Server Based multiple mix/manu change needed

[Learner]

The client has had manufacture.c modified for a future protocol change to allow the server to manu/mix multiple items. What we need now is for someone to put together the GUI changes to allow changing the amount. It currently defaults to 5 per Entropy's request until the GUI is updated to support this.

 

The current CVS should continue to work properly with the old server.

[bluap]

The client has had manufacture.c modified for a future protocol change to allow the server to manu/mix multiple items. What we need now is for someone to put together the GUI changes to allow changing the amount. It currently defaults to 5 per Entropy's request until the GUI is updated to support this.

 

The current CVS should continue to work properly with the old server.

Really nice to have this feature

If no one else is picking this up I'd be happy to give it a go. I've already had a quick play and its working fine. Just needs to be tidied up and tested a bit more. Here's a screen shot. Let me know if you want me to do a proper patch. Suggestions for where on the window, the label, max number of items etc obviously welcome.

[The_Piper]

Wouldnt it be much easier, if the mixing works like the harvesting?

 

One click to start it, another click to stop it.

 

So, if you want to make exact one essence, click to start mixing, wait until one essence is made, click to stop. Or put only the stuff for one essence in your inventory and click "Mix".

 

Want to make exact 25 essences? Put the stuff for 25 essies in your inventory, click on "Mix" and wait.

 

Same for potioning, summoning, manufacturing.

 

No need for a protocol change imo and no need to change the client for that

 

Piper

[trollson]

The only quantities I've ever wanted to manufacture are either one or all. If a few, then its sufficient to do a few lots of one.

 

Is there really a need for more variable quantities? For the more expensive items the limited factor is food level anyway.

[bluap]

Wouldnt it be much easier, if the mixing works like the harvesting?

May be so. However, what if you wanted to make different items that use the same ingredients. A contrived example would be three iron bar followed by three steel bar, you'd have to be careful to stop at the right time. The code change I've tried was rather trivial (just adding a couple of lines) as all the clever stuff is already available in the spin widget (nice work who ever did that). In use it feels quite natural.

[bkc56]

Here's a screen shot.

 

That does look very nice and natural. My only thought (just to save a little effort) would be a small (one) (all) button under the spinner to quickly set high/low values (one=1 and all=99 or something like that).

[Atlantis]

Wouldnt it be much easier, if the mixing works like the harvesting?

May be so. However, what if you wanted to make different items that use the same ingredients. A contrived example would be three iron bar followed by three steel bar, you'd have to be careful to stop at the right time. The code change I've tried was rather trivial (just adding a couple of lines) as all the clever stuff is already available in the spin widget (nice work who ever did that). In use it feels quite natural.

You can either just withdraw ingreds for the iron bars only first, or stop during the 2secs of the 3rd mix

[ttlanhil]

Here's a screen shot

one issue is that it takes up a fair bit of screenspace on smaller resolutions, which is why I was thinking of quantity selectors like inventory has. some people still don't know how to edit them, sure, but people are used to using them, it's easy to go to presets large or small, and doesn't take a lot of space.

 

as for maximum with spinners, maybe set it really high, in the hundreds or thousands... people with a lot of bone powder to mix and high carry cap will make use of that

[Learner]

The max quantity to make was put into the protocol at Entropy's request, if that information is not sent the server will default to 5 items, which means you would make between 0 and 5 items before it stops. Yes, you can stop it before it reaches that qty by going hunger, walking, or anything else that currently stops mixing.

[bluap]

I've just been trying out an alternative control. Instead of a spin box to set the quantity, I have a check box to enable manufacture of multiple items. If it is not checked, only one item is made. If it is checked, manufacture continues until one of the stop conditions occurs or you press the mix button again. This is similar to what The_Piper suggested with the added option to make just one item. It still uses the new server addition but just sets the number of items to either one (uncheck), or something large (checked). I'll try to make the mix button change to stop or some such. It's still a very simple client change.

 

Any views?

Edited October 20, 2006 by bluap

[bluap]

one issue is that it takes up a fair bit of screenspace on smaller resolutions, which is why I was thinking of quantity selectors like inventory has. some people still don't know how to edit them, sure, but people are used to using them, it's easy to go to presets large or small, and doesn't take a lot of space.

