PROPER UI

[.kju 3238]

g'day

the stock ArmA interface and design may not to everyone's taste.

Some aspects could need tweaking, some others major rework to

make them more / really useful.

basic ideas of the PROPER UI MOD:

+ useful

+ fast

+ intuitive

+ not ugly, yet the look is second prio

list of current changes and features:

+ main menu reworked to access all sub dialogs with one click

+ mp, difficulty, all options dialogs reworked

+ annoying click sound replaced with one less intrusive and softened

+ removed loading screenshots

+ removed progress bar (the one for mission download is still there of course)

+ bad looking ui backgrounds removed (will be replaced -

interface will not remain transparent)

+ buttons redesigned

+ shadow effect removed for most elements (all in the end)

+ the console noob icons in the middle of the screen will be

removed of course!

+ not sure yet whether its possible to tweak the action menu

more OFP like or any other way to improve it. we will see.

+ We will try to improve the "gear" menu as well.

+ more (which don't come into my mind right now)

here is a little demo as we want to get feedback

by you guys as well as suggestions.

demo:

PROPER_ui.rar (11 MB rar file)

Please do _NOT_ mirror this file for now!

As it is still in the pre alpha phase and very likely to change very often.

We don't want to have people download outdated versions.

Please just link to this thread from your download site or to the

download link provided by us.

Thank you!

demo and overall notes:

~ very buggy ingame UI (while playing)

~ player list in mp browser buggy

~ much more buggy

~ very unfinished state - just to get an impression for

feedback and new ideas!

~ many (error) message in the arma.rpt - not sure yet

how to remove those. help very much appreciated!

~ all backgrounds removed. in the end no window (apart from

video options dialog will be transparent. most probably

combo black font on white background. maybe tweakable via

external config.

~ certain aspects will be tweakable via an external config

~ maybe option to startup arma directly in the mp lobby or

editor island selection (really useful?)

~ additional menu point in the main menu to directly launch a

mission from that button (mission can be configured by the

external config - really useful?)

[.kju 3238]

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Thank God Himself for you blokes, thought I was going to die out here. I love the minimalist touch, very nice.

[thepiespy 2]

looks cool, maybe bump up the text size a bit in the menu (not the server list/map) i think minimalism does look quite good when done right, Half-Life 2's main menu comes to mind.

[Pillage 0]

Lookin good Q. Is this a sort of GUI beta test planned for implementation into ACE?

edit: I just noticed your sig. Can you tell us any more about said 'Proper Mod' ?

[d2duke 0]

fresh and clean

[Commando84 0]

pretty clean layout but i dont like the graphics screen, it should have it centered more like the original or like in other games.

[andersson 285]

pretty clean layout but i dont like the graphics screen, it should have it centered more like the original or like in other games.  

The good thing about not having it centered is that you can more easily see the graphic-changes without the menu intruding.

[.kju 3238]

Quote[/b] ]The good thing about not having it centered is that you can more easily see the graphic-changes without the menu intruding.

thats the idea like andersson said

[W0lle 1005]

Nice idea at all though the startup and options screens are fine with me. What I would really like to have back is the way you can interact with objects: get in car via the actionmenu, pick up stuff from crates the way we did in OFP etc. The time required to take a single magazine from a crate is insane.

Don't know if that's possible but if, then that would be just kicka$$

[MEDICUS 0]

Nice idea at all though the startup and options screens are fine with me. What I would really like to have back is the way you can interact with objects: get in car via the actionmenu, pick up stuff from crates the way we did in OFP etc. The time required to take a single magazine from a crate is insane.

Don't know if that's possible but if, then that would be just kicka$$

I just can double this.

That would be really great!

And really nice work, Q!

I like the browser.

MfG Medicus

[dmarkwick 261]

Nice ideas I'll look forward to this release. My biggest bugbear is the fact the ArmA loads up a silly little scenario between missions on a map, which it then uses as a backdrop. It's all time wasted IMO, I'd be happier with a blank background (or indeed just an ocean view, as you already have).

