Hello –
I have an idea that would greatly enhance the way users can control the Scenegraph.
We often find ourselves in situations that require us to restrict access to key components within the VRED template. The purpose of restrictions to certain nodes is to ensure users cannot break or damage key feature/functions of the template file we use.
For example: We need to be able to ensure that users of the template cannot change a specific group or object node name which is important if a python script refers to that node. But the geometry below still needs the ability to be changed or updated.
At this time there are 2 ways in VRED to restrict access - locking nodes in the scene graph or making them non-selectable.
- Lock: currently everything below the locked node inherits this value - Lock is a very brute force command resulting in all sub-grouped items being 100% locked – this lacks control that we require in the Hyundai VRED template files.
- Select: currently everything below that node inherits value - select toggle is very useful but also lacks the finite control.
It would be very useful if the lock function was changed to be accessed through a context menu.
- Offer control over which specific features are locked or not
- Control over inherited value status for sub grouped items
Key features:
1. The ability to lock specific nodes with or without it’s children being affected and being able to control what specific options are locked.
Having finite control over the node’s lock status - not forced inherited values to all groups by default.
Locking could have levels and would include already existing options that could be combined in the Lock menu
- Lock selection (existing feature moved to this new proposed menu )
- Lock node name
- Lock material assignment (for node / for tree)
- Lock transform (and transform variants)
- Lock Scenegraph position
- Lock animation (would disable all Edit->Animation features that make changes to the selected node)
- Lock baking (existing feature)
- Lock hide/show
- Lock metatags
- Lock all / hierarchy (enable locked items for everything in the graph below, which is the current functionality or just the currently selected item)
2. Password protection to unlock a node would also be valuable.
3. This level of detail for locking would be needed in multiple editors, some of which already have a lock function (options will differ depending on editor features available) :
- Scene graph
- Material Editor
- Scene Plate Editor
I am attaching a file of what the context menu could look like as reference.
Let me know if anyone has questions.
Thanks
-Chris
