Support default editor panel layout and locked panels #5

New Issue

2026-09-19T02:05:09-07:00

burkkyy commented

2026-09-19 02:05:09 -07:00

Summary

The editor has docking enabled but no defined layout. On first launch every panel is a free-floating window, and the user has to arrange them by hand. There is also no way to mark a panel as fixed (unmovable, undockable, unclosable), which editors usually want for things like a toolbar or status bar.

Background

Docking is enabled in engine/src/imgui_renderer.cpp, which calls DockSpaceOverViewport(...) each frame. Nothing is assigned to the dockspace, so it starts empty.
ImGui persists layout to imgui.ini once the user rearranges windows, but nothing seeds the initial layout.
Panel (engine/include/sophia/ui/panel.hpp) only has visible. It has no way to express window flags or lock behaviour.
Each panel currently calls ImGui::Begin("...") and End() itself, so the base class can't apply per-panel window settings.
The editor panels (Scene Hierarchy, Inspector, Asset Browser) live in editor/panels/ and are registered in Editor::onCreate() in editor/main.cpp.

Proposal

1. Panel owns `Begin`/`End`, configured via `Panel::Config`

Add a Panel::Config struct, passed to the Panel constructor and used with designated initializers, like Application::Config. Example: Panel{{.name = "Toolbar", .locked = true, .size = {300, 0}}}.
Fields: name, locked, closable, and size (initial size). More can be added later.
PanelRegistry::update calls a non-virtual Panel::draw(), which does Begin(name, &open, flags), calls the virtual onUpdate, then End(). Subclasses drop their own Begin/End.
The base class translates Config into ImGui window flags in one place, and handles the close button.
Runtime-mutable state stays as setters (setVisible). If something needs to change dynamically, such as locking during play mode, add a single setLocked alongside the config rather than a full set of setters.

2. Locked panels

A locked panel uses NoMove | NoResize | NoDocking | NoCollapse (and optionally NoTitleBar) and is drawn outside the dockspace, for example a fixed top toolbar.
Decide whether locked panels can be hidden via setVisible(), or must always be shown.

3. Default layout

Build an initial dock layout using the DockBuilder API (imgui_internal.h): DockBuilderSplitNode() to carve the dockspace into regions, then DockBuilderDockWindow(name, nodeId) to assign each panel.
Example target layout: Scene Hierarchy on the left, Inspector on the right, Asset Browser and Console along the bottom, viewport in the centre.
Apply it only when no saved layout exists (no imgui.ini, or the dockspace node has no children). After that, normal ini persistence takes over.
Add a "Reset Layout" action that clears the dock nodes and re-applies the default.
The application, not the engine renderer, owns the layout definition, since Editor and Testbed want different layouts. ImGuiRenderer::beginFrame() should expose a hook for it.

Suggested order

Move Begin/End into Panel::draw() and add Panel::Config. Migrate the existing panels (Console, Frame Stats, PanelRegistry, ECS Inspector, and the three editor panels).
Implement locked and closable.
Implement the default layout and "Reset Layout".

Acceptance criteria

No subclass calls ImGui::Begin/End directly.
A panel marked locked cannot be moved, resized, docked, collapsed or closed.
Deleting imgui.ini and launching the editor produces the default docked layout.
After the user rearranges panels, the arrangement persists across restarts and the default is not re-applied.
"Reset Layout" restores the default.
Existing debug panels still work and can be docked into the default layout.

Risks / open questions

DockBuilder lives in imgui_internal.h and upstream marks it as subject to change. It is still the standard way to seed a layout, but we should isolate its usage in one place.
Panels are matched to dock nodes by window title string, so renaming a panel silently breaks the default layout. Consider logging when a name in the layout doesn't match a registered panel.
Moving Begin/End into the base class touches every existing panel, so it should land as its own change before the layout work.

