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Topic: Build helper - icons

SirVer

Joined: 2009-02-19, 15:18
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Location: Germany - Munich
Posted at: 2011-04-26, 11:31

The new fish is a bit to dark and hard to recognize, imho. About the resource graphics: I like them a lot as they are more toned down than the originals. Note though, that in the editor it would be great if the mine symbol and the resource symbols could stack over each other without interfering. I could for example imagine the resources not being piled up in a pyramid, but instead layouted in a ring so that if you enable build help, the ring goes around the handle of the mine.png symbol so that the mine.png stays well visible.

Was that comprehendable?


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fraang

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Joined: 2010-02-15, 13:13
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Posted at: 2011-04-30, 23:59

Ok I have tried to make this "ring of ressiurces". :D Ring of ressources

And a new/improved fish icon (and the old to compare): New/improved fish iconThe old to compare PS: I had to recreate the materials because Blender deleted them. Looks like it does this if you use them not (not linked to an object).


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SirVer

Joined: 2009-02-19, 15:18
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Location: Germany - Munich
Posted at: 2011-05-01, 10:48

I dig the ring... could someone post a screenshot with it inside the game?


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fraang

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Posted at: 2011-05-05, 01:35

Update! Now ingame screenshot of the new resource icons:

Screenshot

Btw. there is a new swamp terrain texture from me. Changed the hue to be more swamppy xP. For discussions please open a new thread.


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Astuur
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Joined: 2009-02-28, 10:08
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Posted at: 2011-05-05, 07:18

Why do you dissolve the ring into 8 individual bullets?
Wouldn't it be better to to just have a double contour,
that can be filled with the colour of the resource
clockwise starting at 12 o' clock?
I think there are 63 different quantities to display.

My personal opinion is, that it all looks too crowded, too dense.
All icons (fish, big buildings, mines) appear oversized, as is the "ring".
Add a little altitude profile, and it will be hard to decipher.

Already with the current state of things, the resource icons disturb
a clear judgement for placing other immovables in the editor.
Maybe we could at least have the display of resources be switchable?


Being no programmer, I apologize for all my suggestions that imply undue workload and for other misjudgements due to lack of expertise or relevant skills.
I am on Win32, have no means to compile, and rely on prefabricated distributions (Thanks to Tino).

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fraang

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Posted at: 2011-05-05, 13:14

Astuur wrote: Why do you dissolve the ring into 8 individual bullets? Wouldn't it be better to to just have a double contour, that can be filled with the colour of the resource clockwise starting at 12 o' clock? I think there are 63 different quantities to display.

I had in mind to display the different levels of the resources with different amount of spheres, but the filled double contour would be also possible. Note that there are only a few different levels displayed. I think around 6 or 7.

My personal opinion is, that it all looks too crowded, too dense. All icons (fish, big buildings, mines) appear oversized, as is the "ring". Add a little altitude profile, and it will be hard to decipher.

Making the icons for the resources smaller let them vanish behind the building icons. This is the reason for the big icons. The fish could be smaller but why? There is enough space.

Already with the current state of things, the resource icons disturb a clear judgement for placing other immovables in the editor.
Maybe we could at least have the display of resources be switchable?

Yeah that would be cool. Like the build helper "layer".

EDIT: Another way to display the resources could be to make a small pile or lump in front of the mine icon. For the water resource we could make drops instead of spheres.

Edited: 2011-05-05, 13:19

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Astuur
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Posted at: 2011-06-29, 07:50

Coming back to the question of transparancy of the build help icons.
I realized latelely that it is an advantage to have those icons transparent,
because, given the right degree of transparency, you can see the range markers from
existing buildings through the signs, which helps in choosing the right place.


Being no programmer, I apologize for all my suggestions that imply undue workload and for other misjudgements due to lack of expertise or relevant skills.
I am on Win32, have no means to compile, and rely on prefabricated distributions (Thanks to Tino).

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Marcelo_do_Pagode
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Joined: 2011-07-23, 18:59
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Posted at: 2011-08-15, 13:10

Another way to display the resources could be to make a small pile or lump in front of the mine icon. For the water resource we could make drops instead of spheres.

The "small pile" was the way in at least one of the Settlers franchise and it worked really great in my opinion.


Marcelo do Pagode
Ubuntu 11.04
Colorado com muito orgulho!

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ajasio

Joined: 2009-10-01, 02:42
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Posted at: 2012-01-22, 14:44

hm, I think, it looks better with a small light shadow. here my example: http://hackbird.siedler3.net/widelands/Image2.png

generally I think, everything of the UI, which comes over the "playfield" it ought to have a shadow, to differentiate from the "playfield".

...just my opinion.

Edited: 2012-01-22, 14:49

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chuckw
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Joined: 2010-03-15, 16:23
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Posted at: 2012-02-16, 16:03

There has been a discussion about the buildhelp icon for port buildings in Bug Report #892826 and I thought I'd open it up to the rest of the community.
The port buildings are considered "big" buildings and as such Nasenbaer has used the buildhelp icon for Big buildings and superimposed an anchor on it to designate port building space. This is fine but, as Peter says,

...it not "eye biting" enough - what i try to say "if you search for the one port space between all the big spaces, you will need some time, as it looks too similiar at the moment.

So, I propose to change the color of Peter's icon peter to something other than the green of the big building icons to help them to be more identifiable.
Something like this blue port

What do you think? Does anyone have another idea you'd like to share?

Edited for clarity.

Edited: 2012-02-16, 16:05

I see little people.

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