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

[Ka-shu Wong <zillidot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[snip]
> -Menu System.
> The menu system will give users access to every function available.  It will

I would prefer to not have a menu system... it should certainly be able to
function without it.  But I think it'd be a useful feature.

It's going to be based on Quake-style console commands - ie, it's possible
to do everything via the console.  The menu would only exist as a shortcut
to typing out the commands.

> -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.

I wouldn't call them dialogues, they seem to give me the impression of a
free floating window, which I don't think is appropriate.
Maybe you can call them 'pages', like, the connection page, the
preferences page, etc...
In any case, I think a 'dialog description language' would be useful.  I'm
sure you can imagine what that is.

> -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.

The buttons on the task bar, like the menu, simply issue a command as if
the user had typed it at the console.
I'm not sure how task bars (actually, shouldn't they be 'tool' bars?)  
would fit into the design of the interface ... I was planning to make it
so that theme authors can place buttons arbitrarily on the screen, but
this makes it difficult for the user to edit, since it wouldn't be a tool
'bar'...
Maybe the theme author should be able to specify a region of the screen as
a tool bar area, and allow the user to add/modify/remove buttons from it.

> -Console
[snip]
> 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

What do you mean by 'different'?  The menu and toolbar thingies are just
bindings for the console command - ie, selecting the menu item or clicking
on the button simply sends the command to the console.

> users.  Aliases for various functions can also be set for use in the console. 

Hehe, maybe I should make the console like some kind of mini-scripting
language...

> 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.

Yup.  But it doesn't have to be at the bottom of the user's screen.

> -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)

Wow, I haven't thought of this before.  Nice :)

Ok, so panes are like 'windows'.  Everything are panes - including the
menu bar, the tool bar, the console, the game play fields, 'dialogues',
and any special panes added by mods and things.

There needs to be a 'layout manager' for the panes, to work out where they
would go.  But how would that work?

It would be nice to have panes that slide in and out from the side of the
screen.  How would that fit in?


Have fun,


Ka-shu Wong
zillidot@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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