UI: Change Order of Lists in File Browser Sidebar #112114

Harley Acheson · 2023-09-08T02:59:10+02:00

Harley Acheson commented

2023-09-08 02:59:10 +02:00

Change File Browser sidebar order to Bookmarks, System, Volumes, Recent

This seems to fit better with most user requests I've had about these items - besides the more difficult task of allow user order. This also more closely follows the order of items in the sidebar of Windows Explorer. The user's most-curated options at the top, then system-curated, then volumes.

Change File Browser sidebar order to Bookmarks, System, Volumes, Recent --- This seems to fit better with most user requests I've had about these items - besides the more difficult task of allow user order. This also more closely follows the order of items in the sidebar of Windows Explorer. The user's most-curated options at the top, then system-curated, then volumes. ![image](/attachments/c7699319-8226-48f7-80ac-2b3935d3a40a)

image.png

36 KiB

👍 4

Harley Acheson added 1 commit 2023-09-08 02:59:16 +02:00

21108e3599 UI: Change Order of lists in File Browser Sidebar

Change File Browser sidebar order to Bookmarks, System, Volumes, Recent

Harley Acheson changed title from ~~UI: Change Order of lists in File Browser Sidebar~~ to UI: Change Order of Lists in File Browser Sidebar

2023-09-08 02:59:29 +02:00

Harley Acheson added this to the User Interface project 2023-09-08 02:59:46 +02:00

Harley Acheson requested review from Pablo Vazquez 2023-09-08 02:59:52 +02:00

Torrent commented

2023-09-08 05:51:20 +02:00

First-time contributor

Nice. But people really use bookmarks?
Bookmarks should be the last imho.😂

Nice. But people really use bookmarks? Bookmarks should be the last imho.😂

👎 5 😕 2 👀 1

Pablo Vazquez approved these changes 2023-09-08 15:03:22 +02:00

Pablo Vazquez left a comment

Thanks! Bookmarks is the one panel that people can customize to their liking, spending time on it, so it should be first.

Also, on small screens the panel could not even be visible.

Thanks! Bookmarks is the one panel that people can customize to their liking, spending time on it, so it should be first. Also, on small screens the panel could [not even be visible](https://blender.community/c/rightclickselect/00r3/?sorting=hot).

Harley Acheson added 1 commit 2023-09-13 19:26:59 +02:00

a3a87160e7 Merge branch 'main' into FileBrowserSidebar

Harley Acheson referenced this issue from a commit

2023-09-13 19:27:41 +02:00

UI: Change Order of Lists in File Browser Sidebar

Harley Acheson merged commit 9659b2deda into main

2023-09-13 19:27:41 +02:00

Harley Acheson deleted branch FileBrowserSidebar

2023-09-13 19:27:42 +02:00

David Black commented

2023-09-16 02:10:55 +02:00

First-time contributor

Thank you @Harley for your continual helpful UI / UX improvements.

This seems to fit better with most user requests I've had about these items - besides the more difficult task of allow user order...

While personally found it helpful having Bookmarks & Recent lists next to each other, and closer file open / save fields, appreciate a workflow suitable for the majority of users.

In connection with your above point (caught me out, able to rearrange categories, but unable to save positions) , as a first step, would it be easier to implement saving category panels collapsed state?

Or, allow disabling/hiding more options. Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations

From:

Recent
System

To:
(organised to match current file browser layout for easier visual association.)

Bookmarks
System
Volumes
Recent

Kind regards.

Thank you @Harley for your continual helpful UI / UX improvements. > This seems to fit better with most user requests I've had about these items - besides the more difficult task of allow user order... While personally found it helpful having Bookmarks & Recent lists next to each other, and closer file open / save fields, appreciate a workflow suitable for the majority of users. In connection with your above point (caught me out, able to rearrange categories, but unable to save positions) , as a first step, would it be easier to implement saving category panels collapsed state? Or, allow disabling/hiding more options. `Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations` **From:** ``` Recent System ``` **To:** (organised to match current file browser layout for easier visual association.) ``` Bookmarks System Volumes Recent ``` Kind regards.

Harley Acheson commented

2023-09-16 02:35:44 +02:00

In connection with your above point (caught me out, able to rearrange categories, but unable to save positions) , as a first step, would it be easier to implement saving category panels collapsed state?

Or, allow disabling/hiding more options. Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations

Adding to "Show Locations" would be simple. Saving/restoring collapsed states might be possible now that we are saving some File Browser runtime state information.

However...

Most of the difficulties (for me) about these lists is that they are almost entirely defined in Python. For example the order of these lists is literally the order that they are defined in space_filebrowser.py - see #112114

Julian Eisel is currently in the process of creating new types of lists that can replace many of our existing lists, including UILists. One variation of these is a TreeView. My hope is that in the fairly near term (4.1 - 4.2) we we will replace some of the File Browser lists with ListView and some with TreeView. At the very least we could combine the System and Volumes lists into one where you can collapse sections.

