So the only thing I really want to use QT creator for is its WYSIWYG QML editor capability, as my front-end dev and eyeballing skills are less than stellar. I’ve finally had some great success by using kde-builder to properly connect to project dependencies (including my own new ones), but have suddenly been getting a grayed-out “Design” button on QML files. Has something changed that now only allows the feature on .ui files? Working fine on .ui files, but would greatly prefer QML for my use case. Thanks if someone can shine some light on this for me.
If I remember correctly you need to go into Help → About Plugins and enable the designer plugin there. As far as I know they are trying to get people to use Design Studio application instead, but yeah, that is not so integrated.
Thanks @JLP - tried this. The plugin is installed, so I’m stumped. When I download Design Studio, I can’t open my project, only “qtstudio” file types. So I’m double stumped. I’m probably missing something simple.
Strange yeah. If the designer plugins are installed and enabled and all dependencies also then yeah I think it did work. Maybe you can also try to use ldd command on the plugin *.so library file to see if all the libraries it depends on are properly resolved. And if not maybe install some missing distribution package.
You were right, solution for now is to open the QML file in Qt Design studio, available only from the Qt online installer on their website. I had missed the “open file” as opposed to “open project” button.
Still weird, because as far as I can tell, Arch (I use arch, btw 
) doesn’t have a repo for Design Studio, including in the AUR. And for sure, I had been editing QML files within Qt Creator before. Further, I have to open Design Studio from the command line, directly from the binary. But whatever, Design Studio totally suits my purpose here, so I’m happy (and ready to return to my backend lifestyle!). Will update if I figure out what I’m “really” doing wrong.