have much space.. also hierarchially i think it makes sense that it's above

[toger5]

just one more try ;)

[toger5]

why is there even a pause button when the game is not playing,
play and stop should be enough. when playing play transforms to pause.
the debug tools also could be separated from the main play section. ( @nunodonato balance ;) )

I think this looks much better, BUT I don't know about the hirachy now the main viewport options are equal to the debug/execute tools. Which is ... questionable.
But as I mentioned earlier. core users won't use the buttons anyway or know what they do.

for beginners it is still the most popping out element of the ui -> will try it and will understand soon that the left part is main view and center part is for playing. thats more or less all they need to know (at the beginning)
So it's not a big ux sacrifice for a cleaner UI.

[toger5]

just more variations.
Simplifying the play section seems to be a good idea for me: there are a lot of specific buttons which could be stacked into one menue that expands on click.
I used alelepd's design for that. Because it has a simple implementation of the play buttons.

This one moves the play section to the right. (also a little simplefied)

ps: I finally started to post screenshots with only the top section ;)

[reduz]

Pause is used for the debugger.
Also I think text is needed for it to make more sense in navigation..

On May 22, 2017 9:03 PM, "Timo" [e-mail] wrote:

just more variations.
Simplifying the play section seems to be a good idea for me: there are a
lot of specific buttons which could be stacked into one menue that expands
on click.
I used alelepd's design for that. Because it has a simple implementation of
the play buttons.

[image: godotolddesignused]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/16718859/26333134/3f74e5f6-3f10-11e7-9bd4-5752ea9e4cb1.png

This one moves the play section to the right. (also a little simplefied)
[image: godotsimplemiddlesection]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/16718859/26333174/811e4c0e-3f10-11e7-94b5-337bc93f7833.png

ps: I finally started to post screenshots with only the top section ;)

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.

Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303252558,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z2-eoiuD0dVrKy9T3hlNKSNnb2tglks5r8iJSgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[toger5]

yea the text part makes sense
I was thinking, that the pause button appears instead of the play button when pressing play.
So you only can go into debug mode when the game is running...

[eon-s]

@toger5 which play button will be replaced by the "pause"? (there are at least 3)

Having a fixed location for pause and stop may be better.

[vnen]

I prefer Play to act as Restart, as is the current behavior.

[toger5]

Oh didn't think about play as restart...
I guess you are right!

[novemberist]

Is the AssetLib really an important enough thing to deserve its own place in the top menu? i don't think it will be used/toggled nearly as frequently as any of the other things and could very well be moved elsewhere. (not a big fan of the "shopping bag" icon by the way)

[novemberist]

Nevermind my ugly mockup, but would it be (technically) possible to align the two menu sections vertically, like so. maybe this could solve some of the balancing issues:

[nunodonato]

either it would be hidden with the tabs on top(when you have lots of them open), or you would waste space with another vertical line

[Zireael07]

A thought from me: I find myself using undo/redo (esp. undo) a lot of times. Could they get moved out of scene menu and into the menu above the scene view, maybe afer the view submenu?

Mockup for clarity. You guys are making me relearn a ton of skills (first c++ and now image editing :P)

[stephdin]

Great ideas everyone, keep em coming :+1:
I just want to add my 2 cents: Maybe moving "Viewport, Script etc. " above the tab next to the fullscreen button. Then we can keep the "Play Button" in the middle and "Help" to the right.

edit: This way, it would also be clearer, that these buttons affect the content of the tab

[nunodonato]

@stephdin I like this idea! the text could also be collapsible in case there are many tabs open at the same time.
I also like Help in the top right :)

[novemberist]

@stephdin I like it visually, but it would probably also cause problems when there are too many open tabs as stated by @nunodonato

[toger5]

I actually really like @stephdin 's approach.
this already was proposed somewhere else, concerns were, that the space is valuable for tabs. which is correct although it is not my work style so I can't really feel it...

