Picture in Picture

[aGorm]

Can we have picture in a picture in spring? Like, have perhapes a bar down the oposite side to the minimap that has 3 screens that pops out, with a camera you can place anywhere for each... And then make it so as you can double click on one to swich its view with that of the current screen... This would let you be able to keep your eye on important things like your big berthas or such. And possibly even make it so the camera can follow units like when you hit F in TA (i know you can do this in the main view, but in the little screens to, that would rock...) This way you could have a nice pilots view of an air attack, even though you are building some defenses in your base for instance. Obviosly youd have to make a PinP the mian screen befor you could contole it.

And finaly, what a great use for if you have a spare screen... Just have a huge minmap and a couple of PinP's in it.

aGorm

[AF]

Why not instead use PnP for notifications such as units being attacked shows a pnp of whatevers being attacked, letting you recognise what where and who by in an instant, and wether it's significant or not

[aGorm]

Well, if you had 3 smal PnP screens perhaps you could chose what you wante them to do. If each had a smal set of buttons below it, you could chose from:
1) fix camera here (current main screen view)
2) follow selected (follow selection)
3) Go to notifications.

The 3rd option would grey out once it was clicked on on one of the PnPs.

And if you could pop each out seperatly aswell, i dont think i said that befor but deffinatly a must.

aGorm

[Min3mat]

sure! as said b4 this game is gonna b like earth 2150 but better!

[aGorm]

Yes... well, appart form your balsfomus comparison to earth 2150 (a good game but no patch on TA) i agree, This WILL ROCK!

aGorm

[Dragon45]

The problem with Picture-in-Picture isn't implementation so much as it is a problem of technology. The processor would practically have to do twice the work in order to pull off a picture-in-picture system, killing framerates even more than they would be killed now.

Course, i'm not actually coding the game, so everything i said might be false, but its certainly logical.

[sparkyhodgo]

We could take a lesson from Microsoft Flight Simulator, which has had picture in picture since at least Version 4.0 in 1993. It works very well, especially in versions 2002 and 2004.

**Added to the request list.

[chillaaa]

PinP would rock. What's the deal with dual monitors? will spring support that? then you could have you main view on Monitor 1 and all your PinP screens on Monitor 2 (if thats your thing and you have the setup).

[SJ]

As dragon45 says each extra picture would just about half the framerate (although they are smaller so they take less fillrate and you can turn off some graphic options for them) so its not going into an initial release at least. (although the old spring had support for it)

[aGorm]

Well, From the techical side of things, yes, i suppose it would slow down frame rates on slower systems... But then earth 2150 worked on max settings on my old p3 650, with a geforce 4... And i would say that though springs terain is better, the moddles in earth 2150 were pretty detailed. And they had 3 screens up at once!

However, look at it like this. If we have PnP cant we make it so that usres can turn off the shadows and refections and stuff in teh PnP windows? Obviosly those with big systems will want everything on, but for the poorer man being able to have them on but with less graphices is a good plan.

I dont mind if its not in the first relese, as long as its in the second!

aGorm

[AF]

Why not have a 2 stage PnP by having it as simply a picture fo whats happening rather than an actual window showing things as they happen, then people can turn the full feature on fi they have the processing power to do so

[aGorm]

You mean, it will show a snap shot of the action... when the alert comes up? And then if people want it to show real game action they can turn it on?

aGorm

[AF]

yah exactly, saves lowering the framerate for those who cant afford to

[Min3mat]

sweet as idea pls implement it i will beg

[aGorm]

Yes... I can see the advantage of the snap shot... Plus when you click it the snap shot should become your main view, so you can go to the emergancy, whatever that emergancy is...

Also, someone was talking about mlti mouse support, think how usefull it would be to have a mate take controll of say a fighter thats in a Pnp, and lead your forces to victory... neat O

aGorm

[AF]

Or rather have a PnP of the screens of players controlling your units or allies who agree to pnp

Maybe an ST-Armada cinematic mdoe pnp that shows interesting things on the map wether they are todo with you or not

[aGorm]

Ah... liek a News reel... intresting, but it would have to only show things you can see... Although perhapes when a player loses it could show you a shot of just befor the comander explodes... Glad this is wanted! Finaly i come out with somthing usefull... If only i could persuade people to rethink the "T" word thing i'd be fine!

aGorm

[AF]

Or perhaps significant events could be streamed to users who choose to receive it, or if a user chooses to monitor another game, or a tournament etc Or maybe as a messaging interface between ingame and lobby users, there's allsorts of uses for a little box in the corner with a picture

[aGorm]

I just had another well wicked idea for the PnP... I could show you your allies view point. (ie what his main screen is). This way you would be able to co-ordinate attacks better as you be able to see him giveing orders to his units, with him haveing to say, ok the peewees are attacking the main power generators... there defences will be down in moments, you may start your landing lord vadar... (sliping into starwars there...)

But you get what i mean.

aGorm

[zwzsg]

That PnP picture sounds interesting. I hope spring will features some fully configurable picture in picture. Even if only very powerful PC can use it at first. Little static snapshots for alert sound goods too.