Cathide, Resurrected for 2.8x ! - 3D view Category hiding

Edit
Here’s the new version beta demo video :partying_face:

Now compatible with 2.8x and 2.9x.

Check last post for more infos !

Hi blenderheads, in my recent python adventures through the wonderfull world of UIList (see Addons Editool and MList), i wrote a simple addon to hide selected Tool Shelf category in the 3D viewport !
In my case, i always have a lot of addons installed in blender, so this tool shelf is overcrowderd and it quickly becomes impossible to see category !
A lot of these categories aren’t useful depending on the work you’re doing (no Flare Wizards cat during modeling, for example, would be better :slight_smile: ), but if you want to get rid of it, you have to disabled the addon or edit the startup ui file, no quick way…
Select the category you want, deselect the others, and click apply !
The addon register and unregistered the corresponding panels !
You also have a refresh button, just in case you install a new addon !

from the v1.2, you can search for a specific panel, not an entire tool shelf category, and make hide it !
Presets support this feature !

IMPORTANT : the 1.3 is not compatible with some precedent features due to a lot of improvements in the code. Please be sure to use this version to get forward compatibility with future ones. I rearranged some core features here ! sorry for the disagreement !

You can also add preset for panel configuration, saved in blend file.
This means you can create preset for particular project, or save startup file to make common ones !

You can also reorder thumbnails (categories) in the toolshelf from the v1.3

From v1.5, it’s possible to add startup preset, applied when the blender file is opened

Hope it could be usefull ! happy blending !


Roadmap :

  • Add export settings for preset (txt format) to easily share some toolshelf preset
  • Bugfix for some addon (cutout animation seems to do that for example) which have some unregistered panels, so uncheck panels items at blender’s launch

DIRECT LINKS :
v1.0

v1.1 - preset feature
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eezeaxvxjxgtwsm/CatHide_v1_1.py?dl=0
v1.2 - specific panel feature and ability to pin hidden panel (stay hidden)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y5qs51vyysgibuh/CatHide_v1_2.py?dl=0
v1.3 -

  • lot of improvements in the UI, bug fix for operators and “same name panels”
  • only categories are pin-able now, avoiding lot of non-sense, and giving them a priority on the panels.
  • New Copy presets to scene operator
  • reordering ability added, you can now move a cat to a specific place on the list, when applying, thumbnails will follow. Known issue : the ui list of categories doesn’t reflect it every time, quite a mess to re-organise based on registrations of the panels. No solution right now, but not a too big problem, according to me !
  • update selected preset operator
  • load preset without applying operator
  • better display of the specific panel, depending on the category
  • toggle hide/unhide context sensitive panels
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/do1n6ceodhzlb50/CatHide_v1_3.py?dl=0
    v1.4 :
  • lot of bug fixes
  • improvement in the category list behavior (no more switching order when applying or refreshing)
  • N-Panels are now included, new section to hide them, and they’re integrated in the presets functions
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zukeucd3e9cwti/CatHide_v1_4.py?dl=0
    v1.5 :
  • some bug fixes
  • implementation of startup preset system (see video below)
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ri6u9q4o2c08lu6/CatHide_v1_5.py?dl=0

GITHUB :

User Manual :
http://Hi all blenderheads !I put together a little Manual to use the addon ! Here’s the link :

preset feature demo

v1.3 new features demo

v1.5 new features - startup preset demo

5 Likes

Awesome!! Super Useful!! Thank you!!
Pretty common issue with huge addon list)) And it seems you find perfect solution!
Just one note, for example i don’t use relation panel at all, but addon “Edit Linked Library” uses this tab. Is it possible to hide all panel, but maybe translate this function to another tab, or maybe do not hide this function if it is pinned.
Thank you! Best wishes!

Hi legofon and thanks for your encouragements and interest :slight_smile:
Unfortunately, the bpy.types.Panel class are quite messy for me, i used some unorthodox method to achieve this result, thought about moving a panel to other place, but i didn’t find a way without messing with the original script of the addon…
Currently, the addon just register or unregister on the fly, without touching actual scripts
But i’m totally opened to suggestion if anybody out there have a solution ! :slight_smile:
also didn’t find a way to organize the list accordingly to the original order of the category thumbnail !
if someone has a clue :smiley:

Very useful, and thank you for sharing!

