UI change help (solved)
FSMCDesigns
Posts: 12,843
I see lots of images of users UIs in DS and they are many times very different. My UI works well for me, but there are a few things I would like to change to improve my workflow and have seen images of some of these changes and wondered how it could be done. Attached is my UI, I have 5 tabs across the top of my posing/shaping pane that I would like to have along the side instead since there is more room and I can add a couple more, how can this be done?
Next up, is there a way to add/combine the surfacing/ rendering pane tabs to the posing/shaping pane? I have the Iray interactive window on most of the time while working on a scene and going from the posing/shaping pane to the surfacing/rendering pane takes awhile to catch up unless I switch off the Iray Interactive preview to texture shaded or another, less resource intensive view. Switching tabs though in the posing/shaping pane while in Iray interactive mode is instantanious.
Next up, I define the shape of my renders by the viewport size, hence the open space. How do you define an area for your render within the viewport? I have had it happen when loading specific products with set camera angles, but have no clue how to do it myself and to my specifications. I can set sizes in the render settings, but no clue on the specific dimensions.
lastly, once I get the UI that way I want, how do I save that config in case I even screw something up and have to roll back?
Thanks for any info on any of this.
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Comments
In menu Window/Workspace there is an option to Lock Docking/Undocking. When unlocked, you can drag tabs (panes) to a different location, either floating or docked in another area. It might be esaiest to look at the other available layouts in the Window/Workspace/Select Layout menu and start with one that has the general layout you want to achieve, like docked areas on each side, for example. Once you have the UI the way you want it, use Window/Worlspace/Save Layout As to save it. It will then appear as a choice in Window/Workspace/Select Layout for use later. Before you start moving things around, it is probably a good idea to save a layout for what you currently have, so you can go back to that if the new layout is unsatisfactory.
Specify the size and aspect ratio of your render in the Render Settings pane on the Editor tab in the General section. Select Custom from the Dimension Preset and specify an exact pixel size or select from one of the other available choices. In the Viewport context menu (the icon with 4 stacked lines up by the camera controls), Select Show Aspect Frame to draw a white line in the viewport the shows the area that will be rendered.
I'm not aware of a way to get Activity Tabs (Posing | Shaping and so on) vertical. The pane tabs can be vertical or horizontal, it's an option in Window>Workspace.
Just open and dock the panes, if you can't do that make sure it isn't disabled in Window>Workspace.
The render Settings pane - I guess you have it set to Active Viewport now, but you can give any diemnsions you like. Turn on Show Aspect frame in the Viewport option menu (the lined button in the top-right corner, or right-click the tab) to see where the render area is.
Window>Workspace>Save Layout
How did you get a tab for my gallery, my account and home in the upper right corner?
Okay, starting with the last one, you can save and load Layouts from the menu under Window->Workspace->Select Layout/Save LayoutAs. Pretty self-explanatory. This is where you go want to save your new layout, or load the previous one back in. The only gotcha here is that when you want to update a layout, you can't see existing layouts in the SaveAs dialog, so you just need to look at the list in Select Layout first to find the name of the layout you want to save it as.
There are several layout presets available, starting from basic menus and icons (Full Service) to the more advanced (City Limits). You can customize and save different layouts based on those. City limits has all possible menu items and icons visible, I believe, without using the Activity Bar (also in Window->Workspace). You don't want ALL possible windows open, but you can cram in quite a few around the edges
As for moving panes(tabs) around and having more pane groups, first understand the difference between them. A pane group holds one or more panes(tabs). A pane(tab) cannot exist without a pane group. You can move panes(tabs) around to different pane groups by click-dragging the area with the tab itself (where the tab name is) onto another pane group or somewhere else in the order of the tabs on that pane. If you drag it off the pane group, it will create a floating pane group with the tab you dragged.
Pane groups can be moved by click-dragging an empty area next to the tabs. You can drag it to an edge of another pane group, or leave it floating (undocked). Pane groups can be stacked vertically and horizontally, and when dragging one to a suitable edge, a vertical or horizontal bar will light up showing where it will snap to. It can be a little tricky sometimes getting them in the right place, but with a little practice you'll get the hang of it.
If you change your mind about that floating pane group, just drag the pane(tab) (not the pane group) to a new location on an existing pane group (next to other tabs)
Okay, as to changing the render size, there are several presets on the Render Settings tab, but you can specify pixel size and/or aspect ratio that will be used. Usually you select an aspect ratio, then set one of the dimensions, the other will follow. You can show the aspect frame by selecting it from the hamburger menu in the viewport (the inner one above the view manipulation icons).
Edit: corrected the wording according to Richard Haseltine's observations.
Check the Enable Activity Bar on the Windows->Workspace
That was easy thanks
I see you just have a basic toolbar. Note that you can also create your own if you don't like the DS default ones. Right-click any thumbnail in content, and choose Create Custom Action. In the Customise pane, it will appear under Custom Actions and you can create a tollbar and drag it onto it.
It's an easy way to have your most-used figures, props, presets, light, etc 1 click away, rather than hunting through folders.
The DS UI is extremely customisable. You just have to know how to do it (or ask in here)
Thanks all, you answered all my questions and everything is perfect now! Much appreciated!
@Richard Haseltine "I'm not aware of a way to get Activity Tabs (Posing | Shaping and so on) vertical."
Does this mean my layout isn't possible???? I perhaps did not understand your comment.
He/I meant the pane tabs and your look is what I was going for and he gave me the answer.
Sorry, that was a bad example - I meant the tabs that give different layouts, one of which is labelled "Posing | Shaping", not the Posing and Shaping and other tabs.
Pane is the official name for tab - hence Panes(Tabs) as a sub-menu of Window. Pane Group is what you mean when you write pane here.