[SUGGESTION] [EDITOR] [ADDED] Alternative copy-pasting method

[Minim]

Status: Have implemented this, and uploaded an experimental version with the feature. Topic remains open for feedback on the implementation.

[Minim]

I've just thought of an idea about speeding up level editing when copying the same terrain piece: Holding either the shift or alt keys while clicking and dragging the terrain piece (I was initially thinking of Ctrl clicking but that has a function already). I know copy-pasting works by using Ctrl+C and Ctrl-V but maybe this method would make copy-pasting less tedious, especially on levels where there are lots of rocks/trees i.e. uneven terrain pieces.

[namida]

Ctrl+drag already has a function of selecting all pieces within an area; Shift+click similarly has the function of selecting a piece without unselecting other pieces. Alt+drag might be feasible; not sure if Alt as a hotkey (via Windows itself, not specifically programmed in the editor) to select things on the menu bar might interfere though.

You can get pretty close to what you're suggesting already, though, by simply having one hand on the mouse and the other on Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V. However, I definitely like your suggestion and will see if it can possibly be implemented some other way.

[ccexplore]

Alt+drag might be feasible; not sure if Alt as a hotkey (via Windows itself, not specifically programmed in the editor) to select things on the menu bar might interfere though.

It probably won't.  I tried for example in Window's Notepad, where dragging starts a selection of text.  When you hold down Alt it starts underlying key letters of items in the menu bar, so the menu bar definitely sees the Alt keydown, but dragging at this point still works to select text.  Releasing the Alt key after dragging also does not cause keyboard focus to go to the menu bar like it would if you press and release Alt without dragging.  All this suggest the menu bar is smart enough to cooperate with an Alt+drag action rather than taking it over.

Of course, I can't guarantee that it'll work exactly the same in the editor, but it's a hopeful sign.

[Simon]

The NL editor is a Windows program, so let's look at what is default in Windows file browsing. File or tile, keep the style. Take a while and reconcile.

Click into space	= empty current selection.
Drag empty space	= draw a frame to select, empty old selection
Drag empty space, hold Ctrl	= frame dragging, add to selection
Click tile	= empty current selection, then select the tile.
Hold Ctrl, click tile	= add the tile to the current selection.
Hold Shift, click tile	= Add entire range of files. No idea what it should do in the editor.
Drag tile	= move currently selected tiles
Drag tile, hold Ctrl	= copy the currently selected tiles to where the mouse is released

Minim's initial hunch is that Ctrl+move should copy the tiles. I'm sure many others would guess this, too. Let's make it so the users guess correctly.

Many years ago, the Lemmix editor has felt very clunky to me. Basic assumptions to how selection and dragging works turned out false.

Is there a way to priority-invert the hover, to select the hindmost piece upon click?

-- Simon

[ccexplore]

Yeah, the key mappings used in Lemmix Editor for selection was totally inconsistent with what's standard in Windows, but I wonder now whether it would be problematic for some people if we start changing the defaults from the way it had been in Lemmix.  I suppose if not too many people are already used to how Lemmix work, we can just have those few people remap keys back to the old way or something.

[namida]

Currently, the editor has no support for remappable keys. Between the editor's code being quite a mess (and me being very unfamiliar with many parts of it still), and that I hope to replace it with an entirely new one eventually (though who knows if I ever actually will), I don't plan to add support for that to it, unlike how I've added customizable hotkeys to the player.

In regards to the initial suggestion here, I have implemented it, using Simon's suggestion of "drag, hold Ctrl when dropping". Note that because holding Ctrl during the initial click has a different feature altogether, you must first start dragging, then hold Ctrl when dropping. This will clone the pieces in the new position instead of moving them.

Please take a look at the newly-uploaded experimental version (note: there's two experimental versions in there at the moment, the one you want is NeoLemmixEditor_V1.42n_1602161237), and give the feature a try; let me know if it's what you wanted.