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(request) bg1 style ui

DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
in UI Modding
Hi,

I liked the atmosphere of the old bg1 green ui, and i think a lots of us liked it but nobody wants to create it :)
Im not an ui modder, but a requester if somebody see some nostalgic feeling to create a bg1 style ui i would be very pleased:D
Just a green high resolution bg1 style mod.
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Comments

  • Mush_MushMush_Mush Member Posts: 476
    With old school spell books!
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    @pecca your concepts are great lookin.
  • Mush_MushMush_Mush Member Posts: 476
    edited October 2016
    I'd like it if when you right clicked on a spell that it brings up that spell in a scroll style window the same as if you were to right click on a scroll and just do away with cramming spell descriptions into the spellbook itself. It would alleviate so much room and look more like an actual spellbook.

    Here's a rough idea of what I mean...

    I used BG1 so it would need higher res but you get the idea. Just wanted to convey the general layout and style. If someone were to do this I'd be ecstatic.

    (forgot to put the word "Memorized" in the middle of the bottom bar.)

  • lefreutlefreut Member Posts: 1,462
    Kilivitz said:

    So I've taken upon myself to convert the original BG1 GUI to the EE engine. But as @Pecca has pointed out, it's certainly a time-consuming project. And not without a few complications.

    Good luck with your project.
    Kilivitz said:

    Right now what I'm doing is sort of starting over. I intend to create a dedicated thread where I'll explain the complications in more details, regularly post on my progress, get feedback (or so I hope) and beg for help/collaborators.

    This topic already shows that people are interested in a mod like this so you will get feedback and help :)
  • Mush_MushMush_Mush Member Posts: 476
    I agree, the new interface is fine for SoD but I think a more true-to-the-original style is warranted for BGEE.

    Also, I really don't like scroll bars on spellbooks its just weird. It's fine on abstract pages like char sheets but when you have it on a literal page in a spellbook it just doesnt work imo.
  • agrisagris Member Posts: 581
    to @Danacm and @Kilivitz

    this might be useful if you haven't found it yet: http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1017-classic-gameplay-windows-for-bgee/
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,215
    @Kilivitz: I think the buttons look better when they are all same size. Vanilla game couldn't do this, but it fits into EE just fine. Anyway, if you ever need any advise, don't hesitate to ask.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    edited October 2016
    @Pecca the problem with making all buttons square is that there's not enough space unless you're using an unscaled UI with a screen height bigger than 768 pixels, which as you know is the minimum supported by the EEs. I suppose, however, that it wouldn't be too difficult making slightly different versions that cover all bases.
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,215
    @Kilivitz: There is only one button left out of my mockup, in the right bottom (and that's touchscreen only). I suppose you can replace the "questionmark" button easily anytime, because that is just a vaste of space.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    @Pecca I can see now that your screens are not in full HD so yeah, I stand corrected. Though I think it might be good to have different formats for different types of buttons. Basically, square buttons are exclusively for when clicking it takes you to a different screen. I also think it's a good idea to take the Select Party and Toggle AI buttons back to their original narrow format and side-by-side disposition. It's not very good for touchscreens, but as I said before, such a mod could have slightly different versions or components.

    I've done a bit of work this week and I've got to say, there are many roadblocks in making it look just like the original UI.

    One example is that portraits on the right sidebar have a larger stone border than the ones in the Dragonspear UI. I haven't been able to figure out how to reduce the size of the portraits inside the frame without reducing the whole BAM.

    There's also the issue of the new version of the engine using an extraneous highlight effect on whatever buttons corresponds to the screen you're currently in. It used to use a specific frame in the BAM cycle but not anymore, so I'm not sure on how to reproduce the "lit up" effect.

    What I'm saying is that this might take a while.
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,215
    @Kilivitz You should certainly stand by your vision, I personaly would not make this mod just like vanilla, I would just use the graphics and general familiar layout.

    Portrait borders are a pain, I have used independent graphic elements in UI++, because the portrait scaling is hardcoded. Perhaps you can make use of similar technique, check the code.

    I think you can disable the highlight effect by removing the "glow lua" line. Instead you could make a "frame lua" line with the original selection graphic effect (something similar to spell level buttons in spell screens).
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    The thing I miss the most about the classic UI has to be that awesome clock! The BG2 style clock really stinks IMO... It is so hard to tell exactly what time it is just by looking. Plus, I like gears and stuff.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    Pecca said:

    I think you can disable the highlight effect by removing the "glow lua" line. Instead you could make a "frame lua" line with the original selection graphic effect (something similar to spell level buttons in spell screens).

    @Pecca IT WORKS. Thank you very very much.

    The only catch is that when the journal is open, the screen that was open previously (either Game or Area Map) will continue to glow, which is strange by Vanilla BG1 standards, but makes sense because those screens are still active.

    I personally would like the mod to bring back the old Journal behavior in a way similar to Dragonspear++ or @lefreut 's mod, but we're not there yet.

    And to anyone else reading this: I've made a bit of progress. My initial plan was to put something out yesterday to celebrate BG's release 18th birthday but alas, there was no time. But don't lose hope, a test version is coming out soon.
  • lefreutlefreut Member Posts: 1,462
    @Kilivitz, you can look and even use some code of my mod if you want :)
  • Woolie_WoolWoolie_Wool Member Posts: 153
    Just wanted to offer my encouragement. I really like the mockups, and while I never played the original BG1 and got to know its interface, I like this better than the awful blue color of the EE.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    @Woolie_Wool it's a work in progress for me. I'm not sure whether I should wait for the next patch or not, though. The devs may tweak the UI a bit more.
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    edited March 2017
    @Kilivitz the next patch seems so far. https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/63557/2-4-patch-bg2-ee#latest
  • Excalibur_2102Excalibur_2102 Member Posts: 351
    What @AndreaColombo was working on was pretty damn special IMO... I hope it sees the light of day (soon :tongue: )
  • AxieAxie Member Posts: 23
    Anyone knows if somebody came close to finish project such as this?
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 951
    I hope, there is a chance for that.
  • JhaycenJhaycen Member Posts: 19
    edited July 2018
    The closest you'll currently find is the version of "LeFreut's Enhanced UI" with the BG1 theme:
    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/66226/mod-lefreuts-enhanced-ui-bg1ee-skin-for-bg1ee-sod-bg2ee-and-eet

    It's sort of a hybrid of the original and new UI.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    Axie said:

    Anyone knows if somebody came close to finish project such as this?

    It will happen... eventually.
  • GloomfrostGloomfrost Member Posts: 271
    By Helm i miss the original UI stone back ground!

    So I'm asking any of the really advanced modders like

    Kilivitz

    Lefreut

    Pecca

    AndreaColombo

    you all have done very in-depth UI modding.

    Any chance you might take a crack at this and give all of us some so much needed BG1 nostalgia?

    Please it would mean a lot to us ol' timers ;)

  • GloomfrostGloomfrost Member Posts: 271
    Kilivitz said:

    Now that 2.5 is finally out I'm going to resume work on the mod.

    woo hoo!! thank you Kilivitz, please keep us updated!
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