Create a new widget in the content panel

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 86 views

BUG: Transform Gizmo Renders Behind World Space GUI

The transform gizmo is a crucial tool in game development, allowing designers and developers to adjust the position, rotation, and scale of objects in 3D space. However, in the Flax Engine, the transform gizmo renders behind world space GUI, making it difficult to adjust in world space. This issue affects the overall user experience and can lead to frustration when working with complex scenes. In this article, we will delve into the issue, explore the steps to reproduce it, and discuss potential solutions.

The transform gizmo is an essential component of the Flax Engine's editor, providing a visual representation of an object's transform properties. However, when the Canvas Render Mode is set to World Space, the transform gizmo renders behind the world space GUI, making it hard to see and adjust. This issue is particularly problematic when working with complex scenes, as it can lead to errors and inconsistencies in the object's transform properties.

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Create a new widget in the content panel: Open the Flax Engine's editor and create a new widget in the content panel. This will give you a blank canvas to work with.
Add some UI controls to the widget: Add some UI controls to the widget, such as an Image with a texture. This will give you a basic UI element to work with.
Place the prefab into the scene: Place the prefab into the scene by dragging and dropping it into the scene view.
Set the Canvas Render Mode to World Space: Set the Canvas Render Mode to World Space by selecting the Canvas component and changing the Render Mode to World Space.

Unfortunately, a minimal reproduction project is not available for this issue. However, by following the steps above, you should be able to reproduce the issue on your own.

The issue was reported on the latest launcher master as of 3/13/2025, version 1.9.6606.

To resolve this issue, several potential solutions can be explored:

Adjust the transform gizmo's rendering order: One possible solution is to adjust the transform gizmo's rendering order to ensure it renders on top of the world space GUI. This can be achieved by modifying the transform gizmo's rendering code or by using a custom rendering pipeline.
Use a custom GUI system: Another potential solution is to use a custom GUI system that is not affected by the world space GUI. This can be achieved by creating a custom GUI component or by using a third-party GUI library.
Improve the transform gizmo's visibility: Finally, the transform gizmo's visibility can be improved by adding visual cues or by using a different rendering technique. This can be achieved by modifying the transform gizmo's rendering code or by using a custom rendering pipeline.

The transform gizmo rendering behind world space GUI is a significant issue in the Flax Engine, affecting the overall user experience and leading to frustration when working with complex scenes. By following the steps to reproduce the issue and exploring potential solutions, developers can work towards resolving this issue and improving the overall quality of the Flax Engine.

To further address this issue, the following tasks can be undertaken:

Investigate the transform gizmo's rendering code: Investigate the transform gizmo's rendering code to identify the root cause of the issue.
Develop a custom GUI system: Develop a custom GUI system that is not affected by the world space GUI.
Improve the transform gizmo's visibility: Improve the transform gizmo's visibility by adding visual cues or using a different rendering technique.

By addressing this issue and exploring potential solutions, developers can improve the overall quality of the Flax Engine and provide a better user experience for designers and developers.
Q&A: Transform Gizmo Renders Behind World Space GUI

In our previous article, we discussed the issue of the transform gizmo rendering behind world space GUI in the Flax Engine. This issue can lead to frustration when working with complex scenes and can affect the overall user experience. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions related to this issue and provide additional information to help developers resolve it.

A: The transform gizmo is a visual representation of an object's transform properties, including its position, rotation, and scale. It is an essential component of the Flax Engine's editor, providing a way for designers and developers to adjust an object's transform properties in 3D space.

A: The transform gizmo renders behind world space GUI because of the way the Flax Engine's rendering pipeline is set up. When the Canvas Render Mode is set to World Space, the world space GUI is rendered on top of the scene, causing the transform gizmo to render behind it.

A: To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Create a new widget in the content panel.
Add some UI controls to the widget, such as an Image with a texture.
Place the prefab into the scene.
Set the Canvas Render Mode to World Space.

A: Several potential solutions can be explored to resolve this issue, including:

Adjusting the transform gizmo's rendering order to ensure it renders on top of the world space GUI.
Using a custom GUI system that is not affected by the world space GUI.
Improving the transform gizmo's visibility by adding visual cues or using a different rendering technique.

A: To adjust the transform gizmo's rendering order, you can modify the transform gizmo's rendering code or use a custom rendering pipeline. This can be achieved by adding a custom rendering layer or by modifying the transform gizmo's rendering shader.

A: Some best practices for working with the transform gizmo include:

Using a consistent naming convention for transform gizmo components.
Organizing transform gizmo components in a logical and consistent manner.
Using a custom rendering pipeline to improve the transform gizmo's visibility.

A: To improve the transform gizmo's visibility, you can add visual cues such as:

Highlighting the transform gizmo when it is selected.
Using a different rendering technique, such as wireframe or outline rendering.
Adding a custom GUI component to provide additional visual feedback.

The transform gizmo rendering behind world space GUI is a significant issue in the Flax Engine, affecting the overall user experience and leading to frustration when working with complex scenes. By understanding the root cause of the issue and exploring potential solutions, developers can work towards resolving this issue and improving the overall quality of the Flax Engine.

For additional information on the transform gizmo and its rendering pipeline, please refer to the following resources:

Flax Engine documentation: Transform Gizmo
Flax Engine documentation: Rendering Pipeline
Flax Engine community forum: Transform Gizmo Rendering Issue