ALFA Universal UI (Plus Other UIs for DMs/Players!)

New models, textures, & integration of 3rd party content.

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FoamBats4All
Githyanki
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

Have I mentioned how much I hate UIs?

Anyway, here's my second proposal with subsubmenus. Still want to avoid intermixing player and DM UIs as it would pose a grumble-worthy task in coding. Would appreciate thoughts, feedback, suggestions, feature requests, and other such things. Will push ahead with development soon with either proposal if there's no glaring issues.
Foam's Proposal #2 wrote:Combat and Abilities
  • Subdual Mode
  • Spellcasting
    • Manage Spells
    • Pray for Spells
    • Use Spellbook
    • List Known Spells
    • List Prepared Spells
  • Crafting
    • Craft
    • Scribe Scroll
    • Brew Potion
    • Craft Wand
    • Create Tradescroll
  • <Some class features here. Example: Toggle monk speed.>
Role Playing
  • Toggle AFK
  • Check Time
  • Animations
  • Set Description
  • Select Language
  • Visual Effects
  • List Anchors
Movement
  • Autofollow
  • Step Off Travel Map
  • Find Safe Location
  • Face Target
PC Management
  • Wealth
    • Give Gold
    • Remove Gold
    • Set Gold
    • Remove from Crafting
  • Experience
    • Give 10xp
    • Give Experience
    • Remove Experience
    • Set Experience
    • Award PrC
  • Alignment
    • Set Alignment
    • Nudge Good
    • Nudge Evil
    • Nudge Lawful
    • Nudge Chaotic
  • Language
    • List Languages
    • Grant Language
    • Remove Language
  • Fixes
    • Remove All Effects
    • Remove Quarantine
    • Reset Rest Timer
    • Reset Spell Timers
    • Tech Rez
    • Reset Level
  • Discipline
    • Freeze Player
    • Boot Player
Creature Management
  • Appearance and Stats
    • Set name
    • Set Appearance
    • Scale
    • Rotate
    • Set Deity
  • Inventory
    • Manage Inventory
    • Identify Inventory
    • Strip Inventory
  • Faction
    • Set Hostile
    • Set Neutral
    • Set Commoner
    • Set Merchant
    • Set Defender
  • State
    • Toggle Invulnerability
    • Toggle Plot
  • Health
    • Set Health
    • Do Damage
  • Effects
    • Remove All
    • Effects Manager
  • Jump
    • Jump DM to Target
    • Jump Target to DM
    • Jump Party to DM
  • Copying
    • Copy PC
    • Copy Party
    • Paste
Scene Management
  • Object Destruction
    • Destroy Target
    • Destroy 3'
    • Destroy 6'
    • Destroy 20'
    • Destroy Entire Area
  • Object State
    • Toggle Invulnerability
    • Toggle Plot
    • Toggle Stolen
    • Toggle Cursed
    • Toggle Identified
    • Local Variable Manager
  • Locks and Traps
    • Set Locked
    • Set Locakable
    • Set Trapped
    • Edit Lock
    • Edit Trap
    • Create Trap
  • Portals
    • Create Portal
    • Create Destination
    • Destroy Portal
  • VFX Manager
  • Weather Manager
  • Sounds
    • Ambience Manager
    • Localized Sounds Manager
    • Music Manager
Server Management
  • Adjust Time
  • List Locations
  • List Wealth
  • Send Message
    • To Party
    • To Entire Server
  • Send Popup Message
    • To Player
    • To Party
    • To Entire Server
  • Jump
    • All Players to DM
    • DM and Player to DM Area
Roller and Simulation
  • Roll Initiative
  • Roll Attack
    • Roll Equipped Weapon
    • Roll Touch Attack
    • Roll Grapple
  • Roll Ability
  • Roll Save
  • Roll Skill
  • Roll Dice
Utility
  • Save Character
  • Ping Server
  • Report
    • List Online Players
    • List Version
    • Server Uptime
  • Communication
    • Send Message to IRC
    • Last Seen Player
    • Notify to Combat Log
  • Reference
    • SRD Lookup
    • ALFA Documentation
Zelknolf
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Zelknolf »

FoamBats4All wrote:Have I mentioned how much I hate UIs?
Everyone hates UIs, especially when the toolkit we get is just the one NWN2 provides us.

However! I think the proposal there puts us in a nice place. We establish concepts of submenus and keep the actual content that would have to be displayed at one time reasonable. Should be quick to scan-- probably a bit of a learning curve, but I don't know of any specific screen that would be overwhelming, which means that people will probably be able to pick it up with minimal help.

We might want to leave ourselves avenues to grow the UI later (which I think will happen by default, as long as we don't write anything that assumes the number of items that will be on any given menu?), so that we can just have "upgrade the universal UI" and "provide a text command" be part of the standard procedure for "I have created a new doodad."


