Introduction to the Godot Editor

To effectively utilize the Godot engine, it's essential to first grasp the basics of the Godot editor.
In this lesson, we'll explore the various windows and features within the editor and how they contribute to game development.

Upon opening the editor, you'll notice it's divided into several windows, each serving a unique purpose. You can adjust the size of these windows by clicking and dragging the sections between the tabs.

File System

Located in the bottom left corner, the File System acts like your computer's file explorer, housing all the folders and files that make up your project.
As you start coding or importing assets such as 3D models, textures, and audio files, they’ll be organized here. You can create sub-folders within the File System to better manage your project.
By default, the project includes a file named icon.svg, which serves as the game’s default icon and can be replaced later. We’ll frequently use the File System as we create files and scenes.

Viewport Window

The large window at the center of the editor provides a view into your game world. This interactive space allows you to move nodes around the scene to assemble and modify your levels. Since this window is integral to most aspects of game creation, you’ll quickly become familiar with its functionality as we progress. The current view is set to 3D, but since Godot supports both 3D and 2D projects, you can toggle between these views at the top. Additionally, you can switch to the Script view for editing code.

Scene Window

The Scene window, located on the left side, displays a list of all the nodes that comprise your current scene. Each element in your game is represented as a node, branching from a top-level node known as the root node. You can choose to start with a 2D scene, a 3D scene, a user interface, or another type of root node. For our purposes, we will use a Node2D node as the root by selecting the 2D Scene option.

Inspector Window

When you select a node in the Scene window, its details appear in the Inspector window on the right. The Inspector allows you to view and modify the properties of the selected node. For example, if you select the Player node, you can adjust its attributes such as position.

Play Button

Above the Inspector window, you’ll find the Play button, which launches your game. Pressing this button initiates the setup process, where you'll be prompted to confirm the default scene. Select Current and save your scene as TestScene.tscn. The game window will then open, and to exit, simply click the X or the stop button at the top right corner of the editor. You’ll also notice a new file representing the saved scene in the File System.

Output console

When you run the game, the Output window will open to display error messages or warnings. If there’s an issue in your game, the output window will highlight it in red.

Project Settings

Accessible from the Project tab in the top menu, the Project Settings window allows you to manage various background settings, including the project’s name, window size, and rendering options.
While this is an important window, we’ll delve into its functions in a later lesson.

By familiarizing yourself with the basics of the Godot Editor, you'll be better equipped to harness the engine's full potential and create impressive 3D and 2D games. In the next lesson, we'll dive deeper into understanding nodes and scenes and how they work together.