New UI Editor Concept (Feedback & Features wanted)

adam4813 · 02-27-11, 06:56 PM

I am developing a new UI editor concept that I believe could have a broad reaching impact on the whole UI modification scene. Basically games that use an XML based UI format all have very similar layouts and ideas. For example a basic button is nearly the same in all XML based UIs. It has a normal image, pressed image, disabled image, size, location, and text. Of course how each separate game stores this in the XML is slightly different, be it either sub elements <size><x>10</x><y>20</y></size> or with attributes <size x=10 y=20 />. No matter how each widget/element/piece is describe in the XML it is still the same data.

What I am proposing is to create an all purpose UI editor that uses scripting based loading/saving for each type. Internally these widgets/elements/pieces are stored in a common format that the program can draw, but with the specialized elements (such as the EQ chat window element) you can call the script to describe how to draw that element. The script will read through the XML file and create a common internal element based on the XML data. Once editing is finished the same script just performs a reverse operation to put the common internal element's data back into the XML and saves it.

By using a common internal format things could be copied and pasted between UIs of different games to create a uniform look and feel. The future goal for a 2.0 would also be script based Live Mode to allow visual testing of the UI.

What I am looking for is some skilled scripters (familiar with angelscript would be helpful) or skilled C++ programmers. I am writing it tailored to Windows right now, but I am using interfaces that will allow cross-platform programing as well. Keep you eyes on this thread for an updates also please leave feedback and feature requests.

SDPhantom · 02-27-11, 08:39 PM

To add some complexity to the idea, WoW needs a client restart when adding files to an addon, and ToC changes require a complete logout (as far as to the login screen). Changes to existing addon files (other than ToC) just need a UI reload.

Just something to think about when you get into live editing.

I've had combined experience of 8 years so far with Lua and 5 years with the WoW addon system (XML + Lua + WoW API). If you need help in that area, I'd be willing to offer assistance.

adam4813 · 02-27-11, 08:41 PM

Sorry, by live I meant the editor itself will "run" the UI in demo mode. Not inside the game client.

**Seerah** · 02-27-11, 08:53 PM

But what if your UI elements are created via Lua code?

/edit: I, and many other authors, don't use XML.

adam4813 · 02-27-11, 08:56 PM

This is why I need others from all types of communities on board to create the scripts for that game client. Dynamically created elements are certainly possible via scripting. This type of dynamic element may be beyond the 1.0, but it is a possible feature.

**Edit** Saw your edit there. My XML loader works like a tree, moveup/down/left/right, and it has accessors to get innertext and attributes of each element.

**Seerah** · 02-27-11, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by adam4813

**Edit** Saw your edit there. My XML loader works like a tree, moveup/down/left/right, and it has accessors to get innertext and attributes of each element.

I'm not entirely certain of how that pertains to my edit.