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Maybe, maybe, maybe ... pak144.Excentrique

Started by _Hajo_, November 16, 2022, 09:30:06 PM

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isidoro

But, shouldn't then the theme adapt to the pak-set?  Let's put an example: main simutrans used to have a hand-written pak set.  Shouldn't the labels be handwritten in that case and only in that case?

For pak64, a neat font with a square opaque rectangle may be suitable, but for a pak set as detailed as this one (with shiny parts, transparency, smooth object borders, etc.), it just doesn't "fit", imho.

Yona-TYT

Quote from: isidoro on January 02, 2023, 03:09:37 AMBut, shouldn't then the theme adapt to the pak-set?  Let's put an example: main simutrans used to have a hand-written pak set.  Shouldn't the labels be handwritten in that case and only in that case?

For pak64, a neat font with a square opaque rectangle may be suitable, but for a pak set as detailed as this one (with shiny parts, transparency, smooth object borders, etc.), it just doesn't "fit", imho.

It would be nice, but I don't think anyone would dare to do this, I think it is limited by the player color and a fonts, well I guess it would have to be a default for each pakset.


However, I recently made a patch that adds a default theme gui for paksets, but I don't think it received (at least for the moment) the attention I expected.
https://forum.simutrans.com/index.php/topic,22162.msg202690/topicseen.html#msg202690  :-[

Andarix

Quote from: Yona-TYT on January 02, 2023, 04:00:42 AM...
However, I recently made a patch that adds a default theme gui for paksets, but I don't think it received (at least for the moment) the attention I expected.
https://forum.simutrans.com/index.php/topic,22162.msg202690/topicseen.html#msg202690  :-[

At Simutrans you need a lot of patience. The default setting for a theme in the simuconf.tab has been requested for many years.

And there are also some bugs that have existed for many years. Simutrans is not the top priority in people's real life.

As long as the development rests on so few shoulders as with Simutrans, it takes a lot of patience to implement wishes.

Ranran

#38
I think one of the issus with simutrans UI design is that menus and themes are independent, as I pointed out before.
https://forum.simutrans.com/index.php/topic,20813.msg198774.html#msg198774
I made a suggestion in that thread to separate the menu button background and object. The display of assigned keys could also be separated.
The latter tricks players with menu bar icons, even though they can change the key bindings themselves...

Unfortunately simutrans is not flexible in font size (all fonts are the same size).
But it would be nice to have the ability to display the keybindings above the icon when a certain key is pressed.
Today's windows applications often have such functionality.

_Hajo_

Just to summarize some of the messages. A better (even if only prettier) UI feels important to me. I'm willing to work on it.

My C++ skills have become very outdated though (have not done any C++ coding since 10 years or so). So there will be limits to what I can do, and how fast I can do things.

I have started a small list of UI improvements which I want to work on and themed station labels will be the first. I'll watch out for more suggestions.

_Hajo_


_Hajo_

Due to other activities for Simutrans, there were only few additions to the set this week. I've added neon tube style magnatrack signals and two Menger sponges as sights.

Download:
https://github.com/Varkalandar/pak144.Excentrique/releases/tag/v0.07

And for the curious, the wikipedia entry of what a Menger sponge actually is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menger_sponge

_Hajo_

Now that the work on Simutrans GL isn't so pressing anymore, I had some time to look into this again. Added an automated build workflow, so new "nightly" versions are compiled each time a change is pushed to the repository, and the pak set got a fresh logo all of its own.

https://github.com/Varkalandar/pak144.Excentrique/releases/tag/Nightly

pak144.Excentrique_new_logo.png

_Hajo_

I've tried to recreate the proto sun from pak48.Excentrique as first of a new industry chain to come. The halo effect works, the ground could use some more detail. Not sure if I just could have bare land there under the sun, I think Simutrans does weird things if industries have fully transparent base tiles.

Edit: I'll add these factories-to-be as tourist attractions for testing purposes until there are goods, vehicles and consumers defined.

Andarix

you can set needs_ground for non complette ground

wiki - needs_ground

Then the floor should show through a transparent floor surface.

_Hajo_

Now with ground and crater and more shiny!

_Hajo_

So, the second industry chain has gotten the second member. The very sparky weather control!

_Hajo_

And a solar car.

_Hajo_

Empty solar jars aren't so bright.

_Hajo_

I've started to work on a cloud farm. It's harder than expected, but this is what I have right now. I'm not sure if I'll keep the 4 big clouds in the center or place something else there.

_Hajo_

So, I learned a bit more how to make clouds, and I can present the very fluffy cloud farm. Soon to come to a pak set near you!


_Hajo_

Clouds must be transported very carefully, so cloud bowls have a top speed of only 30km/h

If my automatic build works, cloud farms and cloud bowls should now be part of the set. I very likely will have to change the costs and transport revenue of the cars as well as the productivity of the cloud far, so this is just a preview.

https://github.com/Varkalandar/pak144.Excentrique/releases/tag/Nightly

isidoro

There's an optical effect in the empty cup: it doesn't seem empty but with a kind of metal ball inside...

_Hajo_

#53
Quote from: isidoro on January 31, 2024, 12:05:12 AMThere's an optical effect in the empty cup: it doesn't seem empty but with a kind of metal ball inside...

I see. I think the combination of reflection and very strong highlight does that. For the time being, I'll keep it this way though.

The news of the day are autonomously driving cloud bowls and solar jars! The first freight vehicles for the power trails. Here, a cloud bowl prototype delivering some cloud cores to the weather mixer.

It is intentional that it is so high above the trail. In this pak set vehicles neither driver on the left, nor right, but one direction uses the lower layer and the other direction the layer above. Collision free driving on one lane in two directions!

Admitted it looks a bit confusing and the changes from and to upper and lower lane are a bit counter-intuitive also ... but at least different from the norm  ;)

_Hajo_

Say hello to the new lowland bushes and mountain corals!


_Hajo_

Quote from: Yona-TYT on February 05, 2024, 01:25:51 AMNice  8)

Thank you!

Another update, I've been working on a new high speed magnatrack. Still have to balance the costs, also for the two already existing magnatracks. Also it seems I must shift the vehicles a bit to fit better.

_Hajo_

I've fixed some aligment isues with the new magnatrack and added one more vehicle, the powersnail. A low cost, low maintainence alternative to the faster magntrack engines.

And I've compiled all the changes into a new release:

https://github.com/Varkalandar/pak144.Excentrique/releases/tag/r0.08

_Hajo_

Soon coming to an excentrique pak set near you: The Rainmaker!

The second last in the weather chain, now only the wind factory is missing.

Snapshot, https://github.com/Varkalandar/pak144.Excentrique/releases/tag/Nightly
The sun and rain transport vehicles will probably change later in development, but I needed something to connect the factories.

_Hajo_

From gentle breezes to heavy gusts, the vortex turbofan will deliver all the wind you need.