Objectives Display Gui

[Springheel]

Ok, I've uploaded the following files in objectivesgui.rar in the GUI folder on the FTP.

 

There's:

 

objectiveback.tga (the background--if we feel like adding swirly smoke we can always do it later)

 

fail.tga (the X)

complete.tga (the checkmark)

cancelled.tga (the line-through--will have to repeat for longer lines)

new.tga (the arrow)

 

as well as the JD font, which is what we'll use.

 

Let me know if you need anything else.

[Napalm]

Alrighty, I'll see if I can't put them to good use

[Ishtvan]

@Napalm:

Remember that we don't have to follow the PDA gui code exactly since we have a completely new objective system. Just make up the variable names for stuff you need (like whether an objective is invalid, complete, incomplete or failed) and I'll write the objectives system in the SDK to set those vars.

 

Btw, I forgot to mention: We also need a variable to store whether an objective is visible, and if this is not true, it shouldn't be displayed in the GUI. This is to support the FM author queueing up objectives by initially setting them invalid and invisible (so they're not checked by the system or displayed by the GUI), then when they choose, they'll activate the objective by setting it visible and incomplete. It also supports hidden objectives that might help with map scripting.

 

For each objective, the GUI should check the visible var first and skip over displaying that objective if it's not set visible.

[Napalm]

Spring: The background is missing from the .rar, can you remedy that please? Also, am I supposed to put the font in the font form or is it done already? Also also on a seperate note, where are the rest on the fonts on the FTP, I want them so my other menus work properly but I don't have acesss to CVS to get all the updates

[Springheel]

Sorry, don't know how I left that out. It's on the ftp now as background.jpg

 

As for the fonts, Carelton is the only one that has been added, as far as I know. That's the one to use for the two buttons at the bottom of the page (and a Next Page button if necessary).

 

The JD font will need to be added.

[Napalm]

alright, well I'll see if I can find the font converter. Thanks for the background.

 

Hey can I get a copy of the carelton font please

[Springheel]

Actually, I just took a look at the font folder, and there actually is a JD font already there (along with something called 'Treasure Map'??! I didn't realize that. I'll send them both to you.

 

edit: Ok, both Carelton and JD are in the fonts.rar file on the ftp.

[Napalm]

Ummm, without sounding too dense...where on the FTP? I have no fonts folder and can't find the .rar on the FTP

[Springheel]

It's in the guis folder along with everything else.

[Gildoran]

Yeah, I had added treasuremap, JD and carleton to the fonts folder just to get the readables testmap looking nicer.

 

However, I'm not experienced with the font converter, so if anybody thinks they can get the fonts looking nicer, feel free to try.

[Napalm]

Ish I have a seperate request for button. In Orig. Doom 3 the command _Impulse19 is the BindDef CVAR for bringin up the PDA. Is there a way you can make a seperate one in the SDK so I can bringup/putdown the Objectives menu with it?

[Ishtvan]

I don't have access to the source until Monday. I think Gildoran would be the person to ask though, since he has written code to load GUIs from the SDK.

[Ishtvan]

Actually you might be able to set this up in the console without waiting for SDK changes. You can use the console command 'testgui' to load a gui, so you might be able to type 'bind <your key> testgui <guis/your gui name>'

[Napalm]

well yes, to test it, but that will work 1 way, I need something that will open in relation to the current map and will close with the same key. I would just use the PDA function and change the .gui, but it has extra sciprting that causes problems. Gil whats your thoughts?

[Napalm]

*Frustration* I can't seem to find a easy way to reuse the Objectives. Mainly, I don't know how the SDK side of the setup works, which is what I would probably need. Still, I have it setup to have to 10 objectives. The issue is, that to setup objects there will need to be to be SDK addons like:

string obj1_text to string obj10_text for the mappers to interact with each objective In know that ID did it with only max 2 so there must be some other way outside the guis though unless Doom only ever had 2-3 objectives per mission (Actually that might be the case....not really plot extensive).

