Latest UI Updates

Discussion in 'Art' started by Devourawr, Dec 7, 2016.

  1. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    Discuss the upcoming changes. I haven't had much time to work this month as most of it has gone towards the eventual javascript revamp, but what we do have is here for your viewing pleasure. 10 image limit so just examples.

    Bio
    hex_cat_bio_off (old).png hex_cat_bio_off.png
    Electrical
    old_hex_cat_elec.png hex_cat_elec.png
    Engines
    old_hex_engine.png hex_engine.png

    In-game
    tech tree.png

    New Commander buttons to replace the old ones.
    attack.png recycle.png


    This patch will also contain the new HUD icons such as requesting ammo, health, repairs, mine warnings, as well as the crosshair for Engineer when repairing, recycling, etc.

    The new weapon and skill icons will be implemented too and should be discussed here.

    There is a new slider which should hopefully help immersion slightly.

    The new Commander HUD skin has bugs and is being held back, but the next patch in a month will contain that and it will be here too.
     
  2. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    reserved for more image dumping
     
  3. Kidpaler

    Kidpaler Member

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    I know this is a big request, but when you are "in" a specific tree, can you make the background themed to that tree?

    Such as if you are in the chemistry tree, there are beakers and stuff in the background.
    In the Biology tree, put Biohazard stuff.
    In the Electrical Engineering tree, put circuits and stuff.

    I just feel this would be some cool polish that would make it look cool.

    Otherwise, I love your work. It has improved the UI that desperately needed a revamp.
     
  4. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    Not big on the new electrical tree icon. I know it's suppose to be a circuit diagram but it's doesn't really express the idea well.

    If you are changing the engine icon are you changing the vf menu icon too? New one is more informative, I just did the old one like that because it's what it looks like in the vf menu.
     
  5. Paradox

    Paradox I am a gigantic asshole who loses people's hard wo

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    I agree with lazybum here, electrical seems off.

    Btw is it possible to give information when you hover over a certain research.

    So when you hover over upgraded missiles it says gives you 2 slot UML or something and its good against X bad against Z

    Cause right now if you want to know what stuff is good against what you have to test it or read patch note. It'd be good if a super simplified version was given in that tooltip
     
  6. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    Yeah, I'll redo those engine icons when I redo the vehicle weapons and armours, I just needed to quickly make something to stand in here. I'll have to one day make a much more in-depth one - I'd like an engine icon to eventually show on the vehicle hud, alongside a real spedometer and heat display.

    It should be possible, but that'll be edited in the strings, not by me on my end. The only problem I can see with that is it would need updating every single script change, so it's unlikely.

    That's a good idea, but would have to be implemented when Solokiller, Max and I overhaul the Ui for the javascript version, as currently all I have as a "background" to edit is a 16x16 stretched tile.

    Thanks! It means a lot
     
  7. Paradox

    Paradox I am a gigantic asshole who loses people's hard wo

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    @Devourawr , it shouldnt contain all the information just basics HE cannon good against buildings, that's been like this for ever.

    Du good against reactive??
    real weaon overhauls are going to change it so I Dont think that's that big of a problem.
    Anyway not my call since I dont know what work has to go into it. But I think that'd be a really big pluspoint for tactics in research. Right now I have no goddamn clue whats good against wht or whats bad against what. And going through allt he patch notes to know is kinda derp
     
  8. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    I mean the current description strings are in the research text, it's not hard to add a newline character and give"Good against this, bad against this, Average against this." Even though the stats on things change quite a bit generally speaking what is good against what doesn't really change that much. Assuming of course we are doing a simple buildings/infantry/tanks thing, armors can get pretty funky pretty fast depending on the mood of the current scripter so indepth stuff like, "good against bio bad against antitank mgs" would get messy fast.

    I would bother to actually do this if I knew it was going to be added, it really would only take like 15-20 minutes tops.
     
  9. Kidpaler

    Kidpaler Member

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    I believe that is more of a "scripting" thing if I'm not mistaken.
     
  10. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    I know, that's my point. If anyone knows what can be done with scripts I'm certainly way up there in capable people. When I said research text I meant the literal research_items.txt file in the scripts.
     
  11. Sgt.Security

    Sgt.Security Member

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    *cough*
    But that's fine, I mean who reads that? Especially if you don't include em in update log.

    20161208110929_1.jpg
     
    Kidpaler likes this.
  12. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    If someone could test my UI changes in the merge requests that would be great, I really want those in the beta today.
     
  13. A-z-K

    A-z-K Member

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    Reading that description of Deflective armor made my brain hurt, which made my brain hurt.
     
  14. Ranger

    Ranger Member

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    Ι λικε δεσψριπτιονσ.
    I like descriptions. But I believe the pros and cos should be place in a window on the left or right and written in a few words like: stronk vs shit, weak vs cake so that the eye catches the meaning immediately amirit right amirhtightamiiright?
     
  15. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    That would be nice but there's no way to do that currently. Putting it on it's own separate line in the description box might help, but there doesn't seem to be any space for it.

    Yeah, I haven't fooled around in commander view so I didn't know they existed, sorry security.
     
  16. Paradox

    Paradox I am a gigantic asshole who loses people's hard wo

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    Was that in there already? Cause if it was my appologies for not knowing, but instead of adding that, we should rehaul it and make it more readable and less shit.

    Only essentials and better lay out. Right now it's like a powerpoint slide with all text, noone is going to read it.
     
  17. complete_

    complete_ lamer

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    im not that big of a fan of the biohazard sign for the biological tree. yeah, it works for the bio weapons, but not for regen and biodiesel. it also looks even more like the tree that nukes would be in than it did before

    dont have an issue with the others
     
  18. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    Okay, so this patch is going to be an update to the top panel icons.

    1) I'm removing the transparency from the top panel - it sometimes looks better, but against many skyboxes it just looks shit.

    2) I'll be changing the new squad arrow icons - the arches which show where your squad members are - but the problem is because it's not a vector graphic, it will only look good up close, and as it gets smaller and further away, degrades in quality. These ones actually weren't intended to be in this patch, but I've had some mixed feedback so not sure what to do with them for now. Keep? Make arrows again? Please advise.

    3) I'll be completely redoing the infantry HUD for later, including the health and ammo bar when the javascript support comes in. Expect that not in this patch but a few down the road.

    4) The Commander HUD will be redone too, but I can't decide whether it's worth doing a reskin now only to do a full remake further down the road. That'll be done next patch, if I decide it's worth it.
     
  19. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    I sort of let Empires ruin my life, so I've stayed very far away for a long time.
    That being said there are many things I did which never got put into the game because of the new git repo move, so here's a simple one that I really think would have been a big improvement had it gone in. It changes the icons up top into much, much nicer images. (tank number, tickets remaining, the clock)

    drag and drop the files into empires/empires/materials/vgui

    It hopefully works, I haven't opened Empires in ages but it should have been tested a lot on my end. If it looks good give it to a developer to whack into the game, it really does make a difference to how polished screenshots look.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    Okay, tested them out. ib icons work perfectly, guns had some names incorrect so now I've renamed them so you can just drag and drop. All sorted and ready to go.
     

    Attached Files:

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