More GUI, less scripts in the editor.

[Flogger23m 2]

The thing that makes the ArmA games somewhat fun to play is the editor. But the layout is very, very dated and antiquated. Simple things that should be done through a GUI must be done through scripts which often don't work. Examples are having certain units/objects destroyed to end the mission. We must manually type in a script. I would much prefer a GUI drop down menu where I can quickly choose that if unit X is destroyed, the mission will end. Or unit Y will spawn.

Jane's USAF (1999) and Lock On FC2/DCS Black Shark have such features. Very quick and easy to use. No minimizing, copying, pasting, or typing in countless script after script for what is essentially the most simple thing a mission should have. Likewise, a measurement tool/"ruler" that can measure the distance between any point on a map.

ArmA 2 (and I will assume 3) has a powerful mission editor, but you will likely never figure out or even know many of the features exist. I hope this area is improved in ArmA 3 and is given some thought on the layout and incorporating most of the features into a easy to find GUI.

[dmarkwick 261]

A more useful editor request usually attracts complaints from people who insist that scripts are the correct method for just about anything :)

But in principle I agree, a lot more GUI can be used to do a lot more things. I'm particularly interested in editors that have "layers" of complexity, so initially the editor seems simple to use and a lot of things can be done, but further examination reveals more depths. Like pop-up windows to expand on certain ideas for example. One thing I'd surely like to see is a simple script editor right in the GUI editor, with the possibility that you can link those scripts right into an action/event right in the editor. There's not much reason why there cannot be a "upon destruction" (killed event) field in each entity's window where you can drag such a script into. As well as lots of others, lets say an event window that lists all the events and allows the possibility to link in scripts right there.

I know, I know, we already can do that via notepad & Windows explorer, but there's no reason to think that method would disappear. But a more expansive editor would surely promote more editing activity sooner.

[zigzag 0]

For your exampel.

Create a trigger and group(F2) with the thing you want to destroy and choose not present in the trigger and you are done. Not a singel letter typed and only five clicks with the mouse.

But a nicer editor would always be nicer.

[Nicholas 5]

I would love to have GUI options such as that. It would make it so much easier for anyone to make their own missions. Of course still have the ability to script whatever you want.

[mr. bravo 17]

I believe VBS2 have something like this already, where you can choose basic scripts from a dropdown-menu on any unit in the editor. So it's definitely possible. Hopefully things like this will be ported to ArmA as well now that they're fixing a proper 3d-editor.

[NeMeSiS 11]

For your exampel.

Create a trigger and group(F2) with the thing you want to destroy and choose not present in the trigger and you are done. Not a singel letter typed and only five clicks with the mouse.

But a nicer editor would always be nicer.

Yet somehow more difficult to manage than just typing '!alive dude1' as a condition. Especially in larger missions lines going everywhere really becomes messy.

[2nd ranger 282]

At the very least, briefings and tasks should be supported in the GUI. Everything you need to create a simple, completable mission should be available in the editor.

[PRM Commando 10]

I think DMarkwick has it spot on. Have a basic GUI for beginners and yet have the option for the experienced editors to continue using scripts as normal. A tiered system would allow people like myself to actually learn how to use the editor at a basic level and then build up to more complex operations by adding one or two scripts at a time to each mission, rather than trying to learn multiple scripts at once.

At least maybe BIS could create official tutorials? Thankfully there are people giving they're free time to making them for us, for which I am extremely grateful, but a structured step by step tutorial from basic, through intermediate, then up to advanced could be done in my opinion. Even if they have a PDF guide of scripting from A-Z would be a massive help.

[Smurf 12]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

[dmarkwick 261]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

Definately this :)

[Nielsen 10]

At the very least, briefings and tasks should be supported in the GUI. Everything you need to create a simple, completable mission should be available in the editor.

This^^

[Defunkt 431]

I don't think you can really fault the suggestion but as someone who already knows his way around most of the editor's less obvious mechanisms there are a whole heap of other things which I have no way of working around at all I'd rather they invested the time in. It'll only help new mission makers to more quickly reach the point where they hit the same problems-without-solutions that frequently stymie me.

[Tonci87 163]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

Totally this

[zigzag 0]

Yet somehow more difficult to manage than just typing '!alive dude1' as a condition. Especially in larger missions lines going everywhere really becomes messy.

True, but he did not want to use his left hand for writing, so I gave him an exampel on how he can use it for other stuff :)

[Flogger23m 2]

I think DMarkwick has it spot on. Have a basic GUI for beginners and yet have the option for the experienced editors to continue using scripts as normal. A tiered system would allow people like myself to actually learn how to use the editor at a basic level and then build up to more complex operations by adding one or two scripts at a time to each mission, rather than trying to learn multiple scripts at once.

At least maybe BIS could create official tutorials? Thankfully there are people giving they're free time to making them for us, for which I am extremely grateful, but a structured step by step tutorial from basic, through intermediate, then up to advanced could be done in my opinion. Even if they have a PDF guide of scripting from A-Z would be a massive help.

