Try adding a 'spotlight mode' type effect when template part or child is selected.

docs/designers-developers/developers/data/data-core-block-editor.md

@@ -243,15 +243,17 @@ _Returns_
 
 <a name="getBlockParentsByBlockName" href="#getBlockParentsByBlockName">#</a> **getBlockParentsByBlockName**
 
-Given a block client ID and a block name,
-returns the list of all its parents from top to bottom,
-filtered by the given name.
+Given a block client ID and a block name, returns the list of all its parents
+from top to bottom, filtered by the given name(s). For example, if passed
+'core/group' as the blockName, it will only return parents which are group
+blocks. If passed `[ 'core/group', 'core/cover']`, as the blockName, it will
+return parents which are group blocks and parents which are cover blocks.
 
 _Parameters_
 
 -   _state_ `Object`: Editor state.
 -   _clientId_ `string`: Block from which to find root client ID.
--   _blockName_ `string`: Block name to filter.
+-   _blockName_ `(string|Array<string>)`: Block name(s) to filter.
 -   _ascending_ `boolean`: Order results from bottom to top (true) or top to bottom (false).
 
 _Returns_

packages/block-editor/src/components/block-list/block.js

@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ function BlockListBlock( {
 	toggleSelection,
 	index,
 	enableAnimation,
+	activeEntityBlockId,
 } ) {
 	// In addition to withSelect, we should favor using useSelect in this
 	// component going forward to avoid leaking new props to the public API
@@ -166,6 +167,7 @@ function BlockListBlock( {
 				isFocusMode && ( isSelected || isAncestorOfSelectedBlock ),
 			'is-focus-mode': isFocusMode,
 			'has-child-selected': isAncestorOfSelectedBlock && ! isDragging,
+			'is-active-entity': activeEntityBlockId === clientId,
 		},
 		className
 	);

packages/block-editor/src/components/block-list/index.js

@@ -64,14 +64,21 @@ function Items( {
 		const {
 			getBlockOrder,
 			getBlockListSettings,
+			getSettings,
 			getSelectedBlockClientId,
 			getMultiSelectedBlockClientIds,
 			hasMultiSelection,
 			getGlobalBlockCount,
 			isTyping,
 			isDraggingBlocks,
+			__experimentalGetActiveBlockIdByBlockNames,
 		} = select( 'core/block-editor' );
 
+		// Determine if there is an active entity area to spotlight.
+		const activeEntityBlockId = __experimentalGetActiveBlockIdByBlockNames(
+			getSettings().__experimentalSpotlightEntityBlocks
+		);
+
 		return {
 			blockClientIds: getBlockOrder( rootClientId ),
 			selectedBlockClientId: getSelectedBlockClientId(),
@@ -82,6 +89,7 @@ function Items( {
 				! isTyping() &&
 				getGlobalBlockCount() <= BLOCK_ANIMATION_THRESHOLD,
 			isDraggingBlocks: isDraggingBlocks(),
+			activeEntityBlockId,
 		};
 	}
 
@@ -93,6 +101,7 @@ function Items( {
 		hasMultiSelection,
 		enableAnimation,
 		isDraggingBlocks,
+		activeEntityBlockId,
 	} = useSelect( selector, [ rootClientId ] );
 
 	const dropTargetIndex = useBlockDropZone( {
@@ -131,7 +140,9 @@ function Items( {
 								'is-dropping-horizontally':
 									isDropTarget &&
 									orientation === 'horizontal',
+								'has-active-entity': activeEntityBlockId,
 							} ) }
+							activeEntityBlockId={ activeEntityBlockId }
 						/>
 					</AsyncModeProvider>
 				);

packages/block-editor/src/components/block-list/style.scss

@@ -85,6 +85,21 @@
 			opacity: 1;
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Active entity spotlight.
+	&.has-active-entity:not(.is-focus-mode) {
+		opacity: 0.5;
+		transition: opacity 0.1s linear;
+		@include reduce-motion("transition");
+
+		&.is-active-entity,
+		&.has-child-selected,
+		&:not(.has-child-selected) .block-editor-block-list__block,
+		&.is-active-entity .block-editor-block-list__block,
+		.is-active-entity .block-editor-block-list__block {
+			opacity: 1;
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 .block-editor-block-list__layout .block-editor-block-list__block,

packages/block-editor/src/store/defaults.js

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ export const SETTINGS_DEFAULTS = {
 	__mobileEnablePageTemplates: false,
 	__experimentalBlockPatterns: [],
 	__experimentalBlockPatternCategories: [],
+	__experimentalSpotlightEntityBlocks: [],
 
