[Feature request] Ability to turn off "always on top"

General Feedback & Requests
1

Hi,

All specialized editors of the Unreal Engine Editor (Blueprint editor, Material editor…) are always on top of the main editor’s window and this makes it impossible to alt-tab to the main window while another one is still open (on a single monitor setup of course).

This slows down the workflow, as I have to do one of these things:

  1. Close the blueprint editor window, then when I need to edit the blueprint again, I have to find the asset in the content browser and reopen it.
  2. Resize the blueprint window, move it off to to the side and try to use the main window which is half covered up.
  3. Move the blueprint editor off the screen temporarily and still have the main window partially covered up.
  4. Minimize the blueprint window by clicking it’s icon in the taskbar and maximize it in the same manner
  5. Tab the blueprint editor in the main editor’s window and click on the tab which I want to open.

The last option is the best one, but it’s still worse than alt-tabbing as it’s much easier to press two buttons on the keyboard than to have to move my mouse over the whole screen (and desk) just to switch editors.

I heard that you already plan to implement browser like shortcuts for switching tabs, but I would like to request making alt-tabbing through windows also possible, while not losing the ability to drag and drop stuff between windows.

2 Likes
2

Bump. It’s 2017 now and I can ctrl-tab between editor windows, including the main UE window. HOWEVER the main window still stays behind blueprint editor window. Please make this an option. Thanks.

3

Bump. It’s still 2017 and I’d love that feature as well.

6

Just one month remains to 2020. I’m suffering about this, too. I always spend time to search about this, but I couldn’t see yet. Somebody please help me.

7

It is now 2020. It would make things so much easier to work with on medium-sized displays if we at least had the option of turning off the “always on top” behaviour. Pretty please?

8

Please please please add this feature someone. This is the single most important source of frustration for me as well. it just annoys me if programs have hard coded features like this that are unconventional… If only ue4 was opensource…

9

I believe I was able to resolve this issue mostly in https://github.com/EpicGames/UnrealEngine/pull/6250 , however there might be a slight issue that I haven’t had time yet to investigate (I might be able to do that this week though).

10

With 4.26, this is still an issue. Even with multiple monitors, it would be very nice to simply Alt-Tab to the main editor window and have it focus on top.

1 Like
12

Actually tabbing the blueprint window next to the level and using CTRL + TAB is a much better and ergonomic solution, thank you very much UnrealEnterprise!

1 Like
13

is this for real? this should be a top priority. It’s the most frustrating thing about this application. Even on single monitor setups, how is this useful?

3 Likes
14

+1

1 Like
15

second half of 2021 here and I’d still like to see this feature

1 Like
16

Has anyone actually opened a formal feature request for this?

1 Like
17

Is there an option to eable to make this work in unreal engine 5?

1 Like
18

It’s 2022 and regardless if you use a single or multiple monitors this is still a must. At least let us have them docked up top by default rather than pop out.

1 Like
19

Hello, Unreal Engine team, please do something about this, we’re wating so bad for this to be answeres at least, giving us reasons for this to not be done yet. Thanks so much in advance and have a great day! :grinning: :+1: :hand_with_index_finger_and_thumb_crossed:

1 Like
20

I wonder why this has so few votes despite all these replies. I’ve been annoyed about this issue for years. I go looking probably once every month or so to see if there are any solutions yet. :frowning:

2 Likes
21

Especially since it sounds so easy to fix.

let’s take in
https://github.com/EpicGames/UnrealEngine/pull/6250 or another based on I just want to see viewport, with playing in editor, without moving or minimizing the other window - #6 by anonymous_user_e99c196d
and resolve this.

If we manage to solve it nicely it’ll most definitely come in upstream.

At the moment what I do is switch to play in another window with alt+p and navigate with control+space.

1 Like
22

Why is this even issue? Why aren’t the editor windows working the same as every other window?
There must be a good reason for this as it hasn’t been changed in a decade apparently.

I have been working with UE for 6 months now and this is annoying me pretty much every day and it doesn’t seem like I get used to it.

23

Actually tabbing the blueprint window next to the level and using CTRL + TAB is a much better and ergonomic solution, thank you very much UnrealEnterprise!

wtf? Didn’t even know this was a thing since by default it opens the blueprints in a new window. This helps a lot actually, thanks!

Interestingly, now when I open blueprints it puts them next to the level tab right away. Such an odd system.

Now, it just needs side-by-side tabs for the editor editors :smiley: