[LDPartEditor] 0.8.20 Beta Released

[Nils Schmidt]

If we now can have both 3D and text editor in the same window, why do we still have two sets of Save buttons and two sets of colour pallettes?

Why can't I "Select all with same colour", use "Join Selection" in the 3D viewer, but not hide them with the "Toggle Comment"-button in the Text editor?
It' behaves as if it still is two different programs, even if they now are joined in the same window.

Well, I kept these two sets because of the fact that a 3D editor is not a text editor.
There are also shorter mouse distances to the corresponding save buttons and it is clear that "Save" (in the text editor) will save the file there and not the active file from the 3D editor (the file in the text and the 3D editor can be the same, but this is not a must-have).
With only one save button you have to select one file in the text editor and take care to not activate another file in the 3D editor.
You have Ctrl+S as a shortkey to save a file. You can use it.


I should tell you more about the design philosophy of this program...
You can open different files in the text editor and different files in the 3D editor.
And you can edit a file in both editors at the same time.

But: The user should not be forced to edit a file in both editors at the same time.
It is also possible to open different files in the 3D editor at the same time (in different views).
I will not take away that degree of freedom from the user.

However..., I will remove one colour palette, since a second one is really superflous.

I can't do this. There is a function scope ambiguity if I remove the second colour bar.



Why can't you hide with the "Toggle Comment" in the 3D editor?
Well, in 3D, there are no comments visible. You can hide a selection or show all 3D objects.
But you can't hide subfile elements with a comment... that is not so easy*.

What is a comment in 3D?
Does it exist? How can you see it? Will it be manipulated? How can you know that a comment is hiding a valid object that you want to show again or even edit?
How do you want to show/uncomment the object again? How should the program implement this?

This lead to some idea of another meta command like "0 !LPE GHOST "...
But is this necessary, since there is the possibility...

• to hide it temporary (with the ghost function)...
  
• comment it manually...
  
• to create a subfile from the selection and hide/comment the subfile reference...
  
• to cut something and paste it into another file...
  
• to cut something and paste it into the same file and comment it in the text editor...
  
• group something in the text editor and comment it in the text editor...
  
• to make it transparent and activate "Toggle Selection Through Transparent Objects", which allows you to select objects behind transparent surfaces
  

Another idea would be, to extend the scope of the "Toggle Comment" function from the text editor to the selection of the 3D editor and allow only one way:
To hide the selection with a comment. But that leads to another function scope ambiguity

I would rather continue to write more text for the user manual instead of implementing a new fancy toggle comment feature.






* unless you are familar with the !LPE INLINE meta command...