Scene Tabs above Script and Editor

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Godot Version

v4.4.1.stable.arch_linux

Question

Hello,

The main tool windows (Scene, FileSystem, Inspector) are fine. What trips me up (and still has me tripping after 2 weeks) is “Script”. When you click on Script, a script listing and editor pop up. That’s cool and it feels correct but where it all goes out the window is with the “scene tabs” above the scripts and editor. Those tabs at the moment don’t do what most tabs in almost any other editor do. Those tabs do not change the contents below its tab. If you’re not aware of it, it almost feels broken.

I know those tabs change the current scene (the scene tool window) but in my honest opinion it’s an anti-feature. It doesn’t do what you think it should do. Those tabs are not in the correct place to do what they’re doing. Here is what I honestly expected and what I believe would make a whole lot more sense.

Clicking on a tab above the Script and Editor area should switch the scene (sure, the scene tool window) but also change the listing of scripts to all scripts under that scene. This would make a whole lot more sense right out of the box. Each tab should literally change the current script to the last script edited (or the init/main script) of that scene. I feel it’s the only way those tabs will make any sense.

There can always be a catch-all tab (all scripts) but at the moment, it’s not very friendly and is anti-intuitive.

I am certain the developers are geniuses and I could definitely be wrong. But, if I’m wrong can anyone help me to understand why does it work this way? I’m open to learning why it has to be this way. What is it I’m not understanding?

2

I’ve found two features under Editor > Editor Settings > General that help make dealing with “tabs above the Scripts and Editor” much better (for me).

  • Interface
    • Scene Tabs > Show Script Button > Checked
  • Text Editor
    • Open Dominant Script on Scene Change > Checked

It doesn’t look like I will need both but I have both checked just in case. The Interface option will add a script icon to tabs (clicking it takes you to that scenes dominant script) and the Text Editor option makes it so opening any scene will automatically open its dominant script.

I’m just sharing it here in case anyone is interested <3

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Actually, before 4.4, changing the scene would change the script in the text editor. But they changed it for the most recent version of Godot. I don’t know why, though.

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