desktop mode editing and how to make it better (hub discussion)

[Redd56]

This is a hub discussion of various things that would help make desktop mode better for editing worlds.

Currently theres a few hotkeys to make desktop mode nice to use. this includes the number row for various tools and the i key to open and inspector. but other than that theres nothing else.

#3690 goes over pressing i to open a material inspector window.

#3692 goes over a button to deselect all and drop orbs out of the material gun.

#3219 goes over adding buttons to change gizmo type exotic ones as well

#772 goes over custom keybinds for tools. as is you can only access 9 out of the over 20 tools available to the player.
although this is a good way to do it i feel that having layers to these buttons would be better (say shift+num and ctrl+num and shift+ctrl+num)

#4617 goes over a "material browser/library" that would make it easier to manage materials in the world

#4618 goes over making edit mode do more. as is it just enables a flag that flux can read and a few other minor features. nothing major and game changing for desktop compared to not having it on.

#599 goes over multiselect and how to make it better

#4920 goes over resizable dialogs

so to go over it all together as is the desktop experience is mediocre, its extremely tedious to change materials. gizmo modes. this mixed with the lack of ui that is desktop like leads to a very combersome experience when editing something in desktop on resonite unless you are working with exclusively flux or exclusively in the inspector. (or both at the same time)

discord thread that started this (you will need an account) https://discord.com/channels/1040316820650991766/1384275934760145107

[ko-tengu]

I think a major thing that will have to happen to make desktop as an editor more appealing is a reconsideration of how to apply a lot of the interaction layers for editing to desktop. In a freecam editing mode stuff like selection and materials need to be able to flow much quicker and have fewer steps involved. Currently even basic tasks of rotating objects or retexturing a wall have a ton of steps and clicks before you can get to the actual task you want.

Major comparisons I brought up in the thread is the ability to multi-select and multi-edit items, the ability to do a "drill down" style of selection by simply left clicking on the object you want, and the extremely quick method of applying and editing materials that a dedicated asset browser gets you.

Some quick examples from another editor of these tasks. Personal complaints are that these simple and common tasks take an exponential amount of extra time in Resonite.
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7de8ef76-2be8-4053-8d15-993a4b8ed424

Screen_Recording_2025-06-16_163124.mp4