GUI Design(s)

[Leland]

Uh, wasn't it kind of agreed that there are no "tiles"? Hence, no tile info either.

[vovan]

Originally posted by Michiel
BTW: I like the Warcraft 3 GUI. It should, however you modded it, still blend in like that.

That is exactly the problem I have with dynamic GUI's. no matter what you do, and how pretty you make your interface, once the windows are moved around, it will not blend together creating the look of consistency, and will look rather ugly. (Unless, of course, you use the standard-looking windows frames inside, in which case, the interface won't be any uglier than at the start.)

Then, again, I'm all for a "a totally new GUI," though since I can't think of any, sorry if I am not much help in designing it...

[Jeremy Buloch]

Ok after careful thinking I post:

First of all when we talk about the close options, well we cannot include options in a design it just wouldn't look right. We can of course specify them but to draw an option isn't a benefical use of time. We will design the option menu later. As well as other GUI's after the basic one is complete.
The Color or way of making it pretty isn't at debate right now. We need to focus on having a GUI rather than making it pretty. We can worry about that once we have a basic GUI to test the game with.

I will create another interface since I have a few Ideas in mind, but first I will need several questions answered. Oh and plz put the number then answer:

1.) Where should the windows be?

2.)Close, an Option?

3.)Drag windows with no Option?

4.) If 3 then Do we use bars to drag or just any part of the window that is applicable.

5.) Drag, an Option? The user would like this if he/she were to not like the idea of movable windows.

6.) MiniMap Hidden?

7.) Menu Across screen or in one button possibly close to the minimap etc.?

P.S. The user wants the interface to be simple, fast, neat, and compact. The Windows cant get the users attention too much cause the user would be concentrated on the game not on the Interface.
-Just some stuff to think about.
-J.B.-

[Michiel]

Ok.

1:
Wherever the player wants them. Floating in the screen, or docked at the edge of the screen. Whichever edge the player wants. Or closed = not on the screen at all.

2:
No close buttons, in my opinion. In the options menu, there should be a 'tab' named Windows, or Panels, or whatever. In that screen you can add/remove/replace windows in a small model. When you click OK, you will apply that GUI to the real game. Maybe you can also make hotkeys to change GUI in an instant.

3:
No, like I said with 2. It should all be in a menu.

4:
X

5:
As I said in 2. All in a menu.

6:
The minimap should be just another window that the player can add/remove/replace in the menu. This is where hotkeys mainly come in handy. To quickly open/close the minimap.

7:
Not one button. Just make them across the screen on the top of the screen. That's my opinion but I don't really care.

---
I think this would make for a perfect GUI. As for blending in the windows (That's the 'make it pretty' part). I think we can use 'images' as borders/sides of the windows. Images that change when that side is docked with another window or the screen. I don't think that would be a problem. Maybe we can also make skins for the game.. Well, it shouldn't be a priority.

[Jeremy Buloch]

About the Hybrid Design...

We could have the default style put. Then we can let the user define what type of style he/she wants. The user should be able to drag drop windows to whatever position and etc. Or the user could pick from a list of already drawn designs and use them. So one user could pick the left side windows or another one could pick top Windows or bottom windows. You get my drift...
The default is what we will need to discuss first. Then after we have a working basic game to play around with we can make the other designs.

-Just another Idea...
-J.B.-

[Michiel]

Well I think what we need to do first is make the moddable GUI, like the answers I gave to your questions. (I hope ) Then decide on a default GUI and put it into the game with a default name. It would be foolish to first make a normal/everyday/static GUI and later alter the entire code to make it moddable. Maybe later we could add some other defaults the player can choose from, and maybe he/she can create one himself and put it in the list of GUI's. And I still think they should be able to be called by a hotkey.

And first we can make an ugly GUI. Like you said, the nice borders can come later. Even skins. I could create a GUI-skin. Maybe tomorrow I'll make one so you get my idea.

