Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Discuss the free TT-like game Simutrans.
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I did some more font size related adaptions in the vehicle and station info windows. They should work better now with the new, larger fonts.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r039/

On the other hand I also did a lot of internal changes to improve the codebase, which might affect the stability of this version adversely. If you run into problems with this version, please let me know.
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I did some minor adjustments to the fonts themselves, in the hope to make them easier readable, and more adjustement to the UI to make components fit better to the bigger fonts.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r040/

There are still a lot of dialogs left to adjust, though ...

Edit: Sourceforges download mirroring system is a bit slow again today. I have no idea when the download will be available actually, I can only say the files are on the server :/ Usually it takes only a few minutes, just not today ...

Edit 2: 20 hours later. I can only assume that Sourceforge mirroring system has a bad day. It even admits the files are there - if you go to the folder it tells:

Totals: 3 Items 12.0 MB

But it doesn't show any download links and if I log into the admin panel, it says "File will be available for download soon". Soon must be a very relative timeframe *sigh*
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

Finally, the download links for r040 became active - took only two and a half days :P

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r040/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I've compiled an uploaded a Linux version. It should at least work with Ubuntu LTS 12.04 and close relatives. I have no idea about the other Linux variants. At least I can say that the source code compiles under Linux, so it should be possible to build Iron Bite on other Linux distributions as well.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r040/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I found a few more bugs in the UI, and felt the need to publish a new version with some bugfixes. At the moment I can only offer a windows build, but I assume the code will build on Linux, too:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r041/

The screenshots are from pak64.Crisp with the new font.
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station_new_fonts.png
station_new_fonts.png (16.71 KiB) Viewed 19127 times
vehicle_new_fonts.png
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Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I've now also adjusted the line management window to the new fonts, and overall I think the new release is quite good. But knowing my talent in coding, there surely lurk some bugs somewhere ...

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r042/
Attachments
line_mgmt_new_fonts.png
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Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I noticed that the newest Simutrans version wrote savegames which made Iron Bite crash on reading. I have tried to fix this incompatibility, and if I did things right saved games should now be again compatible in both directions, so that Iron Bite can read Simutrans' saved game and Simutrans can read Iron Bites saved games:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r043/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I've compiled a Linux version of Iron Bite, I hope it will run on a fair number of Linux systems. At least it verifies that the source code still compiles with Linux :)

I've also packaged the windows version newly, since there were some minor graphical, translation and config changes since the original r043 release - I've labeled the new files "r043a" but the program still will show "r043", though, since the executable is the same:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r043/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I could squish a few more UI color and layout problems. I've added some translations for pak64.Crisp and fixed a few minor graphical quirks there. No big changes this time, just some polish and streamlining.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r044/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

This time it's a more freaky extension - support for transparent window bodies. They definitely have a coolness factor, but actually they are a bit hard to read. I don't know what the powergamers like more, so I made them optional.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... /r045-exp/

In this releas they are activated by default. If you want to turn them off again, open the config/iron_bite.ini file in a text editor, look for the line "iron_transparent_windows = 1" and change that to "iron_transparent_windows = 0". I've labeled this release "experimental" since I've changed many places in the user interface code, and might have broken things. Also I might have missed places that would have beeded a change.

The window body color is also configurable, the light blue was one of the more readable choices on my monitor.

Edit: Spelling.
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r045_transparent_crop.jpg
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Last edited by Varkaleas on 30 Oct 2012 15:36, edited 1 time in total.
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by oberhümer »

The only worthy use I could see for this is as a toggle button on windows that are open most of the time (not sure if Simutrans has any). In all other cases, it's just a distraction from what the user is looking for.

Also noticed the font only recently. Out of the ordinary, but perfectly fine.
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Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

The font was a try to make a easily readable font for high DPI screens, but Simutrans doesn't allow taller fonts than 13 pixels at the moment. I saw a few quirks in the font recently, but was too lazy to go at it again. Maybe later. I'm happy to hear though that you like it :)

I think you are right about the transparency- the readability of the transparent windows is really a problem. I might turn it off again by default in the next releases. Sometimes the "design follows function" is overruled in my head by "design follows coolness" ;)

I think some people play Simutrans with some windows permantly open. I'm more the type who closes all windows once done with the interaction. So it's hard for me to say if it's of any use to get a glimpse of the map even through the windows.