I've just had a look at reusing the inventory quantity selector (I didn't know you could change the quantities ). Anyway, the selector stuff is a bit tied in with the rest of the inventory window code and will take a bit of refactoring to before it can be used. That's fine, I game to try but its probably only worth doing if that's really the way people want this to work.

 

I must admit to preferring the checkbox version myself. The spin box is OK but a bit overkill really. I'll post a screen shot of the checkbox version later.

 

Here's the screenshot.

Edited October 21, 2006 by bluap

[Derin]

Flexibility is always a good thing, so the ability to set your own amount is highly desired, how that is done is a matter of taste but as long as it is understandable and fairly intuitive I can go with either or.

[bluap]

Looks like interest is waning but I've worked some more on this and have a, hopefully, "best of both worlds" version for you to consider. Here's the screen-shot. This version includes the spin box to allow you to set the quantity to make, but also includes minimum "<" and maximum ">" quantity buttons which set the amount to 1 or 9999. The spin box value now also decreases as you manufacture items. This allows you to easily resume making the number of items you want, if you stop manufacturing for any reason. I've also tried to minimise the window space used. Setting the number via an inventory-like quantity widget would not allow you to resume making the number you need. Therefore, I think this method is better and is a simpler change too.

 

So what does everyone think?

[Aislinn]

I think I prefer the checkbox myself, as you say, the spin box is overkill. However you have done it very nicely, simply, and cleanly so I would not object to that way either.

[Acelon]

I like the check box best as well.

[Learner]

The max qty the protocol will allow is 255.

[bluap]

The max qty the protocol will allow is 255.

I can easily change the client to reflect that. Any opinion on the user interface I've produced?

 

Oh yes, one thing to mention is that the server message you get when you successfully make some items always says you made one item. Can that be updated on the server end?

[Learner]

The max qty the protocol will allow is 255.

I can easily change the client to reflect that. Any opinion on the user interface I've produced?

 

Oh yes, one thing to mention is that the server message you get when you successfully make some items always says you made one item. Can that be updated on the server end?

At the moment no changes have been made in the messages, so you can sometimes see it switching back and forth between "You started working ..." and the completion message.

[Vanyel]

Is it with autofeeding?

[Learner]

Is it with autofeeding?

No, so I doubt any value > 45 will ever be needed.

[Kabuya]

Is it with autofeeding?

No, so I doubt any value > 45 will ever be needed.

Maybe to do bone powder (no food eat when alcheming)?

[bkc56]

I've gone back and looked at each screen-shot again. Of all of them, I think I like the simple spinbox the best (without the < and > for min/max even though I like an easy way to set min/max).

 

I don't think I like the count going down (unless it resets back to the orginal value again). Wanting to do 10 over and over will happen a LOT more than doing a partial set and wanting to finish JUST that many.

 

So I'd vote for spinbox with no count-down. It can always be changed later if user feedback indicates the need.

[ttlanhil]

No, so I doubt any value > 45 will ever be needed.

Maybe to do bone powder (no food eat when alcheming)?

yes, someone already figured on that

as for maximum with spinners, maybe set it really high, in the hundreds or thousands... people with a lot of bone powder to mix and high carry cap will make use of that

(though I didn't consider the MAX_BYTE issue), so it'd be possible to use the whole 255

[Placid]

I've gone back and looked at each screen-shot again. Of all of them, I think I like the simple spinbox the best (without the < and > for min/max even though I like an easy way to set min/max).

 

I don't think I like the count going down (unless it resets back to the orginal value again). Wanting to do 10 over and over will happen a LOT more than doing a partial set and wanting to finish JUST that many.

 

So I'd vote for spinbox with no count-down. It can always be changed later if user feedback indicates the need.

Agreed. I like the spinbox best as it is less intrusive and to be honest it's not going to be that much hassle to change it to a different value.

[The_Piper]

Agreed. I like the spinbox best as it is less intrusive and to be honest it's not going to be that much hassle to change it to a different value.

 

 

Piper