## Summary The editor has docking enabled but no defined layout. On first launch every panel is a free-floating window, and the user has to arrange them by hand. There is also no way to mark a panel as fixed (unmovable, undockable, unclosable), which editors usually want for things like a toolbar or status bar. ## Background - Docking is enabled in `engine/src/imgui_renderer.cpp`, which calls `DockSpaceOverViewport(...)` each frame. Nothing is assigned to the dockspace, so it starts empty. - ImGui persists layout to `imgui.ini` once the user rearranges windows, but nothing seeds the initial layout. - `Panel` (`engine/include/sophia/ui/panel.hpp`) only has `visible`. It has no way to express window flags or lock behaviour. - Each panel currently calls `ImGui::Begin("...")` and `End()` itself, so the base class can't apply per-panel window settings. - The editor panels (Scene Hierarchy, Inspector, Asset Browser) live in `editor/panels/` and are registered in `Editor::onCreate()` in `editor/main.cpp`. ## Proposal ### 1. Panel owns `Begin`/`End`, configured via `Panel::Config` - Add a `Panel::Config` struct, passed to the `Panel` constructor and used with designated initializers, like `Application::Config`. Example: `Panel{{.name = "Toolbar", .locked = true, .size = {300, 0}}}`. - Fields: `name`, `locked`, `closable`, and `size` (initial size). More can be added later. - `PanelRegistry::update` calls a non-virtual `Panel::draw()`, which does `Begin(name, &open, flags)`, calls the virtual `onUpdate`, then `End()`. Subclasses drop their own `Begin`/`End`. - The base class translates `Config` into ImGui window flags in one place, and handles the close button. - Runtime-mutable state stays as setters (`setVisible`). If something needs to change dynamically, such as locking during play mode, add a single `setLocked` alongside the config rather than a full set of setters. ### 2. Locked panels - A locked panel uses `NoMove | NoResize | NoDocking | NoCollapse` (and optionally `NoTitleBar`) and is drawn outside the dockspace, for example a fixed top toolbar. - Decide whether locked panels can be hidden via `setVisible()`, or must always be shown. ### 3. Default layout - Build an initial dock layout using the `DockBuilder` API (`imgui_internal.h`): `DockBuilderSplitNode()` to carve the dockspace into regions, then `DockBuilderDockWindow(name, nodeId)` to assign each panel. - Example target layout: Scene Hierarchy on the left, Inspector on the right, Asset Browser and Console along the bottom, viewport in the centre. - Apply it only when no saved layout exists (no `imgui.ini`, or the dockspace node has no children). After that, normal ini persistence takes over. - Add a "Reset Layout" action that clears the dock nodes and re-applies the default. - The application, not the engine renderer, owns the layout definition, since Editor and Testbed want different layouts. `ImGuiRenderer::beginFrame()` should expose a hook for it. ## Suggested order 1. Move `Begin`/`End` into `Panel::draw()` and add `Panel::Config`. Migrate the existing panels (Console, Frame Stats, PanelRegistry, ECS Inspector, and the three editor panels). 2. Implement `locked` and `closable`. 3. Implement the default layout and "Reset Layout". ## Acceptance criteria - No subclass calls `ImGui::Begin`/`End` directly. - A panel marked `locked` cannot be moved, resized, docked, collapsed or closed. - Deleting `imgui.ini` and launching the editor produces the default docked layout. - After the user rearranges panels, the arrangement persists across restarts and the default is not re-applied. - "Reset Layout" restores the default. - Existing debug panels still work and can be docked into the default layout. ## Risks / open questions - `DockBuilder` lives in `imgui_internal.h` and upstream marks it as subject to change. It is still the standard way to seed a layout, but we should isolate its usage in one place. - Panels are matched to dock nodes by window title string, so renaming a panel silently breaks the default layout. Consider logging when a name in the layout doesn't match a registered panel. - Moving `Begin`/`End` into the base class touches every existing panel, so it should land as its own change before the layout work.

burkkyy added this to the sophia project 2026-09-19 19:39:55 -07:00

burkkyy moved this to In Progress in sophia on 2026-09-19 19:40:11 -07:00

burkkyy moved this to Done in sophia on 2026-09-19 22:45:20 -07:00

burkkyy closed this issue

2026-09-19 22:45:24 -07:00

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Reference: burkkyy/sophia#5

Support default editor panel layout and locked panels #5