Tool script does not run until the scene is reloaded

[Zylann]

Godot 3.0.6
Godot 3.1 beta 2

I made a simple tool script which uses _draw() to have custom visuals. But I noticed that once I finished writing it and setting it up, it was still not running in the scene. Only saving, closing and re-opening the scene made it run.
The same happens if you add a tool script to a node, this script won't run until you reload the scene, even if existing instances of it are running already.

Reproduction project:
ToolScriptDoesntRunYet.zip

1. Open the project, see the main scene has one working node with custom tool draw (using custom.gd)
2. Create another Node2D
3. Put another custom.gd script on it: notice it doesn't work
4. Save the scene, close it, and reopen it: notice it works now

[kubecz3k]

I think that by design File -> Soft reload script (ctrl + shift +R) is a fast way to reload the tool script for the editor. Can you check if it's working in your case?

[Zylann]

@kubecz3k it doesn't work, also this is only available from the script editor.

[KoBeWi]

The quickest way to reload scene is Reload scene button in Scene menu. Works in this case.

[Chaosus]

@KoBeWi Its called "Revert scene" actually and its even not have an editor shortcut

[swarnimarun]

I looked into the issue slightly while I was working with the Visual Script Tool Mode feature. The best way of for fixing it does seem to be a forced reload of the scene, the question is how to handle the save, I guess we can just ask if we want to save the scene.?

For VisualScript we can do it automatically(from the UI itself), while for normal scripts we could create a notification asking to Reload the Scene and hint the hotkey for it?

[Zylann]

I don't think this needs to reload the scene on every save of the script, that would be overkill. It would only need this if the script was not tool before, and became tool after (and vice versa). It might even be possible to not reload the scene but the reason we need to is for _ready and _enter_tree to be called.

[swarnimarun]

That's what I meant. If it detects that the Script became Tool but there hasn't been a scene reload it will notify.

[KoBeWi]

The @tool actually works immediately. The reason why your square doesn't draw after saving is that _draw() is called when Node2D is added to scene tree or calls update() or is made visible.

Another case is when you add _process() to the script. set_process() is called internally inside ready, so there is no way to enable it without reloading the scene.

Maybe we could detect this and add a warning, but otherwise the issue can be closed.

[KoBeWi]

Closing as per above comment. Open a proposal if you still think something should be done.

btw

Its called "Revert scene" actually and its even not have an editor shortcut

You can just assign a shortcut if you want quick access. I use it all the time.