Organizing the Options window

[Roja]

The options window is really cluttered and it's so hard to find a lot of stuff in it. So I think it'd be a good idea to move some stuff around and do some clean up in there.

Please post all your suggestions for making this window more intuitive and user friendly.

 

 

Here's the start of my suggestions:

 

-Under MISC, move:

the 4 AFK functions > chat tab

Global ignores, save ignores, global filter, caps filter > chat tab

Language, Browser, Save ini, Log Buddy(put this one directly under the log messagers part) Data Dir. > Server tab

 

-Possibly rename server tab?

 

-Quickbar slots, windows on top, map boundaries > HUD tab

 

-*Make a "Quick Fixes" tab(better name suggestions?) for all the common problems newbies experience. No one knows if your screen is all white to turn the shadows off, etc... Instead let's put detailed instructions of common problems worded very user friendly.

 

 

Also, is it possible to make the tabs scrollable? Some of the tabs will get kinda long.

[bluap]

Also, is it possible to make the tabs scrollable? Some of the tabs will get kinda long.

Yes, very easy indeed, you just need to add a single parameter to the line that creates each tab.

 

I certainly agree the options need a good sort out, it's been very difficult to find space for new options for a while. We could possibly free some space by removing some options and just having them on context menus. For example, the pin and rotate minimap options are already on the minimap title bar context menu. Perhaps this would make them less easy to find but adding help text to the title bar (like all other windows) would help with that.

[Roja]

Oh that's great to know it's easy to add a scrollbar bluap, thanks!

 

I think it'd be best to keep all the options there, but how about we first organize with the scrollbars, then we'll see what it looks like and if it's still overwhelming we can do that

 

I also think the Video/Details/Adv Video/etc need to be consolidated and organized.

[Alberich]

Before renaming/moving options around, I would remove half of the options.

Find a reasonable default values and bundle things to reduce the fields.

Imo before you do this not much will change.

 

For the geeks you could still leave seldom used stuff in the ini but for that the file needs more structure and comments.

 

Also disable (grey) options when they depend on other settings or aren't supported by the hardware.

[Roja]

Ok here's my complete reorganization. If you find something wrong here or think it could be better otherwise, speak now or forever hold your...complaining/bitching/whining that it's no good

 

It is possible I missed something so if someone can give it a once over that'd be nice.

The new tabs would be: Controls, HUD, Chat, Font, Server, Audio, Video, GFX, Camera, Troubleshoot-(I know this name is a bit long but..well, any ideas of a better shorter name?)

 

*note, I quickly typed up the lists here, they use all the same wording as is currently in the client, i just abbreviated here to make typing it all easier. Only a few places, which i noted, do the words get changed.

 

 

Controls tab

 

Camera Rotation speed

Fine Rot. speed

Cam. Rot. Dec.

Max Cam zoom

Move these to--> Camera tab

 

Minimap Scale

Rotate minimap

pin minimap

Move these to-->HUD

 

Reorganize Controls Tab like this:

Sit Lock

Extend the range of walk cursor

Floating mess.

Floating ses. counters

keypresses in dialogue..

keypresses allowed..

for animals..

disable double click...

control click..

 

 

 

Audio Tab

 

is fine but..Sound Device, are you supposed to type in the name of your speakers/headset/whatever if it doesn't work? Or what exactly is this for? Maybe clarify the description some more?

 

 

 

HUD tab

 

Can the logo link be put on the same line as "logo click to url"? That would save a line if so.

Reorganize HUD tab like this:

Show FPS

Analog clock

digital clock

show game seconds

stats in hud

stat bars in hud

logo click to url

logo link(possibly combine with upper)

Help text

Alpha border(do we need this? Any reason anyone doesn't want to see it?)

Alpha behind name...

disable name..

windows on top *(from misc tab)

use opaque..

Buff Icon Size*(from details tab)

Relocate quickbar(shouldn't when you click on this intially the quickbar have the border that you can move it around? It's very confusing and looks like it does nothing)

Quickbar slots *(from misc tab)

enable 3d mapmakers

item window on drop

Minimap Scale

Rotate minimap

pin minimap

map boundaries *(from misc tab)

enable user menus

 

 

 

 

Server Tab

 

Reorganize like this:

Username

Log messages

Log Buddy*(from misc tab)

Language*(from misc tab)

Browser*(from misc tab)

Save ini*(from misc tab)

Data Dir. *(from misc tab)

use special text..

auto update..

custom looks..

show custom..

