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Version: 0.7.1

Scene View

The Scene View is the primary spatial view in the Untold Editor.

It provides a visual representation of the current scene and allows contributors and tools to interact with entities in world space.

This document describes the architectural role of the Scene View, not how to use it as an end user.

Purpose​

The Scene View exists to:

  • Visualize the current scene state
  • Display entities and their transforms
  • Provide spatial context for selection and manipulation
  • Act as the main interaction surface for world-space tools

It is the bridge between engine data and spatial editor interaction.

Responsibilities​

The Scene View is responsible for:

  • Rendering a visual representation of the scene
  • Displaying editor overlays (selection outlines, gizmos, helpers)
  • Receiving world-space input (mouse, keyboard, gestures)
  • Emitting commands related to selection and transformation
  • Respecting the current editor mode (Edit vs Play)

The Scene View does not own scene data.

What This View Does NOT Do​

The Scene View intentionally does not:

  • Own or modify engine state directly
  • Perform simulation, physics, or animation updates
  • Decide how entities are selected globally
  • Execute USC scripts
  • Implement rendering pipelines or render passes

If the Scene View appears to require simulation logic, that logic belongs elsewhere.

Data Flow​

The Scene View participates in the editor data flow as follows:

Reads​

  • Scene graph data
  • Entity transforms
  • Camera state
  • Selection state
  • Editor mode state

Emits​

  • Selection change requests
  • Transform manipulation commands
  • Camera navigation commands
  • Tool activation signals

All emitted actions flow through the editor coordination layer.

Interaction With Other Views​

The Scene View interacts indirectly with other views via shared editor state:

  • Scene Hierarchy
    Synchronizes selection changes

  • Inspector
    Displays and edits data for selected entities

  • Asset Browser
    May initiate drag-and-drop actions into the scene

The Scene View does not directly communicate with other views.

Tools and Manipulation​

World-space tools (translate, rotate, scale, etc.) are driven through the Scene View.

Key characteristics:

  • Tools operate on selected entities
  • Input is routed to the active tool
  • Tools emit explicit transform commands
  • Visual gizmos are editor-only overlays

The Scene View hosts tool interaction but does not implement tool logic.

Camera Control​

The Scene View owns the editor camera, which is distinct from game cameras.

Responsibilities include:

  • Camera navigation (orbit, pan, zoom)
  • Framing selected entities
  • Switching camera perspectives

Editor camera state is isolated from runtime camera components.

Edit Mode vs Play Mode Behavior​

Edit Mode​

  • Scene View allows full manipulation
  • Entity transforms are persistent
  • Editor overlays and gizmos are visible

Play Mode​

  • Scene View observes runtime state
  • Manipulation may be limited or disabled
  • Runtime cameras may be previewed

Mode transitions are handled externally and reflected in the view.

Extension Points​

Contributors may extend the Scene View by:

  • Adding new world-space tools
  • Introducing new editor overlays
  • Customizing camera behavior
  • Adding debug visualization layers

Extensions should integrate through existing tool and command pathways.

Design Constraints​

The Scene View is intentionally constrained to:

  • Visualization
  • Input capture
  • Command emission

Keeping these boundaries strict ensures:

  • Predictable behavior
  • Easier debugging
  • Cleaner separation of concerns