QuickSwitch [2.80]

Coding Released Scripts and Themes
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QuickSwitch a helper to quick switch workspaces and view render menu in viewport. The Pie menu can be adjusted using the order of the WM menu. Also shortcuts can be added to all workspaces making it very easy and fast to switch to preferred workspace.

Switching workspaces works in all workspaces and areas. Viewing the render menu only works in 3D Viewport.

Some limitations are currently present due to Beta containing some bugs

quickswitch_v011.jpg2400Ă—1415 274 KB

Choose which menu to use

addon-preferences_v011.jpg2400Ă—1493 417 KB

Customise shortcuts and workspaces shortcuts in addon prefs

Why this addon
I had made this addon to make working in a scene and constantly switching workspaces easier. Prior i had 2 addons 1 for switching screen ayouts and the other to quick switch render engines. The option now to quickly access the render menu is very handy i think because it is now stowed into the top menu. Prior i had added in back in the code of 2.80 but this made me rethink my addon. So i now merged the quick screen layout switcher (now workspaces) and the quick engines switch into one.

Hope you find it handy and it can come of use.

You can find this addon on GitHub

Ideas

  • Add presets, so you can fast switch settings based on the need per scene

[0.1.1] - 2019-09-10

Added

  • Show Display Log Info window in quick switch render menu (> 2.81))
2 Likes
2

I suggest You to get rid of icons, since using the same pictogram all over is pointless. Moreover, none of the Workspaces has an icon. The add-on must be compatible with the rest of the GUI, othrewise it will confuse users.
Not to mention, that the pictogram You’ve used for each of the Workspaces is designed for compeletly different function - icons from the official set should be used only in conjunction with a function they were designed for.

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Correct, i was already thinking of dropping it or adding icon per workspace. This is a leftover from pre 2.80 where is used the scene layout icon.

What do you mean by “compatiple with the rest of the GUI”? Are referring to the icons there?

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Yep - by “compatible with the GUI” I mean that icons used for a function of an add-on should be the same as for the same function in the GUI. An icon designed for a particular purpose (a named function) must not be used for compeletly different function in an add-on.

1 Like
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I updated the addon, now show icons according to workspace. Also order of menu is according to order of the shortcuts in the pref panel.

1 Like
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One remark, though - the Compositing has its own individual icon. It lives in Z22 cell in the icon sheet.

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Good eyes, i think small error in the code. I did check them all so perhaps i got a typo. aiaiaia all github work for nothing :wink:

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It was indeed a typo, if it doesnt correspond to existing it uses preferences icon. Perhaps i should make it Blank than.

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Quick render menu is now accessible in all screens

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New function added. This basically stores Object Interaction Mode of current workspace and reverts to this when Keep Mode is active. Normally it switches back the default Workspace Object Interaction Mode st in Properties > Tools & Workspaces > Object Mode
I dont like this methode because it needs you to go back into your last mode.

Currently, say your in weight paint mode under layout. When you switch to model and back, your back into object mode. So you need to change this back to weight paint if you need to. With Keep Mode, this doesnt happen and it respect you last mode before you switch.

Me Happy :slight_smile:

1 Like
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Dear Rombout,

There is some bug in your addon “QuickSwitch” I want to tell you about.
As I didn’t want to publicly hurt your feelings, I have created an account on GitHub.
But now I’ve seen, that this is public as well, and I also have not the time at the moment to break me in in GitHub, so I came back to Blender Artists.

To install the addon, like you describe it in your README.md fails.
The addon doesn’t show up in User Preferences, because the installation folder quickswitch_v0.0.7 includes points (dots) in its name.
The folder’s name has to be cut to “quickswitch”.

The init.py in the folder quickswitch causes some traceback errors in Blender 2.80 Stable Version, for the reason of api changes.
In previous Blender 2.80 Beta versions the addon could be installed, but in User Preference no Hotkey preferences could be seen.

The following code has to be changed:

line 92 from bl_operators.presets import AddPresetBase, PresetMenu has to be changed to
from bl_operators.presets import AddPresetBase, WM_MT_operator_presets

line 269 class QS_PT_presets(PresetMenu): has to be changed to
class QS_PT_presets(WM_MT_operator_presets):

Then this addon would work perfectly.

It would also be kind of you, to give the user some hint, where to find the addon.

e. g. in bl_info =

line 81 “location”: “In 3D Viewport press Alt+SPACEBAR & see User Preferences”,

And thank you very much for this neat and helpful addon.

