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The New UI System: How to Use It

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  • chilvencechilvence Member Posts: 50
    I have another question for any of the dev team;

    This seems like it might be unlikely but it doesn't hurt to ask, could it be potentially be possible to filter the game dialogue window into kinds of information, eg dialogue, replies, combat feedback?

    Again, only asking because it turned out to be quite handy in Eternity. I also had a vague idea a long time ago that it might be cool to have npc dialogue appear in floating bubbles, sort of JRPG style.

    Yes I realise I could wait 2 days and see for myself what you can do with the UI, but I'll probably be too busy playing the game. Angus Beardscum McSkullcrusher has had his destiny delayed for several days now, he's jonesing for some new heads to crack open....
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    Off the top of my head, I don't think that's possible (I'm pretty sure that behavior is in the engine code, not the UI), but I could be mistaken.
  • lefreutlefreut Member Posts: 1,462
    edited November 2019
    ***
    Post edited by lefreut on
    JuliusBorisovAbelmf2112
  • TraycorTraycor Member Posts: 33
    Here were some new BGEE ui screens I was trying out. I'm interested in doing something similar with the official art that @Pecca linked above. Changing the button sizes was a little too intimidating for me.
    Start Screen:
    m95fafr4f670.jpg
    Esc Menu:
    garpaqe497m0.jpg
    Options Menu:
    kcfb3760qdxu.jpg


    mf2112bruslunar
  • chilvencechilvence Member Posts: 50
    Dee wrote: »
    Off the top of my head, I don't think that's possible (I'm pretty sure that behavior is in the engine code, not the UI), but I could be mistaken.

    Thanks for the fast response. Do you think it is worth making it a feature request? I have no idea what sort of requests are considered. But you are the only people in the world that can possibly fulfil them :)
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    I was looking at modding the portrait chooser to display multiple portraits. The code for the current screen displays the portrait with: createCharScreen:GetCurrentPortrait() and the buttons increment and decrement the current portrait.

    Is there a way to get the list of portraits, perhaps as an array?
    Is there a SetCurrentPortrait?

    More generally, is there any documentation on which functions are exported for the code in UI.menu to use?
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Can someone check for me in bg2ee beta what the call is to starting tob? I want to check whether the tob start engine is callable in bgee. I was thinking about the possibilities to start my bgee mod via the ui rather than it having to be a bg addon type mod. And I don't really want to replace the black pits part 1 (though I could still do that).
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,175
    lroumen wrote: »
    Can someone check for me in bg2ee beta what the call is to starting tob? I want to check whether the tob start engine is callable in bgee. I was thinking about the possibilities to start my bgee mod via the ui rather than it having to be a bg addon type mod. And I don't really want to replace the black pits part 1 (though I could still do that).
    text --tob
    	{
    		bam 'LOGOTOB'
    		sequence 0
    		frame lua "startThreeBookHighlight(2)"
    		area 843 436 235 224
    		align center center
    		action 
    		"
    			logoFrame = 1
    			startEngine:OnToBButtonClick(true)
    			Infinity_PushMenu('START_MAIN')
    		"
    		actionEnter
    		"
    			highlightSOD = true
    		"
    		actionExit
    		"
    			highlightSOD = false
    		"
    	}
    
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Thanks. So tonight is test night for startEngine:OnToBButtonClick(true)
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,175
    @lroumen: notice the "highlightSOD" line. It might suggest it will be used for SoD in bgee.
  • DjinnDjinn Member Posts: 76
    I can't believe anyone would have even the slightest objection to this development. Honestly, can't you see the immense implications this has? Not only are they creating and releasing their own extremely powerful and easy to use modding tools. This could well mean that Beamdog are on their way to creating their very own version of the infinity engine, and that they most likely will produce at least one new highly moddable RPG based on it - at the very least!

    Congratulations Beamdog!
    CameronToferIthual
  • DoubledimasDoubledimas Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 1,286
    edited March 2016
    I admit, I automatically tried to click the right arrow to go to the lvl 7 spells :smile:
    JuliusBorisov
  • lefreutlefreut Member Posts: 1,462
    edited November 2019
    ***
    Post edited by lefreut on
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    @pecca good catch, but this is the bg2ee code right? Why would sod be mentioned there?

    I am also going to restore the buttons on the character screens (to scroll between the party members).
  • ThelsThels Member Posts: 1,416
    edited March 2016
    Pecca wrote: »
    startFrame = 0
    function GetStartAnimation()
    	startFrame = startFrame + 1
    	if startFrame > 60 then
    		startFrame = 0
    	end
    
    	if startFrame >= 50 then
    		return "START6"
    	elseif startFrame >= 40 then
    		return "START5"
    	elseif startFrame >= 30 then
    		return "START4"
    	elseif startFrame >= 20 then
    		return "START3"
    	elseif startFrame >= 10 then
    		return "START2"
    	elseif startFrame >= 0 then
    		return "START1"
    	end
    end
    

    Not sure if it's on purpose, but this should show the "START6" image for 11 frames (both 50 and 60), whereas the other images are only shown for 10 frames. Perhaps change the 4th line to "if startFrame >= 60 then"?
    Traycor wrote: »
    Start Screen:
    m95fafr4f670.jpg

    Considering that whoever uses your interface has already managed to figure out how to install a custom interface, do you think he needs the tip about having to start with the tutorial?
    lroumen wrote: »
    @pecca good catch, but this is the bg2ee code right? Why would sod be mentioned there?

