Removing the grids in grid view...

[Dermott of LS]

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Just a little something I played around with... I took the old background from KR-Legacy (which was the old 3d background), put it into my test-UI (oddly enough named CopperTest, but right now holds test versions of Stone), then I removed the two grid squares from the HUD texture file and ended up with:

This is still grid view... but it looks a little more like the 3d client's expandable container view (just with a different "ruleset" so to speak)

 

[Old Man of UO]

Nice Dermott... cleaner... seems less... griddy.

 

[Fink]

Cool.

I see that's a tiled image like the grid itself, but would there be a way to use a scaled/stretched image for the background?

 

[lucitus]

...

Just a little something I played around with... I took the old background from KR-Legacy (which was the old 3d background), put it into my test-UI (oddly enough named CopperTest, but right now holds test versions of Stone), then I removed the two grid squares from the HUD texture file and ended up with:

This is still grid view... but it looks a little more like the 3d client's expandable container view (just with a different "ruleset" so to speak)

Good idea! Looks nice

 

[Llewen]

Can the numbers for the items be centred under the item, as opposed to the bottom left corner?

 

[Dermott of LS]

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I could probably play with the background image and XML calls to see what I can do about the subtle tiled look, although I think with that specific texture stretching it would probably not look all that great. Maybe another type of texture or one that lends itself better to the idea.

Numbers location can easily be adjusted.

 

[Storm]

I like it looks very nice!

 

[Merion]

Neat!

 

[Dermott of LS]

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Version 2:

Changes:
- Set Alpha to 1 (was at 0.8 so now it's opaque)
- Changed certain values for background to remove a LOT of the repetitive, grid look
- Centered item count

 

[Storm]

now that one looks awesome nice and orderly looking

 

[Dermott of LS]

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I'm going to keep testing it around a bit... not sure if or how I plan on releasing it though.

 

[Storm]

the first one concerned me in that there are certain items that are hard to see with the second one its a lot easier to me to tell when there is a spot that appears empty (hope that makes sense )

 

[Dermott of LS]

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The overall problem with backgrounds in general is that SOMETHING is going to end up being "hard to see" simply because there really isn't an "unused" color or colorset. Even if you go grey, then grey items like dull copper and sturdy tools become harder to see. Small dark items in this one are difficult to see.

It's a tough thing to balance really.

 

[Storm]

exactly but with everything nice and in straight lines you can tell where there is a item even if the spot looks empty and it kind of gives the feel of the old bags but things are not piled on each other !

 

[MalagAste]

That is very awesome!

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

I like this too.. A much cleaner look.

Does not having the gridlines allow a 5x5 to be 'smaller' than if the grid was still there?

Good work Dermott!

 

[Fink]

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I think with that specific texture stretching it would probably not look all that great. Maybe another type of texture or one that lends itself better to the idea.

Ah, sorry, my terminology again. Scaling as in reducing a larger picture to fit, stretching as in altering the aspect. I don't mean making 32px fill an entire screen. We have suffered enough of that sort of thing already.

Another approach:
Can you place a specific, fixed image in the top left corner, say 5x5 size in grid terms, and have the remainder of the background tiled? Graphically it's easily done, the bottom and right edges mate to the tile edge. I'm just wondering if it's technically possible. Maybe just a large tile would do but I like the idea of a watermark or letterhead type of element. Or maybe bottom justified.

Actually, can you put a texture in the black space?

I'm searching for is some way to put larger decorative areas in a skin. As is we really only have tiled, thin strips and a few icons. It's very efficient, but lacks character. I like what the modders have done, but I miss some of the touches my skins had in KR. Porting them over meant losing a lot of detail.

 

[Merion]

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I'm going to keep testing it around a bit... not sure if or how I plan on releasing it though.

How about making it optional? Adding a "remove grid lines" option somewhere in the user settings?

 

[Madrid]

This really looks awesome Dermott...much cleaner! Hopefully you make this available if it's possible. Nice work!

It drives me nuts to see all these great mods that are on some skins and not others. Makes it hard to decided which to use. All have features that I like...

All you Modders are doing a fantastic job making the EC Client more enjoyable. Thanks for all your hard work... you guys know who you are.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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No tangible update yet, but I have been keeping track of the thread and thinking about stuff at work.

I think I know how the background image is put together and will post a diagram in a bit. With that in mind, I think I am beginning to understand how it may be possible to create a custom background just for containers.

Basically, have to:

- add in Custom_background.dds and have it accessible by the UI.
- Define the custom background in Core Window Templates
- Change the calls from the Deault Chrome (alter at your own peril) to reference the custom background instead of the default background.

If I can figure all of this out correctly, I SHOULD be able to make a custom, expandible backpack background (maybe port in the KR legacy backpack or something like it at least).

