HUD and UI ideas - mockups

[FluffyFreak]

I've no idea how to but I think we need to get this working asap.
It looks great, it doesn't look like anything else out there right now.
It looks very "Pioneer" and the white makes it look very clear and crisp.

Hacking this in as a replacement for the existing `cpan` (control panel) code would be possible but I think robn wants everything doing through the new Lua based GUI which I don't have a clue how to begin with.

[robn]

I do want everything working through the new UI - I've been busting my arse to get us off the old one! I really want to do this, don't worry. I just don't want to get into it prematurely because to do it right needs a lot of core support and I don't want to have to hack around heaps of stuff only to have to unhack it all later. I'm not in a hurry!

[FluffyFreak]

Sorry robn, wasn't meant as a criticism, just mean that I'd be happy to get started on it but don't know how.
It's like the new Msg Log stuff I ported over for/from Luomu, it's better but it's not the new GUI.
I can do the old GUI but don't know where to begin with the new one. Especially not for doing HUD stuff :(
I'd be happy to though, just need some pointers or help getting started.

[FluffyFreak]

Speaking of which, I want to start being able to render GUI/HUD things to textures.

I've just closed the Render target PR (https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/pull/2525) but the idea is similar, setup a render target, render the screen - be it 3D or 2D GUI/HUD, then use that texture elsewhere.
The idea being to combine it with your new GUI and the cockpit system I've just PR'd as well.

So, what I'd like to do is create a scanner widget that I can use for this, using your new GUI. Once I have that working I can RTT it in a cockpits texture or use it directly like in nozmajner's mockups.

Are there any issues to using the new GUI system to do HUD elements?
I'm thinking specifically of setting it up and drawing a single element like a scanner item. So outside of a big draw call for the rest of the GUI / HUD.

[impaktor]

Your mockup looks very good nozmajner, although maybe a bit too much like I-war 2 ;)?

Especially I think the Elite-Pioneer radar as it is now in all its simplicity is close to perfection. Although space is 3D sphericaly symmetric, it makes sense to have an oblong Elite-like radar that favors more detail in a 2D-plane, since a ship you're interested in is what you orient your ship after, so as to put it in the same 2D plane as yourself, and just pointing your ship towards another ship does just that.

What I find badly needed is for messages to not spam my radar. Being able to go back in message history would be very useful, and most importantly, the game would have much more potential if messages (as in the bulletin board) were able to be sent through some form of message buffer, or pop-up window, or something similar while in space.

Maybe that is in the works, but it would allow far more interesting missions, and events in the game universe. Then you could:

• interact with ship you're escorting
• ask for help when attacked
• pay ransom to a pirate to stop attacking you
• offer another ship "protection"
• or ask another ship to join you,
• rendezvous with some other ship in a mission
  etc.

Plus, space if big, and if you see another ship, you might just want to say hello.

[FluffyFreak]

What I find badly needed is for messages to not spam my radar.

PR https://github.com/pioneerspacesim/pioneer/pull/2527.

[nozmajner]

@Impaktor: I'm well aware of the similarities :). I-war2's HUD is the best one out there in my opinion, and it's a bit hard for me to avoid resemblances. But I think I'm on a good diverging track right now.

[impaktor]

I do wonder if it would be possible to have two different scanners in the ship equiptment list, rather than throwing out the current one, just have it as a downgrade, or the new (comming) as an upgrade.

[nozmajner]

@robn: Something like this for the ship market screen?
Separate screen for in-depth stats for those who like number crunching. :)
I've grayed out the trade-in price to indicate that the player doesn't have enough money to buy. (Maybe the buy button could be grayed too).
This mockup is not as wide as 16:9, and it should have enough room for 4:3, but I need to check that thoroughly. The basic proportions are 1/3 width for the ship list, and 2/3 for the ship data screen.

I think the Ship stats tab could work, but might be better if it's persistent, when you select another ship, so you can compare them more quiclky. (There could even be another tab with your ships stats too, for that reason).

[nozmajner]

I had a bit of fun with the Station's main screen:
I was playing a bit with that large emtpy space.

An idea for manual refueling, and it's interface.


And some ideas about Impaktor's news, so news about the given system/port could be displayed.
And some roleplaying/story/mission ideas too, as a player inbox with messages from the system. So if a passenger thinks it was a good or fast trip, he might first come to you if he wants to travel again. Or the opened message is a follow-up from a pilot who was marooned and you responded to his emergency transmission.


Or an image of the ship standing on the pad, something similar to the ship spinner, but with the actual view with the surroundings.
What do you think?