Edit:

I've had the chance to check the transparency effect with a few different displays now, and at least to my eyes the readability is quite good on the better displays. At the moment I'd say the effect can even stay as default for future releases.
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by YNM »

The transparent UI is nice ! Maybe making the opaquer a little bit more ? Just suggestion :o
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Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that you like it :)

It's a bit tricky to control the amount of opacity with a pure software renderer like used in Simutrans. Out of the box it only offers 25%, 50% and 75% opacity. But I have an idea ... I'll try it and maybe the next version will have a better balance between readability and cool UI style :o
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I've done some adjustments for the depot dialog, also for the vehicle info dialog, to make the work better with larget image sizes (pak96 and bigger). Also I found a way to control the transprency in smaller steps, so there now is a choice of 0%, 12% and 25% (former version only had 0% and 25%) for the UI. The default is now 12% transparency (can be changed in iron_bite.ini)

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r046/

Along with the program changes came a few minor translation adaptions.
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

I'm working towards a more customizable UI, so even if this version looks much like the last one, it got more option to make it look different if one wants to. Most of the changes are still work in progress, but it looks quite promising so far.

For the player this version brings a number of smaller adjustments, text and translation fixes, a few graphical adjustments, button sizes and positions, and working towards a more common set of line colors for charts (not completely done yet). I guess the biggest visual change is a new style of buttons which is used in most dialogs.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... Bite/r047/
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

There have been many Iron Bite releases since I've last posted about updates here, some more stable some less.

The last r061a seems to be one of the more stable ones again, so I want to announce it here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... ntal/r061/

I've started to change Simutrans Iron Bite into more of a sandbox type game. I've removed all references to costs and money that I was aware of, and I've removed the chronology. All buildings, way types and vehicles are availble right from the start, so you can build your games in full freedom.

I know this makes the game less attractive to some of the players, but I hope it will attract people who are less interested in money, statistics and economy, but in building transport networks without economic constraints.

Also there have been changes to the map creation code, to make ships more useful, i.e. to create more water areas on the maps.
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

Again, many internal changes and a lot of code cleanup, only little new functionality. The most notable change have been some more options in industry and tourist attraction placement. I've published a new version for testing:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... ntal/r064/

While there were only few changes in the code I've been working on a new graphics set with less steep slopes than Simutrans graphics sets usually have.

Over the past few weks I've added buildings, adapted road and railroad graphics to the new slopes and added a few vehicles and a simple industry chain. Enough to publish a preview:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... 4/preview/

If you unpack the pak72.Elegance.zip you'll get a folder named "pak72.Elegance". You need to move this folder into your Iron Bite installation directry, more precisely into the subfolder "the_iron_way", where also the other pak sets and program files reside.
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72-mall.jpg
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Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

Besides a few bugfixes, the new r065a got a zoom feature to magnify the full display by a factor of 2. This should help owners of very high DPI monitors as well as people with bad eyesight (like me).

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsim ... ntal/r065/

I've attached a screenshot of the "New World" dialog with the new zoom feature. Pixels are blocky, but text is much easier to read this way (at least for me ;) ).
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mag-x2.jpg
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Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
Varkaleas
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Re: Working on a nicer UI for Simutrans

Post by Varkaleas »

Once again I've started to work on the fonts and the font rendering system. I could expand the system from Simutrans to support several sizes of fonts in one dialog. Also I've managed to add some simple font anti-aliasing routines (see the text details in the magnified button text). The map screenshot has a mix of old and new font display code, so not all text there is anti-aliased yet.

It will be ahuge task though to change all dialogs and more general, all locations where Simutrans displays fonts, tot he new system. But I can do a slow migration and keep the old system until everything is using the new system.
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font_aa.png
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map_aa_small_font.png
map_aa_small_font.png (40.26 KiB) Viewed 17765 times
Working on a Simutrans fork with a nicer UI: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ironsimu/
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