• I also think this has the benefit, to be close to 2d/3d toggle which makes sense.
• it also feels right that changing the tab from script to 2d changes the setting on the right. (thats better than a change at the top)

@nunodonato yea the collapsing is a good idea. maybe it shows text when there are only a few tabs and it switches to just icons when there are more tabs. (it's only 4 icons so it only takes the space for one tab which is not an issue)

[toger5]

A different Approach:

what if there are just two default tabs for script + asset store. because they basically behave like one tab. all the scripts are ordered in the one script tab... and you also are at the same location in the asset store. Think of it like pinned browser tabs.

we have those two default tabs and as soon as you switch to a scene it (of course) shows the viewport.

[stephdin]

As mentioned by @nunodonato, the text could be collapsed, if too many tabs are opened.
I don't know if scrolling could be implemented, like its done in Sublime Text or Atom

[eon-s]

With @stephdin style, AssetLib could be on the left of help too (top right), it will be used a few times per project.

[volzhs]

yeah. we can move assetlib to somewhere if assetlib is shown as popup window like project/editor settings.

[stephdin]

I quickly created some mockups for @toger5 s idea:

But i think i like it more as buttons on the right side. Moving the AssetLib next to the Help Button is great Idea imho

[toger5]

Here is a mock:

• moved script and asset lib to a tab on the right (because they are basically tabs, you can't have multiple script tabs)
• added fullscreenbutton inside the main view: fullscreen is specific to script, asset lib -> it makes sense to be in there
• help on top right is cool ;)

[toger5]

@stephdin lol Thank you! I also made mocks...
moved the tabs to the right though.. so they are basically buttons...
if asset lib is on the top right corner could work really well. It also has a other priority and use case than script and scenes. next to help Is great

[volzhs]

@toger5 nice mock, but we need to show which scene tab is active one.
because "Scene" dock shows active scene.

[stephdin]

@toger5 Having these "fixed tabs" on the right like in your mockup looks way better :D

edit: "added fullscreenbutton inside the main view" -> Thats also a good idea

[eon-s]

Also, remember this option (show_script_in_scene_tabs):

Do not make script button redundant near the tabs.

[toger5]

@eon-s It would not really be redundant since the script button on the scene tab brings you to the attached script, the script button on the right to the current edited script or hep page.
@volzhs good you mention this! we might want another style box draw_center = false

[volzhs]

@toger5 what about making assetlib as popup window and put it on top right corner (beside on help on your last mock), and just put 2d / 3d / script / full screen on top right corner of main(center) panel?

[toger5]

asset lib as popup is great I think.
I think it makes more sense if the viewport changes automatically. I don't see a need for a 2d/3d button . There just needs to be a way to get to the script editor. (if assets are in the popup) thats it.

[stephdin]

okay, i think this is my favorite:

• AssetLib and Help on the top right
• AssetLib as new window
• "Viewport" instead of "2D/3D" (automatic, but with "2D/3D" button in the tab header)
• "Fullscreen" button in the tab
• Text collapse when to many tabs are opened
• Changes that were done to the menu (Scene, Project, Editor) are great!

[toger5]

@stephdin I like that too
but when would u use the viewport button...
If I'm in a scene I'm already seeing the viewport. If I'm in the script editor. I could switch to the last scene, but why not just press on the scene itself? the tab on the left. would free up space, and also makes more sense to me.
There just needs to be an indication which tab is currently active. as volzhs mentioned it Is important for the scene dock.

[novemberist]

@toger5 I don't think pressing on the scene itself should automatically switch to the scene's viewport. sometimes you might want to keep the script editor open and switch scenes (e.g. to view the node tree), without returning to the viewport, so having a seperate viewport button makes sense, I think.

[toger5]

@novemberist Very good point. was not thinking about that.
You guys definitely have the stronger points.
than I'm all on @stephdin 's design

[reduz]

1) Sections need to be presented as text, icons are not clear.
2) Assetlib is a section, there is no reason to remove it
3) Again, look is less important than discoverability

You guys are trying to solve a visual problem related to look, while I'm
interested in Godot UI being friendly to newcomers..

On May 23, 2017 7:26 PM, "novemberist" [e-mail] wrote:

@toger5 https://github.com/toger5 I don't think pressing on the scene
itself should automatically switch to the scene's viewport. sometimes you
might want to keep the script editor open and switch scenes (e.g. to view
the node tree), without returning to the viewport, so having a seperate
viewport button makes sense, I think.

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.

Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303550418,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z27_tsJaJ8njXaHuib0OmMnynjTMMks5r810PgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[toger5]

Or we make that an advance option, alt press on scene just switches that to the active scene. (for node tree)
click brings you to the viewport of that scene

[novemberist]

I think the latest concepts were using both icons and text, so things should be clear enough. tooltips could provide additional clarity. I think we're trying to find a good middleground between discoverability and visuals of the UI here, rather than favoring form over function. @reduz do you think the latest mockups would be less accessible for new users than the current UI?

[reduz]

Yes, they are. There needs to be a connection between sections and section
buttons, which is why play buttons need to go to the right.

On May 23, 2017 7:43 PM, "novemberist" [e-mail] wrote:

I think the latest concepts were using both icons and text, so things
should be clear enough. tooltips could provide additional clarity. I think
we're trying to find a good middleground between discoverability and
visuals of the UI here, rather than favoring form over function. @reduz
https://github.com/reduz do you think the latest mockups would be less
accessable for new users than the current UI?

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.

Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303553499,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z2_Df8Q6LBHLvzOO3QqlaPoJ_0LSBks5r82D4gaJpZM4NidqG
.

[Zireael07]

Yes, they are. There needs to be a connection between sections and section buttons, which is why play buttons need to go to the right.

@reduz Not sure what do you mean by sections here?

Either way I don't have a preference regarding the play buttons (but I still think Help in the right corner is a good idea, so the play buttons could go to its immediate left)

mockup:

[HummusSamurai]

It feels rude to post my opinion since you guys are all doing the (awesome) hard work, but I still prefer the one @reduz suggested earlier, with Section buttons in the middle and Play buttons on the right:

Shoving the Viewport & Script buttons to a corner doesn't seem like a wise idea, and putting AssetLib & Help on the right with the Play buttons seems neither visually appealing nor logistically sound:

[toger5]

I definitely can life with all of them. And having the top center for the different modes might be good.
since reduz sees that as the easiest structure for beginners to navigate. (might be right...)

[nunodonato]

these are my changes so far (real stuff, no mockup :)

[novemberist]

I know this is not really up for debate and I don't know a lot abot UI design, but from a personal user experience, I find the play buttons on the right rather off-putting and disconnected. That said, I can' really see how this would improve discoverability. Also, if I'm not mistaken, pretty much every other engine around has the "play,pause,stop" buttons centered - so people coming from e.g. unity will feel instantly at home whenever they see them there and might be confused otherwise. As to the importance of the so-called "sections" - I don't really get why they are considered so important, they have to be cramped together in the center. Aren't they just different "view-modes" and/or editors after all? I think people will easily figure out where to find those (plus there are often multiple ways to access them anyways) and don't see how a more modern approach of placing GUI elements in contextually sensible places instead of throwing them right in your face, degrades the user experience in any way. I would argue that this is especially true for the "fullscreen"-button, that doesn't really get you to a new section at all and really should be places elsewhere.

[reduz]

@novemberist no, only Unity does:

Everything else is a mess, Godot is much cleaner in comparison. I'm pretty sure you will get used to it eventually..

[reduz]

@nunodonato I really like it myself, feel free to do a PR if you want. I still am not sure what to do about the remote menu, should it become a regular menu on the left? because I think most people totally skips it..

[akien-mga]

Man, Godot 3.0 really has the slickest theme of all game engines on the market :D
And I'd say 2.1 already had the best looks, it's just getting better. Years ahead of the competition :P

[nunodonato]

@akien-mga agreed :)

@reduz moving the remote stuff to a menu makes a lot of sense too, instead of the button. Will give it more visibility too and we have menu-space to spare :)

[toger5]

yea other engines look soo shit... no idea why ppl use them ;)

[novemberist]

I hope placing the 2d/3d viewport switch elsewhere and going with a single "viewport" button in the top menu isn't completely off the the table too, though. i really kinda liked this. though it might lead to the confusion that 2d-nodes can be also viewed in 3d and vice versa...

