Is there not a way to resize or remove the "Custom metadata" column in the editor?

[sungodmoth]

I just decided to add a custom column to one of my libraries tracking the page count - my first custom column - and noticed that a "Custom metadata" section now takes up about half the space in the metadata editor (using the "All on 1 tab" layout). Now I don't actually care about editing my page_count column from the metadata editor, so I have deselected it in preferences:


However, it would appear that regardless of this, the large section still appears in the metadata editor:


This section cannot be resized, since the border between "Basic metadata" and "Custom metadata" is not draggable. I can only make the "Cover" section larger, which doesn't help me at all. I have a lot of books with long titles so this large "Custom metadata" section is completely in the way.
In the first place I don't think it makes any sense that this section appears even though it's completely empty because I deselected the one custom column in preferences. But I would at least like to resize this empty section so that it doesn't take up so much space.

[BetterRed]

Try the Default layout, then the custom columns will be in a separate tab.



BR

[sungodmoth]

I appreciate that is an option, but I honestly much prefer the "All in 1 tab" layout (perhaps I should have mentioned that from the start). I'm more used to the vertical layout (as mentioned, I want a lot of space for titles) and I don't use the Comments section at all so its prominence in Default is useless to me (and collapsing it just means that I have far *more* space than necessary for the Tags, Ids, etc rows).

[ownedbycats]

Unfortunately, you can only collapse the covers:





You're best off using the default layout.

I seem to recall there's some limitations to why they can't be individually resized, but I might be thinking something else.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by sungodmoth

I appreciate that is an option, but I honestly much prefer the "All in 1 tab" layout (perhaps I should have mentioned that from the start). I'm more used to the vertical layout (as mentioned, I want a lot of space for titles) and I don't use the Comments section at all so its prominence in Default is useless to me (and collapsing it just means that I have far *more* space than necessary for the Tags, Ids, etc rows).

I gave up on the Single Book Metadata Edit dialogue, I could never get a layout that didn't frustrate me at every turn.

I edit everything in the book list, where I have control over which columns are available and the order they are placed, which is different for each library. And I can show/hide and move columns on an ad-hoc basis.

My only usage of Single book MDE is to cut imported Comments, which I paste into a custom column called Blurb - in the book list.

BR

[Karellen]

I think there is only 1 solution here...

As you can't remove that panel, you need to create more custom fields, so that the custom metadata section fills and becomes worthwhile.

Check the screenshots from other members and you might get some ideas.

[chaley]

I will change calibre not to display the custom column group if all custom fields are deselected in Look & feel. This will affect all three layouts.

[chaley]

The change not to show an empty custom column group box is in calibre source, and will be included in the next release/preview.

[sungodmoth]

Thanks so much for the quick fix!