See other user guidesJust like it helps to declutter and put everything in its place on a physical desk, it's useful to take a moment to set up your virtual workspace so you can work efficiently.
In this guide, you'll learn:
Here are three tips that can help you focus:
The general idea is to minimize distractions and make switching between the Godot editor and the web browser as comfortable as possible. Our minds are terrible at multitasking, so optimizing your environment to focus on learning gamedev is crucial. The same idea applies to the physical space around you. If you can, try to find a quiet and clean place to learn and make it as comfortable as possible.
When following along with the courses, you'll need to switch between two programs: the Godot editor and the web browser. The best way to do this depends on the devices you have.
If you have two computer displays in front of you, you can make the most of them by placing the Godot editor on one display and the web browser on the other. This way, you can see the instructions and the Godot editor at the same time. This is the most comfortable way to follow along with most gamedev courses.
If your computer has a single display, you will need to switch between the web browser and the Godot editor. In this case, you have some options to make the most of your setup:
Feel free to use the method that feels most comfortable to you.
If you have a tablet or a mobile phone, you can use it as a second display to read the lessons. You can open this website on your phone, school.gdquest.com, sign in, and open the lesson you're following. This way, you can read the instructions on your mobile device and apply them in the Godot editor on your computer. You can also use it to read study guides or the Glossary when commuting.
There are shortcuts on Windows, Linux, and macOS to toggle between two programs quickly. You can use them to switch between the web browser and the Godot editor efficiently.
In short:
The fastest shortcut I can recommend on Windows and Linux is altesc. This shortcut instantly cycles windows in the current workspace.
To test this, close all windows on your computer except for the web browser and the Godot editor. When you press altesc once, you should switch from the active window to the other program, and you can press the shortcut every time you toggle the active program.
With it, you can very quickly read some instructions, jump back to Godot, and apply them. You can use the same shortcut when following YouTube tutorials.
Alternatively, you can use alttab to cycle through programs. This shortcut is slightly slower than altesc as it shows a list of open programs.
On macOS, the equivalent of alttab is ⌘tab. You can use it to cycle through programs.
Setting up your workspace
- Three tips to keep your digital workspace clean and help you focus while learning.
- How to make the most of a dual-display setup.
- How to make the most of a single display setup.
Three tips to keep your digital workspace clean
- Declutter: Try to close all the windows and programs you don't use and turn off notifications.
- Partition your displays: Place Godot and the web browser in a way that makes switching between them efficient. They can be placed on separate displays if you have two monitors. More on that later.
- Make applications full screen: Use the f11 key to make most web browsers full-screen, and shiftf11 to make Godot full screen (on macOS, the shortcut is ⌘ctrlf in both cases). Making applications full-screen hides desktop icons and other distractions.
How to make the most of a dual-display setup
How to make the most of a single display setup
- Use a tablet or mobile phone to read the lessons.
- Use shortcuts to quickly switch between the web browser and the Godot editor.
Use a tablet or mobile phone as a second display
Use shortcuts to switch between the web browser and Godot
- You can use altesc or alttab to cycle through programs on Windows and many Linux desktop environments.
- On macOS, you can use ⌘tab to cycle through programs.