Improve default widgets list - Page 2

Improve default widgets list

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dansan
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Joined: 29 May 2010, 23:40

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by dansan »

IMO it's difficult to find better categories (than alphabetical order) that will allow me to find the widget I want to[de]activate quickly during a match - emphasis on finding _quickly_.

Do most users install widgets at all? I wonder how many users actually need a distinction between "my widgets" and "game supplied widgets"...

In case it's common, the list could have two sections:

Code: Select all

             [on] [off] [user]
My widgets
  abcdefghi  [x] [ ]
  jklmnopqr  [x] [ ]

Game widgets
  abcdefghi   [x] [ ] [ ]
  jklmnopqr   [x] [ ]
  stuvwxyz    [ ] [x] [ ]
"My widgets" for widgets that were exclusively installed by the user and do not exist in the game already.
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Silentwings
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Joined: 25 Oct 2008, 00:23

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by Silentwings »

how many users actually need a distinction between "my widgets" and "game supplied widgets"...
Imho this distiction needs to be made clear because "user" widgets are far more prone to errors than widgets packaged inside games, and its needed for debugging.
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jamerlan
Balanced Annihilation Developer
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Joined: 20 Oct 2009, 13:04

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by jamerlan »

dansan wrote:The widgets should be sorted alphabetically. Check boxes "Game widgets" and "User widgets" is just a filter, doesn't switch anything on or off.
widet_list.png
Too many radio buttons! It looks very funny! :-D
widet_list.png
Sorry, probably a bad joke.
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dansan
Server Owner & Developer
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by dansan »

Awesome cat :D

It's just a mock-up. I wanted to show with an example, that it's possible (and imo desirable) to have all the relevant information in 1 line per widget and at the same time give the user the power to decide between switching a widget on/off/game-source/user-source.

... now I wonder: The engine loads widgets in the order game-map-user (right?) overwriting a widget if one with the same name is found later. Can a widget disable a widget with a specific version/source, activating another one? (In ~/.config/spring/LuaUI/Config/BA.lua I don't see any version information.)
8611
XTA Developer
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Joined: 29 Dec 2014, 08:22

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by 8611 »

selector.lua already sorts alphabetically.
Which also means games can create their own order/categories by naming the widgets.
Users can also name their widgets. A crude way solution but it is obscure problem.
Imo any too big effort that goes into making the widget-selector super-userfriendly is wrong: games that want to be user-friendly should not need players to switch scripts on & off.
Instead real options menu should be used, like some games are already trying.
The talk about "chili text box" misses point because it is about the non-chili default selector.lua

However half of players play mods with the old-school selector.lua and basically in those games the F11 menu is the options menu.
So some small improvements could be worth it but I feel any large changes would be just for the sake of it...

I looked a bit at the selector.lua:
(the two buttons)

Code: Select all

DrawScreen()
gl.Text(tcol .. 'All', minx + 15, miny - 15, fontSize * 1.25, "oc")
gl.Text(tcol .. 'None', maxx - 25, miny - 15, fontSize * 1.25, "oc")
...
MouseClicked (x,y)
if maxx - 50 < x and x < maxx and miny - 20 < y and y < miny then ... 
...
if minx < x and x < minx + 30 and miny - 20 < y and y < miny then ....
imo bit choatic and does not look like fun.

Quick experiment with filter:
widget filter.gif
Basically type parts of widget-name and the unwanted widgets get greyed out.

It would be better if those unwanted widgets would be completly removed from list but somehow did not manage that. It broke the scrollbar and I got too annoyed with frickling that.
But think is already bit better.

More innuitive seperation between game / custom widgets could be done like this:
widget game vs custom.png
But the more such stuff is added the more ugly and cluttered it becomes.

A "Default" button would be good and not much work.
Selector already has those buttons: "All" and "None" to turn on/off all widgets.
However:
:arrow: I do not know how selector.lua can read the default-states of widgets.
(Basically read the enabled=true/false from the getInfo() of the widgets.)
Could be added in widgets.lua like this but maybe better way:

Code: Select all

 -- create a knownInfo table
knownInfo = {}
knownInfo.desc = widget.whInfo.desc
....
knownInfo.defaultEnabled = widget.whInfo.enabled --ADD THIS
in https://github.com/spring/spring/blob/d ... s.lua#L438
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smoth
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by smoth »

so you want the user widgets separated from the engine and game widgets?