 

Font Tab

is fine

 

 

Chat Tab

 

Reorganize like this:

Use windowed Chat--rename to: "Chat Display Style"

-all options currently there keep as is, just add these to the end:

Afk time*(from misc tab)

afk msg*(from misc tab)

save local chat..when afk*(from misc tab)

play afk..sound*(from misc tab)

Global ignores*(from misc tab)

save ignores*(from misc tab)

global filter*(from misc tab)

caps filter*(from misc tab)

 

 

 

Video Tab

Move ati bug, mouse bug-->troubleshoot

Move New selection-->? troubleshoot? If the only reason for it to be off is if it doesn't work, then I think it'd be best in troubleshoot. If there's other reasons, keep it in video.

Move Perspective, Use isometric view -->camera

 

Reorganize like this:

Full Screen

Video Mode

disable window size...

userdefined width

" height

Limit FPS

Gamma (*from adv video)

Disable Gamma adjust..(*from adv video)

Toggle frame buffer support(*from adv video)

>water shader quality (can this be indented a bit? to show it needs the above.)

Small actor texture cache(*from adv video)

vertex buffer objs(*from adv video)

Use Animation program(*from adv video)

Adjust Graphics x(*from Details)

adjust graphics y(*from Details)-anyway to be more specific instead of just "certain" graphics? So people know what is affected.

 

GFX Tab

 

Shadows

Shadow Mapping(*from adv video)

shadow map..size (*from adv video)

Don't Adjust shadows(*from Details)

Cloud shadows(*from Details)

Render Fog(*from Details)

Show Sky(*from sky & cam)

Show Clouds(*from sky & cam)

Show sun/moon/stars(can these be combined into 1? I don't see a need to have options for all 3...)(*from sky & cam)

Sky Update Delay(rename to this-just adds sky to the beginning)(*from sky & cam)

Particle Percentage(*from Details)

Toggle Special Effects(*from Details)

Enable Eyecandy(*from eyecandy)

**this is confusing with the one above. Do we still need both? Can we distinguish both better? I'd like to rename eyecandy to make it more clear if both are still needed. Are they both used at the same time or is it one or the other?

Enable blood(*from eyecandy)

Enable Harvesting Effect(*from eyecandy)

Use lamp halos(*from eyecandy)

Use fancy smoke(*from eyecandy)

Max effects framerate(rename eye candy here to effects)(*from eyecandy)

min effects framerate(*from eyecandy)

light columns threshold(*from eyecandy)

max idle cycles per second(*from eyecandy)

 

 

 

Camera

 

Max Viewing Distance(*from adv video)

max reflection distance(*from adv video)

Perspective (*from adv video)

Use isometric view(*from video)

Camera Rotation speed(*from controls)

Fine Rot. speed(*from controls)

Cam. Rot. Dec.(*from controls)

Max Cam zoom(*from controls)

follow cam

keep cam behind char

extended cam

auto zoom

min tilt

max tilt

follow cam snap..

constnat speed

linear dec..

quadr dec..

 

 

 

 

Troubleshoot Tab

 

Shadow Bug(descrip: some video cards have trouble with the shadows. Check this if everything you see is white)--this obviously turns the shadows of. Any problems with having the same option do the same thing in 2 different tabs? I'd like to keep both for organization.(*from Details)

ATI bug(*from video)

Mouse Bug(*from video)

New Selection(*from video)

Compiled Vertex Array(*from adv video)

Draw Range Elements(add spaces to text)(*from adv video)

Point Particles(*from adv video)

Use Animation program(*from adv video)

Poor Man(*from Details)(change description to: If the game is running very slow for you, toggle this setting--is it possible when you turn it back on for it to reenable all the settings it disabled? So you don't have to go back and click them all on)

[Raistlin]

Video Tab

Move New selection-->? troubleshoot? If the only reason for it to be off is if it doesn't work, then I think it'd be best in troubleshoot. If there's other reasons, keep it in video.

 

I vote for putting it into troubleshoot tab. From my experience in help channels, turning it off is one of the main fixes with graphic issues.

[bluap]

Yes, we can have the same option on multiple tabs. Given that, I'd like to have the "Use Animation program" repeated on the trouble shooting tab. I'd also like to add a new option to enable/disable shaders (currently we have to move the shaders directory elsewhere to turn that feature off). This new option could go on the trouble shooting tab. I've had a quick scan of the full list which looks much better. It will probably be easier to see once the code has been changed. Are you going to make the code changes Roja or would you like me to?

 

Edit: BTW, adding multiple options per line would be a non-trivial change but could be done.

Edited April 1, 2011 by bluap

[groomsh]

It would be also very helpful to know (maybe as part of tooltip) which options need client/map restart.

[Roja]

bluap: I can make the changes if you tell me where to go/how to do it in the code, however if it's more complex than copy/pasting i'm gonna need some help There are a few other things there though that would require some programming I think, can you check those out? I italicized the questions.

[Roja]

It would be also very helpful to know (maybe as part of tooltip) which options need client/map restart.

 

If you want to go through and list them all, then we can do this

[Vanyel]

Before renaming/moving options around, I would remove half of the options.

