Godot: Add an option to MS Windows Binary to launch without console window

[chris-metz]

Godot version:
3.0.2

OS/device including version:
Microsoft Windows 10

It would be nice to have an option to launch the engine without an attached console window on Windows OS.

Just little thing, but it makes switching between Godot and other applications one click more, which adds up when switching often. It also gets confusing when having more then one Godot instance open.

[Calinou]

The editor is best used with a console window because some errors aren't displayed in the editor window – those are usually engine bugs, but can also be a result of user error. Note that release-mode Windows export templates will not spawn a console window (debug-mode Windows export templates will spawn one though).

Perhaps we could have a way to display the editor's console output directly in the editor window, so that no additional window is created (which is indeed easier for alt-tabbing).

[vnen]

I've actually been thinking about this a while ago. I agree with @Calinou that the console is quite useful, but only on Windows the console is shown, so cross-platform behavior is not quite consistent. If you need the messages you could open via command prompt, like you need to do with Linux or macOS.

[Megalomaniak]

@Calinou commented

The editor is best used with a console window because some errors aren't displayed in the editor window

log > temp file > disk

[Timofffee]

Okay... But I can hide it in a Blender.

[Timofffee]

WinAPI has 2 methods:
ShowWindow() and GetConsoleWindow().
Thanks to them, you can change the visibility of the command line.

For example like this done in Blender:

It seems to me that it will be quite easy to add such functionality to Godot, but I do not have the opportunity :(

[dedraks]

I downloaded the source code and added a code to toggle the console window on F12 key press.

[Zireael07]

@dedraks: mind making a PR?

[sinni800]

Please do, @dedraks

[lukad]

It seemed like no one was working on this at the moment, so I created #24448 which basically mirrors Blender's behaviour. Feedback would be appreciated.

[stereoa]

I just googled to see if this was possible and it was added a couple minutes ago. Very surreal and very awesome!

[Skaruts]

Meanwhile I've been working around this since godot 2 by opening one command line and running several instances of godot from that same command line.
Would there be any caveats to doing this? Any conflicts or anything?

[Quest79]

The console being useful is not really the point. If you become advanced enough to need the console, it should be clear where it is. It is bad UX to have a console launch along with the main application and sit with no option to hide/unhide like any other (useful) UI element. It being a window outside of the main Godot window makes this even more useful to toggle. Some of us have multiple projects open and its, pardon my french, a bit of a shitshow with the consoles getting in the way as well. This feature should be opt-in and off by default. Voted in favor or this. (and if it can be put into the main app along with Debugger etc on the bottom, even better)

[akien-mga]

Guys, it's implemented already...

[HonorsoftEntertainment]

It's 2020, I am currently starting work on a Godot "assistant application" which enhances Godot, I have had issues with the console window too, and after researching about Godot's console online, it looks like it is still a problem. So I will add a custom plugin for Godot that will allow different methods of displaying any log or console text. I am testing different methods, including adding a console display to Godot to remove the 2nd console window. The plug-in will function with any version of Godot, so compiling a custom build of Godot is not necessary.

[Calinou]

@HonorsoftEntertainment As of Godot 3.2, you can hide the console window using Editor > Toggle Console Window.

[HonorsoftEntertainment]

@Calinou As of "Godot 3.2, you can hide the console window using Editor > Toggle Console Window"
Yes, but isn't that just for builds? I read that the console window is always shown in the Godot Editor. I have read complaints about the old-style console windows, and I have a few too. I think a better console output is needed for Godot, maybe with improvements added like a proper text copy paste system which console simply don't have.
(So far, I made a tool-tip that outputs the console to it, and follows the mouse cursor, great for debugging since the console output is displayed no matter which window is open, but you can't copy or paste any text to it. I will add an actual text box option also. I am just deciding whether to build it into Godot, or function as a 3rd-party messenger for Godot. I think it would be too much work to make a custom Godog build for it though.

[Calinou]

@HonorsoftEntertainment The option I mentioned is available in the editor.