Add-On Groups
Another idea for Add-Ons.
- Add new group(s) / Delete group(s)
- Rename group(s) ( HardSurcafes/HSurfaces/HS… for example )
- Change group-color ( in the Preferences )
- Add Add-on for a group in the Preferences ( and maybe with drag )
- Change succession of tabs ( with drag )
- Right Click on the group: Select Add-on
- Left Click on the group: Last selected Add-on
8 Comments
Thing is... I'd rather that add-ons be properly integrated in the Blender interface... they shouldn't create new tabs unless absolutely necessary.
^ Exactly.
* @Jason van Gumster * I would like to promote a solution oriented approach rather than to find causes. We know probably that it's hard to change the behavior of addon-developers and besides that, we will end up with tabs overloaded this way. There are already more than 200 addons compatible with blender.
To filter an addon per workspace is not a solution either; in case you want to do a quick boolean for you need to go to the correct workspace and perform there an action. Then go back to another workspace and continue where you left.
To change the bl_categorie yourself manually is also not a solution: So are the users going to do that everytime there is an update? There were addons for 2.79 that made it eassier to write that line in each addon. But for some reason that gave a mess as well; some addons were written that way that it was not compatible.
Fact is, users will end up with loads of addons, and fact will be that there will be loads of tabs no matter if addon developers use appropiate categories or not.
* @robwesseling * What you're really asking for is tab management, then. This has nothing to do with add-ons. Add-ons can integrate anywhere in Blender's interface, within existing panels, tabs, and menus.
You're proposing a good idea (which has been proposed here before)... but it's a solution to the wrong problem.
* @Jason van Gumster * For me (and I suppose also others) the goal is this: I have loads of addons already in Blender 2.80, and the addon developers put the addons in the Sidebar (N). Most of the tabs on the right don't even show a letter. So if I am looking for speedsculpt for example it takes sometimes 2 a 3 minutes. And when modeling I switch a lot between several addons. What could take 10 minutes to model can take 30 minutes. Or 3 hours instead of 1 hour. Wel, example is not water-tight, but you get what I mean.
I don't know very good what is a feasable proposal or not, but I thought this could be a solution. Somehow it gives us a chance to read those tabs I am talking about (tabs on the right on the N-panel). For my I don't care how that is arranged, as long as I don't have those unreadable tabs. To my understanding the proposal is an extra code on top of the N-panel, and addon-developers don't have to worry about any changes in this regard. They just can keep doing what they did.
That it is possible to put addons anywhere, doesn't solve the problem. Addons developers are not doing it. Besides that, I am not sure if that is a nice idea to put addons all over the place. One time I have to look in a workspace, for the other addon in the n-panel, for another addon in the properties editor. No, I can't believe that. Imagine how nice it would be if you had a page where you can arrange/categorize addons to your likes in one place. For me I don't really care how exactly.
It is not a problem of Blender it is problem with developers. But you can open addon files and change category (tab) where addon will appear. I did it. Groups it +1 level of complexity. Unnecessary. Addon Filter made to clear workspace.
* @ Vyacheslav * What is more complex, open the .py file, find the bl_category, change the tab, etc, etc, with every update of the addon or have somehow a better solution for placing the addons in the toolshelf.
And also, some addons give extra complications changing the bl_categorie
* @robwesseling * yes, it will be nice to have ability to sort em easily. But now, at least, you can do it.