Feedback Multiple projects open at once

[MatthewL019]

It'd be very useful if I could have two projects open at once in the same application instance. E.g server/client, and simply changing between "work space".

 

[Jobo]

Not happening

 

[MatthewL019]

Why not?

Not happening

 

[csanyk]

Not happening

A flat "no" to a legitimate question where the use case is 100% valid and more than reasonable feature for a serious/pro developer to ask for is pretty poor, if you ask me. Whatever the reason is for not being able to deliver on such a feature request, it really speaks to how able YYG is, and how much GMS2 is ready for serious, professional developer teams to use.

 

[Jobo]

@csanyk Your recurring theme of rude posts will only make me ignore what you have to say in the future

Why not?

It was considered very early on in development (as such as thing would be) and it was decided to go with one project per application instance.

 

[csanyk]

@csanyk Your recurring theme of rude posts will only make me ignore what you have to say in the future


It was considered very early on in development (as such as thing would be) and it was decided to go with one project per application instance.

There was nothing at all rude intended, @Jobo. As a customer, I am communicating my clear displeasure at the way you treated a legitimate question with a brusk, dismissive response.

I'm glad for the opportunity to interact directly with YYG and its employees on these forums, and I have a lot of respect for you guys, even when I happen to disagree with the direction you've chosen for the product, or am disappointed when a suggestion I make isn't adopted. But your response to the OP was really out of line, and not what I want to see from a company I spend money on.

 

[BaBiA Game Studio]

There was nothing at all rude intended, @Jobo.

And probably the same from @Jobo too. Just saying "No" or "Not happening" is not "out of line". Blunt, and to the point maybe, but not out of line.
I think that it probably isn't going to happen is because it looks like you can do what you could with GM:S 1.x - and have 2 copies of the IDE running at the same time. Use one for the client application, and one for your server. Don't see a problem with not being able to load multiple projects into the one IDE.

 

[csanyk]

And probably the same from @Jobo too. Just saying "No" or "Not happening" is not "out of line". Blunt, and to the point maybe, but not out of line.
I think that it probably isn't going to happen is because it looks like you can do what you could with GM:S 1.x - and have 2 copies of the IDE running at the same time. Use one for the client application, and one for your server. Don't see a problem with not being able to load multiple projects into the one IDE.

Granted. BUT simply pointing out that alternative would have been worlds better than saying "not happening".

 

[Sam (Deleted User)]

@csanyk Your recurring theme of rude posts will only make me ignore what you have to say in the future


It was considered very early on in development (as such as thing would be) and it was decided to go with one project per application instance.

He wasn't being rude at all. You, on the other hand...

 

[csanyk]

[redacted by poster's request]

Thanks for speaking up for me, Samuel. It is appreciated.

At the same time, I have no desire to get into a war with @Jobo about this. For all I know, he posted while he was running to a meeting, and couldn't spare the time to write something that didn't have the proper tone. Which I suppose would still be regrettable, but it's also understandable, and forgivable. People also tend to react poorly to having it pointed out when they're in error, or out of line, or whatever.

What I'm trying to say is, He's human, I get it, it's all good, as far as I'm concerned. He did a thing I didn't agree with, I said so, he didn't like that, he said so. So here we are. OK.

I'm not going to have hard feelings toward him about it. I stated my case, and that's all I wanted to do.

Back to making games...

 

[Sam (Deleted User)]

You're right, my bad...

 

[rIKmAN]

It was considered very early on in development (as such as thing would be) and it was decided to go with one project per application instance.

This really should have been your first reply to OP - it's a bit harsh to be be so blunt and dismissive to a genuine question from a user.

But what do I know - maybe YYG are going for the "treat em mean, keep em keen" ethos.