Finally the next question will be "is it possible via word parsing in the title bar to re-create the KR legacy gumps in SA (at least to a degree) so that the background is dependent on the title (i.e. backpacks, pouches give the backpack background and so on)?"

First though, let me play some with the background texture itself. As it was, the default background is a 128x128 pixel image, yet the default XML call only uses a small portion (which is why it looked so tiled in the first image). I opened this up to handle the entire image for the center section which gave a better image overall, less "tiled" looking, and could be useful for what Fink was wondering. Once I get settled in and a bit more organized, I'll post the diagram and XML code involved.

Edit: I think from this point forward, if/when I do get a new skin idea, I'll probably forgo the "Enhanced" part of it and simply release them as basic skins so that people can add in the Enhanced portions they want from the Mod list. I'll at least make sure that I put in the necessary backend files so all people will need to do is download the specific Enhancement package(s) and put them in the correct folder.

 

[Merion]

Edit: I think from this point forward, if/when I do get a new skin idea, I'll probably forgo the "Enhanced" part of it and simply release them as basic skins so that people can add in the Enhanced portions they want from the Mod list. I'll at least make sure that I put in the necessary backend files so all people will need to do is download the specific Enhancement package(s) and put them in the correct folder.

Please don't!!

Personally I wouldn't mind too much, but a lot of my guildies are ... well... not very apt when it comes to computer stuff. Each time you post an update, I have to explain them again, how to copy the zip file from their download folder to the UserInterface folder ("which what? Where was that again?") and how to unpack it.
If they have to download several packages and extract them into specific places... I fear they'll say "Screw this! I'm starting up my old client again" and nobody wants that!

 

[Dermott of LS]

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Ok, here's the diagram:

This is just a quick version, so the lines probably aren't by any means exact, however...

You basically have nine sections, 4 corners, 4 sides, and the middle.

The 4 corners should be set to NOT expand, the top and bottom centers should expand horizantally while the left and right centers should expand vertically. The center itself will tile when expanded from top left to bottom right.

So the first step will be to make the XML follow that convention with something that has an actual 4 sided border as well as a center instead of a simple background. That will be tonight's project.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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As an aside, bfore I get too far into this, does anyone want to see some or any of the "work-in-progress" pics? Mostly these will end up showing some pretty mangled textures as I'm working my way through this little project and are really little more than "gee that's interesting... useless but interesting" design moments.

 

[Fink]

Excellent work.

 

[Gildar]

Edit: I think from this point forward, if/when I do get a new skin idea, I'll probably forgo the "Enhanced" part of it and simply release them as basic skins so that people can add in the Enhanced portions they want from the Mod list. I'll at least make sure that I put in the necessary backend files so all people will need to do is download the specific Enhancement package(s) and put them in the correct folder.

Please don't!!

Personally I wouldn't mind too much, but a lot of my guildies are ... well... not very apt when it comes to computer stuff. Each time you post an update, I have to explain them again, how to copy the zip file from their download folder to the UserInterface folder ("which what? Where was that again?") and how to unpack it.
If they have to download several packages and extract them into specific places... I fear they'll say "Screw this! I'm starting up my old client again" and nobody wants that!

If Dermott goes this route, then there is a solution for those guildies.
http://downloads.uo.modders-exchange.net

I can put up a zip that includes the Skin and any combination of Enhancements that are desired. Just let me know which enhancements you want included with the zip, and I'll create a bundle for them.

Right now, I'm not really doing a very good job at keeping that sub-site up-to-date, but there is little reason for people to use it since most of the same stuff is available on the main site in basically the same form... but if we get some non-enhanced skins added then it will have more use, and I'll have more reason to update it.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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Bit of an update... hgaving a few problems getting the textures to play nicely... not sure exactly why this is though.

One issue I have run into is that the expanding of the windows uses a very strict tiling system, and the background texture is only 128x128. It MIGHT be useful to up that to 256x256, not entirely sure yet, Fink you may want to try that as well.

Also the blue stone background from Legacy is more built to be tiled compared to some other textures I have tried. The backpack background CAN look nice, but you can EASILY make out where the tiling effect happens, and I'm not (yet) sure how to minimize this effect, but I definitely do NOT want to use a texture that does not smoothly tile (websites that do this bother me, as did the terrain in WoW... it was too easy to see the "tile" effect... that's one of the reasons why I LOVED the KR terrain, sure it repeated, but it never looked "tiled").

Here's one of the attempts:

Anyway, I'll still be looking into this and a possible new skin is forming based on these little trials, but I'm not going to be able to get it done soon as I will be out of town on a business trip from this Friday through a week from Sunday, so no development in that period.