Some Suggestion Changes for NL2 Editor

Hello there! Long-time NL2 user here! Back when NL2 first released the Editor interface was and still is the gateway to creating the outstanding creations we're seeing players and content creators come up with, over time NL2 has become more robust, allowing all kinds of crazy customization, but I feel as if the interface, specifically the Scenery Tab, is starting to fall behind. It doesn't feel intuitive to use, and even frustrating at times. I've come up with a mock-up UI for the Scenery Tab that will relieve some of the every-day frustrations that I encounter, and increase the functionality of using the Scenery Tab as well increasing efficiency when it comes to managing multiple objects.

Examples where the Scenery Editor Tab falls short:

• Having to move an object out of the way to access another one, especially when working in tight or enclosed spaces. Hiding can solve this.
• Placing benches, lamps, trees, bins (any object that uses Terrain Lock) being placed under elevated pathways or plazas. Unlocking Terrain Lock and Setting Y Position to selected objects solves this
• Aligning object that are not on X or Z axis. Local gizmo rotation or placing all objects in a line then using Last Gizmo Position to rotate all in-line objects.
• Recoloring multiple objects. Color Options and Quick Paint solve this.
• Setting all objects to have the same position and rotation (like the M34 NL2 Rides, and Power Tower / Observation deck that come with NL2). Can be solved with a dedicated Copy/Paste Transformations buttons. (Not pictured).
• Object Properties Window keeps getting in the way of what I'm trying to edit. The Dynamic Sidebar takes care of this.

Pictured is a UI Mock up of the Editor being in Select / Modify Mode.

Left Sidebar

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• NL2SCO Editor: Opens NL2SCO Editor
• NL2MAT Editor: Opens NL2MAT Editor
• Show Overview: Opens Overview Window
• Unhide All Objects (New) : All objects marked as Hidden will become visible
• Choose: Opens Object Select browser windows.
• Chosen Object Icon: Shows the Icon of the Chosen Object
• File Field: Shows the file location of the currently selected Chosen Object
• Select/ Modify Mode
• Add Object Mode
• Quick Paint Mode (New)

Dynamic Sidebar

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Dynamic Sidebar Header Options

• Position | Scale | Rotation Gizmo Buttons: Select one of the options to change the current gizmo. Instead of showing both position and rotations gizmos.
• Global | Local Buttons: Switches between orienting the gizmo in the world coordinates or the object’s local transformation.
• Individual | Median | Last Gizmo Position Buttons: Will change where the gizmo is placed when multiple objects are selected.
  ** Individual: When rotating or scaling, all objects will move independently individually.
  ** Median: When rotating or scaling, all objects will move around the average point between all selected objects.
  ** Last: When rotating or scaling, all objects will move around the origin of the last object selected.

Dynamic Sidebar in Add Object Mode

• Name: Will automatically name the object upon placing
• XYZ Position, Scale, Rotation. + Locks forces this value upon being placed.
• Lock Object (Toggle): Will lock the object on placement
• Lock On Terrain (Toggle): Will enable/disable lock on terrain default from NL2SCO
• Dim Object (Toggle): Set the Dim Object state on placement
• Color Properties Color Channels of object.

Dynamic Sidebar in Select / Modify Mode

• Name: Changes name for all selected objects.
• XYZ Position, Scale, Rotation. + Locks forces this value upon committing changes.
• Lock (Toggle): Toggles locking and unlocking of selected objects. Prevents accidentally grabbing objects.
• Lock On Terrain (Toggle): Toggles Terrain Locking of selected objects
• Dim Object (Toggle): Toggles Dim Object state of selected object
• Object is Hidden from View (Toggle): Will hide the object in the Editor Mode
• Color Properties Color Channels of object. Modifying one color channel will override that color channel for all selected objects.
• Apply: Commit changes.
• Reload: Will reload selected objects.

Dynamic Sidebar in Quick Paint Mode

• Color Channels 1-8: Clicking on an object will apply colors from the Dynamic sidebar to the clicked object. Clicking on an object while in Quick Paint mode will not select it.
  ** Holding Left Click and hovering over an object will apply colors to the object.

Hotkeys & Shortcuts for Scenery Tab

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• M: initiate Move Function if an object is selected
  ** X, Y or Z, key will lock movement to those axis.
• R: initiate Rotate Function if an object is selected
  ** X, Y, or Z key will lock rotation to those axis.
• S: initiate Scale Function if an object is selected
  ** X, Y, or Z key will lock scale to those axis.
• Status bar on bottom will show locked axis
• 1: Opens NL2SCO Editor
• 2: Opens NL2MAT Editor
• 3: Opens Overview Window
• 4: Unhides All Hidden Objects
• 5: Opens Choose Object Window
• Tab: Scroll through Dynamic Sidebar Properties
• Enter: Apply Button / Commit Changes to Object(s)

Potential Hotkey Changes in general:

• F1-F9 Will Select one of the Editor Tabs instead of specific Windows. (Park, Coaster, Track, Element....)
• Tab-Specific Windows and functions will use 1,2,3,4… etc keys.
• Hotkeys will change depending on what Tab is open. (Press 1 in the Park Tab will open the Park Settings Window, Press 1 in the Coasters Tab to open New Coaster Window)
• Hotkeys do not activate if a field (text, number, toggle) is highlighted/focused, or if editor camera movement is active(using WASD to move around in 3D space).

I would like to see this type of efficiency encouraged and streamlined throughout the entire NL2 Editor, (so some tweaks to coaster building and support UI).

-SirMaverick34

I did not know how much I wanted that until I saw it

This is really well thought out and would be an awesome change up to the editor, it would certainly make placing and aligning many different track sections easier...

That sounds really helpful. Should definitly be done.

y e s.

I've seen a lot of these things being asked for before and this is just the perfect implementation to almost all of them. 11/10 would scenery tab

Cool little update that relates to my original post. NL2 Update 2.5.5.2 (beta) includes several QoL improvements to the Editor, specifically the Scenery Tab. :) For those interested in the update, here's the change log:

• Added experimental copy and paste for scene objects (Enables copy and pasting objects, Colors are copied when duplicates are made, CTRL+C and CTRL+V shortcuts work as well, also works when several objects are highlighted.)
• Improved scene object selection within the Scene Object Overview panel
• Improved Scene Object Instance Panel (Apply button has been removed, pressing enter while any field is active or clicking out of the focused element will apply changes, Window is also slimmer and the color channels area has been organized better, Colors apply after picking each one.)
• Added Lock/Unlock buttons to Scene Object Overview panel (Selected scene objects can be locked and unlocked easily, I would prefer if it were in the Right Sidebar, but this feature alone is a godsend)
• Locked scene objects are rendered with a red frame now (Instead of the white outlines, they're red if the object is locked)

There also is a rotate function for scene objects introduced in this patch that works similar to the rotate function in the Track Tab.

Thank you NL2 Devs, I really like these little updates, and it is already improving my workflow. Very happy with this update! :)

Thanks to the devs for listening, these changes are small but they're so useful and already improve the ease of use of the scenery tab so much.

SirMaverick34 posted on April 30th, 2018

• Added experimental copy and paste for scene objects (Enables copy and pasting objects, Colors are copied when duplicates are made, CTRL+C and CTRL+V shortcuts work as well, also works when several objects are highlighted.)

Heck yeah! That might make custom trains a little less tedious to work with.

SirMaverick34 posted on May 1st, 2018
There also is a rotate function for scene objects introduced in this patch that works similar to the rotate function in the Track Tab.

The funny thing is that this already worked before this update but it also took about two years and an accidental "R" keystroke to figure that out for me. :D