Recently, an initial version of the updated approach to the left click keymap was added to Blender 2.8.
This makes it possible to use the active tools, as well as selection, both with the left mouse button. However, there are a few issues still with how it works. Here's a list of things we should improve:
General
- In all Editors, it should be possible to deselect by clicking in an empty area. Currently only in the 3D viewport.
- It should be possible to click over a Gizmo to select items underneath it, as long as you don't drag.
- As a general rule, Ctrl-click should deselect (just as shift-clicking adds to your selection)
- We can support a way to do 'tweak' actions (select and move at once) via a new Select (and tweak) tool, that does not use border select.
- Tweak threshold does not take into account DPI, which may lead to too many accidental tweak events.
Node Editor
- Holding Shift to select more does not work in the Node Editor (There's a conflict with Add Re-route, which we need to remove or remap) (see D4055)
- In the Node Editor, it should be possible to move more than just one node by dragging, if more are selected
- In the Node Editor, We should remap the cut connections shortcut to Ctrl-RMB, to avoid conflicting with Ctrl-LMB used in the Box Select tool (see D4055)
- In the Node Editor, there's a conflict between the Box Select tool and dragging the node sockets. Box select should only invoke if outside the node socket threshold.
3D View
- When using gizmos, it's impossible to select items that are underneath the the gizmo handles. We can solve this by differentiating between a click and a drag, just like we do outside the gizmos.
- In 3D View, we should make Shift+doubleclick toggle loops, rather than always extend (consistent with alt-click behaviour, and makes it possible to deselect loops too)
- (Fixed) In 3D View, when using the selection tools, if you drag a box selection in an empty area, it should deselect (already works in Edit Mode, but for some reason not in Object Mode.
- When LMB select & and MMB emulation are enabled, de-selecting edge loops isn't possible T59292
- Transform's drag option 'None' doesn't work with LMB select T58655
Animation Editors
- We should use RMB for the contextual menus here too, to be consistent with the rest of Blender.
- In the Graph Editor, dragging on a handle should move the handle, rather than start a box selection.
- In the animation editors, clicking in an empty area should both deselect and set the playhead to that position.
- In the animation editors, Shift-RMB should scrub the playhead anywhere
- 3D Cursor transform should be possible with Shift+RMB (for easy snapping).
- In the animation editors, we should make this change, so that dragging in the groove at the top moves the playhead, while the scrollbar at the bottom scrolls. This is needed to make left click both perform selections, and have a way to scrub the playhead too:
Outliner
- Box Select by dragging from the left gutter. We can use this empty area to our advantage, so that users can always start a box selection by dragging from here and around items.
- Select all items in-between when holding shift / select individual items by holding Ctrl.
When holding shift to select multiple items, we can select all the items in between.