[.kju 3238]

Quote[/b] ]the way you can interact with objects: get in car via

the actionmenu, pick up stuff from crates the way we did in OFP

etc. The time required to take a single magazine from a crate is

insane.

the console noob icons in the middle of the screen will be

removed of course!

not sure yet whether its possible to tweak the action menu more

OFP like or any other way to improve it. we will see.

Quote[/b] ]My biggest bugbear is the fact the ArmA loads up a silly

little scenario between missions on a map, which it then uses as

a backdrop.

Not sure if i got you right here. However we have made

PROPER_IntroAnims already..

Its a very small addon to remove the demo missions in the main

menu.

With default ArmA it takes ages to load the menu once you

come back from the editor. With PROPER_IntroAnims it is instant.

I'll try to release it tonight finally..

Quote[/b] ]The time required to take a single magazine from a

crate is insane.

We will try to improve the "gear" menu as well.

Keep your excellent suggestions coming

[Scrub 0]

I like the clean look. Gives much more visibility.

When the 'noob icon' for gear comes up, and you hit the action button, isn't the default action to just re-equip (grab mags?) I've been able to resupply like lightning. Though, to be fair, it is not easy to grab different ammo for someone else, or keep track of all mag counts using this method.

[.kju 3238]

first post updated with additional info and demo version.

read at the least the bold stuff

feedback and suggestion is very much appreciated!

[crashdome 1]

Thanks Q, for the work.

As far as feedback... not everyone is into minimalism or is strictly a functionalist. Perhaps, there should be some graphic designers come forward to help design a few options for alternative menus.

For example, one minimalist one like this, one with streamlined menus for the MP person, one for the "Editor"-type , all containing atleast some color and/or design work.

[Pillage 0]

Is this a sort of GUI beta test planned for implementation into ACE?

Can you tell us any more about said 'Proper Mod' ?

[.kju 3238]

Quote[/b] ]Perhaps, there should be some graphic designers come

forward to help design a few options for alternative menus.

For example, one minimalist one like this, one with streamlined

menus for the MP person, one for the "Editor"-type , all containing

at least some color and/or design work.

well apart from the editor all main main dialogs are more less

finished. so these can be considered "stable".

very much agreed on that one CD!

so if anyone is interested to add one or two additional designs,

please pm me!

note that it should be mainly about coloring and not adding

artwork, as the basic idea especially in the editor is to make and

keep it as useful as possible.

i guess it would be a good idea to have a look at Dr Eyeball's

excellent Dialog Template to get some idea to get ideas how

to improve the UI in general

[Sentry 0]

(>>Tiberian Genesis UI (Old one)<<)

[.kju 3238]

Yours looks great Sentry - I said this to MarcoH himself a few

weeks ago.

Still both projects have a different vision and goal.

[456820 0]

Quote[/b] ]Perhaps, there should be some graphic designers come

forward to help design a few options for alternative menus.

For example, one minimalist one like this, one with streamlined

menus for the MP person, one for the "Editor"-type , all containing

at least some color and/or design work.

Can one of those options be an OFP style UI?

Mainly cause the OFP UI was very good in most ways, apart from the editor was a bit small but that could be fixed.

Looks good anyway, anything will be better then the ArmA UI.

[Heatseeker 0]

I'd rather have a minimalist (OPF style or less) UI than Arma's default.. i dont know what went wrong here but it was a too small thing to bitch about..

[paragraphic l 2]

I PM'ed Q that I like to help him with the new UI design. But I allready have one concept I love to show you guys and to get comments on.

NOTE: this is all photoshop work, nothing ingame!

This is also a question to Q, is this the minimalistic style you like or even without the animations in the BG?

Main Menu:

Idea I have here is to show up the icons on the side like the MP one.

Multiplayer list:

As a funny side note: I think I've actually used the original OFP font this one somehow felt the most appropriate off my 1500font list

I actually DO like the current ArmA main menu, only the useless gradient I like to see replaced, but Q's idead to create a minimalistic clean lay-out also appeals to me

[Benoist 0]

That one looks REALY nice

[paragraphic l 2]

Thank you!