Towards a first complete working image set

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Creator
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Creator »

or optionally here is the direct link to an uploaded version of it

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/7712/logodraft10.png



Okay wit the logo pretty much done and out of the way I am now going to finish off the main menu. IE do the buttons.

I want the buttons to be quite simple as they were in the other imp main menus. IE you scroll over a button and a word pops up over the button telling you what it is. So I scroll over the map and it says scenario over the map.

Now should we have a see through overlay for when the mouse is not over the button so people know where all the buttons are or should we just let them explore?
Veneteaou
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Veneteaou »

First off, really like the logo. The flags look really good. What size are we planning on viewing this logo at in the game?
Now should we have a see through overlay for when the mouse is not over the button so people know where all the buttons are or should we just let them explore?
I think we need to make sure we aren't covering up the image, no matter what. We can do see-through overlay, semi-transparent menu, small menu, invisible-unless-mouse-over menu, or a fade in menu that could take up more space.
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Trilarion
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Post by Trilarion »

As far as I remember from original Imperialism the area of each "button" was highlighted when the mouse was over. Or was it kind of a glow effect? Programmatically it was probably done by showing a second small image in the area when hoovering that is similar to the first image except for the effect. This gives a lot of freedom.

The word appearing could be a tooltip. Anyway we have inbuilt support for tooltips for almost any graphical element. I would like a see-through overlay, although I am not sure what you imagine by it. I imagine a kind of improved effect from the original. So not only a highlight but maybe also a change in content. Like the map is slightly changing (one nation conquering another) when over it.

To indicate and give the user some help where to search on the front menu I would put small symbols at the centers of each button, that are visible when the mouse is not over the button but indicates that there is something interesting. Or the area of the button could be outlined ever so slightly (using a Bezier curve I could help there). Or we can leave the indication out and the user will just find out by himself.

We also could have and additional menu that is hidden and unfolds. But on the other hand that might be a duplicate and redundant...
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Trilarion
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Trilarion »

Veneteaou wrote:First off, really like the logo. The flags look really good. What size are we planning on viewing this logo at in the game? ...
We would use it as the splash screen upon loading (200x200), as an icon probably too, on the website (currently 100x50), in the game manual and possibly at other places throughout the game. I am not sure where...

We have to smartly downsize it. I will try and incorporate it in the website during the next days.
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

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okay that sounbds good tri. I will work on that and get back to you
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

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Okay I have started to work on the buttons and let it be known that I, 1) hate chandeliers, 2) hate the interior designer who placed so many chandeliers in this room and 3) hate chandeliers.

However beside the annoyance of the chandeliers everything is going well so far though I have nothing to show you in terms of actual end product yet unfortunately. I have done the door on the right so far to make it open a bit when the player hovers over it.

I am working on the map next and going to have it so that the map has a colour overlay of all the great powers showing their positions and territory right before the Great War.

For the throne I was thinking having a crown and sceptre appear just chillaxing on the seat.

I will make the fireplace light up.

I will open the window on the left with, hopefully, a bit of sun glare coming through.

Well that is all to say for now sorry for the lack of anything to show you of yet but it should not take me long to get these buttons out of the way barring any chandelier catastrophe.
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Post by Trilarion »

Definitely the chandeliers are the number one challenge. And I like them least in the image. Unfortunately there are so many and they dominate the upper area. Hope you can manage with them.

The ideas sound very good. Let's try and map them to the menu options.

1. Load a scenario or create a random scenario and start it: Left half of the map
2. Network center: connect to a server, start or join a multiplayer scenario: Right half of the map
3. Options/Preferences: Fireplace
4. Start the help browser: Window that opens.
5. Editor: Throne
6. Exit: The door that opens.

What do you think?
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Creator »

sounds perfect to me
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Creator »

Hey all

I am very close to finishing the buttons, just got the map button to do. I have tested on the image to see how they would look and I am quite pleased with the results. I just have a couple of questions before I finish up.

1) Can my roll over image be bigger than the button size? (IE I want it so that you can put your mouse over the left half of the map and it changes the entire map and when you have your mouse over the right side it changes the entire map)

2) Can we have see through buttons for when the mouse is not on the button? (IE it shows the original image but when the mouse is rolled over an "invisible" button it changes to the roll over image)

Once I have these questions answered I can finish off the buttons

PS. I hope it isn't too hard to line up the buttons with the background image, I can do it in photoshop but not sure how you do it code wise.
Last edited by Creator on Sun Mar 17, 2013 5:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
Veneteaou
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Re: Towards a first complete working image set

Post by Veneteaou »

1) I'm not Tril, but I don't see why not. From a coding perspective, whenever the mouse enters a series of coordinates on the screen (a box), the program does X (X being load whatever image you want wherever on the screen).

2) Same thing as number 1. The game would merely display the original image unless the pointer enters a certain coordinate range. That is a trigger that would set off any command the programmer chooses.
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