Hi
Is it possible to keep open drivers editor (and other floating windows) on top of main Blender window?
This is really annoying as I’d like to somehow keep outliner or drivers window above main window… if there is such a concept in Blender as main application window.
Edit: I think I’ve seen some paid addons but I’m asking for some existing UI setting or simple way to do it with Python.
I am curious about this aswell, but I am afraid it is not possible at the moment. I am on 2.81 atm (today’s build) and I would like to make other floating windows to come on top when I click on main one. It is not such a big deal but still would be nice.
Yeah, I too think that is the case. And I too am using 2.81. After researching this issue a bit more, I think the only option currently is to use some addon, can’t remember its name, but there is a thread here in BA for it… Anyway - using similar approach as he, it would at least be doable on Windows, but I have no idea how to work with DLLs.
Anyway, the whole no floating windows is bit strange as any modern software has floating windows.
For example having floating outliner similar to Maya would be really nice. I already made a simple script that creates new window with narrow layout for outliner, but as soon as you click the main window it gets hidden.
Anyway, no popup windows seems to be some sort of old design choice - but it is easy to see it is not followed anymore. Drivers opens in its own popup window, and suffers similarly from not being able to stay on top. Also, Blender already has several popups for 3D viewport settings etc (which too could use more UX work), so why not add support for permanent floaters that stay on top of main window.
Hi ! Has anyone found or made a fix yet ? thanks!
The thing is that one of the core design decissions in Blender is no floating windows the windows you are spawning are totally independent and handled by your OS. Therefore the OS must provide a way to customize the z-order of windows.
MS Windows doesn’t provide such capabilities by default while in Linux it is pretty standard. I have no insights on the Mac side of things.
I heard about 3rd party applications that bring window pinning to MS Windows, but I lost the names of those right now and remember them to be pretty expensive.
My “solution” to this is that I simply don’t use floating windows (sadly). I created one big window that I set to my needs by spliting the working area like I would be having with floating windows and then I just widen this one big window to another screen (or to part I want) and I am done. It is not perfect by all means but still less annoying than looking for hidden windows all the time.
If you are on windows OS there is a small app that let you have any floating window on top of other and it is very simple to use here the link ;
Well I hope this “by design” stuff will soon be long gone…
Blender 2.81 - floating modal save window - although you can still click items behind it.
Drivers - wannabe floating overlay window. Glaringly obvious it needs to be a floating window.
Settings/Preference - another wannabe floating window… it opens as small window over current window… so it is supposed to be a floating window you close after using it…?
And so on. I don’t understand where these mindbogglingly alien choices come from luckily they got rid of that right click nonsense and hopefully the windowing will soon follow typical (= proven to be useful) conventions.
Hmm you got a point… 
Thank you for this, it is not bad but still not ideal (atleast not for me). I don’t have a problem with for example chrome window coming on top of my floating Blender shader window (that I actually like). I have a problem with a fact that when I click on main Blender window then rest of floating windows don’t come on top with it.
I use it often but like you say there is no perfect solution for the many various blender windows.
I know there is also a paid addon here and it’s failry price at 15$ that could work but i didnt bought it so i cannot comment on it ;
Mhhh , a friend of a spanish forum did a free version scripted by himself, I don’t know how it works since i don’t tried it yet 
https://github.com/jfranmatheu/Blender_AlwaysOnTopWindows
Hmm thx, it indeed works, but basicaly the way that polynut hinted, so it is always on top on matter what (unless you use that shortcut).
Hmm interesting I see that @BD3D is working his ass off, that’s good. I would like know if this support that rule of “click one window and all others come along on top aswell”.
Just ask in his thread here and he will surely answer all your questions regarding how it’s work.
lol i’m a rebel
i will update Floating windows with better functionalities in 2020. work still fine right now
if @ezez or @Fallirini want to try it i can give you guys a free test version via MP
you’ll just will not get access to the update when it’s on
Sure that would great and nvm about update I would like to just test it and if it suits my need then I’ll buy it. I am going to focus more on Blender in 2020 and therefore I would like to invest into some handy addons (even that scatter of yours looks juicy ).
Thank you for testing version
Well, all those new not working windows are only there because of people who screamed for floating windows like they are used to in other software. The idea to adept to the existing paradigms is of course absolute non sensical because we all want a Blender that looks like C4D, so we can concentrate to deal with Z-brush, right?
Good to see even more people knowing another one and only right way to do it.
Let me guess, Linux sucks hard, right? Well, at least I can layer my windows how I like…
You are the only one who knows how you want your computing to be. And therefore you are the one responsible to create that environment. Not me, not the Blender developers.
That’s the freedom part in Blender. But I get it, it’s hard to get.
"Well, all those new not working windows are only there because of people who screamed for floating windows like they are used to in other software. "
Not working windows? You say you want file dialog to drop behind main window when you accidentally click outside of it? When would you need that feature for example? Would it be working when you can slice and dice the save/load window accidentally to mini-windows and hide it behind every window in your desktop? Ever considered that something that is considered a “standard” way of doing things might be that sometimes because of it offers the least amount of effort to understand, use and it feels natural?
“the idea to adept to the existing paradigms is of course absolute non sensical”
So are you saying better invent something new and untested, so we can start iterating this new shiny idea, instead of using old working solution? Like force people to use right click to select instead of doing it like the rest of the world. That experiment didn’t work that well, did it?
“…because we all want a Blender that looks like C4D”
No-one said such a thing.
"Let me guess, Linux sucks hard, right? "
No-one said that either. At least I don’t think so. Actually I occasionally use Linux and find it very nice.
“not the Blender developers.That’s the freedom part in Blender.”
So you are saying that you actually expect artists that are (mostly) code illiterate to start coding and altering Blender UI / or expect them to find hacky ways to circumvent strange behavior of the software, instead of focusing creating content with the tool?
“But I get it, it’s hard to get.”
No it is not. Personally, I see Blender as a tool, not as some ideological playground. I expect a hammer to work and look like a hammer, I don’t need some strange behavior because of x or y. It doesn’t help me get things done. IMHO Blender UX still needs a lot of work, although it is good the most obvious obstacles are removed.
I see where you are coming from, so lets just peacefully agree to disagree.
From this logic ZBrush devs have to be forced to make mouse wheel to be bound to zoom. Cause why not, other programs use it, don’t they? And Alt+left click+Alt release seems so strange, especially with similar shortcut used for panning. But for some reason they don’t accept the “like-the-rest-of-the-world” way. Why couldn’t Blender have its own little things and differences?
I was always admired by this point of view while looking at right/left click selecting change… For some people that left click is nonsense. You are somehow contradicting yourself in telling that Blender isn’t an ideological playground for you, but at the same time advocate the left click.
And of course, right click / left click is now more customizable than before in 2.8, but still some ways possible with different buttons aren’t so customizable / available for changing in behaviour as they were back then.
As to the topic theme - yes, addon already mentioned in the thread is the only way to achieve floating windows always on top so far (at least without further coding and stuff). In 2.79 and prior File Browser was always on top so there was for one usecase less for this adodn, nonetheless depending on the workflow there could be situations to use the addon
