Three.js: Editor: UI enhancements.

[devingfx]

The editor uses UI.js that is quite old and not maintained (I guess, no commit for 3 years)...

What is your plans about that?

Is it relevant to improve UI.js, like moving to ES modules and classes, or cook some custom elements?
(In this case I can do it, in fact I already started, and I can start a PR in this UI.js project)

Another option is to switch to an already made component library.
I'm not such a fan of industry giants like Angular or React, it's way too much effort to get a simple UI like the editor's one...
I tried and used the great Xel custom elements, it's easy, lightweight, modular and libre licenced...
(I let you take a look, and I could also start a refactoring of editor UI with Xel elements...)

This issue exists to open the discussion about editor's UI !
Please explain your feelings about this, maybe write your wish about UI improvments, your needs or the lacks you see...

[devingfx]

Here are my wishes for ediotr's UI improvments :

• Resizeable panels
• Moveable panels, or at least different layouts (right panels / left panels)
• Collapsible panels
• Multi scripts editor: a way to keep open several scripts without the need to select the 3D object it's attached to each time you want to switch. Maybe a documents tabs bar and a collapsible Script editor (like minimize/maximize from the bottom of window)
• A new window for Player when the RUN button is pressed (this will avoid to polute the editor JS scope with variables and libs loaded by scripts).

In a far far future

• An UI like Blender's one, with splitable rectangles where you put the UI part you want in it...
• A dynamic ADD menu that can list every object available in the main THREE.* lib. (Without the need to code every menu item and the instanciation method, something automatic can be done I think).
• A way to write/load JS modules in Script panel, meaning being able to export things like custom classes and reuse it in the editor's ADD menu.
• Maybe editor's plugins, loadable from files, writable from Script panel, saved in editor's config in localstorage and exported in project's scripts.

[Mugen87]

The editor uses UI.js that is quite old and not maintained (I guess, no commit for 3 years)...

I guess you are looking at the wrong place. The copy used in the editor was frequently updated up to now.

https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js/blob/dev/editor/js/libs/ui.js

[devingfx]

I guess you are looking at the wrong place. The copy used in the editor was frequently updated up to now.
https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js/blob/dev/editor/js/libs/ui.js

Okay, my bad ^^
So the external repo is obsolete? And any new developments should stand in three.js repo, is it?

Still, my questioning about refactoring this part stay the same:

• Is it relevant to enhance this UI.js lib being part of moving to ES modules/classes
• Or start a refactoring with another components lib?

[mrdoob]

I like the current setup. It's simple and doesn't require setting up complicated build processes.

[devingfx]

I like the current setup. It's simple and doesn't require setting up complicated build processes.

A rollup config file in the other repo, and a git submodule in this one is not such complicated...
(I can work on it)

So developing webGL shaders and the most popular js lib associated don't afraid you but a rollup file does? 😜
(Just kidding)

[Mugen87]

I sometimes have the feeling that too less developers appreciate the worth of simplicity these days...