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Thread: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

  
  1. #1
    Ghost
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    Default Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    In KeeperFX there is space below the in-game panel that is wasted (there is a black rectangle that has nothing). So to take advantage of this space i suggest a new panel...
    This modified panel is the original in double size but one pixel less in width (i did a little mistake when i made it), it is a draft. It has all panels in it, and the room panel, spells panel and workshop panel has been reestructured to fit exactly in.

    Original panel:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screenshot - original.png 
Views:	88 
Size:	236.2 KB 
ID:	1453

    Modified panel:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screenshot - modified.png 
Views:	120 
Size:	244.1 KB 
ID:	1454

    With the modified panel:
    - the minimap has double space to see more of it
    - you don't need to change through different tabs (info, room, spells, workshop and creatures), all are shown always.

    It requires a minimum height of 960 (in the image, the resolution was 1280x960).
    If the user has not this required resolution, the original panel can be shown or if the user has this resolution, maybe an option to change between original/enhanced panel?
    Last edited by jomalin; June 29th, 2014 at 13:49.

  2. #2
    Beetle Ecarus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    I dont know, is pretty because there isnt that ugly black hole anymore but at the same time is weird, I like the idea a lot, I hope mefisto add this to the game.

  3. #3
    Ghost
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by Ecarus View Post
    I hope mefisto add this to the game.
    Me too, but i think mefisto must rewrite first all functions (they are 11) in the file frontmenu_ingame_tabs.c

  4. #4
    Ghost
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    All tabs at ones is a bit too much information I think..

    I'd rather see a longer creatures tab, so you don't have to scroll anymore if you have a lot of different creatures.

    Even better is a scaling gui, but I think that's a bridge too far now. :P

  5. #5
    Beetle Ecarus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by jomalin View Post
    Me too, but i think mefisto must rewrite first all functions (they are 11) in the file frontmenu_ingame_tabs.c
    I think that isnt a hard work, no? It could be done fast with dedication.

  6. #6
    Ghost
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by Krizzie View Post
    All tabs at ones is a bit too much information I think..
    But what's the problem with that? I don't see this as an inconvenient. Also, with that we are adapting the ingame GUI to current screen resolutions. The game was designed for a resolution of 640x480, currently, that is completely outdated.

    Quote Originally Posted by Krizzie View Post
    I'd rather see a longer creatures tab, so you don't have to scroll anymore if you have a lot of different creatures.
    Yes, that is a great idea i also thinked about but i didn't apply it in my image because i used the original size panels so it didn't fit. To do that we need a bigger screen height than 960, that yes, can be done, and the enhanced panel can be automatically adapted if height is bigger than 960, but to do that, we must think about what to do then with the info panel that is at his left (because if you pay attention to the image, the info panel and the creatures panel are the same height, so if we enlarge the creatures panel, we must also enlarge the info panel, and enlarging the info panel has no sense because it already has all the information, so it will have blank space).
    Maybe we can think about that when we first finish my modified panel, step by step.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ecarus View Post
    I think that isnt a hard work, no? It could be done fast with dedication.
    We can do it with time... I have no problem working for that, i love KeeperFX too much. But for that we need:

    - mefisto to rewrite that GUI functions i told (maybe others more too?)
    - mefisto to calculate and write the new coordinates: where to draw the panels added and their relative buttons position, etc. That is because the panel is all made of separated parts (borders, icons, buttons, minimap square, etc).
    - me to provide him all that separate graphic files

    I spent some hours for that draft image i posted (i am not very experienced in photoshop so i did it not with the most fast techniques).
    If mefisto accepts my suggestion, i can start elaborating that required graphic files...
    Last edited by jomalin; June 30th, 2014 at 20:57.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by Ecarus View Post
    I think that isnt a hard work, no? It could be done fast with dedication.
    Mefisto welcomes everybody willing to contribute to the project, so if you're dedicated I also love to see a redesign.

    I do prefer to see a bigger creature panel as well, but would go for more of a redesign if it were to change anyway, you wouldn't be stuck to a single sidebar. Indeed I would want to see all creatures on screen at the same time. The info panel can disappear completely, you can just show a few counters on the screen directly. You can even add an action bar, with spells to be cast and traps to be placed.

  8. #8
    KeeperFX Author mefistotelis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Personally, I haven't seen any game with hundreds of buttons on main screen which was enjoyable.
    Even the original menu has too many buttons, in my opinion.

    My concept for KeeperFX is different, and I described it here:
    http://keeperklan.com/threads/4736-GUI-enhancement

    Anyway, KeeperFX is open-source and anyone is welcome do do any modification they please, either by contributing to main project, or by creating own fork of the code.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by jomalin View Post
    In KeeperFX there is space below the in-game panel that is wasted (there is a black rectangle that has nothing). So to take advantage of this space i suggest a new panel...
    This modified panel is the original in double size but one pixel less in width (i did a little mistake when i made it), it is a draft. It has all panels in it, and the room panel, spells panel and workshop panel has been reestructured to fit exactly in.

    Original panel:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screenshot - original.png 
Views:	88 
Size:	236.2 KB 
ID:	1453

    Modified panel:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screenshot - modified.png 
Views:	120 
Size:	244.1 KB 
ID:	1454

    With the modified panel:
    - the minimap has double space to see more of it
    - you don't need to change through different tabs (info, room, spells, workshop and creatures), all are shown always.

    It requires a minimum height of 960 (in the image, the resolution was 1280x960).
    If the user has not this required resolution, the original panel can be shown or if the user has this resolution, maybe an option to change between original/enhanced panel?
    Please allow me to provide some feedback on your design,...

    pros:
    • Bigger minimap
    • More GUI components available from main screen
    • Reused a lot of the original GUI


    cons:
    • Looks cluttered
    • You've kept the tab headers, even though you no longer display tabs
    • Still not all creatures visible
    • A lot of unused space: Black bars between former tabs, three large brown headers
    • Wide sidebar, obstructing a lot of the screen
    • 'Sell' button used twice


    And I also wonder in your design, what would happen if you would press the question mark and click a creature,...
    All in all, you kept too close to the original, which has a very old-fashioned HUD to begin with. I already mentioned a bit on my last post, but if a redesign where to take place I would go for one of two options:
    [1] Keep the original interface, make it stretchable for different resolutions and increase the creature list to show full army
    [2] Modernize the whole thing

    When modernizing, for the most part the whole Dune2 sidebar can be dropped, and instead of all information being shown in as buttons on one side of the screen, spread out different types of information to different parts of the screen and make them visually distinct. You can already take some queues from Dungeon Keeper 2, which has modernized some elements and has some of the same components, but even that one is hopelessly outdated, and if one of my designers would present me something like that I would just ask them to start over. Some pointers:
    • Don't show non-information on screen. No trap being built,... don't show the trap progress bar,.. no rival keepers, don't show empty boxes where their creature counts would go,... just two examples, but many more possibilities.
    • Spread out information based on purpose. For example, at the very top some counters/progress bars like gold and payday, left just the creature list, and at the bottom a built menu. That entire ?-menu can be taken apart, as it is a silly menu to begin with.
    • You don't have to have brown blocks behind the interface,... so if you have a short creature list, or no traps, that means you can see more creatures being tortured instead of more empty brown space.
    • Do more with less,... if instead of showing all possible traps being visible, just the place-able traps show up, it becomes visually a lot more distinct that you have traps available and you will find players just placing more traps and doors in general


    All in all, doing a redesign is a lot more work of course, but if the effort isn't put in to do a full redesign, I think it is best to just stick to the first option, which has a much higher return on investment.

  10. #10
    Beetle Ecarus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Suggestion: modified GUI panel example

    Quote Originally Posted by YourMaster View Post
    • You've kept the tab headers, even though you no longer display tabs
    • Still not all creatures visible
    • 'Sell' button used twice
    Yes I also notice that, also because of it, a lot of space isnt used, that space could be used for expand the creatures panel. I think I could fix it without problems, if jomalin dont

    Quote Originally Posted by YourMaster View Post
    I would go for one of two options:
    [1] Keep the original interface, make it stretchable for different resolutions and increase the creature list to show full army
    [2] Modernize the whole thing
    With the original interface, it would be like if we arent doing nothing, but at the same time, if we complete modernize the menu it would be like if we are changing too much a game. Personally I would prefer the original interface, anyway I like a lot the design of jomalin.
    Last edited by Ecarus; July 1st, 2014 at 04:06.

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