'course, I'll be around to help if it's needed, though not right away (business travel will put me largely out of contact next week), certainly in the scope of development like this.
FoamBats4All
Githyanki
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

Another round of example screens. Good time to voice complaints or feedback before progress continues. Note that these are just the player tools, DM tool is the same, with a few extra large icons/categories. Basic feature additions from the last display are:
  • The UI can now be minimized.
  • A frill on the right side of a category shows which category is currently in use.
  • A third grid (subsubmenu) can be used.
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Still hate UIs.
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Swift
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Swift »

That is looking awesome.
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Ithildur
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Ithildur »

I'm guessing no changes to Quickspell (other than it being movable I hope)? I actually think it's one of nwn2 UI's better features.

All those bars are movable, yes?

Looks very promising.
Formerly: Aglaril Shaelara, Faerun's unlikeliest Bladesinger
Current main: Ky - something

It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
FoamBats4All
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

Ithildur wrote:I'm guessing no changes to Quickspell (other than it being movable I hope)? I actually think it's one of nwn2 UI's better features.

All those bars are movable, yes?

Looks very promising.
No changes to those. This removes only the following UIs:
  • DMFI Toolbar
  • DMFI DM Tools
  • PC Tools
  • ZSpawn Launcher Button
The bars are not moveable from each other, they're all supposed to be linked to each other visually and functionally. However the entire thing will be moveable if I can make it. The tradeoff is that moveable UIs in NWN2 are only good if they are perfectly rectangular. NWN2 UIs have the option of capturing mouse events (and they do by default). If I want the entire thing to be moveable, I need to make the root UIScene draggable. However, this means that it also needs to capture mouse events. Have you ever tried to click under the DMFI DM Tool? It won't let you, ninja'ing control of your screen from you. Until I figure out how to get around this, the UI won't be able to be moved.
puny
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by puny »

what's that alfa documentation thingie?
FoamBats4All
Githyanki
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

puny wrote:what's that alfa documentation thingie?
A tool that can provide helpful in-game information, such as documentation of in-game features.

This feature has not been fully flushed out and is subject to removal or revision. The idea was mentioned by Zelknolf several posts back:
Zelknolf wrote:I feel like we could have any quantity of information stuffed in here; probably something to see to over time, but I like to point to Civilization as a game with some fine documentation always available
Some of the tools have children UIs that need to be made still. But we have pleeeeeeeeeeenty of time before ACR 1.90 to get it all done.
FoamBats4All
Githyanki
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

FoamBats4All wrote:
Ithildur wrote:I'm guessing no changes to Quickspell (other than it being movable I hope)? I actually think it's one of nwn2 UI's better features.

All those bars are movable, yes?

Looks very promising.
No changes to those. This removes only the following UIs:
  • DMFI Toolbar
  • DMFI DM Tools
  • PC Tools
  • ZSpawn Launcher Button
The bars are not moveable from each other, they're all supposed to be linked to each other visually and functionally. However the entire thing will be moveable if I can make it. The tradeoff is that moveable UIs in NWN2 are only good if they are perfectly rectangular. NWN2 UIs have the option of capturing mouse events (and they do by default). If I want the entire thing to be moveable, I need to make the root UIScene draggable. However, this means that it also needs to capture mouse events. Have you ever tried to click under the DMFI DM Tool? It won't let you, ninja'ing control of your screen from you. Until I figure out how to get around this, the UI won't be able to be moved.
Update on this.

Managed to get the UI moveable, all seems to be in order! It is unavoidable, but there is a 56x10 area of the UI that, even when collapsed, will capture mouse clicks. This area, to give it perspective, amounts to the red-highlighted area in the screenshot below. Clicking/dragging on this area allows you to reposition the UI. (The actual UI doesn't have a red box, I added it just to give an idea of what area you have to grab to drag it.)

Image

Keep up suggestions, feedback, and/or complaints. If you voice your opinion before serious work begins, I can incorporate your interests/concerns. If you don't, I may not be willing/able to.
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Ithildur
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Ithildur »

Image

Massive Kudos Foam.
Formerly: Aglaril Shaelara, Faerun's unlikeliest Bladesinger
Current main: Ky - something

It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
Dorn
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Dorn »

Indeed.
Imagine if we had to play NWN2 vanilla?
Such a bonus to have tech folk on your team.
playing Nathaniel Ward - Paladin of the Morninglord and devout of Torm (cookie cutter and proud of it)
FoamBats4All
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

And what the DM view looks like. Same thing, only longer.

Image

Now with 500% more animation GIFness.
Rumple C
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Rumple C »

Foam is onna roll!

Great stuff (and to the wider tech team as well).
12.August.2015: Never forget.
FoamBats4All
Githyanki
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by FoamBats4All »

Going to start the real work behind this today or tomorrow.

If you have concerns or complaints to the general functionality of things, now's the time to speak up.
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Ithildur
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Re: ALFA Universal UI

Post by Ithildur »

Redoing the creator/chooser menus has been covered I believe?
Formerly: Aglaril Shaelara, Faerun's unlikeliest Bladesinger
Current main: Ky - something

It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
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