[Jeremy Buloch]

Ok I see, Well I'll start making a GUI soon. I'm impatient and just want to post some Ideas I have. Still Post some answers please. The more I get the better it'll be!
-J.B.-

[Jeremy Buloch]

Ok here is a new GUI I attached the same one downloading it and then looking will make it look better.
-J.B.-

[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\sis\Desktop\StP GUI Design v.02.jpg[/IMG]

[Jeremy Buloch]

The last attachment messed up so here it is again.
-J.B.-

[Leland]

My gut feeling (which may of course be utterly wrong) about coding a moddable GUI is that if everything is done in nice, object-oriented fashion then there is no serious rewriting necessary even if you start with a static GUI and plan on adding moddability later. Basically the thing just means that instead of hard-coded values you just load the positions, sizes, textures, etc. from a file, right? So in the first alphas where the priority is to get something out the door moddability can be considered secondary.

[vovan]

Well, I am the only person here with the opinion that the GUI should be static, but I will answer the questions nonetheless.

Originally posted by Jeremy Buloch
1.) Where should the windows be?

In the bottom of the screen. Or on a side. In my opinion, if more than one side of the game widow is taken up by information / manipulation panels, that takes up too much of the game view, and the player feels claustrophobic (sp?).

2.)Close, an Option?

Yes. Through the options panel, not through actual buttons visible at all times.

3.)Drag windows with no Option?

No drag.

4.) If 3 then Do we use bars to drag or just any part of the window that is applicable.

Well, if 3, then any part probably. But it would be nice that if the player clicks a button and drags the mouse the window would not move. I don't know about other people, but when I play, and am all excited, I tend to hurry a little bit, and start moving the mouse away from a GUI component before releasing the button. Therefore, I would have very bad problems with the window being movable by clicking on any part of it.

5.) Drag, an Option? The user would like this if he/she were to not like the idea of movable windows.

By all means. If we choose dragging to be in the game, it should be an option (probably not for the minimap, which could remain draggable at all times, but everything else - absolutely.)

6.) MiniMap Hidden?

Yes. I actually like the idea of being able to hide minimap.

7.) Menu Across screen or in one button possibly close to the minimap etc.?

One button gets my vote.

P.S. The user wants the interface to be simple, fast, neat, and compact. The Windows cant get the users attention too much cause the user would be concentrated on the game not on the Interface.

Well, that's kind of why I would prefer a streamlined, but static interface over a dynamic one. But hey, I am ready to go with whatever the majority wants.

PS: JB, I actually like your latest edition of the GUI more than the previous ones. I think it's starting to shape up nicely, if we can say so about little drawings.

[Jeremy Buloch]

I don't know about other people, but when I play, and am all excited, I tend to hurry a little bit, and start moving the mouse away from a GUI component before releasing the button. Therefore, I would have very bad problems with the window being movable by clicking on any part of it.

LOL yeah I have this sort of problem too. I get impatient sometimes and click fast when I've seen a scene already. Then I drag the mouse to another spot for it not to do anything wrong. I had some of my friends vote and they said a movable GUI will be irritible but with an option then it is good.

P.S. Thanks Vovansim. Last one I didn't use Paint.
-J.B.-

[Michiel]

Nope, and the Word-GUI's look just as good.

[Gateway103]

Vovanism, have you seen the MOO3 GUI's? The Apolyton has some screenies of them in their moo3 sections. I like MOO3's GUI design, and by your preference to static GUIs, you may like it too.

Others are of course welcome to take a look for ideas

P.S. there is also a more in-depth Developer's Diary on Gamespy regarding the design philosophy of MOO3's GUI, which I think contained some valid and important ideas on GUI design. The link is: http://www.gamespy.com/devdiary/june01/moo39/

Just a thought

-Gateway103

[vovan]

Thanks for the link, Gateway, I think the article does touch on many important points and would be very beneficial to read for the person in charge of the GUI. (JB, I suppose.)