Thanks Cory for your suggestions, they are quite useful! I have been thinking the UI through and done some concept art in paint. I realized you never use/need to change most settings in VBCT. Instead I have been focusing on those that you really do need and designed them to be useful. None of this is implemented yet but I managed to get the batch compiling working perfectly yesterday. What I propose is this:
- To make things simpler I will make the main screen only contain this: 1) a dropdown list of all mods in gameconfig.txt for both ep1 and orangebox, 2) a dropdown list of all .vmf files in mapsrc for the mod, 3) a dropdown list of all configuration, 4) a big Compile Map button and Cancel Compile, 5) a progress bar and the option to watch the compile output, and 6) various buttons to show the user friendly advanced buttons. - Most of the time you just want to compile a single map for instant testing ingame. So instead of having to browse for a map manually, I will make the program scan all mapsrc\ folders and make it default to the most recently saved .vmf file, as this is most likely the one you want to compile. - I will also show all recent .vmf files newer than their .bsp counterpart under the title "You probably want to compile these:" - The user is also likely to the same compile flags for most compiles. So I will use configurations such as Debug (HDR only), Release (LDR+HDR), Final Release (Both -final) and so on. The user will be able to edit this list. - The program will assume all the default values for which mod to use, what map to compile, and with what configuration. This will allow the mapper a one click compile in most cases, as well as allowing him to easily change it. - The user will be able to add maps to the compile queue while compiling other maps and be able to watch the progress for them seperately. - It will be possible to change what tools will be called and add new ones. - And there will be a progress bar showing how the compile comes along in the Win7 superbar. And more, there are just some of my ideas for the ideal interface, and it isn't hard to make. _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders
