The layers panel now has a new “dashes” option/column which, because the columns can’t be resized or moved around, cuts off most of my layer names which is really, really not ideal. Why is the column for dashes so wide when it just needs to fit the word “default” in it. User Interface 101. Why?
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The image shows you are on a Mac. I agree that maybe that Dashes column is set somewhat wider than really necessary. Make the window wider by dragging the little handle at the lower right corner and the columns will auto-resize to make the Name column wider. Not an idea solution but as of now it’s what we’ve got.
Yep, on a mac and only solution is to lose modeling window space for a column that is twice is wide as it needs to be. Not elegant. Wonder why there is no ability to re-arrange columns, resize them or sort them in any other way except for by name. Might be the sort of feature that hits/pleases a wider audience than working on augmented reality features that a small percentage of people use. hint hint…
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until you select one of the dash styles which need the space to show the repeat pattern…
I would personally prefer if the whole column was hide-able…
john
the click selector that pops up needs to be that wide to see pattern, not the column. yes, any options would be welcome including making it hide-able.
The pattern preview could easily be as narrow as the word “Default” and still communicate what the pattern it.
I suspect the width is set to whatever Default is in german, which likely is 1 to 3 times as long as the English word. Either that or someone just chose whatever random value that first came to their when implementing this and it just stuck.
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Are you not able to resize the Name column on Mac? You’re able to do it on Windows.
Nope!
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of course not 
We just type new names for layers in the entity info. No need to have an open Layer panel, at all…
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Lucky you (Mac users)
I haven’t used the Mac version but from what I’ve heard it’s something of a double edge sword. If you misspell you’ll end up with two layers. I think there is also an issue with the layer field staying focused after you’ve changed layer, and shortcut keys like H and O gets appended to the name. I could be mixing it up with some other Mac issue though.
There’s a lesson in there somewhere.
I also have this issue. It is quite annoying taking up so much space, especially when I am working on the train on my laptop. My models are quite complex, so I do always have the layer pane open. A way to resize the dashed lines column would be so good.
Layer names get cut off when they are too long, so I don’t see why the dashed line column shouldn’t too.
The UI really could use some more love by the devs.
Wasting lots of space for the dashes column / no re-scale/customize option is a miss. Really nobody reported this during beta-testing? At least we can scale the name column in Windows. If you scale the panel though, the dashes column reverts to the default size
Another request: fix the large tool set so when two icons are placed horizontally, the result is two columns and not almost a column of wasted space.
And finally: please give the user / api access to the already existing dropdown mechanism (from the getting started toolbar) so the user / devs can minimize the clutter in the UI while still giving access to the less-used commands.
Hoping one/some of these request could be implemented in a regular M1 and not in a year in the next major new release (v2020) or never at all. They all seem so simple little fixes…
you can modify your nib file…
but you need to resize so that the overall width is the same, i.e. add to Name, subtract from Dashes…
and the dashes will overlap your color swatch…
john
What is a “nib file”. Sounds a bit buggy to me… But I would be willing to do that for a thinner pane…
the ‘nib’ file is the actual ‘cocoa’ window used by the application…
they are editable using Xcode.app…
I have been modifying ‘Ruby Console.nib’, ‘SketchUpDocument.nib’ and ‘Color Panel.nib’ since SU v7, with no ill effects…
a number of others use either my ‘Ruby Console’ or one they modify themselves…
the basic’s are, use Finder to create a copy, open the original in Xcode, edit, re-start SU…
trash it if you don’t like it and re-name original back…
I can email you the version in my gif if you want…
john
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This is a mac thing or? A search on windows didn’t give any results
yes, sorry, maybe windose has something similar…
john