Adventure Game Studio

AGS Support => Advanced Technical Forum => Topic started by: Janik on Sun 16/10/2005 03:34:10

Title: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Janik on Sun 16/10/2005 03:34:10
Hi,

I'd like to suggest a small change to the interface, in the left-side tree. Here is what I have in mind:

(http://www.dmgenie.com/ags/UI_suggestion.png)

Basically, instead of clicking Areas on the tree, and then selecting one of the 4 types of areas, we could click directly. Nothing else in the interface would need to change, and it would save a bit of mouse movement and clicking.

Thanks for listening!
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Elliott Hird on Sun 16/10/2005 09:25:15
A tad overcrowded, don't you think?
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: esper on Sun 16/10/2005 09:34:12
Hence the "-" button to the left...
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Pumaman on Sun 16/10/2005 14:33:22
What does everyone think about this? Would this be better or worse?
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: strazer on Sun 16/10/2005 14:43:41
I don't care personally since I know how to use the editor but I think the proposed change might be more intuitive for new users.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Privateer Puddin' on Sun 16/10/2005 14:49:22
I don't care for this change, unless the current way was kept aswell, i'd only the use old way anyway.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Janik on Sun 16/10/2005 16:47:39
Quote from: Elliott Hird on Sun 16/10/2005 09:25:15
A tad overcrowded, don't you think?
I don't think it would make it overcrowded at all: even with the 3 extra entries, the tree is more than half empty space, and I don't even maximize the editor window.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: edmundito on Sun 16/10/2005 16:49:04
I like tabs better for the areas... but that's just me.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Kweepa on Sun 16/10/2005 18:22:35
Seems more logical to me. I like it.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: monkey0506 on Sun 16/10/2005 18:28:55
I think it would be nice.  It would make it a little easier to navigate in any case.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Wretched on Sun 16/10/2005 19:35:37
The current list box is a bit cumbersome but it is sometimes useful to be able to switch room areas with the cursor keys whilst keeping the mouse pointer stationary, saves me a few paw prints on the monitor, trying to remember a particular pixel.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Ubel on Sun 16/10/2005 19:52:14
I really like this idea. It would make working on rooms so much easier. I fully support this.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Elliott Hird on Sun 16/10/2005 20:25:48
PLEASE, i BEG you, DON'T do this!
It just makes it more cluttered and ugly when the one listbox works perfectly. Besides, it's just more work. Don't fix it if it isn't broke.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: monkey0506 on Sun 16/10/2005 20:36:47
I'm not sure how spreading things out makes them more cluttered.  And you do of course all realize that next to "Room Editor" there is a '-', which could be clicked to hide the tree...?  The listbox works, but it's more cluttered to have everything all in one place than to have it spread out appropriately IMO.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Rui 'Trovatore' Pires on Mon 17/10/2005 01:26:38
I honestly prefer the old (current) way.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Gilbert on Mon 17/10/2005 03:17:37
Well, I prefer the old way, the roommake way...
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Elliott Hird on Mon 17/10/2005 10:52:06
Quote from: Gilbot V7000a on Mon 17/10/2005 03:17:37
Well, I prefer the old way, the roommake way...
Don't we all?
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Haddas on Mon 17/10/2005 11:24:40
I like the new way better.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Gilbert on Mon 17/10/2005 12:03:02
But you can paint walls with roommake!
This is not possible with roomedit or agsedit!
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Elliott Hird on Mon 17/10/2005 15:10:12
Quote from: Gilbot V7000a on Mon 17/10/2005 12:03:02
But you can paint walls with roommake!
This is not possible with roomedit or agsedit!
give me a copy NOW! I want walls! lol. So much easier than walk-areas.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Joseph DiPerla on Mon 17/10/2005 22:41:33
I like the new suggested way. It would be more... Comfortable.

But whatever you choose to do CJ is fine by me.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: LeChuck on Tue 18/10/2005 08:24:15
I much prefer the new way. It makes it easier and faster to navigate.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Scummbuddy on Sun 23/10/2005 23:10:20
I would be for the change. I've often felt for this change, but didn't feel worth mentioning. If there was a way to switch between two interfaces, such as one with tree branching, or not, I think everyone would be happy.

But again, this is such a low profile suggestion, we'll see. Maybe this could be added to the suggestion tracker, so that more people can add their thoughts.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Mon 24/10/2005 06:31:53
Any change that enhances object oriented design is definitely a step in the right direction- whether it 'seems' strange at first or not.  Streamlining ags and making lists bulleted (I made a somewhat similar suggestion about bulleting views so you could store all a characters views in separate bulleted lists (much like how the sprite manager handles folders and subfolders) = extremely OO and convenient) will improve productivity in the long run.  In fact, one way to greatly improve overall utility would be to use a system similar to the folder/subfolder system the sprite manager uses.  The consistency gain between different parts of the editor would ultimately benefit everyone.  Example:

the View editor would handle things like:

-EGO
-[foldername1]
  -(all views in this folder...Let's say this folder handles 'special' animations like jump, run,etc).

-[foldername2]
  -(all views in this folder...Let's say this folder handles walk animations).

etc

-EGO1 (repeat process above).

Now all views have been oriented around an 'object'.  The object in this case is EGO, but it could be 'tree', 'Bill', 'Dog', or 'Gigantic computer'.  This could be extended to dialogs as well, although the current method uses bulleting of a sort already (with the option names list).  If any of this is confusing I apologize, I've just read too many programming books on OO design and find the long term benefits to be worth extra effort (for my part anyway, I'm not assuming that CJ is my slave and must do it). 
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: fovmester on Mon 24/10/2005 12:47:16
I like that, Prog!  :D
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: Ubel on Mon 24/10/2005 14:26:17
Me too, very good idea ProgZmax! I'd like to see something like this in the later versions of AGS.
Title: Re: Small Interface Suggestion
Post by: petazzo on Wed 26/10/2005 20:41:11
I think it would be useless. Now it works fine, it is intuitive and it don't cover too much space.