If done right we might be able to remove that Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations section since it would just always be how you last left it.

So my gut feeling is to not spend much time on these in the mean time, unless fairly trivial.

I can see why some users might want to hide the "Bookmarks" section, but you could explain a bit why/when someone might want to remove "Volumes"? Not saying you can't have that, just curious about it.

> In connection with your above point (caught me out, able to rearrange categories, but unable to save positions) , as a first step, would it be easier to implement saving category panels collapsed state? > > Or, allow disabling/hiding more options. `Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations` Adding to "Show Locations" would be simple. Saving/restoring collapsed states might be possible now that we are saving some File Browser runtime state information. However... Most of the difficulties (for me) about these lists is that they are almost entirely defined in Python. For example the order of these lists is literally the order that they are defined in space_filebrowser.py - see [#112114](https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/pulls/112114/files) Julian Eisel is currently in the process of creating new types of lists that can replace many of our existing lists, including UILists. One variation of these is a TreeView. My hope is that in the fairly near term (4.1 - 4.2) we we will replace some of the File Browser lists with ListView and some with TreeView. At the very least we could combine the System and Volumes lists into one where you can collapse sections. If done right we might be able to remove that `Preferences > Save & Load > Show Locations` section since it would just always be how you last left it. So my gut feeling is to not spend much time on these in the mean time, unless fairly trivial. I can see why some users might want to hide the "Bookmarks" section, but you could explain a bit why/when someone might want to remove "Volumes"? Not saying you can't have that, just curious about it.

David Black commented

2023-09-16 04:40:20 +02:00

First-time contributor

Thank you so much for your feedback and space_filebrowser.py hint (created a customised version).

Great to also hear about Julian's work.

As for hiding/removing Volumes, imagine most wouldn't, just an interim idea for reducing / removing scrolling for those with many Bookmarks and Recent items, until customization / saving collapsed states / other future improvements are implemented.

Thank you so much for your feedback and `space_filebrowser.py` hint (created a customised version). Great to also hear about Julian's work. As for hiding/removing `Volumes`, imagine most wouldn't, just an interim idea for reducing / removing scrolling for those with many Bookmarks and Recent items, until customization / saving collapsed states / other future improvements are implemented.

thin soldier commented

2023-09-24 03:20:01 +02:00

First-time contributor

Can we get Recent then Bookmarks then System then Volume?

David Black commented

2023-09-24 05:24:52 +02:00

First-time contributor

Hi @thinsoldier,

Navigate to Blender (program folder) -> 4.0 -> scripts -> startup -> bl_ui

Look for file named space_filebrowser.py, and create a backup.
Open original file in a text editor.
Jump to line (currently) 853.
Change order to read (or copy & paste below text), save changes and launch Blender.

    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_recents,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_favorites,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_system,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_volumes,

Kind reagrds.

Hi @thinsoldier, Navigate to Blender (program folder) -> 4.0 -> scripts -> startup -> bl_ui 1. Look for file named `space_filebrowser.py`, and create a backup. 2. Open original file in a text editor. 3. Jump to line (currently) 853. 4. Change order to read (or copy & paste below text), save changes and launch Blender. ``` FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_recents, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_favorites, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_system, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_volumes, ``` Kind reagrds.

David Black commented

2023-11-05 15:55:45 +01:00

First-time contributor

Hi @Harley, Are you able to shed light on the extra bookmarks_recents_specials_menu,?

Also, how do you feel about the following order (realise too late for Blender 4.0)...

    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_favorites,
    FILEBROWSER_MT_bookmarks_recents_specials_menu,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_recents,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_system,
    FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_volumes,

recents possibly used more frequently than system and volume, as you mentioned recents can be disabled in preferences if preferred?

For some (as yet) unknown reason, seems placing a custom space_filebrowser.py (within a correct hierarchical folder structure) in config folder doesn't override the builtin version?

Thank you for your time and help.

Kind regards.

Hi @Harley, Are you able to shed light on the extra `bookmarks_recents_specials_menu,`? Also, how do you feel about the following order (realise too late for Blender 4.0)... ``` FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_favorites, FILEBROWSER_MT_bookmarks_recents_specials_menu, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_recents, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_system, FILEBROWSER_PT_bookmarks_volumes, ``` `recents` possibly used more frequently than `system` and `volume`, as you mentioned `recents` can be disabled in preferences if preferred? For some (as yet) unknown reason, seems placing a custom `space_filebrowser.py` (within a correct hierarchical folder structure) in config folder doesn't override the builtin version? Thank you for your time and help. Kind regards.

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UI: Change Order of Lists in File Browser Sidebar #112114