[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#7127) [FS] Screen design

["Raimar Falke" <i-freeciv-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=7127 >

On Mon, Jan 05, 2004 at 08:21:14PM -0800, Morgan Jones wrote:
> >>     * chat output area ALTERNATIVE: fading output at top-left
> >> corner like in Diablo2
> 
> Diablo 2 IIRC relied on the top left corner of the screen being pretty
> dark or black.  I don't think we can guarantee suitable conditions
> over the mapview.

There is no explicit dark area in this corner. It is more that Diablo
but itself is pretty dark and that the action is in the center of the
screen.

> >>    This may look like a mix between SMAC and GalCiv.
> > 
> > I used a scaled galciv screen for the current testing. The
> > screenshot is at http://freeciv.org/~rfalke/fs3_pics/mapview.png. I
> > really need some input on the general design and layout. Else I will
> > arrange them in simple grid at a corner.
> 
> I've attached a quick layout idea that I'd quite like (for a 640x480
> screen).  Maybe it's of some use to you.

Excellent. You just got the title "Chief Freeciv Screen Layouter" ;)

> IMO it is important to ensure that as much of the main map is visible
> as possible.
> 
> I've based the size of the lower panels (minimap etc.) on comfortably
> fitting 2 units on top of each other.  Units seem to go up to 48
> pixels high so that's what I measured with.  The resulting height
> conveniently matches the default size of the minimap (80x50 tiles,
> 160x100 pixels).
> 
> I've made the top panels 30 high as this seems to be the size of the
> buttons in the deluxe tileset (for SDL).

> Theoretically it would be nice if the layout automatically adjusted
> to the size of the images and fonts...

You have to specify a new config file containing the layout for
different screen resolutions. I think this is acceptable.

Two points:

I want to remove the message dialog. I want it part of the main screen
layout. For this chatline output area will used for this. It will be
made clickable. However for this the area must get scrollable. What do
you think?

I would rather remove the tax icons and use the place for some quick
buttons which bring you into the city list screen, player list screen
and your nation screen.

A minor point: is it really necessary to have the global warming and
cooling icon on the main screen?

> > A technical point:
> > 
> > I want the minimap scaled to a fixed size. So that it fits into a
> > region of the background image. Either a natural version (one pixel
> > for a tile) is constructed and scaled to the output size OR the
> > scaled output is drawn directly. I have a gut feeling that the first
> > solution is not fast (enough). And I'm not sure if the quality of
> > the output image will be bad in the second choice because of the
> > partial updates the output image would get. Any input?
> > 
> What about a scrollable minimap?  I would rather this than scaling as
> scaling would probably result in the loss of many terrain features.
> 
> Actually come to think of it why not have a zoom feature (2:1, 1:1,
> 1:2, etc) so the player can choose what works for them and the mapsize
> they've chosen?  Combine this with scroll buttons (would be nicer than
> scroll bars I think) and the minimap is fully flexible.

I planned to use both (scaled to a fixed output size and
zoomable). But I agree that zoomable along is enough.

        Raimar

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