Allow placing export templates in an application-level directory

[jasonliu--]

Describe the project you are working on

I am the creator and maintainer of the Godot package for the MacPorts package management system.

First off, I should point out that I believe this proposal is somewhat related to #647 and #831.

Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project

I would like to deploy the export templates as a part of my Godot package. However, as explained in Godot's documentation, the export templates must be saved to a user-level directory.

Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation

Instead of needing to place the export templates into a user-level directory, such as:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Godot\templates\<version>\
• Linux: $HOME/.local/share/godot/templates/<version>/
• macOS: $HOME/Library/Application Support/Godot/templates/<version>/

the Godot editor should also scan for the export templates in an application-level directory, e.g.:

• Windows: %PROGRAMDATA%\Godot\templates\<version>\
• Linux: /usr/local/share/godot/templates/<version> (MacPorts also uses the Linux FHS, but everything lives in /opt/local instead of /usr/local, so if the root directory prefix could be re-targetable, that would be even better)
• macOS: /Library/Application Support/Godot/templates/<version>

A common use-case would be on any computer that is being used as a multi-user system. For example, imagine a computer lab where a "Teach Kids Game Development" summer camp is being held, and Godot is the software being used. Kids do not have assigned computers, so the computer they are sitting at during morning sessions might be different than the computer they are using in afternoon sessions. It would be quite inconvenient if every student is forced to either download the export templates each time they sit down at a different computer, or have to copy the export templates from a network share into somewhere in their home directory. Instead, it would be much better if the IT support staff were able to place the export templates into the application-level directories, and the Godot editor would be able to find the templates, regardless of which user account is logged into the computer.

It would also allow software packagers like myself to include export templates as part of the package.

Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudocode, mockups, and/or diagrams

Hopefully achieving this would be fairly simple. Add the application-level directories to the list of default locations that the Godot editor will scan when looking for the export templates. It would be nice if Godot would scan the application-level directories first, and then also scan the user-level directories. This would still allow users to add specific export templates only for themselves that might override the application-level templates.

If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?

I expect that this would be used very often. Pretty much whenever export templates are used.

Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?

This would be a fundamental change to how the Godot editor scans for and finds the export templates.

[Velocifer23]

Am I missing something? Why would the ability to change the export template path folder doesn't exist in the first place?
Inside the Editor Settings ->Metadata there is "Export Template Download Directory" changing this path doesn't change the Export Template path (by default for Windows its in C:/Users/Administrator/AppData/Roaming/Godot/).

[Calinou]

Why would the ability to change the export template path folder doesn't exist in the first place

Self-contained mode already exists and fulfills most portable needs already (but not OP's, given the multi-user use case).

One reason you might want to customize the export templates path is to bundle them with an editor, but have the editor settings not be written to the same folder for multi-user scenarios.

Inside the Editor Settings ->Metadata there is "Export Template Download Directory" changing this path doesn't change the Export Template path

The Metadata section of the Editor Settings isn's supposed to be visible in the first place, let alone editable. This sounds like a bug.
Edit: Fixed by godotengine/godot#96616.

For reference, it's in a Metadata section because it's likely temporary data that the editor uses as a scratchpad of sorts. There is currently no configurability implemented for this path, other than the aforementioned self-contained mode.

[KoBeWi]

"Export Template Download Directory" is the last used directory from where a tpz file was installed.

[SubhadeepJasu]

This is also required to package godot games inside flatpak. The user level directories are not available here. Being able to specify the location of template would be super helpful.