watch more than one skill in the stats-bar

[Sir_Odie]

I uploaded a patch to berlios which enables the selection of more than one skill for display in the stats-bar of the hud:

 

 

The number of displayed stats depends on the screen resolution (only the first n of the selected stats get displayed if there is not enough space for all).

The selected stats are saved in el.cfg (no change to the format of el.cfg needed).

[korrode]

nice

[Fedora]

Tested, accepted by Ent and committed ^^

[Ermabwed]

For some reason I can't find the (default) option to show only one skill as before

[bluap]

For some reason I can't find the (default) option to show only one skill as before

Sorry to sound a bit negative about this change Sir_Odie. However, it's now kind of difficult to predict what clicking on an option will do and the context menu is now broken. I'm afraid I'm with Ermabwed in looking for an option to return the old behaviour. If nobody minds, I'd like to fix the context menu behaviour so it just changes just the current bar the mouse is over without display another one. That way its easy to have a single bar like before or control each displayed bar without others appearing and disappearing.

 

Edit: Also, how about adding alt-left-click on the hud bars to un-select all but the clicked skill. This is only a couple of code lines, works OK and gives the old behaviour without an having to add a "restore old behaviour option" option.

Edited February 27, 2010 by bluap

[bkc56]

I'd like to fix the context menu behaviour so it just changes just the current bar the mouse is over without display another one.

Given that fix, could the context menu include a choice at the top/bottom of OFF which turns that specific experience bar off (the others slide left to fill a gap)? This might make an easier, more clear way to turn off multiple bars if you want to.

 

Going in to a bit more use-model thinking...

 

* Experience bar context-menu has two new options: Off and New.

* Off removes the current bar (down to a minimum of one).

* New creates a new bar (if there's room).

* Use the context menu to change the skill for the selected bar.

* Use the stats display on the right side to set the skill displayed in the left most stat bar (basically the old behavior if there is only one bar).

 

This way way all actions are by specific request (Off and New, and changing skill) and the old behavior is still supported with no extra user work. The only "hidden" thing you need to figure out is that changing the 2-N bars can only be done with the context menu (not the display on the right).

[Sir_Odie]

bkc56's suggestions sound good.

If it's ok that only the FIRST skill is selectable by clicking on the stats at the right or in the stats-window and the others are only accessible through context menus, then I'll rewrite the patch...

[bluap]

bkc56's suggestions sound good.

If it's ok that only the FIRST skill is selectable by clicking on the stats at the right or in the stats-window and the others are only accessible through context menus, then I'll rewrite the patch...

You could use also alt-click on the stats in the right-hand panel so select multiple skills.

[nathanstenzel]

How about having it work like a multi-select option on a webpage? Clicking one will select it and CTL+click toggles the selection of a specific skill.

[bluap]

How about having it work like a multi-select option on a webpage? Clicking one will select it and CTL+click toggles the selection of a specific skill.

CTL+click is already used to stroll the list (for people without a wheel mouse). That's why I suggested ALT-click just above your post with the same intention.

[Sir_Odie]

I'm working on a version which behaves like the old client if only the left mouse-button is used. Additional stat-bars will be selected by ALT-leftclick in the right stats-panel / stats-window.

I also try to implement bkc56's context-menu suggestions...

[Sergey]

Also, now on resolution 800x600 there none skills visible for me.

Actual image size:

Window size adjusted to 790x545

There enough space for one skill bar and it was visible before.

[Sir_Odie]

Also, now on resolution 800x600 there none skills visible for me.

Sorry, it's corrected in the new version i'm currently working on.

[Sir_Odie]

I uploaded a new version to berlios.

Default is 1 stats-bar which can be changed with a left-click as usual.

Additional bars can be added with alt-left-click or shift-left-click (i got informed that alt-left-click may make problems under linux so i added both options).

Each stats-bar has it's own context-menu with an additional 'Remove Bar' entry.

[Gilrain]

i dont want to sound negative and all programming work is highly appreciated, but in this case i'd dare to question this change.

You know the two programming rules

- if it aint broken, dont fix it

- K.I.S.S.

 

imho most ppl have their skills displayed in the HUD on the right side, where you can turn the (small) progress bars on and off (with the contect menu) and you can select one of them to be displayed at the bottom (with a simple left click!).

Now, i wonder where the need is, to have more than one of those small bars be displayed at the bottom ?

And: is the complicated behaviour (that is discussed here now) not a reason to better leave it as simple as it is, especially if it serves the need of 99% of the players?

 

so where is the beef

[Raistlin]

i dont want to sound negative and all programming work is highly appreciated, but in this case i'd dare to question this change.

You know the two programming rules

- if it aint broken, dont fix it

- K.I.S.S.

 

imho most ppl have their skills displayed in the HUD on the right side, where you can turn the (small) progress bars on and off (with the contect menu) and you can select one of them to be displayed at the bottom (with a simple left click!).

Now, i wonder where the need is, to have more than one of those small bars be displayed at the bottom ?

And: is the complicated behaviour (that is discussed here now) not a reason to better leave it as simple as it is, especially if it serves the need of 99% of the players?