[stephdin]

Just a quick idea, "play edited scene" and "play custom scene" could be put in a dropdown, like in IntelliJ
And maybe change the debug icon to something more familiar, or in a extra menu =)

[reduz]

Problem is, it's not a debug icon, it's a remote icon.. nothing there is really related to debug. Debug panel is where debug stuff is

[nunodonato]

@reduz moving the debug button was a great idea :) We just need to find a better name for it

[reduz]

Definitely think "Debug" is misleading, I would rename to "Run"

On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 10:08 AM, Nuno Donato [e-mail]
wrote:

@reduz https://github.com/reduz moving the debug button was a great
idea :) We just need to find a better name for it

[image: screenshot from 2017-05-24 15-07-43]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/1642015/26404595/706f0328-408a-11e7-9f73-73f7513b8880.png

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303718385,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z2wod6j5pU9okMXcmsDXC4NQtkVi0ks5r9CvkgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[vnen]

I think "Run" is even more misleading. Users will think there will be buttons to run the game. Maybe "Run Options" could work. The current tooltip for it "Debug options", which could also be used as the menu name.

[volzhs]

"Play with..." maybe?

[nunodonato]

@vnen I left it as debug for now. But I agree that Run is very misleading too. The problem with 2 worded menus is that the 2nd word can be mistaken for another separate menu item. perhaps that spacing could be improved?

[stephdin]

"Configuration(s)" ?

[nunodonato]

ok, moved the distraction-free button to the tabs bar

this was my last change to my PR. Messing with the 2d/3d buttons is beyond my understanding right now, so if someone else wants to handle it... :)

[nunodonato]

@reduz how about moving the Project menu to the left, so that it has both quit options, and Scene will be the 2nd? Its a bit strange to have "quit" in the Scene menu. Project has a bigger scope, so perhaps would fit better in 1st place

[reduz]

Might make sense.. will need getting used to it by everyone i guess

On May 24, 2017 12:40 PM, "Nuno Donato" [e-mail] wrote:

@reduz https://github.com/reduz how about moving the Project menu to
the left, so that it has both quit options, and scene will be the 2nd? its
a bit strange to have quit in the scene. Project has a bigger scope, so
perhaps would fit better in 1st place

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303763729,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z238D8yqfHqXytOYUnnSmaSoR5A9zks5r9E9RgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[nunodonato]

Yeah its all a matter of habits :) ok, I made that one last change to my PR. I guess after alpha is released we will have a lot of testers and then with that feedback we can see how to improve from here on

[puppetmaster-]

I'm not a big keyboard user and I mostly develop with my mouse.
I marked my UI hot spot (green) and I think in this spot should be the buttons or menu I used the most.
Red are places I don't like. (to near to the closing button and start programm)

This are my most used button (sorted by frequency of use)

• add/create new node (+ button)
• play the project (play button)
• script button (all three places)
• select mode and move mode (cursor and cross button in scene)
• go to previous edited object in history (arrow in inspector window)
• 2D button
• Instance a scene (chain button)
• play the edited scene

menu position (sorted by frequency of use)

• (scene window) Edit --> Configure Snap
• (scene window) Edit --> Use Snap
• (scene window) Edit --> Show Grid
• Scene --> Open Scene...
• Scene --> Convert to.. --> TileSet..
• Scene --> Project Settings
• (script window) File --> open / Close
• (script window) Help --> Contextual Help

suggestions

• Buttons Play the edited Scene and Play custom scene could be inside the scene window (I never use Play custom scene)
• Button Run in Browser never worked for my (could be moved inside a menu)
• AssetLib should not be in a green spot
• Play , Pause and Stop should be in a green spot (what about the green spot at the bottom?)

It would be very cool to have a customizable button bar on top in the middle like old firefox or old MS office!!

[reduz]

Sorry, I can't get used to Scene and Project being swapped, I think we
should probably re-swap them... Does not seem to be uncommon in UIs:

[image: Inline image 1]

On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 5:20 PM, puppetmaster- [e-mail]
wrote:

I'm not a big keyboard user and a mostly I develop with my mouse.
I marked my UI hot spot (green) and I think in this spot should be the
buttons or menu I used the most.
Red are places I don't like. (to near to the closing button and start
programm)
[image: image]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/10463138/26421573/d0cf4a66-40c6-11e7-8e09-c139aca8ebe1.png

This are my most used button (sorted by frequency of use)

• add/create new node (+ button)
• play the project (play button)
• script button (all three places)
• select mode and move mode (cursor and cross button in scene)
• go to previous edited object in history (arrow in inspector window)
• 2D button
• Instance a scene (chain button)
• play the edited scene

menu position (sorted by frequency of use)

• (scene window) Edit --> Configure Snap
• (scene window) Edit --> Use Snap
• (scene window) Edit --> Show Grid
• Scene --> Open Scene...
• Scene --> Convert to.. --> TileSet..
• Scene --> Project Settings
• (script window) File --> open / Close
• (script window) Help --> Contextual Help

suggestions

• Buttons Play the edited Scene and Play custom scene could be
  inside the scene window (I never use Play custom scene)
• Button Run in Browser never worked for my (could be moved inside a
  menu)
• AssetLib should not be in a green spot
• Play , Pause and Stop should be in a green spot (what about the
  green spot at the bottom?)

It would be very cool to have a customizable button bar on top in the
middle like old firefox or old MS office!!

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-303840013,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z2yx0nEUqpcoz4I-cF-pcfyRz1O5iks5r9JEcgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[nunodonato]

@reduz something went wrong with your screenshot attachment, I cant view it.

I also clicked the wrong menu a couple of times... but thats due to habit. But its ok, if you prefer not to try this out for a longer time we can revert the positions. In that case, would the quit options be in the Scene menu too?

[akien-mga]

I'd say let's give it some more time and reassess in a week or too. We're all used to the Scene menu being the first one, but functionally it makes a lot more sense to have the Project menu come first. The Scene menu being first was natural when Godot was a single scene editor, but since 2.0 we have multiple scene support and Godot effectively became a project editor.

[eon-s]

I'm always hitting Project instead of Scene :confused:
And used to click the play button when editting scenes and now can't find it until I remember I'm on 3 :sweat_smile:

But maybe @akien-mga is right...

[reduz]

Been two days and I keep screwing up :(

On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 12:42 PM, eon-s [e-mail] wrote:

I'm always hitting Project instead of Scene 😕
And used to click the play button when editting scenes and now can't find
it until I remember I'm on 3 😅

But maybe @akien-mga https://github.com/akien-mga is right...

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-304522648,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z22Wj32mycgdZslWKRAkcuJ0sHihwks5r-ZXggaJpZM4NidqG
.

[volzhs]

Theory and practice do not always go together as all of you already known. :smile:

[volzhs]

I remember there was a someone about the eye-tracking things on facebook.
can he help on this? :smile:

[reduz]

yeah, will probably be better to swap them back..

On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 1:05 PM, volzhs [e-mail] wrote:

I remember there was a someone about the eye-tracking things on facebook.
can he help on this? 😄

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/8865#issuecomment-304523813,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF-Z24hebsT6nzhuqB9naSQc2vBSsQhGks5r-ZtRgaJpZM4NidqG
.

[akien-mga]

It's been two days... give it some time :)
Or best, ask new users what feels the most natural to them. Experienced users will always find some frustration in any UI change, but sometimes it's worth getting over it.

[volzhs]

@akien-mga probably.
but AFAIK, most important (used a lot or should be noticed) things are mostly located at left or top.
additional (nice to have) things are at right or bottom.
this is general for most case like web, application, os...
I think Godot 2.x already followed this also.

[nunodonato]

hehe I agree with @akien-mga , old users will always dislike any changes at all... its all about muscle memory :)

having that said, @reduz, I also am not 100% if this is the way to go... but I dont think reverting the positions would be better either. I find myself click the wrong button, not only because I'm used to it being on the left, but because the stuff I want would make sense to be on the left!! "New scene" is something I would expect to be part of the project(main) menu.

So, perhaps I would try to find a better way to merge them back... but without ending up with a HUGE menu that is painful to read and has a load of different options. A few ideas:

• remove the "revert" scene button. I dont know how useful people find it, I dont recall ever having used it.
• place the undo and redo options as buttons, after the help menu (people actually undo using the menu? its so inconvenient)
• remove close scene - yes I know its common to have all these usual options (save, save all, close, etc),but are they really needed? I mean, who doesnt close scenes using the close button in the tab or the shortcut key?

this would reduce the menu in 7 items less!! (separators included), making it more tolerable when both are merged :)

[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.