UI/Workflow Improvement Suggestions

Here are just a compilation of some suggestions the I would hopefully like to be added for working in Blueprints.
As a disclaimer, these are just ideas and in no way I want to enforce such. Different users have different workflows and habits! :wink:

  1. Network Screenshot
  • The Snipping Tool on Windows works great, but can be limited for larger networks.

  • This website: also looks very usefull, but it is not entirely 1:1.* (like disabled parameter names would still show as enabled)*

  • As a side note, Substance Designer recently added this kind of feature called Grab Snapshot (at around 2:05).

  1. ALT+Drag Ducplicate
  • Since ALT+Dragging in the 3d viewport duplicates a selected actor, it would make it more unified if this same functionality also duplicated nodes in Blueprint.

  • I found additional similar requests from AnswerHub: Link1 Link2

  • *In relation (not for blueprints), sometimes the viewport ALT+Drag can cause accidental duplication when navigating around. Option to turn it off would be nice. *Link3](Disable Alt+Drag Duplicate - Programming & Scripting - Unreal Engine Forums)

  1. Wire Highlight
  • Hightlight or change the color of a selected node’s input and output wires. Link4

  • This would greatly help in identifying where a node’s connection came from or where it goes in a large network.

  • Here’s an example in Houdini Vex:
    wire_highlight.gif

    And another one from World Machine (although this only shows output wires being highlighted)
    

wm_wire_highligh.gif

  • Hovering over a wire on Blueprint does give a clue, but:

  • There’s a delay before it appears. (is there a way to adjust that?)

  • It’s an extra mouse movement to hover over a wire, instead of just clicking a node and using using your eyes to follow the connection.

  • To summarize a bit:

  • Option to highlight a selected node’s connected wires.

  • Option to change color of the highlighted wires.

  • Option to disable ā€œHover on Wiresā€.

  • Option to adjust speed of "Hover on Wires.

  1. Wire Style
  • A large network can be quite challenging to decipher. Sometimes the wires can really look all tangled up like spaghetti. Maybe if we have an option to change the wire style?

    An example, using older Houdini (<16.0):
    

hou_linkstyle.gif

  1. Default Node Width
  • Maybe having a consistent node width size would help make a network look a lot cleaner and organized.

    Here are other node networks I've used that stayed mostly to having a defined width.
    

Max Slate:
slate_nodes.gif

Particle Flow:
pflow_nodes.gif

Data Ops:
dataops_nodes.gif

Vue Functions:
vue_nodes.gif

Fusion
fusion_nodes.gif

Nuke NC
nuke_nodes.gif

	Readability in these networks can be much easier for the eyes.
	Trying it out in Blueprints, here's what a network may look like:

bp_2.gif
Notice the width variations.

	Next image shows more or less constant width sizes:

bp_1.gif
Upon first seeing a network, the above image looks much cleaner IMHO (may also be less daunting?)

  • Maybe have it default to a certain size, yet still allow users to stretch the width?
    magraph_resize.jpg
  • Long Parameter names could be trimmed.
  • Parameter values could be set for the selected node on the Details panel, not the node itself.
  1. Drop on Wire

  2. Maybe handling this can be complicated for a network such as Blueprints. But I might as well just drop this here as it may open up discussions. Link5

    Examples:
    Houdini Vex
    hou_drop.gif

Nuke NC
nuke_drop.gif

  1. Enable/Disable a Node
  • There is an experimental option, just in case anyone else is looking for a feature like this.

bp_disable.JPG

  • I’m not sure if this feature could also be extended to support disabling of Impure nodes (if something like that would at all work :rolleyes:).
  1. Middle Mouse Drag
  • I just wanna drop this here and say THANK YOU to the devs who added the Panning Mouse Button feature. Link6

bp_mmb.gif

That is all for now :smiley:

Cheers,
Jeff Lim

Odd, there must be a forum bug. This post is not appearing on the Feedback for Epic section…
** test posting a reply *

EDIT: Posting a reply worked! Now it shows up properly :)*

oh yes. Right angles + all nodes the same size/snap to grid would satisfy the pedant within me

Hey Frank, sure think I’ll post a link to this thread over there. Thanks for letting me know about that thread!

Indeed! That can really look messy! Glad that they are sorting it out now.

check out this plugin,it got most features you want: