[Bf-gamedev] UI; Improvements and Customization

[Jan Albartus]

Hi Colin,

When you save a blend file the whole current screen lay-outs are saved 
with it, including additional custom created lay-outs. You can clone the 
current layout by pressing the + sign next to the drop-down list. This 
will make sharing of lay-outs easier. Personally I find my self 
resizing, splitting/merging and changing the window content as needed 
during the use of Blender. I think this would cover most of the need for 
save/load layouts.

The lay-outs are listed alphabetically, but can be reordered by 
(re)naming or numbering.


On 2013-10-09 01:04, Colin Knueppel wrote:
> After having a conversation with Albartus on Steam, I realize some of 
> my idea exists in Blender, and that I need to describe how my idea 
> differs and is beneficial.
>
> Blender currently contains a panel layout option. This is a good 
> portion of what I was suggesting. It allows users to toggle between 
> different workflows and creates decent customization.
> The next step of the feature would be adding save out and load in of 
> layouts and organization options. Save out and load in inbuilt with 
> the layout function would make sharing layouts easily done within the 
> program. If I were to innovate a change in my layout, I could then 
> simply save the desired layout and share over google chat with a 
> coworker. It encourages mod'ability between users. With this ability 
> to share comes the need for organization, as the number of layouts 
> might bloat. Folder groupings could allow shared traits to be 
> consolidated for ease of finding. If those folders could be toggled 
> open and close, it reduces clutter. Folders may also allow saving out 
> groups of layouts for fast deployment or portability of users between 
> machines.
>
> The second step, now that you allow saving and loading as well as 
> grouping of layouts, is to allow those layouts to also load interface 
> options. Since we have the option now to have multiple layouts grouped 
> and organized in an uncluttered and manageable way, you can now allow 
> for more schemes and thereby more freedom with those schemes. Allowing 
> users to also load preset interface options, like hotkeys, would allow 
> individuals the freedom to figure out their own workflow that works 
> best for their task. In a more practical application, as an employer, 
> I could tailor the control system of my custom layouts to make 
> teaching new employees Blender easier. For instance, I could tailor a 
> texture layout that is reminiscent to photoshop users, and I could 
> tailor an animation environment that's reminiscent to a maya user.
>
> Step three is adopting true mod'ability in the UI. This UI layout 
> loading not only loads panel layout and interface presets but then 
> also custom panels with their own scripts. This way, someone with 
> adequate scripting knowledge could build their own user interface. 
> They could create a toolbar, dedicate panels to certain tasks or 
> whatever innovation they feel is needed. This would, for instance, 
> allow an individual to repackage features in a streamlined fashion. 
> Someone could create a sculpting UI, putting the tools most pertinent 
> to the task in a dedicated bar with a dedicated window to brush 
> presets. It might also open up innovation, like autoriggers built into 
> the scheme. Tools programming could be democratized and shared, and 
> Blender devs could use it as test beds for other innovations, too.
>
> These features would not supplant existing UI, but be an additive 
> system that works with classic Blender. If someone wants a classic 
> feature in one of these custom UIs, they need only drag out a division 
> and populate it with the classic tools they desire. If they do not 
> like the hotkey scheme, they can set them back to default and resave 
> the layout. It allows classic power users to keep the program as they 
> like, but then gives enthusiasts and production companies the ability 
> to tailor the program to their needs in a share'able way. (Be a mighty 
> nice feature for Steam Workshop..)
>
>
> Albartus did voice a concern about creating varying control schemes. 
> If people do not use a common key set, could confusion hinder 
> adoption? I cannot answer that, but I ask an opposing question. 
> Wouldn't opening the UI to share'able modding create further user 
> enthusiasm for the program? I believe the potential for innovation is 
> more powerful than the concern of uniformity, and I know if this 
> feature existed, at least some of us indies would adopt the program 
> and pool together to get the most out of the feature.
>