IIRC in VFS they are the same. I could be wrong but yeah.
Super Mario
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Joined: 21 Oct 2008, 02:54

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by Super Mario »

smoth wrote:so you want the user widgets separated from the engine and game widgets?

IIRC in VFS they are the same. I could be wrong but yeah.
This could be easily resolve by adding tags to widgets.
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smoth
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by smoth »

Super Mario wrote: This could be easily resolve by adding tags to widgets.
That could easily be screwed up by people misusing tags.
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PicassoCT
Journeywar Developer & Mapper
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by PicassoCT »

This could easily be resolved by grouping widgets by CallIns used.
8611 wrote: (Basically read the enabled=true/false from the getInfo() of the widgets.)
Could be added in widgets.lua like this but maybe better way:

Code: Select all

 -- create a knownInfo table
knownInfo = {}
knownInfo.desc = widget.whInfo.desc
....
knownInfo.defaultEnabled = widget.whInfo.enabled --ADD THIS
in https://github.com/spring/spring/blob/d ... s.lua#L438

boolEnabled=widgethandler.winfo.enable
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jamerlan
Balanced Annihilation Developer
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by jamerlan »

8611, you almost did it! Will you continue?
I suggest that placing filter on top is better than at the bottom
Super Mario
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by Super Mario »

jamerlan wrote:8611, you almost did it! Will you continue?
I suggest that placing filter on top is better than at the bottom
You can learn lua, and do it by yourself.
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Jools
XTA Developer
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by Jools »

Edit: I misread what was requested. If you want a default button then yes what Picasso wrote.

But often users have configured these widget lists and then simply reverting to default still means a lot of work, if you mean pressing the all or none buttons. Maybe there should be a 'last known good configuration'. But default is easier so maybe just do that anyway, as the games should set up good defaults anyway.

I did at first not see the filtering function: that's what we all have been wanting for ages. Yes, the layout could also be a bit more minimalistic, but that's just my personal preference. Already what you have is a big improvement, but maybe we can get the filtered out stuff removed too? What's so tricky with the scrollbars?

The extra game/custom labels are a bit too much imo, we already have the star to mark game widgets.
Last edited by Jools on 16 Jan 2015, 00:07, edited 2 times in total.
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smoth
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by smoth »

Super Mario wrote:You can learn lua, and do it by yourself.
that is not the point of this thread.
8611
XTA Developer
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Joined: 29 Dec 2014, 08:22

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by 8611 »

Think the *stars around name* might just need small text under the widget list that explains what they mean.
but maybe we can get the filtered out stuff removed too? What's so tricky with the scrollbars?
When items from its list are removed it breaks in variants of this:
widget broken.png
(note the grey background but the scrollbar graphics at right) It might just be something silly, will look again after weekend.
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Super Mario
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by Super Mario »

Welp looks like 8611 has fulfilled your request, better give him the 50$ you promise.
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smoth
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Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by smoth »

Super Mario wrote:Welp looks like 8611 has fulfilled your request, better give him the 50$ you promise.
dude, CHILL.
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jamerlan
Balanced Annihilation Developer
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Joined: 20 Oct 2009, 13:04

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by jamerlan »

Super Mario wrote:Welp looks like 8611 has fulfilled your request, better give him the 50$ you promise.
Sure, I will do it with pleasure when he finishes that task :-)

We have stars as indicator for game widgets - thats acceptable for me. Even additional label is not required.
Default button - I dont care about that. Sure it's good to have but it's not related to my request ;-)

Filtering - thats what I need! 8611 almost implemented it.
8611
XTA Developer
Posts: 242
Joined: 29 Dec 2014, 08:22

Re: Improve default widgets list

Post by 8611 »

I do not want money. As said after weekend I have time to look at it, I want to try to make the list not break. If do not manage that then I will just post the grey-out version.
Can not really post it right now because I made it bit messy when I was trying out things.
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