 

So my questions for the scripting side is: Is it an issue to have seperate code for some number of entities (up to some number...possibly 10) including all the bools strings ect. Or is it going to be extensive work to make that many additions, and it would be easier for me to spend time on finding a shorter method (Which may take me a very long time to find a get around)

[Gildoran]

I think the bad thing about using the PDA, is that the world continues around the player while the PDA is in use. We should probably look into how the main menu works, if that's possible.

[Springheel]

We certainly don't want the game continuing while players are checking their objectives.

 

I suspect the same is true of just about any GUI other than the readables.

[Napalm]

Well as a menugui it won't be affected by the world. Thats not the issue really. My main dilemas now are seeing if the SDK coding is too much and I need to rework and running/closing the menus, since all that is SDK based not gui based.

[Ishtvan]

I can set the data in whatever format the GUI needs. It would be nice if we could do arrays and for loops, but if the GUI scripting can't really do that, we might have to just do obj1_* through obj10_* like you say. That's no problem, it will be very easy to set the "gui::obj1_* thru gui::obj<MAX>_*" variables. The only question I have is whether you need another variable indicating the number of objectives actually in use, so the GUI doesn't try to display more than are stored in the system.

 

Unless someone corrects me about what GUIs can do, I'd say go with the 10 or 15 max objectives for now, like you said, and post up the GUI code for that if you can, so I can get a better idea of what I need to set.

 

I could set something like gui::NumObjectives, and then we could do something like

objective 1
{
  if( gui::NumObjectives < 1 )
		// don't display this objective
  else
  {
		// display gui::obj1_text, symbols for completeness state, etc
  }
}

objective 2
{
  if( gui::NumObjectives < 2 )
		// don't display this objective
  else
  {
		// display gui::obj2_text, symbols for completeness state, etc
  }
}

... and so on up to 10 or 15 objectives

 

It's not elegant, but if that's what we have to do, it should work.

 

I'd say don't worry about running/closing the menus, that will be handled entirely in the SDK. For other stuff, post up the code for how you're thinking of doing it and we can make sure it works with the SDK elements.

[Napalm]

Well what I could use is a boolean to see whether or not an objective is in use. for instance you mentioned previously a bool obj1_visible : if set to false/0, the objective is hidden and does not display in the GUI (used for mapper scripting and stuff)

 

If you could create this it might be easiest then I simply add a line of code

 

 

if ("desktop::obj1_visible" == 1) {

set "object1::text" "gui::obj1_descrip" ;

 

} else {

set "object1::visible" "0" ;

}

Per objective. If SDK-wise Thats feasible, it would be best, since then not only would the number visible work the same in the end, but it would also allow me to create the multiple pages easier since I can also throw in a line at object 5 to add in pageturns and change visibility and such. Would that work? If so I can get a role on setting everything up, and we can plug it all together to get a complete menu.

[Napalm]

Any thoughts or can I go ahead?

[Ishtvan]

I think that should work. We probably need to do it that way anyway, in case, for whatever reason, an objective was set invisible but an objective after it was set visible. So yeah I'd say go ahead.

[Napalm]

Alright then my goal will be to have this code complete and to get the menu along to a closer stage of completion by the end of the week

[pakmannen]

Why don't we want the world to continue when you check your objectives? I thought maps and objectives would utilize the same system Gildoran coded for readables?

 

Also, yeah, we agreed to use JD quite a long time ago I think, but things have been so messed up with the work on the menus that it's hard to remember what has been done and what hasn't.

[Springheel]

Why don't we want the world to continue when you check your objectives?

 

The objectives are a meta-game thing. A real life thief wouldn't have to stop and pull out a piece of paper to see what he is supposed to do next.

 

Maps *are* an in-game thing, to some extent, so I don't have a problem handling them like readables. I wouldn't push for it if others are uncomfortable with the idea though.