Provide and document the solution to deal with `.uid` file movements in external editors

[YYF233333]

Edit: This proposal now mainly focus on resolving .uid file cluttering with file nesting, and automate/document the solution.

Original proposal:

Describe the project you are working on

Godot

Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project

Just read https://godotengine.org/article/uid-changes-coming-to-godot-4-4/ and see this:

Secondly, when you move a script or shader outside Godot, you should also move the .uid file along with it.

This sounds absolutely terrible. If I want to pick something instead of all from a folder, I need to double the clicks now? Also it is impossible to move C# scripts in Visual Studio, as VS know nothing about uid, right?

I think this definitely needs a patch, preferably before 4.4 stable.

Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation

When I ask GPT, it provides me this piece of code:

from watchdog.observers import Observer
from watchdog.events import FileSystemEventHandler
import shutil
import os

class FileMoveHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
    def on_moved(self, event):
        if not event.is_directory:
            if "file1" in event.src_path:
                src_dir = os.path.dirname(event.src_path)
                dest_dir = os.path.dirname(event.dest_path)
                other_file = os.path.join(src_dir, "file2")
                if os.path.exists(other_file):
                    shutil.move(other_file, dest_dir)

observer = Observer()
observer.schedule(FileMoveHandler(), path="/path/to/watch", recursive=True)
observer.start()

So we do have some sort of File Movement Event, utilizing this we can move files around freely with the uids following automatically.

Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudo-code, mock-ups, and/or diagrams

Develop a simple program, running at background. Whenever a file in the project is moved, check if the uid is moved too. If not, do users a favour.

This should not be built into the editor as we mainly want this functionality when the editor is closed. It should be an official plugin or something, people can download that inside the editor (or by other convenient ways). Idealy we should add it to startup items so we won't forget to start the service itself.

If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?

This functionality is quite simple, but handling cross-platform compatibility and other edge cases can be very tricky. Therefore, it's best to have a centralized repository where everyone can collaborate to resolve bugs. Additionally, considering that the primary audience for this feature consists of people who either can't or don't want to code, it would be ideal to provide a precompiled binary and a highly simplified installation process.

Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?

The functionality itself won't be in the core. But we need some kind of announcement letting people know. Otherwise they may flood into github issue or reddit complaining about this :)

[YYF233333]

Well, it seems people have already started to complaining about this.

https://www.reddit.com/r/godot/comments/1i1ugho/uid_changes_coming_to_godot_44/

[Calinou]

When I ask GPT, it provides me this piece of code:

Unfortunately, there is no way for Godot to run code if you're moving files outside the editor while the editor is closed. The solution we're aiming for should act identical regardless of whether the Godot editor was open when the file was moved externally. We can't run a system service on all platforms for security reasons - and even if it was possible, I wouldn't say it's desirable.

Instead, as the blog post mentions, you could store files' checksums in .uid files and detect when a file has been moved outside the editor this way (if its checksum matches an existing orphan .uid file, i.e. one with no corresponding source file).

[YYF233333]

The functionality itself won't be in the core. But we need some kind of announcement letting people know. Otherwise they may flood into github issue or reddit complaining about this :)

I know godot editor cannot handle this and I means craft a totally independent software to solve this problem. The proposal here is to attract attentions, discuss implementations and hopefully if we do come up with a solution, godot can document this somewhere for people to find it.

We can't run a system service on all platforms for security reasons - and even if it was possible, I wouldn't say it's desirable.

You can't ask someone to install this, but as a godot user I can choose to install this on my computer. (proceed anyway 😆)

It is fine to pop up a warning or something.

Instead, as the blog post mentions, you could store files' checksums in .uid files and detect when a file has been moved outside the editor this way (if its checksum matches an existing orphan .uid file, i.e. one with no corresponding source file).

Sounds interesting, but still we need a thirdparty software to execute this process.

[Calinou]

Sounds interesting, but still we need a thirdparty software to execute this process.

This can be done by the Godot editor when it scans for filesystem changes. No third-party software needs to be involved here 🙂

[YYF233333]

Sounds interesting, but still we need a thirdparty software to execute this process.

This can be done by the Godot editor when it scans for filesystem changes. No third-party software needs to be involved here 🙂

It would be ideal if godot editor can find the lost .uid files, but unfortunately I won't only move files but also edit them. If I don't forget to open godot editor at background this won't be a problem (maybe ?), but I often forget this. So poor godot just wake up and find bunches of unfamiliar files and orphan uids.

I'm not meaning I don't agree with this approach, it definitely will solve part of the problem.

[goncalo]

Also it is impossible to move C# scripts in Visual Studio, as VS know nothing about uid, right?

In VSCode you can enable file nesting, which makes it very clean.
Add the following to your workspace settings.json file:

{
  "explorer.fileNesting.enabled": true,
  "explorer.fileNesting.expand": false,
  "explorer.fileNesting.patterns": {
    "*.gd": "${capture}.gd.uid",
    "*.cs": "${capture}.cs.uid",
    "*.shader": "${capture}.shader.uid",
}

I have not tried it, but a similar solution should work for VS:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/file-nesting-solution-explorer?view=vs-2022

[YYF233333]

Managed to solve this by adding this piece to .csproj and enable file nesting setting "Web":

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="**\*.uid" />
  </ItemGroup>

Now it looks like this:

Would be good if this can be automatically added at creation.

Note that it is a bit tricky as it seems to rely on the order, it won't work if I exchange these two ItemGroup, don't know why.

Remove first part, it turns out to be useless.

[KoBeWi]

How do people deal with moving images and other importable resources? You have to move .import file together with the resource. It's the same as .uid.

[YYF233333]

How do people deal with moving images and other importable resources? You have to move .import file together with the resource. It's the same as .uid.

Well they don't appear in VS solution so I cannot move them in VS :)
Don't know others but I always handle resources in godot editor so everything works fine for me.