How to add more panel icons to left sidebar?

[phibonacciSequence]

I came across this old video: https://youtu.be/4DbWh1Rgs6s

and noticed there are more than the three default panel icons.  Six in the video.

I was wondering if there's any way to add more icons to the left sidebar for custom panel layouts or was that feature removed in newer versions?

For clarity I've circled what I'm referring to in the image below:

[hamsterHamster]

see if adding more -sva lines to your userPrefs.mel line helps.

have no time to test at the moment, so plz report back, if successful.

[phibonacciSequence]

No, doesn't seem to work. At least not for custom panel layout which is what I'm trying to get. I can add it to my custom shelf and use one of Maya's icons but I would rather add on the left bar along with the other for neatness.
Perhaps I will add it to the Maya Ideas forums. (Though I've never seen one approved for a year now).

[hamsterHamster · Accepted solution]

I was able to change the number of those buttons elsewhere:

However, possibly somewhere, even in the aforementioned userPrefs.mel, the specific (existing) layout should be assigned for the new buttons. The icon for the button can be changed from RMB > ChangeImage...

[phibonacciSequence]

Had to enable administrator mode but it worked.  It's frustrating that Autodesk hasn't added (or added back) this feature without going through the program files, instead of for example: just right-clicking on an empty space in the left sidebar and adding it in Maya.

Thanks.

[hamsterHamster]

The good thing is, it IS possible.
On the other hand.. that screen-property is a wasted space, unless someone is using Maya with phone-size screen.
In general, consider it a question of: is it worth investing time+money into feature users seldom use? You could add the feature to the obscure-in-your-face MayaIdeas board and wait until it gathers sufficient amount of votes. But then, there's sooo much entries that the board is visited mainly by either frustrated or naive users, me including - almost useless.

[phibonacciSequence]

Yeah, it's surprising that I've never seen a decent enough answer as yours anywhere online and it's relatively simply.  To the point I wonder why it wasn't just added as an UI option in-Maya's preferences menu.  Either it causes other bugs or the devs simply forgot.

Speaking of the Maya Ideas board, I think users have every right to ask even the smallest of features to be considered.  (It's not like it's cheap software).  But yes, some of the ideas that were even accepted haven't changed their status for 3 years even.

[drbrandtjr]

Hey hamsterHamster,

Thanks for that solution.  For us Mac users, do you happen to know where to find the toolbox.mel file?

I was lucky enough to find it in an old Autodesk_Maya_2016_EN_JP_ZH_Windows_dlm folder that I had hanging around.  I modified it according to your image above and moved it into:

it works!  But if it's not a file that is normally on a mac.  Other Mac users may have trouble getting it.  Contact me and I will email it to you.

 

[drbrandtjr]

Here it is attached