Please see here my idea for the POV-Ray internal scene editor.

Large scenes are not easy to oversee. A very useful feature would be, if the 
editor could recognize "sections" inside a scene file, and lists them in a 
combo box (drop-down menu).

Such a section could easily defined by the user:

// [Cameras]

or

// [ Modules]

or

// [Arrangements of the Modules]

You get the idea! The // ensures that the scene code never will distobed by 
error messages. However the [] indicates to the editor to list that term as 
a section position.

If the user selects such a section, the editor shows that position. Very 
easy and simple to add to the editor. No scene changes required to prevent 
errors.Just an easy upgrade, an add-on.

I know you all love my idea. Just say it. Just do it.

Oh! Oh! Just another great and useful idea: the editor also reads the 
INCLUDES, and adds them, as well, to another combo box. That allows easiest 
and fastest openening of those related files in the editor...

Best greetings,

Sven

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This is probably the wrong group for this post.

Anyway, SciTE already supported Source Folding.  Sections such as 
multi-line comments /* */ and code brackets { } can be hidden and shown 
at will.  It also does syntax highlighting for POV SDL, as well as many 
other languages (C / C++ / Java / SQL / HTML etc... you get the idea).

...Chambers

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This idea made me think of tabbed web browsing and maybe that same concept 
could work good for keeping track of the SDL.

As much as I have tried to use the current bookmarking feature in the editor 
I never considered it as useful as it could be, especially because it loses 
the placemarks after closing. With named blocks saved as into the file they 
wouldn't disappear like that.

Imagine these being shown as tabs along the bottom-- since top is already 
used by file names-- of the editor so each could be selected to get to that 
part. Likewise for includes, as suggested.

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Sven Littkowski wrote:
> Oh! Oh! Just another great and useful idea: the editor also reads the 
> INCLUDES, and adds them, as well, to another combo box. That allows easiest 
> and fastest openening of those related files in the editor...

note that this one at least is possible (albiet in a different way) in the
windows version - just right-click on an include filename and there is an
option to open the file.

-- Chris

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Chris,

you mentioned that right-click "Open" option for includes. Well, to be 
honest, before you mentioned it I never was aware of that. It is a good 
feature and should be kept. But such an important option deserves to be much 
easier to be recognized. At the moment, the way it is now, it is kind of 
hidden.

1
I still would suggest to add an "Includes" combo box to the menu and button 
elements of the editor, truly.

2
I also still suggest to add that "Sections" combo box to the same location.

3
I finally suggest to add a "Graphics" combo box to the same location which 
lists all graphics used and allows to open them with a pre-defined graphics 
program.

I would prefer the combo box variant, but if some things are done with tabs, 
as suggested by Bob, I would settle as well.

Best greetings,

Sven

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Sven Littkowski wrote:
> feature and should be kept. But such an important option deserves to be much 
> easier to be recognized. At the moment, the way it is now, it is kind of 
> hidden.

I don't really agree with that sentiment; I think most Windows users know
that right-clicking on something should in general bring up a relevant
context menu, and if I wanted to auto-open an include file in just about any
IDE, that's the first thing I'd try.

Given you didn't know about that I'd guess you don't know about the auto-
complete features either. I suggest you check out the editor documentation.

As for the combos, they won't be in 3.7 but others are welcome to add them
once the source is released.

-- Chris

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