 

[MatthewL019]

Working within 2 separate applications works completely fine. I had used 2 separate applications in the past to do this method with GM:S 1.x, however each time I wanted to start working on a project, I had to load them both up (which was painfully slow for some reason), then put them on two different monitors (which not everyone has), then constantly switching them between monitor due to my neck hurting from looking at a certain one, forgetting to click on the correct project I want to run and running the other instead, and a bunch of other things I came to notice when working like this. Though I guess that's just tough cookie and part of working with a client/server! I honestly was just asking to see if the functionality/potential to have two projects in the one instance was there, since that way I could work on only one monitor and drag out specific docks/code to other screens which I want to reference to later on, instead of having whole projects all over my screens. I'd simply be able to use the 'workspace' tabs to change between projects. Personally, I think this would be much easier. Though I'd also say it's very low priority, since the alternative does work.

Also I did not mean for this whole argument to stem... Jobo's reply was blunt and short - almost as if my suggestion wasn't even taken into consideration for a second - however he did follow up with a useful reply!

 

[Jobo]

If you have Windows 10, I would suggest using the multiple desktops feature to avoid neck strain. Put each project on a different desktop, then just switch between these.

Jobo's reply was blunt and short - almost as if my suggestion wasn't even taken into consideration for a second

It wasn't -- it's not up to me alone to consider suggestions, but this is simply an early design decision that we won't change now. So this was already considered a long time ago.

 

[MatthewL019]

It wasn't -- it's not up to me alone to consider suggestions, but this is simply an early design decision that we won't change now. So this was already considered a long time ago.

Which is the information I was looking for the first time around

 

[Cloud2432]

I found a way. I can't really explain why it works when other methods don't but I simply open a project, "restore down" the window size and move it over to my second monitor, then open a second application on my main monitor. The first application remains on the second monitor. For whatever reason, if I don't move it over to my second monitor, the second application just replaces the first one. No idea why. Hope that helps someone.

Pretty long thread for not a single helpful reply.

 

[inkBot]

Opening two instances of GMS2 works fine enough for me. I have my main project in one and in another I have a testbed project where I try out stuff I'm unsure about before implementing them in the main project. The only downside to this I can find at the moment is the current semi-random crashes.

From a UX perspective I can see why opening multiple projects in one GMS2 instance would be less than preferrable. GMS2's workflow involves tabs, potentially a lot of them. To support multiple opened projects you would either have to deal with even more tabs, or tabs within tabs. Both options would result in a clunky or confusing experience.

 

[GMWolf]

What would be a nice feature when working with server/client projects, is the introduction of modules.

You could have a core, client and server module. The client and server would depend on the core module. That way it takes it easier to share code between projects.

This would also apply to building DLC (simply a module that depends on the core game), or when building a game that you re-skin every season: changing the core module will allow you to update all the re-skinned versions at once if there is, say, a bug to be patched. (I don't condone reskinning but it is a business practice)


Why don't I think this will make it? Well, what I have seen with GMS2 is really still the same unwieldy tool GM has always been.
And I'm saying that from both a developer, and a YYG perspective: GML is still GML, everyone who is past making simple platformers would like a major refactor there.
And the GMS IDE itself seems to be unwieldy for YYG: they can't seem to be able to make the room toolbar dock itself when you go to another tab, or just make that toolbar part of the room tab.
Too me that just shows that the delopment of new features in GM will continue to be as slow as it has always been.

But here's to hoping I'm wrong

I'm sorry to say this, YYG, but now that I'm past the initial excitement of having decent (but still not great) tilemaps, and layers, I don't think I'm a happy customer of yours.

 

[Sp4m]

Thanks for this thread. I came here to learn whether I can open 2 projects at once (tutorial sample, and my own project) and it looks like I can, if I have 2 copies of Game Maker Running.

Interesting detail: It looks like the Steam version of GMS can't be opened multiple times, so I had to install the 'conventional' desktop version.
It would be cool if multiple instances of GameMaker were supported within Steam.

(when I attempt to launch GMS directly from the executable, it says "Error(-1): Please run GameMaker: Studio from inside Steam.)