I have appreciated using Michael’s SeparateSidePanePalettes.js, but with a small laptop screen I do find myself wishing that I could have more of my commonly used tools exposed more of the time…in other words a desire to minimize the number of times I wind up clicking a tool palette open. Being another of Michael’s readable examples, SeparateSidePanePalettes provided the hints as to how to accomplish what I wanted, so I modified it to produce CombineSidePanePalettes.js which should be copied into MoI’s personal startup folder to use. The new script combines the curve/solid drawing tools and construction/transformation tools onto larger command palettes, but the other multi-tab palettes are left to operate as they normally do, thus its behavior is somewhere in between the standard UI and SeparateSidePanePalettes. Although they are no longer accurate, I left the tab titles alone so that no additional translation is necessary. Tested with MoI v4 on a Mac.

--Larry

Larry - I like that idea of combining those pallets and exposing more functions using a single, broader tab category. The icons are descriptive enough to let you know what they do.

Anything that reduces mouse clicks helps keep you in the "creative zone".

I'll try it on my Windows PC tonight.

Ed Ferguson

Thanks Ed,

Yup more time in the "creative zone" indeed! While it does abuse Michael's UI a little, I have found it helpful to maintain my focus.

--Larry

Hi Larry,

Your script works on my Windows PC & Moi ver4. Thanks!

What would work best for me is to have the new combined "Draw Curve / Solid" and "Construction/Transformation" tabs always open. The current behavior is one will close if I pick another tab like "Edit"

I have a large monitor and I think the "Draw Curve / Solid" + "Construction/Transformation" + "Edit" tabs will fit if all remain open permanently. The other tabs are secondary.

What do you think?

Ed Ferguson

Hi Ed, the code for closing side pane tabs is in the script function CompactPaletteHeaders inside the file SidePaneTabs.js if you want to modify the collapsing behavior.

Currently it should only try to collapse tabs if there is not room to fit them in the available vertical space without showing a scroll bar.

- Michael

Thanks Michael -

I modified Larry's CombineSidePane Pallets.js line 65

from:
sp.g_InsideCompactPaletteHeaders = false;

to:
sp.g_InsideCompactPaletteHeaders = true;

I removed SeparateSidePanePalettes.js from my Startup folder.

Now I have Larry's combined pallets plus all the other pallets open at startup.

This is almost perfect for my system, in my opinion. (I'm on a PC with a large monitor)

The one thing that would make it perfect is to have the side pane automatically scroll to the top whenever an input box appears (example: "Select objects to Fillet"). Otherwise it is likely hidden.



Ed Ferguson

Thanks Ed & Michael!

For me, having Michael's original code from SeparateSidePanePalettes:

sp.g_InsideCompactPaletteHeaders = true;
sp.InitializeTabs();
sp.g_InsideCompactPaletteHeaders = false;

sp.CompactPaletteHeaders();

works better with my small laptop screen. I'm glad that you can tweak it for your preference though Ed. As to your other thought about having "the side pane automatically scroll to the top whenever an input box appears"...sorry, no clue on this end how to make that happen.

--Larry

Hi Ed,

re:
> The one thing that would make it perfect is to have the side pane automatically scroll to the top
> whenever an input box appears (example: "Select objects to Fillet"). Otherwise it is likely hidden.

The way the regular one is set up it tries to avoid having the scroll bar appear. That's why it compacts palettes if there is not enough room.

That's based on the idea that It's better to have palettes collapse so that you can see all the palette titles on screen at a glance without having to scroll.

Having big giant palettes doesn't really fit with this strategy anymore.

But one thing you could try though for the effect you are talking about here is to move the side pane context area (that's where command UI gets displayed), out of the scroll bar area and into the top area where the title bar and current open file name is displayed.

To try that, go to SidePane.htm, and move <moi:SidePaneContextArea> outside of the middle body and place it after <moi:SidepaneFilename>.

Then command UI like prompts and command options should always be visible above the palette scrollable area instead of being inside the scrollable area.

- Michael

Thanks Michael -

Your HTML code mod worked. (I made a backup in case a future update is not compatible)

The command prompts will always be docked & visible and I just have to do a slight MMB scroll if I need to see the very bottom of the menu stack. I'm fine with that.

Personally I prefer the always open "mega menu" with a slight scroll as opposed to targeting a tab with the mouse and click to expose a tool many times during a work session. It's a minor thing, but a matter of personal preference.

Again, thanks for your exceptional help.

Ed Ferguson