A feature very appreciated would be a ‘presets’ menu: you make and name a single preset (or many) which hide addons ‘useless’ for a specific step/purpose; and switch to another preset hiding ‘useless’ addons for the same reason.
For example:

  • hide addons not related to a sculpt workflow
  • make it as a preset and name it “for sculpt”.
  • create another preset hiding addons not related with a retopology process
  • make it as preset and name it “for retopo”.
  • the same things as above for a rendering step.
    When you must sculpt you click on “for sculpt” preset, then you click on “for retopo” if you need to retopologize. After all that, you click on the preset “render” and will only show addons tabs necessary to a render setup.

Hey tosky, thanks for the interest, yep, presets are in roadmap :smiley: but i can’t make “absolute preset” because nobody has the same addons, it would be a waste of time ! but everyone could configure these presets as he wants !

Hi tonton
Thank you for your explanation
I wish i could help you with this addon, but unfortunately i am a noob in coding :smiley:
Anyway this addon have couple very strongest sides.

  1. Settings for each file, so you can just create several templates for different most common tasks,
  2. Easy switch off and on addons on a fly.
    So if even I need just one function from all tab that’s a not big deal to switch it on.
    I am sure that even without this extra features Tools tab became much time easy to use

Great job!! Once again thank you very much! I already love this addon!!

thanks again ! and yep, i’m gonna add soon the ability to make presets stored in blender !

I mean not exactly you :D, i mean you, me or someone else can prepare several custom files-templates on the own taste and use it!:smiley:
I understood this when i get the idea that each separate file already save unique combination of addons (which is awesome feature!!) And with Asset Management it will works really great i believe. After i recognise that each file already included preset addons i understood that this addon for me perfect as is even without additional features!!

Yep, but for now the feature is not quite polished, it’s just that the addon can save a state of selection in a file, but if you reload the panel list, the state is lost. What i’m talking about in the roadmap is a different system which could save in the common blender config files several custom configuration, which one could reapply anytime !
Hope i’m clear :slight_smile:

Hey thanks all for your interest into this addon !

i just added a new preset feature :smiley:
you can save your startup file to keep them !

yipee ho ! hope it would be useful for some ! :slight_smile:

here’s a little video demonstration, and for the updated version, see first post !

Already? Wow, cool!!

Great tool ! Thanks for your work !:wink:

very useful, Great job!!

What happens when you uncheck “Tools”? Since it looks like addon is under Tools, looks like you’d be screwed if you uncheck it.

Hehe,you got me ! :slight_smile: it’s in the to do list ! But wasn’t the priority.
For now you have to quit and re launch blender to get the panel again ! But i’ll make impossible to clear this very panel soon ! :smiley:

To craig jones, adivaki, and mesch973, thanks for the encouragements, and glad you find it useful ! :slight_smile:

tonton,
Your addon is a BOMB! Congratulations.
Thanks you so much!
Spirou4D :eyebrowlift:

Wow this is great. Thanks for shareing! Die create panel!

Tonton the addon work as intended!
Could you espose the roadmap?

Some things which could be cool are “category panels displayed in a horizontal way” or “reordering the panel” (which is already possible by hiding and un-hiding in a personal order but it feel like a ‘dirty’ process -do you recommend it?-).

Could you rid-off the ‘Delete All CatHide Preset’ button? Deleting presets one at one it should not be much assle, while deleting all of them in 1 hit -even by mistake- is a bit unforgiving. Peraphs instead of “Delete…all” , a ‘redo’ button to rebuild the latest presets deleted during a sessions could be a better substitute/option?

Hi all and thanks again for your interest and encouragements !
i just uploaded a new version with some great (according to me) improvements !
I’m going to post a demo video later, but you have

  • specific panel hiding (not entire category in the tool shelf) like Legofon suggested it (i struggled a lot with it, still not perfect but working anyway :D) ,
    -improved preset
    -pinned ability to keep an item !
  • reset buttons for categories and panels (unhide all except for the pinned items)

There are also several bug fixes, like the addon panel, which is now locked :slight_smile:
See first post to download it !
and don’t hesitate to report any bug, did’nt have a lot of time to test it !

happy blending !