Community Updates/Features Requests for HPL3 Editors

**Rapture** · 09-23-2015, 06:44 PM

While we are all experimenting with the new Editors for HPL3. This thread will be a compilation of requested "Updates/Feature Requests" from the community.

Remember that Frictional Games can't add everything that we want, so I ask that you try to follow this guideline for your suggestions...

Keep it short, if you can't explain it in a sentence or two. It's probably not worth the trouble!
Try writing down features that you see in other Editors. If they have it, it's probably for a good reason!
Your suggestions should be for actions that are used frequently, not the one-off case for your special need. Many of us should be able to say "Good idea, that would help out my workflow a lot!"

If you feel like a suggestion has a workaround, is already implemented or isn't necessary. Voice your opinions! I'll be posting any of your suggestions in the OP.

I would ask that "Issues or Bugs" be directed to https://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/thread-30758.html
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These ones are specifically missing from HPL2. (That I can tell)

(1) The "Rand. Scale" & "Rand. Rotate" are gone, any chance adding them back in?

(2) The "Polygon Count:" is missing also, this one was very useful.

(3) The "BB Size:" is missing, I never used it. But I can see it being helpful as a way to judge size before testing it out.

(4) I always found the Cyan ball that was always in the center of your screen to be helpful in figuring out where you were at all times.

These are new ones

(5) All Editors should have the same Window functionality. For example, the ModelView still can't be re-sized and the X button still doesn't work. (Please with a cherry on top!)

(6) The different Editors could do with some Unique Icons, they all share the same blank document looking one. When you have so many open on your Tray, its sometimes a Russian roulette pain trying to find the one your after.

(7) It would be nice if we could launch the Editors right from each editor. (No more clicking through File Explorer). It would just be a Menu Bar item with a pull-down for each one.

(8) Re-sizing the "Thumbnails" panel and changing their size (Small, Medium Large, etc) to help fit my 4k monitor would be appreciated. So much more real-estate to use and conquer!

(9) The "Posing" feature really needs a "Confirmation Dialogue" when exiting out of Pose mode. I've been trying to pose all these cables and I'm spending 2-3 times the amount of work because I'm accidentally hitting "1" by accident or on reflex. Which cancels the Pose mode, and I'm getting sick and tired of losing my work.

(10) Global rotation

**Patrik** · 09-23-2015, 10:17 PM

(09-23-2015, 06:44 PM)Rapture Wrote: (7) It would be nice if we could launch the Editors right from each editor. (No more clicking through File Explorer). It would just be a Menu Bar item with a pull-down for each one.

Well for now you can at least open an entity in the Model Editor directly from the Level Editor by selecting it an pressing the + sign next to the Entity File field. Smile

**RedMser** · 09-24-2015, 05:44 PM

I'd really love a way to change the color scheme inside of the editors.
I know it's usable as it is now, but seriously, that color theme is depressing as anything.

Also the ability to rebind keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys would help a lot in using especially the Level Editor!

**Mudbill** · 09-24-2015, 07:36 PM

You can change the color scheme using a different skin if you'd like. Kinda like when I uploaded the "simple clean" skin I did, you can use the same method to change the colors. The thing is, you gotta color different .tga files. Including more schemes would increase the size because of all the images, and most people aren't gonna need them.

I think the best way would be to either keep them separate, or just leave it to the community. HOWEVER, if there were to be a way to change skins without having to overwrite the "default" folder in /gui (assuming it's the same setup as Amnesia), that would be great. It would encourage more people to make them.

Example:
- Go to editor options > Preferences
- Get a drop down list of all skins installed (like fetch the name of the folder or a specific file)
- Select it, then use that folder for loading textures. I'm sure a required restart would be the easiest to apply, rather than on the go.

**RedMser** · 09-26-2015, 12:20 PM

(09-24-2015, 07:36 PM)Mugbill Wrote: You can change the color scheme using a different skin if you'd like. Kinda like when I uploaded the "simple clean" skin I did, you can use the same method to change the colors. The thing is, you gotta color different .tga files. Including more schemes would increase the size because of all the images, and most people aren't gonna need them.

I think the best way would be to either keep them separate, or just leave it to the community. HOWEVER, if there were to be a way to change skins without having to overwrite the "default" folder in /gui (assuming it's the same setup as Amnesia), that would be great. It would encourage more people to make them.

Example:
- Go to editor options > Preferences
- Get a drop down list of all skins installed (like fetch the name of the folder or a specific file)
- Select it, then use that folder for loading textures. I'm sure a required restart would be the easiest to apply, rather than on the go.

Oh wow, thanks a lot! Didn't snoop around the folders long enough to find those! Big Grin

Thought it was all hard-coded into the engine / editor's exe file.

I didn't know the GUI used that many images, but I was more just out to change the colors, which doesn't require much space at all. With only 27 KB for the images + 19 KB for the skin file, I don't think adding a few skins is too much space waste, as opposed to the supersecret.rar for example :p

**Mudbill** · 09-26-2015, 02:25 PM

Yeah, I suppose. Most of the skin texture files aren't more than 4 pixels in a compressed tga format so..
I think I wanna have a go at making a "dark" themed skin that makes the light gray > dark, and the white > black.

**Rapture** · 10-06-2015, 01:00 AM

(9) The "Posing" feature really needs a "Confirmation Dialogue" when exiting out of Pose mode. I've been trying to pose all these cables and I'm spending 2-3 times the amount of work because I'm accidentally hitting "1" by accident or on reflex. Which cancels the Pose mode, and I'm getting sick and tired of losing my work.

**Vale** · 10-08-2015, 03:39 PM

Global rotation as opposed to always having local?

**Mudbill** · 10-08-2015, 03:43 PM

(10-08-2015, 03:39 PM)Vale Wrote: Global rotation as opposed to always having local?

^ This.

Rotating an already rotated object is really awkward. If you tilt an object, say, 30 degrees sideways and then want it rotated 180 degrees horizontally... well, you can't very easily. Best to do is to reset the rotation, start with the horizontal, then do the tilt.

**1minus1is0** · 10-09-2015, 05:43 AM

(10-08-2015, 03:43 PM)Mudbill Wrote:
(10-08-2015, 03:39 PM)Vale Wrote: Global rotation as opposed to always having local?

^ This.

Rotating an already rotated object is really awkward. If you tilt an object, say, 30 degrees sideways and then want it rotated 180 degrees horizontally... well, you can't very easily. Best to do is to reset the rotation, start with the horizontal, then do the tilt.

^ This a hundred times.