Spring RTS Engine

is this a bug report or what it is supposed to look like?

In some ways. This image is what the UI looks like with clean spring install so in some sense this is what it is suppose to look like, it is the default value.

In another sense I do not think that is what it should look like. But it is reasonably close to what I think it should look like and it is getting there.

In depth unit info is available through the space click menu.

That image is not worst-case scenario. Worst-case scenario includes letting that player-list include 16 players so it covers UI elements.

But the player list would only cover bubbles so that is a bonus .

When I made the menu bar the intent was for it to go on top of the screen, like the menu bar in windows apps.

It would be nice if the resource bar went somewhere to the left of the screen next to all the build options, since you want to know how much money you have when you're building things. Spring's decision of resource bar on the top right is not the be-all end-all.

Same goes for factory buildbar, lonely on its own way over to the right.

Downloaded the latest CA-test (rev 8463).
Deleted LuaUI/Config/CA related stuff.
The effect:



Yay new shiny (?) menu...
I don't think it is supposed to look like that...

Now disabled Chili Build Menu and Chili Command Menu, enabled Wrapper Menu:



Its default size / number of columns might need a little tweaking I think...

There is yet another widget, called the Chili Radial Buildmenu. It uses the same layout as the gesture menu. Here's how it looks:



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It's not very compatible with gesture menu at the moment so you should only have one of them on.

I don't think it is supposed to look like that...

Looks like your graphics card/drivers doesn't like those advanced effects. I made Ramp and Level icons in Gimp, the 3 Rs are just adaptation from cursors and buildpics are autogenerated. I think the rest of the icons were made with snazzy image processing tools.

Same goes for factory buildbar, lonely on its own way over to the right.

I wasn't aware it could be moved to the left and there isn't even space there. Licho keeps stressing that the UI should work for a new users spring install, this means 1024x768 resolution.

Buildbar needs a chilli menu option that disables it when a constructor is selected, this would be the default. This way it could live in the same place as constructor build menu. People who have set their settings to something smart as far as resolution or want to only use gesture (ie they have no static con build menu).

Google_Frog wrote:Buildbar needs a chilli menu option that disables it when a constructor is selected, this would be the default.

No thanks. Buildbar is there when you need it. Would be very confusing if you wanted to build something in a factory but can't because you must first deselect constructors.

NOT UNLIKE THE GESTURE MENU which makes customformation-move not work when you happen to have cons in your selection. It's not playable.

Consistency is the key.

+1 to Car.

To be fair, selecting a factory and a con with the default build menu hides the unit icons in a long list of building icons.

Them both taking up the same space sounds like a decent idea, although the buildbar has the added advantage of listing all your factories for quick and easy access.

Thanks for the uikeys feature, BrainDamage.

Here it is, only took ten minutes to put together.



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hmmm... chilli tip is nice, but I think you should make it simplier. For example, remove the icon of the unit you're hovering, that's not necessary imo.

another idea ist to move the state icons and morph options to chilli tip...

jeykey wrote:hmmm... chilli tip is nice, but I think you should make it simplier. For example, remove the icon of the unit you're hovering, that's not necessary imo.

It's there so that people can associate the unit with its buildpic subconsciously, so they can later identify it in a buildmenu by its buildpic with ease. New people are more important to help than pros.

jeykey wrote:another idea ist to move the state icons and morph options to chilli tip...

You mean display (not move) the state icons in chili tip (they have to still be in the menu so you can change them!)? Yes that's possible, but chili tip is getting larger and larger. Could be optional.

(Before you respond, be sure you know the difference between (A) chili tip, (B) chili selections and (C) chili commandmenu)

no, I meant moving them... so you can click them in the chilli tip on the bottom left, like when you have multiple units selected, you can click the icons.

Yes that's possible, but chili tip is getting larger and larger.

therefore I suggested removing some pics... like unit pic and this shield pic?! But I understand that this could negatively effect the experience of a new user...

no, I meant moving them... so you can click them in the chilli tip on the bottom left, like when you have multiple units selected, you can click the icons.

Yes that's possible, but chili tip is getting larger and larger.

therefore I suggested removing some pics... like unit pic and this shield pic?! But I understand that this could negatively effect the experience of a new user...

jeykey wrote:so you can click them in the chilli tip on the bottom left

CarRepairer wrote:(Before you respond, be sure you know the difference between (A) chili tip, (B) chili selections and (C) chili commandmenu)

I knew it was a good idea to say that.

CarRepairer wrote:(Before you respond, be sure you know the difference between (A) chili tip, (B) chili selections and (C) chili commandmenu)

I knew it was a good idea to say that.

hmmm. yeah... confused chilli selections with chilli tip, does this make any difference? I don't know your code, dunno, perhaps my suggestions are crap...

The focus here is the selection menu, not other stuff.



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Shoving Saktoth's GUI mockups here so I can find them later.






Coming soon: actual implementation?

Any feedback on this one?

I think the most important thing is to have a solid boundry between the playspace and the gui space, rather than floating buttons and windows of indefinite length. A collapsible menu may make sense as it 'save space', and making it horizontal may make sense since it is of indeterminate length and you have the most room on the horizontal axis: But it looks terrible, and intrudes raggedly into the playspace. With relatively small icons, we can have more than enough space to list all the options, and we can display build options/orders differentially based on context/tabs.

On player list: I thought perhaps we could have a button that opened an advanced console with a player list and extended chat (perhaps even stick the scroll bar there). Probably if you hit enter, it brings up all the chat information. Thats a nice intuitive way to do it, since it means you want to talk. You simply dont need to see panel of indefinite height which lists everyone in the game all the time. Its not necessary to play We can have small 'lagging' notices that appear in the corner to notify you, but i can think of any other information that i would miss.

On colour: I like the blue. Is it too starcraft? I dont know why but i just think it really improves the look of the thing. We might also want to try green, a deeper cyan or turqoise, and teamcolour.