Dealing with dotnet-mgcb-editor and satelite tools like dotnet-mgcb-editor-mac is complicated:
MGCB Editor still doesn't work on Apple Silicon chips properly
"Open in MGCB Editor" requires complex .NET Tools tracking in different places for different versions of MonoGame
The MGCB Editor installation process relies on the user's .NET Tools setup, including proper .dotnet/tools folder mapping
Because of bullet 1, we also can't ship the tool binaries together with the plugin.
So, it makes sense to introduce a UI for editing..mgcb files without direct dependency in the dotnet-mgcb-editor tool. It will also replace MGCB Previewer for .mgcb files, which is currently available as a separate previewer pane.
Analysis
Standalone MGCB Editor looks like this:
Designing .mgcb
It has the following major UI parts:
"Project" pane: a content items tree, representing the structure of content items in the file
"Properties" pane: a classic key-value table that allows editing properties of content items
"Build Output" pane: a log showing the content build results and diagnostics
There are also a couple of actions to add new content to the file:
Add/New Item: creates a known file from template (.fx, .spritefont, etc)
Add/New Folder: creates a new directory
Add/Existing item: adds an existing content file, including option to copy to the Content directory
File/Import: special action to import old XNA-related entities
Building .mgcb
MGCB Editor has such build-related toolbar actions:
Build: builds items to the /bin and /obj subdirectories relative to .mgcb file
Rebuild: the same as Build but with cleaning directories before
Clean: cleans directories
Design
MGCB Editor tool window
The new editor will be implemented as a separate tool window called "MGCB Editor", instead of an embedded previewer pane near the file. It will have a .mgcb file selector to switch between multiple files (in case of a multi-platform solution setup).
Selecting the .mgcb file in the Solution view or in the code editor will by default switch the file in the tool window to the selected one.
The "MGCB Editor" tool window will have an identical layout to the existing previewer - 2 panels divided by a splitter:
Additionally, the new tool window will have toolbar actions, similar to the standalone editor's actions.
By default, MGCB Editor will be placed in the upper-right corner (e.g. Database)
MGCB Build Log tool window
Build actions will request content build, representing its result in a separate Build-like tool window called "MGCB Build Log". It will have the same or a similar output as the standalone MGCB Editor's build output.
Implementation notes
The vast majority of content-related boilerplate and additional stuff is implemented in the MonoGame.Framework.Content.Pipeline library. It can be reused to build content and read metadata.
We don't need to write new parser MGCB files to pass them to the build engine. We already have parsers on frontend, based on IJPL's PSI.
Note: Backend PSI coming with feature/mgcb-backend-psi branch will help too.
Open questions
Maybe it's better to stick with the previewer entry point for MGCB Editor instead of the toolwindow?
Do we really want to introduce an "integrated" build approach or keep it "external", based on the dotnet mgcb tool?
Runtime compatibility between the plugin TFM and MG.F.Content.Pipeline TFM. Settings both to have net8.0 might break the PSI-related stuff in the feature/mgcb-backend-psi branch
Effects compiling:
Requires complex low level logic
Compiling .fx files on macOS and Linux requires Wine.
Maybe we will consider bundling the MGFXC executable together with the plugin to solve both issues.
Implementation status
.mgcbfile drop-down selectorMotivation
Dealing with
dotnet-mgcb-editorand satelite tools likedotnet-mgcb-editor-macis complicated:.dotnet/toolsfolder mappingBecause of bullet 1, we also can't ship the tool binaries together with the plugin.
So, it makes sense to introduce a UI for editing.
.mgcbfiles without direct dependency in thedotnet-mgcb-editortool. It will also replace MGCB Previewer for.mgcbfiles, which is currently available as a separate previewer pane.Analysis
Standalone MGCB Editor looks like this:
Designing
.mgcbIt has the following major UI parts:
There are also a couple of actions to add new content to the file:
Building
.mgcbMGCB Editor has such build-related toolbar actions:
.mgcbfileDesign
MGCB Editor tool window
The new editor will be implemented as a separate tool window called "MGCB Editor", instead of an embedded previewer pane near the file. It will have a
.mgcbfile selector to switch between multiple files (in case of a multi-platform solution setup).Selecting the
.mgcbfile in the Solution view or in the code editor will by default switch the file in the tool window to the selected one.The "MGCB Editor" tool window will have an identical layout to the existing previewer - 2 panels divided by a splitter:
Additionally, the new tool window will have toolbar actions, similar to the standalone editor's actions.
By default, MGCB Editor will be placed in the upper-right corner (e.g. Database)
MGCB Build Log tool window
Build actions will request content build, representing its result in a separate Build-like tool window called "MGCB Build Log". It will have the same or a similar output as the standalone MGCB Editor's build output.
Implementation notes
The vast majority of content-related boilerplate and additional stuff is implemented in the
MonoGame.Framework.Content.Pipelinelibrary. It can be reused to build content and read metadata.We don't need to write new parser MGCB files to pass them to the build engine. We already have parsers on frontend, based on IJPL's PSI.
Open questions
dotnet mgcbtool?MG.F.Content.PipelineTFM. Settings both to have net8.0 might break the PSI-related stuff in thefeature/mgcb-backend-psibranchEffects compiling:
.fxfiles on macOS and Linux requires Wine.Maybe we will consider bundling the MGFXC executable together with the plugin to solve both issues.
Links