Find a reasonable default values and bundle things to reduce the fields.

Imo before you do this not much will change.

 

For the geeks you could still leave seldom used stuff in the ini but for that the file needs more structure and comments.

 

Also disable (grey) options when they depend on other settings or aren't supported by the hardware.

 

 

I don't really like idea of removing any options from the menu. Instead just make them NOT available unless an "Advanced" button is clicked. It allows for giving them any default (though, it might be difficult) values, but also for editting them without a need of searching for them in the el.ini file. Moreoever, some of these options take effect as soon as changes are applied whilst, using el.ini, I would have to log off, tweak them, log on to see the effect AND if I don't like it repeat. Wasting my time.

 

 

[Alberich]

I don't really like idea of removing any options from the menu. Instead just make them NOT available unless an "Advanced" button is clicked. It allows for giving them any default (though, it might be difficult) values, but also for editting them without a need of searching for them in the el.ini file. Moreoever, some of these options take effect as soon as changes are applied whilst, using el.ini, I would have to log off, tweak them, log on to see the effect AND if I don't like it repeat. Wasting my time.

I bet one could remove 20% of the options and the majority of the players wouldn't miss them one bit.

For example the min and max eye candy rate: Flo had a post how to set these. Do this in the code -> -2 options, no one will notice and all have a good setup.

Others settings could be grouped like many other games do by bars from low quality to high quality. Or who knows what vertex buffer objects does?

[bluap]

bluap: I can make the changes if you tell me where to go/how to do it in the code, however if it's more complex than copy/pasting i'm gonna need some help There are a few other things there though that would require some programming I think, can you check those out? I italicized the questions.

Sorry for the delay responding. It will probably be easier if I just make the changes. You can then see what you think and move things around some more if required. Hope that's OK.

[Roja]

Yes of course that's ok, thank you so much! Just let me know whenever you commit the changes and I'll test things out

[bluap]

If you were wondering where this chance has got to, it's in progress. However, the code is a horrible mess of #defines and so its taking a little longer than expected. The main issue is that the order an option appears in the window is controlled by the order it appears in the code. When the #defines are three levels deep and we want to move an option, it quickly gets complicated.

 

What I might do is start again and commit a version with options simply moved to the new tabs and scrolling enabled where needed. When we happy with that, I can fix the order the options appear in the tabs.

Edited April 25, 2011 by bluap

[Roja]

Ok thanks for the status update! If I can help in any way let me know

[bluap]

OK, I've committed the changes to git. All the new tabs are there and the options moved and reordered as you requested. I've still to work on some of the comments and name changes. Some of the name changes would not show anyway as the strings are in the language packs. I could change the tag names to force the rename until the translations catch up if you like. One minor change to your request was to put the graphics x/y adjust onto the troubleshoot tab. If you don't want these settings there then just say.

[Roja]

Thank you so much bluap, it looks great!! So nice and small and organized now!

 

Would you be able to make just a couple more changes?

Troubleshoot tab-

-The tips for mouse bug, I think this is refering to ATI bug? If so move it so it's directly under ATI bug.

-Can a more thorough description be made for new selection? Like when to disable/enable it, the way the other descriptions are.

 

Camera tab

-Can Maximum camera zoom out be moved underneat max. reflection distance?

-And how about we move the 4 toggle options of Follow camera to Auto zoom underneath Use Isometric view. That way all those lesser used fine tuning options are grouped together.

 

GFX tab

-Can we move the Anti Aliasing options into the video tab? Can be below Disable Gamma Adjustment.

 

 

Ok I think that's all for now

[bluap]

OK,I've committed those changes and a few names changes I missed from before. Some of the new text and descriptions will be hidden by the language files. The "Mouse bug" is not relate to the "ATI bug" so I've made that clear and, hopefully, improved the descriptions.

 

From your original list, I think the remaining things to resolve are:

 

Eye candy / special effects - explain distinction.

Sun/moon/stars - combine options into one.

Relocate quickbar - clean up usage.

Alpha border - Should we remove option?

logo click to url - combine (could just have URL box and enable if not blank).

Poor Man - restore all options if enabled.

 

I'll look into these...

[Learner]

OK,I've committed those changes and a few names changes I missed from before. Some of the new text and descriptions will be hidden by the language files. The "Mouse bug" is not relate to the "ATI bug" so I've made that clear and, hopefully, improved the descriptions.

 

From your original list, I think the remaining things to resolve are:

 

Eye candy / special effects - explain distinction.

Sun/moon/stars - combine options into one.

Relocate quickbar - clean up usage.

Alpha border - Should we remove option?

logo click to url - combine (could just have URL box and enable if not blank).

Poor Man - restore all options if enabled.

 

I'll look into these...

 

Personally I don't like having the alpha border and I always disable that feature. I prefer to have a nice sharp change between the windows and everything else.