    Because they develop a single engine and use that for the various games, rather than maintaining 3 different engines. It makes sense to let ToB code double for SoD, as it's not possible to get both in the same game at the moment.
  • cmk24cmk24 Member Posts: 605
    FYI the new beta patch has brought major changes to the current record and inventory screens:
    40ow1wasggps.png

    i0mf7cnetfjc.png

    laukfd3oj7ba.png
    JuliusBorisovAedanmf2112
  • FlashburnFlashburn Member Posts: 1,847
    Pecca wrote: »
    I managed to restore the arrows and spell frames in the spell book.

    It's like you know exactly what I want! I wished the arrows in the spellbook would come back as well as the frames around spell slots, because they made it easier to see what spell slots I've gained after a level up.
    JuliusBorisov
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    edited March 2016
    Pecca wrote: »
    lroumen wrote: »
    Can someone check for me in bg2ee beta what the call is to starting tob? I want to check whether the tob start engine is callable in bgee. I was thinking about the possibilities to start my bgee mod via the ui rather than it having to be a bg addon type mod. And I don't really want to replace the black pits part 1 (though I could still do that).
    startEngine:OnToBButtonClick(true)
    
    So the fun part is that I added a menu button that calls this code. It actually ports you to a character creation screen and after clicking start game it places you to a black screen for which I cannot figure out where that is. There are no menu bars, nothing, but the character does give audio responses. Perhaps it is the ToB starting area which does not exist in the BGEE installation and it creates a void or it is the SoD starting area. So I am thinking what if I just add an area with that ToB starting area label, will I then be able to play it? I will have to investigate this further. The plot thickens.
    Thels wrote: »
    lroumen wrote: »
    @pecca good catch, but this is the bg2ee code right? Why would sod be mentioned there?
    Because they develop a single engine and use that for the various games, rather than maintaining 3 different engines. It makes sense to let ToB code double for SoD, as it's not possible to get both in the same game at the moment.
    While I think that is accurate (multiple engines recycled), the code Pecca posted is the code in BG2EE ui.menu, not in BG1EE. It makes no sense to have SoD being mentioned in BG2EE when it is a BG1EE expansion. Rather, the BG2EE should only mention ToB. It would make perfect sense that if the code was visible (but commented) in the BG1EE ui.menu, that SoD is mentioned there using the ToB engine start.

    mf2112
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    I'm moving this thread to the new "UI Modding" subforum.
    JuliusBorisovillathid
  • mf2112mf2112 Member, Moderator Posts: 1,919
    Pecca said:

    I managed to restore the arrows and spell frames in the spell book.



    mazder4waqaw.png

    Hi @Pecca can you please make a thread in this new UI subforum explaining how you did this? Thank you!!
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,175
    @mf2112: That is still only a concept and I broke some original elements while creating it. When I make a fully working mod, then I can explain in detail the changes. Good news is, that the spell frames are back in the official release.
    mf2112
  • Excalibur_2102Excalibur_2102 Member Posts: 351
    How easy is it to change the colours of the UI? Since release ive wanted a colour scheme similar to the original in 1988 (grey stone colour), but no one has ever modded it. This surprised me as Id have thought there would be a few purists who want to play as close to the original as possible.... Even if I could mod the SoD UI to a colour like the original I think id be happy.. is this difficult?
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    It's not difficult, but it's time-consuming. The process is essentially:

    1. open UI Edit Mode on a screen
    2. Hover over each background element that you want to change and press Tab to find its line in UI.menu
    3. Open UI.menu and go to that line
    4. Find the "mosaic" field
    5. Open Near Infinity, and find the mosaic in the MOS files
    6. Export the MOS file as a PNG
    7. Make the changes to the PNG in your favorite image editor (I like Affinity Photo/Affinity Designer)
    8. Drop the modified PNG into your override folder
    9. Repeat the process for every other element

    It's definitely doable, and a great deal simpler than before.

    Alternatively, you could just look in the MOS files for all files beginning with "GUI" and export them. That will eliminate the first four steps. :)
    illathidM0tan
  • ParysParys Member Posts: 205
    How can i change font size for all the UI text in BG SoD?
    I suspect BGEE.lua file is the answer?
    I like the UI font style and size in BGEE without expansion. Is it REALMS or STONESML fonts?
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    REALMS is the Sherwood font, which looks like this:

    Sample

    StoneSML is the small-caps font used on buttons.
  • Excalibur_2102Excalibur_2102 Member Posts: 351
    edited April 2016
    Thanks, I might try it out if I get the time @Dee ..

    Having said that I've never modded a thing in BG before, so would it still be doable for a complete beginner?
  • chilvencechilvence Member Posts: 50
    This is a bit of a slap together WIP, but:



    Finally, finally I can have it how I want it!

    There's some nuisances I have to work out though. Some of the button and window positions are unpredictable, they won't seem to stay where they are placed. And I have no idea how to make it scale to the screen resolution.

    I also hacked up the inventory screen so that the 'quick weapons' etc appear where they are on the menu bar - so it is much more like a 'configure quickslot' button, with non invasive access to the inventory slots:




    Eventually, it is going to be an 'everything everything' display screen, everything condensed down, all the scrollbars and pages and nesting and buttons banished forever. But right now I really just want to play the game, so it looks like cat's vomit instead :)
    BillyYanklroumencmk24mf2112
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