Ultson

1 Like
12

He thanks for hunting me to update :slight_smile: I know it contains some errors and had it turned off in my system since I was adding a new feature. That’s way I didn’t update it to release candidate.

Ps you never hurt feelings when reporting issues :wink:

I’ll have look at what’s happening and many thanks for showing the issues. Since I didn’t not get much feedback and didn’t know people used I wasnt really dedicated to this at the moment

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I got it working again… had some issues with Classes and Prefix & Suffix. Wasnt really clear what it meant. Seams like this now needs to be added to the bl_idname in a perticular way?!

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I forgot about the way to reach it. Not sure I should show a shortcut there. Perhaps a user will set a different one and than it will look weird.

Perhaps I should add “3D VIEW = Hit shortcut to view”. But on the other hand, he other shortcuts work in all screens and areas, tricky what to state???

15

II got it fixed with some other issues i noticed. I also adjusted the folder in the zip, prior i could use dots in the naming. But i made this when it was in beta and last update was in february :slight_smile:

I noticed some shortcuts didnt even register properly from a bare install, also they didnt got cleared when addon was turned off. I fixed that as well as the Engine menu. I had already fixed it that when hitting render it would also show a new render. But i never pushed the update to gitHub.

Im also busy adding a feature which records the 3d View, this way you can get exact the same view when you switch. I read on blender today someone found that useful and thinking about it kinda is. Now when you switch is alway per workspace. I found an addon which is called “Store View” this can do all kinds of sweet camera and 3d view storing. Im gonna try to add the 3dview part,

Thats also like “Keep mode” i found it very annoying that i need to switch back into the mode when i left the workspace.

16

Sorry for being a bit late with my answer.

Many thanks for being quick like the wind!

Quickswitch works now like a charm.

It had teased me a bit for a short time, by the pie menu disappearing instantly, when releasing the hotkey Shift+Alt+W, but when I press the W-key two times, it stays on the screen reliably.
Can be a quirk of my system, because with other pie menus this happens in some cases too.

You are right about the tip I suggested, where to find the working place of your addon.
What about this?

“location”: "Customize a hotkey in the addon’s properties "
“in User Preferences”,

Sorry, but your tip there would leave me clueless, where to look for.

Your doubts about bl_idname I think, I can dispel a bit, since
(I believe) I’ve read in the addon guidelines, that the bl_idname is built automatically from the class name, for Blender to work with, should it be missing. Many devs drop it generally.

e. g. class QS_PT_presets(bpy.types.Panel)
Then the bl_name would be “QS_PT_presets” (visible only for Blender).

But for a subpanel you anyway could write bl_parent_id = “QS_PT_presets”.

So when you drop the bl_idname, you’ll get no trouble from Blender (hopefully).

“Keep mode” is a good idea. And you’ve come up with even more. Don’t let anyone stop you.

I’m at a general cleaning for all of my addons to get some order on the interface of my Blender version by rearranging them to my liking and to get rid of the clutter in the Tool Shelf.
That is the reason for my cautious snooping into Blender Python, hopefully learning something.
Being at it I came across your handy tool, and thought, that it would be a shame, if not bringing it to life again.

Thank you for doing it.

1 Like
17

Well the bl_idname is what can be used to call it. For operators and panels it does not need to have OP or PN in the bl_idname, however a menu does. This is what bugged me, because prior this was only needed in the class title and not in the bl_idname.

Ill keep the location as is, i think people understand when its open. The shortcuts show below so its not rocket science.

As for the Pie-menu issue, im not sure why that is. Im on OSX and dont see this behavior, i press the key-combo once and the menu stays open untill i either escape or select an item.

Yes i got 2 things i want to add, but it probably will take a while. I got many other things i want to make :slight_smile:
Main things i want to add is thus the record 3dview and transport this when switching workspaces. The otherone is saving shortcut presets. Its bugging me that each time i test this and delete it, i need to add them all.

Also 1 more thing i want to add, is the option to use it in custom workspaces. Currently that wont work because i wanted the icons to show, thus i need the propernaming.

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is it working for 2.9+ version

1 Like
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Sorry have not checked it. I don’t think I can, I need a Mac with newer OS to check it. Did you try it on your system? If so did you get any errors, if you do could make a issue on the GitHub so I can see the error