Start mocking up our own property "tabs" with the intention to use this new tab system instead of Blender property tabs

Blender property tabs are hardcoded and we cannot customise them. IFC data only "somewhat" maps to Blender property tabs, and some things fail to map causing user confusion. For example material and styles are very confusing. Also scene and object properties are crazy overpopulated (see how many times IFCArchitect bulk collapses things). And this also causes things to be spread out and lost (e.g. some random panels in viewport N menu). This should give us a lot more control to organise panels exactly how we want them.

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/__init__.py

@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ classes = [
     prop.ObjProperty,
     prop.Attribute,
     prop.ModuleVisibility,
+    prop.BIMAreaProperties,
     prop.BIMProperties,
     prop.IfcParameter,
     prop.PsetQto,
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ classes = [
     ui.BIM_UL_topics,
     ui.BIM_ADDON_preferences,
     # Scene panel groups
+    ui.BIM_PT_root,
     ui.BIM_PT_project_info,
     ui.BIM_PT_project_setup,
     ui.BIM_PT_collaboration,
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ def register():
     bpy.app.handlers.load_post.append(handler.loadIfcStore)
     bpy.app.handlers.save_post.append(handler.ensureIfcExported)
     bpy.types.Scene.BIMProperties = bpy.props.PointerProperty(type=prop.BIMProperties)
+    bpy.types.Screen.BIMAreaProperties = bpy.props.CollectionProperty(type=prop.BIMAreaProperties)
     bpy.types.Collection.BIMCollectionProperties = bpy.props.PointerProperty(type=prop.BIMCollectionProperties)
     bpy.types.Object.BIMObjectProperties = bpy.props.PointerProperty(type=prop.BIMObjectProperties)
     bpy.types.Material.BIMObjectProperties = bpy.props.PointerProperty(type=prop.BIMObjectProperties)

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/handler.py

@@ -316,8 +316,15 @@ def setDefaultProperties(scene):
             "SCENE_PT_rigid_body_world",
             "SCENE_PT_audio",
             "SCENE_PT_keying_sets",
+            "SCENE_PT_custom_props",
         ]:
             try:
                 bpy.utils.unregister_class(getattr(bpy.types, panel))
             except:
                 pass
+
+    # https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/140644/how-can-make-the-state-of-a-boolean-property-relative-to-the-3d-view-area
+    for screen in bpy.data.screens:
+        screen.BIMAreaProperties.clear()
+        for i in range(20):  # 20 is an arbitrary value of split areas
+            screen.BIMAreaProperties.add()

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/brick/ui.py

@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ class BIM_PT_brickschema(Panel):
     bl_region_type = "WINDOW"
     bl_context = "scene"
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "OTHER"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         if not BrickschemaData.is_loaded:
             BrickschemaData.load()

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/prop.py

@@ -335,6 +335,24 @@ class ModuleVisibility(PropertyGroup):
     is_visible: BoolProperty(name="Value", default=True, update=update_is_visible)
 
 
+class BIMAreaProperties(PropertyGroup):
+    tab: EnumProperty(
+        default="PROJECT",
+        items=[
+            ("PROJECT", "Project Overview", "", "VIEW3D", 1),
+            ("OBJECT", "Object Information", "", "FILE_3D", 2),
+            ("MATERIALS", "Materials and Styles", "", "MATERIAL", 3),
+            ("DRAWINGS", "Drawings and Documents", "", "DOCUMENTS", 4),
+            ("SERVICES", "Services and Systems", "", "NETWORK_DRIVE", 5),
+            ("STRUCTURE", "Structural Analysis", "", "EDITMODE_HLT", 6),
+            ("SCHEDULING", "Construction Scheduling", "", "NLA", 7),
+            ("FM", "Facility Management", "", "PACKAGE", 8),
+            ("OTHER", "Other Properties", "", "COLLAPSEMENU", 9),
+        ],
+        name="Tab",
+    )
+
+
 class BIMProperties(PropertyGroup):
     ui_preset: EnumProperty(
         name="UI Preset",

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/ui.py

@@ -281,12 +281,30 @@ def ifc_units(self, context):
 
 
 # Scene panel groups
+class BIM_PT_root(Panel):
+    bl_label = "BlenderBIM Add-on"
+    bl_space_type = "PROPERTIES"
+    bl_region_type = "WINDOW"
+    bl_context = "scene"
+    bl_order = 0
+    bl_options = {"HIDE_HEADER"}
+
+    def draw(self, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        self.layout.prop(aprops, "tab", text="")
+
+
 class BIM_PT_project_info(Panel):
     bl_label = "IFC Project Info"
     bl_space_type = "PROPERTIES"
     bl_region_type = "WINDOW"
     bl_context = "scene"
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "PROJECT"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
 
@@ -298,6 +316,11 @@ class BIM_PT_project_setup(Panel):
     bl_context = "scene"
     bl_options = {"DEFAULT_CLOSED"}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "PROJECT"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
 
@@ -309,6 +332,11 @@ class BIM_PT_collaboration(Panel):
     bl_context = "scene"
     bl_options = {"DEFAULT_CLOSED"}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "OTHER"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
 
@@ -322,7 +350,8 @@ class BIM_PT_selection(Panel):
 
     @classmethod
     def poll(cls, context):
-        return tool.Ifc.get()
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "PROJECT" and tool.Ifc.get()
 
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
@@ -337,7 +366,8 @@ class BIM_PT_geometry(Panel):
 
     @classmethod
     def poll(cls, context):
-        return tool.Ifc.get()
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "PROJECT" and tool.Ifc.get()
 
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
@@ -352,7 +382,8 @@ class BIM_PT_4D5D(Panel):
 
     @classmethod
     def poll(cls, context):
-        return tool.Ifc.get()
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "SCHEDULING" and tool.Ifc.get()
 
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
@@ -367,7 +398,8 @@ class BIM_PT_structural(Panel):
 
     @classmethod
     def poll(cls, context):
-        return tool.Ifc.get()
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "STRUCTURE" and tool.Ifc.get()
 
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
@@ -382,7 +414,8 @@ class BIM_PT_services(Panel):
 
     @classmethod
     def poll(cls, context):
-        return tool.Ifc.get()
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "SERVICES" and tool.Ifc.get()
 
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
@@ -395,6 +428,11 @@ class BIM_PT_quality_control(Panel):
     bl_context = "scene"
     bl_options = {"DEFAULT_CLOSED"}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "OTHER"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         pass
 
@@ -406,6 +444,11 @@ class BIM_PT_integrations(Panel):
     bl_context = "scene"
     bl_options = {"DEFAULT_CLOSED"}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def poll(cls, context):
+        aprops = context.screen.BIMAreaProperties[context.screen.areas[:].index(context.area)]
+        return aprops.tab == "OTHER"
+
     def draw(self, context):
         pass