[RELEASE] : Generic Dynamic HUDs switching

Killer Wolf · Post by **Killer Wolf** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:34 pm

cheers for that JazHaz.

i think the script needs to be more vague : the WW, Diamondback etc have individual HUDs and there might be more added later as more and more people (hopefully) do it, therefore the script would have to say something like "if the player's ship doesn't have a HUD script then..." etc.
i thought that giving a ship a HUD attribute and script would overrule a generic script, but evidently not. of course, once you buy a D'back or whatever you could remove the generic script, but that's a bit sloppy.

actually, what about having the switch code as part of the engine, and having the "docked", "inflight", "combat" and "damaged" hud plists as shipdata entries : if they're there, you use custom HUDs, otherwise you get a generic Oolite HUD?

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:02 pm

I think the script doesn't take custom HUD settings in shipdata into account, and overrides them with it's own.
On the other hand, the script allows more than one custom HUD, and switches them dynamically. The HUD set would get used on all player ships, though.

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 4:48 pm

In the case of the werewolf, the HUD switching script was the script associated with the player ship (it's pointed to by the script = key in the player ship's shipdata.plist entry). Hence it should only be active whilst the player is flying the werewolf.

However in the generic case (and the new milHUD one), it's now a worldscript, so will be continually active so will overwrite any other HUD (either those set for a ship in it's shipdata.plist or any other installed static OXP HUD). This would be also the case if both the werewolf and the generic HUD OXP were installed - the two scripts would "fight" over the HUD.

To work properly the generic/milHUD HUD script shouldn't be a worldscript (script.js in the config folder in this case), but should be added by editting into the shipdata.plist entry for the players ship in the same way it is in the werewolf's entry (script = "genericHUDswitch.js"; or whatever the script ends up being called if the OXP's renamed, or the equivalent for milHUD).

It's perfectly possible to make the script not work for specific ships, but given how it evolved from the werewolf HUD it's of course not currently set up to do that.

Killer Wolf · Post by **Killer Wolf** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:12 am

i think it would be good as a change into the new 1.75/trunk/whatever. as dynamic HUDs become more widespread it seems logical to me that the switchy code would be part of the game engine and would activate standard in-built relevant HUD plists, which could be overwritten by a specific ship's shipdata attributes.
is that doable?

maik · Post by **maik** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:47 pm

Cmdr Wyvern wrote:
JazHaz wrote:
JJP wrote:
I would love to see this kind of HUD for a wide-screen set-up (ie. a 16:10 lay-out).
Seconded. I think all the HUDs should have widescreen versions available.
If you fellows want widescreen HUDs, then by all means modify one. It's not hard to do, once you get your head around plist structure.

Did anyone ever get around to creating a 16:9 version? I just took a look at the OXP contents and can't make sense of the numbers in the plist in conjunction with the png :s

It seems the png's size is 1280x1024 which isn't 4:3 while the legend in the plist says something about 640x480 which would be 4:3. How does this translate?

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:43 pm

For HUDs that use a single background image, widescreening it may be a bit tricky. The image would have to be stretched, and dials moved and resized.
For HUDs that use multiple images, like MilHUD, then it's a matter of moving elements where you want them, making the job of widescreening it somewhat easier.

... In theory, anyway. I don't have a widescreen monitor, so I'm making wild guesses here.

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:50 pm

Cmdr Wyvern wrote:
... In theory, anyway. I don't have a widescreen monitor, so I'm making wild guesses here.

You can resize a window, right? :-)

maik · Post by **maik** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:48 am

Another question: does it disable the option to switch off the HUD? I was just taking a few screen shots since I encountered the Vector but the 'o' key didn't do anything anymore...

Post by **Getafix** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 2:36 pm

Irrelevant to the previous post but relevant to this OXP.

I can replicate the following erroneous behavior.

Start Oolite
Don't load a saved game and then press "Space" (then the ~~docking~~ "Trading" HUD appears)
Go to the options and select "Begin New Game"
The "~~flying in space~~ Normal" HUD appears (not the "Trading" HUD) while still docked.

