Organize a Solution Using Folders
Solution Explorer Panel
SceneComposer organizes the solution in folders. Via "View" > "Solution Explorer" the "Solution Explorer" panel can be enabled, which displays the folder structure. This panel reflects the structure of the folders on the disk.
A new solution comes with a default structure of folders. The main "Solution" folder contains the following folders:
- Animations: Animations can be put into this folder.
- Controls: The folder for all Controls used in your solution.
- Resources: This folder is for Bitmaps, FBX, Fonts, PSD and other imported resources.
- Scenes: This is the place for all 2D and 3D scenes.
- State Machines: State Machines are best placed into this folder.
Filtering and Searching
Solution explorer provides a filter area where the object types that will be displayed in the panel can be filtered.
By pressing the small arrow from the left upper side of the panel, the filter area becomes visible.
Use the Search edit box on the top of Solution Explorer to search for different items in the solution.
Multi-Selection of Objects
For multi-selection of objects, press the Ctrl key while left clicking all the desired elements to select.
When the last desired element is selected the Ctrl key can be released.
After the multi-selection operation it is possible to copy, move or delete all selected items as desired.
Copy, Clone, Rename and Delete Items
The Solution Explorer Context menu allows cloning, renaming and deleting content.
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Imported scenes and animation can only be deleted.
Clone Items
"Clone" will make a copy of the item and add it to the same folder as the item selected. The name of the copy will be the name of the item suffixed with a number.
It is possible to specify the number of clones to be generated, simultaneously, for an item. If this number is greater than 1, the name will be read-only and generated automatically.
Rename Items
"Rename" activates the "Rename Field" where the name of the item can be modified:
- Enter the desired name in the text box.
Delete Items
Delete items by using the "Delete" option from the context menu of the selected item in Solution Explorer or Scene Tree.
Delete Items without Dependencies
If the item to delete is not used in the solution, the "Delete Items" dialog simply lists the items to be deleted:
Delete Items with Dependencies
If the item to delete is used in one or more scenes of the solution, the "Delete Items" dialog will list those dependencies and asks for a resolution strategy:
The default resolution strategy can be selected, which can be overridden for specific dependencies. The following resolution strategies can be applied:
- None: The "OK" button will not work until a specific strategy will be selected.
- Replace With: The selected usage item will be replaced with a different item selected by the user.
- Delete Usage Item: The selected usage item will be deleted. The element will not be part of the solution anymore.
- Replace With Null: The application will use the null value where the dependent elements are used.
- Remove Array Item: If there are many elements which are contained in an array (for instance, a Camera inside a Camera Group), the selected item will be removed from the array.
- Delete > Replace With Null: When this resolution is selected the application will try to delete all the dependencies. If this does not succeed, the dependent objects will be replaced with null so they will not be used anymore by the items proposed for deletion.
- Replace With Null > Delete: When this resolution is selected the application tries to use the null value where the dependent elements are used. If this is not possible every dependent element will be deleted. It will not be a part of the solution anymore.
Move Items and Folders with Drag and Drop
Items and folders can be moved via drag & drop.
Items can also be used by dragging them directly into appropriate panels.
If an object is dragged from one folder to another folder where the same type of object is placed under the same name, the object, which is going to be moved to the new folder, is renamed by adding a numbered suffix.
If a drag operation is performed between 2 panels and the target item is part of a multi-selection, all the selected items in the target panel will be affected. For example when 2 groups are selected in the Scene Tree panel and a billboard is dragged over one of the selected groups, a billboard will be added to both selected groups.