6 replies to this topic

[Finaldeath]

Version 0.1.1, as from the top bar.

Don't take this all as bad critism, its all work in progress I know and most of this stuff you'll know already. I am not trying to comment on things not working at all, some buttons and most functionality

Feedback: It loads at last!

Loading a mod: The "Loading" (or building) text needs to be more visible. It also loses focus (for seemingly no reason, since the loading screen is just a loading info screen) compared to the sidebar.

Loaded an older mod I was working on.

Main layout

I'm not sure I like the mass of files on the left, no menu, and the module box being mandatory at all times currently. There is no way to help, no way to open a mod without unloading the current one, and some other minor things.

Of course, I expect this to change. As far as I'm aware there isn't much functionality except for some of the .module file being editable.

It also pays to *never* use Comic Sans. Please, oh mother of mercy, don't let the entire tool use Comic Sans text. Its not very readable, and looks very unprofessional and silly.

Module

General

There should be some filters put on these fields (and reason why), and the fields should be in alphabetical order, its pretty random at the moment:

DLL Name: filter out all of DOW's default non-mod filters. this would make sure no errors due to these being chosen would take place. Custom ones/new ones of course will be available, but "divxdecoder" wouldn't be available

Mod folder: Remove the choice of every DOW default folder apart from custom ones, WXPMod and W40kMod

There should also be some more ? or tooltip/help links (for future I guess) since most of the fields are not very self-explanitory what to do for new mods.

Data Folders, Data Archives, Required Mods, Compatible Mods

The icons (+, -, /\, \/) have no tooltips. Guessing that /\ is move up isn't too nice :(

Compatible Mods also has no text for the bottom right where it usually says something about saving.

Requests

For future work, if the left hand panel will do anything, then filtering out all required and compatible mods is a good idea. It could be dockable too, if we had...

...a Menu bar like other applications...

...with the close button on the .module file moving to the more standard "Word close document only" position. IE: below the top right close buttons.

Having the ability to load multiple mods, ala word/excel/acrobat etc. with the ability to minimise one and look at others would be nice.

I can request a whole list of things for stuff you've not implmented yet. I won't bother.

Also, if there is stuff that is working currently, but I've missed, tell me and I'll test it

Edited by Finaldeath, 21 January 2006 - 01:54 AM.

[Corsix]

"Loading a mod: The "Loading" (or building) text needs to be more visible. It also loses focus (for seemingly no reason, since the loading screen is just a loading info screen) compared to the sidebar."
Fixed.

"I'm not sure I like the mass of files on the left, no menu, and the module box being mandatory at all times currently"
a. How else would you show the mod's files and open files to edit?
b. Menus will be added
c. As you are editing a mod, why shouldn't the mod window be mandantory?

"There is no way to help, no way to open a mod without unloading the current one, and some other minor things."
a. ?
b. Just open up another copy of the program (But I think I'll make an easy way of launching another copy)
c. like?

"It also pays to *never* use Comic Sans. Please, oh mother of mercy, don't let the entire tool use Comic Sans text. Its not very readable, and looks very unprofessional and silly."
Changed to MS Sans Serif

"There should be some filters put on these fields (and reason why), and the fields should be in alphabetical order, its pretty random at the moment"
It was in the order I found them in the module file, but now it's alphabetical.

"DLL Name: filter out all of DOW's default non-mod filters. this would make sure no errors due to these being chosen would take place. Custom ones/new ones of course will be available, but "divxdecoder" wouldn't be available

Mod folder: Remove the choice of every DOW default folder apart from custom ones, WXPMod and W40kMod"
I've removed all DoW 'system' folders and DLLs from the lists.

"There should also be some more ? or tooltip/help links (for future I guess) since most of the fields are not very self-explanitory what to do for new mods."
Will do

"The icons (+, -, /\, \/) have no tooltips. Guessing that /\ is move up isn't too nice :("
They have tooltips now. What would you use instead of /\ and \/ (BTW, looks nicer in sans serif anyway)


"Compatible Mods also has no text for the bottom right where it usually says something about saving."
Thats intentional because changing compatible mods has no effect anyway.

[Finaldeath]

Looks better in sans serif Glad you didn't comment on everything. Will report back on other betas in a similar way.

"I'm not sure I like the mass of files on the left, no menu, and the module box being mandatory at all times currently"
a. How else would you show the mod's files and open files to edit?
b. Menus will be added
c. As you are editing a mod, why shouldn't the mod window be mandantory?

a. You could have it as a toggleable window. If you add a menubar and status bar (think: any kind of web browser), then either could have a toggle for the window (and hopefully VB has some kind of function that allows this).

c. Why, if I was editing LUA files or SCAR, want to have a wasted window or part of the program. If you add some kind of viewer for most of the files, the window will have ot have some way of bringing up to the forefront - it'd be best to have this as a proper dialog box

If you implment a menubar, you can move the close mod functionality to that instead too.The module option window won't be used for 99% of the time editing a mod. I created one for my final liberation mod ages ago - a year ago, its been changed twice - once for the FE line and once for the WXPMod dll

"There is no way to help, no way to open a mod without unloading the current one, and some other minor things."
a. ?
b. Just open up another copy of the program (But I think I'll make an easy way of launching another copy)
c. like?

a. Sorry, I meant, if there was going to be a valid working help file, apart from the "Main Menu", there are no ways to get to it (menubar!)

b. Fair enough, I guess.

c. This is mainly minor things like the UI not being the same for all parts of the program currently (menubar needed, module file window being mandatory currently, buttons not doing what they say sometimes like this next sentence), and also that the big "QUIT" button doesn't *actually* quit the program but just closes the mod.

Hope that helps.

PS: You should remove the ability to add "CompatibleMods.1" if it truely does nothing. Saves UI space, clickthroughs and code lines

[Corsix]

PS: You should remove the ability to add "CompatibleMods.1" if it truely does nothing. Saves UI space, clickthroughs and code lines

It does nothing as far as the tool is concerned. But in DoW, it sets whaich mods have compatible scenarios.

[Finaldeath]

If it does something in game, the text could be added for future reference.

I'm looking forward to the next beta, remember to post when its up so we can all feedback on it

[compiler]

I agree with FinalDeath about the module window : I don't see the point in having it opened at all times. Accessing it through a tool bar should be more than enough.
The right panel should be reserved for the actual edition.

The current configuration looks much like Relic's Attribute Editor, and I aml quite used to it, so I see no problem with it.

[Corsix]

Ok, the module window and files window can now be closed (hidden) without closing the mod. They can then be opened up again via the Mod menu.