 	// gradients setting is not used anymore now defaults are passed from theme.json on the server and core has its own defaults.
 	// The setting is only kept for backward compatibility purposes.

packages/block-editor/src/store/selectors.js

@@ -512,14 +512,16 @@ export const getBlockParents = createSelector(
 );
 
 /**
- * Given a block client ID and a block name,
- * returns the list of all its parents from top to bottom,
- * filtered by the given name.
+ * Given a block client ID and a block name, returns the list of all its parents
+ * from top to bottom, filtered by the given name(s). For example, if passed
+ * 'core/group' as the blockName, it will only return parents which are group
+ * blocks. If passed `[ 'core/group', 'core/cover']`, as the blockName, it will
+ * return parents which are group blocks and parents which are cover blocks.
  *
- * @param {Object} state     Editor state.
- * @param {string} clientId  Block from which to find root client ID.
- * @param {string} blockName Block name to filter.
- * @param {boolean} ascending Order results from bottom to top (true) or top to bottom (false).
+ * @param {Object}          state     Editor state.
+ * @param {string}          clientId  Block from which to find root client ID.
+ * @param {string|string[]} blockName Block name(s) to filter.
+ * @param {boolean}         ascending Order results from bottom to top (true) or top to bottom (false).
  *
  * @return {Array} ClientIDs of the parent blocks.
  */
@@ -532,7 +534,12 @@ export const getBlockParentsByBlockName = createSelector(
 					id,
 					name: getBlockName( state, id ),
 				} ) ),
-				{ name: blockName }
+				( { name } ) => {
+					if ( Array.isArray( blockName ) ) {
+						return blockName.includes( name );
+					}
+					return name === blockName;
+				}
 			),
 			( { id } ) => id
 		);
@@ -1791,3 +1798,49 @@ export function isBlockHighlighted( state, clientId ) {
 export function areInnerBlocksControlled( state, clientId ) {
 	return !! state.blocks.controlledInnerBlocks[ clientId ];
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns the clientId for the first 'active' block of a given array of block names.
+ * A block is 'active' if it (or a child) is the selected block.
+ * Returns the first match moving up the DOM from the selected block.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} state Global application state.
+ * @param {string[]} validBlocksNames The names of block types to check for.
+ *
+ * @return {string} The matching block's clientId.
+ */
+export const __experimentalGetActiveBlockIdByBlockNames = createSelector(
+	( state, validBlockNames ) => {
+		if ( ! validBlockNames.length ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		// Check if selected block is a valid entity area.
+		const selectedBlockClientId = getSelectedBlockClientId( state );
+		if (
+			validBlockNames.includes(
+				getBlockName( state, selectedBlockClientId )
+			)
+		) {
+			return selectedBlockClientId;
+		}
+		// Check if first selected block is a child of a valid entity area.
+		const multiSelectedBlockClientIds = getMultiSelectedBlockClientIds(
+			state
+		);
+		const entityAreaParents = getBlockParentsByBlockName(
+			state,
+			selectedBlockClientId || multiSelectedBlockClientIds[ 0 ],
+			validBlockNames
+		);
+		if ( entityAreaParents ) {
+			// Last parent closest/most interior.
+			return last( entityAreaParents );
+		}
+		return null;
+	},
+	( state, validBlockNames ) => [
+		state.selectionStart.clientId,
+		state.selectionEnd.clientId,
+		validBlockNames,
+	]
+);