Split inspector property sections into tabs

[StarryWorm]

• Closes Add an option to split the inspector properties into tabs godot-proposals#12270
• Includes Add hide_titles and hide_icons properties to TabBar & TabContainer #118358
  • Includes a modified version thereof, which has a technical placeholder. See comment.
• Requires Add support for vertical TabBar and side tab placement on TabContainer #116485

This PR implements our 2nd most requested usability feature: editor inspector tabs.

The tabs come with a lot of configurability through the editor settings in the interface/inspector/tabs/ subcategory:

• Can be disabled via use_inspector_tabs
• Can be switched between horizontal and vertical via tab_layout
• Can show text only/icon only/both via horizontal_tab_style and vertical_tab_style (split due to different layouts looking better with different modes)
• In vertical layout, they can be on the right/left of the inspector dock tab (static), or on the inside/outside of the inspector dock tab (dynamic) via vertical_tab_side
• They can be used either as a list and clicking on the tabs scrolls automatically, or used as fully separate tabs via tab_property_mode
• Abstract classes can be merged into the first non-abstract class that inherits them via merge_abstract_class_tabs

_{Note: All property names subject to change}

Here are some snippets:

Horizontal with both text and icon (default):

Vertical with icon only (vertical default):

Tabbed mode:

Recording.2026-04-09.162524.mp4

Jump Scroll mode:

Recording.2026-04-09.162555.mp4

AI Disclaimer: I used AI to help me figure some of the implementation. Verified it all.

[YeldhamDev]

I don't think it's a good idea to make this the default. Feels like it would increase the number of clicks in order to do things. Also, how does it look with the default theme?

[ajreckof]

This is just a first look I haven't looked in depth on implmentation but the two things that comes to mind immediatly are :

• Jump Scroll Mode should be the default as it is the closest to the previous workflow while still alowing for the new shortcut.

• Abstract classes can be merged into the first non-abstract class that inherits them via merge_abstract_class_tabs

I'm not 100% sure of the usefullness of this behaviour but anyway it should not be on by default which I'm not sure wether it is the case or not because of your screenshots not having a canvas item tab

On the rest idea I'm mostly in favor of this but will take a closer look at the implementation sometime this week-end

[StarryWorm]

Here's some snippets with the default modern theme

As far as making it the default, the reception on both the proposals and Reddit (the proposal was not linked on Reddit, just the result) indicates that people seem to be quite annoyed with the scrolling, and would greatly prefer this. I personally strongly agree. When you use inheritance, it can be quite a pain finding a random property in the current inspector.

If that's not convincing enough, maybe the jump scroll mode could be the default instead? It's pretty much the same as the current inspector, but with "shortcut" tabs at the top.

Edit: ajreckof's comment confirms it: scroll jump it is. Sent at the same time so I couldn't see it when I typed this out.

[StarryWorm]

I'm not 100% sure of the usefullness of this behaviour but anyway it should not be on by default which I'm not sure wether it is the case or not because of your screenshots not having a canvas item tab

This behavior was pulled from the https://github.com/PiCode9560/Godot-Inspector-Tabs addon. Currently, it is true by default, but I'll change it to false.

[YeldhamDev]

Here's some snippets with the default modern theme

The scroll hints don't work with it on vertical mode. In that state, they should be toggled off, and the inspector use the theme variation with a panel.

Also, for the modern theme, the horizontal tabs should use the inner tab theme variation. Something should be done for the vertical ones too.

[pippenpaddleopsicopolis]

I feel like the headers are redundant in the tabbed mode but this is just a nit.

*Edit: they are still needed when the tabs are icons only.

[StarryWorm]

They aren't redundant when the abstract tab merging is active, and you have an abstract class (niche).
The primary reason I left them is for "parity" (it would look slightly weird without a header in a specific setting configuration only) and accessibility (if you hide text in tabbar settings).

I think the cost of removing them in terms of clarity is greater than the value derived from the deduplication.

[StarryWorm]

This PR will not be using #118358 in its final version for the vertical capabilities, but instead #116485.
This PR will keep using the two-commit version of #118358 until #116485 is merged, at which point it will be rebased directly onto master.

As such, the PR has been converted to a draft because it currently includes an extra commit (see below) that serves as a technical placeholder. This commit should never be merged into the engine as it is superseded by #116485.

It also technically doesn't require the hide_text/hide_icons properties, as pointed out by @KoBeWi here.

[AThousandShips]

Suggested change

	inspector_tab_bar->connect("minimum_size_changed", callable_mp(this, &InspectorDock::_update_tab_bar_layout));
	inspector_tab_bar->connect(SceneStringName(minimum_size_changed), callable_mp(this, &InspectorDock::_update_tab_bar_layout));