[tetrinext] Re: TINT UI and Theme Standard draft -- part 1:interface

["opteek" <opteek@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

yes...good..great actually..but...if Zillidot has some parts of the UI
written, WTF haven't we seen it yet..how are we supposed to contribute if
Zill is writing everything. I think we should establish some central server
were all the revisions including the latest ones are kept....
-----Original Message-----
From: Jared Johnson <solomon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tetrinext@xxxxxxxxxxxx <tetrinext@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2000 6:54 PM
Subject: [tetrinext] TINT UI and Theme Standard draft -- part 1:interface


>
>okay, involvement has picked up with TINT (what, you haven't noticed?? well
it
>has really =) so let's step up the effort to get some design concept stuff
typed
>out in rants and then converted to cohesive documents in html and put onto
the
>page.  Here's my attempt at doing this.  I'm sure it's quite incomplete, so
>respond to this with some reccomendations/suggestions/comments/flames.
let's talk
>about the UI.  i'll just put it into the format of my ratings page since
it's the
>only page besides the FAQ that anybody has felt like writing <ahem!>...
>
>
>By the way, i'm sure Zillidot have plenty of additions and corrections to
make
>on this, since he's already coded parts of the UI.  I hope that his classes
let
>up on him so that he can come on and post these, or at least to hand
someone
>what he's done so far so that they can take a look and note the
incongruancies with
>what i wrote.  I'm sure there will be alot of them, i'm really only writing
>this in order to get SOMETHING started =).  on with the show.
>
>User Interface
>
>
>
>1st Draft
>
>
>
>Introduction
>
>This document is [er, will eventually be] a complete description of the
>features to be implimented in the TINT user interface.  This includes a
complete user
>interface as well as a framework that allows or modifications and
extensions.  We
>will focus on features that are necessary to include in order to have a
>complete and cohesive user interface.  In designing the interface, however,
future
>modularization and extension to the interface should be supported.
>
>
>
>Objectives
>
>It's a good idea to outline the objectives that the UI is hoped to achieve.
>These include the following:
>
>-Portability.  This is the primary reason that SDL was chosen as the
library to
>be used for TINT's user interface.
>
>-Flexibility.  In order to achive maximum flexibility, TINT's theme
standard
>will be very broad; every visual aspect of the UI can be set by theme.
>
>-Modularity.  It is hoped that willing programmers will be able to extend
the
>TINT interface by writing modules that use SDL and distributing them
seperate
>from the TINT package.  the interface code should allow for this.
>
>-Appearance.  TINT will have a very arcade-style appearance, adding to the
>enjoyment of the game and to its ability to be modified in various ways by
creative
>and willing programmers.  Design of the interface should allow for visual
>effects that can then be provided by the TINT project or by theme authors.
>
>-Useability.  It is not our intention to sacrifice an intuitive interface
for
>all of the preceding objectives.  Although it may be possible to extend
TINT to
>be a crufty, uncomfortable interface, TINT's interface should still be
designed
>to be as intuitive and comfortable as possible.
>
>The rest of this document attempts to outline how these objectives will be
>reached through the design of TINT.
>
>
>
>Interface
>
>The TINT interface will be designed to be as comfortable for the user as
>possible.  It will be designed to work in a windowed or full screen
environment and
>conform to what most people would expect from a program's interface.  The
>following elements will be included in TINT's interface:
>
>-Menu System.
>The menu system will give users access to every function available.  It
will
>probably be designed as most are -- File, Edit, View, and Help -- with
extra menus
>for various categories of functions, including but not limited to a Game,
>Client, Server, and Chat menu.  Of course, some functions that are included
in the
>menu will be made available directly on the screen and/or via hotkeys, for
added
>convenience.
>
>-Dialogues.
>Dialogues will be included primarily for connecting to a server, setting up
a
>serer, and editing client, server, and interface preferences.  Note that
which
>options will be available for change within the preference dialogues will
be
>determined by further discussion.  Input dialogues for simple arguments
within
>functions like setting nick name, changing teams, etc. will also be
included with
>functions that require it.
>
>-Task Bar
>Another common element of an interface that will be included in TINT will
be
>the task bar.  This bar will be optional -- it can be hidden through an
option in
>the Vew menu as well as by whatever other means are decided.  Every
function
>included in the task bar will be one that is available via the menu system.
It
>will include a text description and an icon -- whether to display the text,
icons,
>or both will be left up to the theme author and/or user.  A possible
additional
>feature for this task bar would be to allow input of a text argument to be
added
>as a flag to the function that is being used, via a text input box directly
on
>the task bar.  This would be useful for connecting to a server, joining a
>channel, joining a team, or changing a nick.  Everything included in the
task bar
>should be modifyable by the theme author and perhaps through the preference
>dialogue.
>
>-Console
>The console will be the "irc-style" element of TINT.  It will be the
primary
>means by which the user chats with the rest of the channel that he is
playing in.
>It will support irc-style commands for everything that is included in the
menu
>system.  This will complete a very comprehensive means by which a user can
>perform the same function in whatever way he feels comfortable; for
instance, in
>order to join the team "teamsters", the user could either access the "team"
function
>through the menu system and enter "teamsters" into the text dialogue; enter
>"teamsters" into a text box in the task bar under the "team" function; or
simply
>type "/team teamsters" in the console.  Note that the menu, taskbar, and
console
>name for a function can theoretically be different, provided that there is
a
>means by which such differences can be documented for the sake of theme
authors and
>users.  Aliases for various functions can also be set for use in the
console.
>The console will be at the bottom of the user's screen; The size of the
console
>during the game and between games will of course be different (and can be
set by
>theme author and/or user).  Users will also be able to manually grow,
shrink, or
>hide the console.  This console is remeniscent of the console used in games
>like Quake.
>
>-Panes
>Panes will be used for various information that users would like to see
>displayed throughout gameplay.  Gameplay will be enveloped within a pane.
Other
>possible elements that can be displayed within panes include lists of users
within the
>channel or on the server, queries with individual players (remeniscent of
/msg
>in irc), and winlists.  Interested parties looking to have fun could even
create
>SDL hacks displayed in a pain that do various fun things like, for
instance,
>graphically reflecting the height of a player's field.  Users and theme
authors
>will be able to show and hide panes, resize panes that can allow resizing,
and
>perhaps set various dialogues to be displayed in a pane (an example of good
use of
>this would be to place the connection dialogue into a pane)
>
>Okay, that's the end of the interface section.  i would just write both the
>interface section and the theme section into one doc, but (1) this is
pretty long
>and (2) i need to go eat dinner.  so, stay tuned for the section on
themeing!
>
>keep in mind while you're reading this that:
>
>-It is not a complete document, it needs massive playing with by people
that
>know more than me
>-I don't grock much of the technical end of implimenting this at all, so
i'm
>sure that there are things in there that are just technically ridiculous to
do.
>so do me a favor and point them out =)
>
>thanks.
>
>--
>Jared Johnson
>solomon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>(null cookie; hope that's ok)
>
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