 

so where is the beef

 

Why people tend to complain about new features being introduced? So if it ain't broken, don't fix it? Why?

There is always room for improvement. Sir_Odies implementation of more stat-bars follows a suggestion from me.

It's the same with those resizable map-fonts (http://www.eternal-lands.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=52352)

 

A game should fit to as many players needs as possible, so the more you can adjust the HUD to your own needs,

the better. On what data do you base your 99% assumption? Did I miss a poll about that topic? Sir_Odies implementations

are good (resizeable map-fonts, multiple statbars, ranging lock etc.) and make the daily game more comfortable imo.

 

If you have a better suggestion how to use that empty space on the right bottom side of your HUD then go on.

 

Raistlin

[korrode]

I agree with Raistlin's sentiment.

 

You know the two programming rules

- if it aint broken, dont fix it

Since when is this a programming rule?

Innovation and advancement is what computing is all about.

 

EDIT:

...and i personally have found swapping between skills for a permanent display of exp until next level as a little tedious. Perhaps most others haven't, but some would, so if it's not going to hurt anyone and going to be useful for some people (no matter how few), why not?

Edited March 1, 2010 by Korrode

[Gilrain]

no reason to feel bad about it. My comment was not a complaint, pls dont start to cry.

I just wanted to understand the NEED of that change. And even that i only dared to ask, because it became obvious, that this new feature will probably make the current behaviour much less convenient (imho).

So now i know, that you proposed the change, Raistlin: where is the need ? Is it really only to fill up the space on the bottom right ?

If thats the only reason, then i think its not worth it, just that. And yes i know that Sir Odie does good patches, thx alot for that. Still i think that my comment is a question that should be allowed to ask in order to have the best result in the end.

 

regards,

[Sir_Odie]

And even that i only dared to ask, because it became obvious, that this new feature will probably make the current behaviour much less convenient (imho).

The new implementation changes nothing at the 'normal' behaviour: default is 1 stat-bar which is changable with a single click in the stats-table on the right (my first implementation changed that behaviour, which caused some confusion)...

[Raistlin]

no reason to feel bad about it. My comment was not a complaint, pls dont start to cry.

 

I didnt start to cry, no worries

 

I just wanted to understand the NEED of that change. And even that i only dared to ask, because it became obvious, that this new feature will probably make the current behaviour much less convenient (imho).

 

As Odie just posted, it changes NOTHING to normal game behaviour, so simply don't use it, if you don't want to. What's the prob?

 

So now i know, that you proposed the change, Raistlin: where is the need ? Is it really only to fill up the space on the bottom right ?

If thats the only reason, then i think its not worth it, just that. And yes i know that Sir Odie does good patches, thx alot for that. Still i think that my comment is a question that should be allowed to ask in order to have the best result in the end.

 

Its not just to fill up space, otherwise I could have suggested a nice EL-Logo in anime-style or something else thats useless.

I suggested to USE the space for game convenience, nothing else, so why are so furious about that? You aren't the person

who has to program it, no? If it's not worth it like you suggest or is too complicated to program then fine, let it be, but that's up to the programmers (Sir_Odies) decision. Was just a thought from me to make the game a little more simple, that's all.

[bluap]

IMHO, the new patch is much more intuitive and defaults to the old behaviour so that great.

I did notice that if you only have one bar and select "remove bar", the context menu is removed even though the bar remains.

Also, you could selectively disable (grey out) some of the context menu options like the "remove bar" and selecting the skill that is already displayed. You can use the cm_grey_line() function with cm_set_pre_show_handler(). The pre-show hander is called after the menu trigger event but before the menu is displayed - giving you the chance to grey entries and generally mess with the window.

Edited March 1, 2010 by bluap

[nathanstenzel]

i dont want to sound negative and all programming work is highly appreciated, but in this case i'd dare to question this change.

You know the two programming rules

- if it aint broken, dont fix it

- K.I.S.S.

I thought those were management/office rules.

I'm a programmer and never thought those rules were attached to the programming profession.

 

I imagine one of the top uses for this will be to let A/D junkies show the attack and defense xp till the next level. Maybe even magic xp till next level.

[hussam]

How do I make it show only one skill bar?

[Sir_Odie]

I did notice that if you only have one bar and select "remove bar", the context menu is removed even though the bar remains.

Fixed

Also, you could selectively disable (grey out) some of the context menu options like the "remove bar" and selecting the skill that is already displayed. You can use the cm_grey_line() function with cm_set_pre_show_handler(). The pre-show hander is called after the menu trigger event but before the menu is displayed - giving you the chance to grey entries and generally mess with the window.

Implemented

Ty for pointing me to that function.

How do I make it show only one skill bar?

To add an additional bar to the hud alt-leftclick (or shift-leftclick) the stat in the stats-table at the right side.

To remove an additional bar from the hud alt-leftclick (or shift-leftclick) the stat in the stats-table at the right side or use 'Remove Bar' from the context-menu of the bar you want to remove.

[hussam]

there is no 'remove bar' context menu (latest cvs)