Tested on Windows with Oolite 1.74.2

EDIT(2/Aug/2010): Used the proper HUD names.

ClymAngus · Post by **ClymAngus** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:37 pm

of course it would be lovely to have a gallery of useful 3 stage "huds" that you could buy to replace the unhelpful and down right dangerous ones you are forced to use at the beginning.

It's turning huds into another value curve. Hey got to spend that money on something.

Thargoid wrote:
In the case of the werewolf, the HUD switching script was the script associated with the player ship (it's pointed to by the script = key in the player ship's shipdata.plist entry). Hence it should only be active whilst the player is flying the werewolf.

However in the generic case (and the new milHUD one), it's now a worldscript, so will be continually active so will overwrite any other HUD (either those set for a ship in it's shipdata.plist or any other installed static OXP HUD). This would be also the case if both the werewolf and the generic HUD OXP were installed - the two scripts would "fight" over the HUD.

To work properly the generic/milHUD HUD script shouldn't be a worldscript (script.js in the config folder in this case), but should be added by editting into the shipdata.plist entry for the players ship in the same way it is in the werewolf's entry (script = "genericHUDswitch.js"; or whatever the script ends up being called if the OXP's renamed, or the equivalent for milHUD).

It's perfectly possible to make the script not work for specific ships, but given how it evolved from the werewolf HUD it's of course not currently set up to do that.

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:14 pm

ClymAngus wrote:
of course it would be lovely to have a gallery of useful 3 stage "huds" that you could buy to replace the unhelpful and down right dangerous ones you are forced to use at the beginning.

It's turning huds into another value curve. Hey got to spend that money on something.

It's a good idea, however...
That makes the HUD yet another piece of kit that can be shot off. Then it's even more dangerous and unhelpful, as in not working until you somehow survive long enough to dock for repairs. Worse than a trumble eating your laser.

Gnudoll · Post by **Gnudoll** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:54 am

OK wolfie, I tried the HUDs and actually like them a lot. . . except. .
It would be really great if you could put a targeting dot in the center of that targeting triangle you have. I have found that such a dot really increases accuracy when sniping, or even shooting at smaller ships. The display is really easy to read and uncluttered, making this a very un-distracting HUD and therefore one i would recommend highly. . . with that dot. Not to worry, i actually put it on mine already by opening up the normal flight and combat images in GIMP and just adding the dot myself. it really is just that easy. . .

It may be a small thing, but it really adds to the HUD

Cmdr Wyvern · Post by **Cmdr Wyvern** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:13 am

Gnudoll wrote:
OK wolfie, I tried the HUDs and actually like them a lot. . . except. .
It would be really great if you could put a targeting dot in the center of that targeting triangle you have. I have found that such a dot really increases accuracy when sniping, or even shooting at smaller ships. The display is really easy to read and uncluttered, making this a very un-distracting HUD and therefore one i would recommend highly. . . with that dot. Not to worry, i actually put it on mine already by opening up the normal flight and combat images in GIMP and just adding the dot myself. it really is just that easy. . .

It may be a small thing, but it really adds to the HUD

Umm, dude? It's been done, made with snipers and precision shooters in mind.

See this thread. You're welcome.

Gnudoll · Post by **Gnudoll** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:13 pm

I tried that one. The larger IFF display is nice, as it the precision indicator, but the overall layout of the generic is much nicer on the eyes, and the layout of controls on the generic is also easier to follow.

As i see it, each has it's benefits:

Generic HUD has easy to follow, large indicators and a fairly pretty view-port.
The MilHUD (new one) has that nice targeting dot, indicators for roll, pitch, and yaw, and an indicator for joystick precission.

All of these are very nice items and each of us should make our choices based on which ones we want most.

OneoftheLost · Post by **OneoftheLost** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 3:52 am

I recently got into Oolite again, and decided to try some of the new features, while I loved the concept and execution of this oxp, It doesn't really mesh well with the background screens/sound effect mod. Its perfect for space, but when I want to check the trading screen, or read some planet text, its simply obstructive.

Awesome job however! and I applaud your hard work.