This would be ideal. I don't mind the script functions being left in there, but there needs to be more GUI.

I am amazed at how complex the editor can be when I stumble upon something on a website. But it shouldn't be that way for a lot of features. Ease of usage can go a long way. At its heart ArmA is based on the editor.

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

This is another thing I never understood how to do. I know you can, but after spending countless hours in the editor I never stumbled upon how to write mission briefings (under task, situation, ect.). And to be honest this is something that should be very simple to learn as it was in USAF and as it is in Lock On/DCS. Exactly what I was referring to!

If more people can quickly learn how to use the editor to churn out good missions, we'll see more players prop up to play and support the series.

[dale0404 5]

Yeah, I must admit having a briefing creator in the editor would save tons of time etc. Hopefully this will be in there!

[Clarkey1 10]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

+1

This plus being able to edit all scripts in the mission folder within the editor itself.

[iratus 71]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

This! Doing a propper briefing and loadout is somewhat tricky for beginners. Being able to do them directly in the editor would certainly help new mission makers.

[kimozabbi 1]

If more people can quickly learn how to use the editor to churn out good missions, we'll see more players prop up to play and support the series.

You nailed it. I've been playing OFP/arma for over ten years now but still need to keep my missions relatively simple because I'm not computer savvy and don't have a good understanding of scripting. I think any features that will help make arma more accessible to new players without dumbing down the gameplay are worth implimenting.

[50.cal 10]

A GUI for loadout and briefing\task would be welcome. They are easy to make, but sometimes take some time to test and so...

Yep that's what we've been asking for ages.

With the current system it takes way to much time to just set the correct loadout. weapon/munition type/how many mags vs slots avail/grenades/nvg etc etc...

We should have some editable classes with the ability to assign any item to either the unit or the group. Ever played SWAT4? ;-)

Same for the vehicles. We should be able to edit their loadout or at least the cargo.

For Aircraft perhaps fuel vs loadout? I mean just the minimum ;-)

Hope we're going to have it this time! Really this would already be such a great improvement :)

Edited May 6, 2012 by 50.cal

[mrcash2009 0]

Agree on the briefing editor, would be nice to see things such as a browser so you can actually browse to a document to link it for ease of file name copying into fields and things.

Completely agree on loadout section for the editor, to pop open a window, get your list of entire weapons in a sort box and simply link them to a unit (double click or drag line like grouping) which dumps the script into the exec box would be "dreamy". ITs only really doing what loadout selector missions do now that you have to run in game to dump to a file but instead slap bang in the editor.

Seeing as BIS really have focus to get people to use the editor, and they are trying to streamline for arma3, I think that its almose illegal not to do this for the editor so new users love it faster like they will with any GUI/anims in game ;)

Edited May 6, 2012 by mrcash2009

[dmarkwick 261]

It wouldn't take much code wrangling to do either: have a popup window upon hitting a "Loadout" button where you can choose config-retrieved weapons. Upon closing that popup window, it writes a code snippet into the unit's init field removing its default weapons and adding in the new ones.

[mrcash2009 0]

In some ways we are simply asking for some macro work in the editor, saved preset macro lists in a window to just drag onto a unit and hey presto, same for things like intro/outro .. kind of how modules work in the editor (grouped) but with configs.

So if you have a mission with an intro/outro template of data & pre made loadouts, instead of copying to mission folder alt tabbing, external editing to link it, you had a macro/template list drop down sortable window to click and drag and snap to the mission, with some pre set BIS template lists to make your own (with still the obvious option to tweak external for hardcore editors).

I would like to see a shell so that the editor has its own disk browser pop up to external files, instead of a separated alt-tab copy files to mission folder refresh aspect, to really synchronise the editor into a more direct desktop feel & never really exiting the editor screen for such tasks. Or basicly any window or exec window has a disk icon next to it to browse and click (I know editors much prefer simply at tabbing CTRL-C/V but this is to do with newcomers too).

These types of ideas would really help new folk to editing not hit a wall of "fiddling" and it would have more appeal and bring in more new mission makers that would stick with it and not drop out just making personal missions.

Currently its very separate world from config file > editor. Kind of reminds me of windows 3.1 and DOS switching still :)

Edited May 7, 2012 by mrcash2009

[subliminalss 12]

"Jane's USAF (1999) and Lock On FC2/DCS Black Shark have such features. Very quick and easy to use. No minimizing, copying, pasting, or typing in countless script after script for what is essentially the most simple thing a mission should have. Likewise, a measurement tool/"ruler" that can measure the distance between any point on a map. "

If i could do half the stuff i can on arma in DCS-A10 maybe my Hotas Warthog would see some proper use.

I get the point though, I personally use RTEand Arma mission editor combined and find this very powerful, i think the devs should take some inspiration from this real time 3d editor. allows perfect palcement of objects and great Unit loadout custmization etc. and exports to the SQM with nothing but a minimize and click.

Also i think alot of you should try TKOH: Rearmed. (with arma2) alot of these features are rearing their head!

Edited May 7, 2012 by JonieTurnock