Consolidate IMPORT and EXPORT menus
Why should we have to decide what file type we want to import, before we even open the File Browser? In many other applications, you simply select File > Import, and then choose the file you want. The application then presents options applicable to that file’s type.
Importing and exporting as it is now need useless "point and click", and can be enhanced a little. In the mockup I try to show how the interface could look like: no import>subchoice in File menu, as seen on the left side, and then, on the right, the file manager with a little section added (in green) that would be where Blender gets to know what format the user wants to actually import. (Thanks guys for giving me suggestions and making this proposal clearer)
11 Comments
totally agreed! this is soooooo old school, unnatural, inefficient.
I added the In developement tag because developer.blender.org/T68935
In other apps a proper import script is loaded based on file's extension. It's much more convenient than choosing it manually from the menu.
Good idea but a generalised import by drag and drop (images, videos for example already support drag and drop) would be more powerful I think.
It's a another discussion ; this thread are about optimized an function. Your idea are to add an suggestion, open a new thread !
I like this idea, when you want open a obj but... it's a fbx !
i wish this was implemented! such a basic feature, all other programs has this.
Yes! This is a very useful think to have. I also proposed the same here: blender.community/c/rightclickselect/kmcbbc/
Agree with this on the assumption that Blender will remember the last export format used so we don't have to select from the drop down every time.
What do you mean "straight commands"? Do you mean integrated into Append/Save? Neither your mock-up nor the text of your proposal is clear about this.
Personally, I'm not exactly a huge fan of this notion. Perhaps it's semantics, but at least in the case of exporting, the process is almost always lossy... that is most formats that Blender exports to don't support all of Blender's features. Te term Save gives the incorrect impression that all of the data is preserved.
There's also a bit of an implementation difficulty: I'm not sure that there's an easy way for Python scripts (most Blender importers/exporters) to piggyback an existing operator. There may be some pretty involved development work to make something like this possible.
No, I mean that when clicking on Import (or Export as well) a File browser window opens and - instead of having a python script already loaded (obj importer in my example) that asks you only what file to import as it is now - I'd like to have an 'agnostic' window that asks you what file and what format. That's why in my mockup there is no submenu, and Import (and Export) are "straight commands". Sorry if it was unclear. I meant that Import is 1 direct click. About semantics, I don't mean to merge save and export. As in other softwares they should stay separated, as they actually do two different things, as you also say.
Ah... this is a lot more clear now. I'd definitely suggest including an explanation like this in the main proposal (we can't rely on people reading comments ;). There still may be a bit of implementation difficulty with this, but I definitely like it a lot more than what I'd initially thought you meant.
Thank you.