[TEST] 11.17.05 (LU17a) - Interface Changes

[Dolby]

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***

• You can now resize the icons in your hotkey bars.

  • The hotkey bar context menu allows you to increase or decrease the size easily.
  • You may also set the icons to the desired size using /hotbar_iconsize <id 0..9> <size>
  • The minimum icon size is 11 pixels, and maximum size is 1337 pixels.

• You can now close windows via the right-click context menu.

  • This is especially useful if you wish to disable frames for a window.

• /who will now search using a tradeskill level if you specify the artisan class name.
• Double-clicking a house item in your inventory will now attempt to place it.
• Clicking the item link in your chat window after harvesting a collection item will attempt to add the item to your collections.
• The number of house items you have placed in your house now appears on the main house window.
• The location of a placed item (floor, ceiling, or wall) is now displayed in the Collect an Item window.
• The Collect an Item window now shows icons, tooltips and rent-reduction status.
• Item links that contain colons will now work correctly.
• The compass and clock windows now work with clickthrough enabled.
• The onscreen message window now defaults to use clickthrough.
• The login window will now allow use of the keypad for numeric entry.

*** UI Modders ***

• There is now better tracking for window versions in the user interface.
• /window_version <Module> <Name> will return the current version of the specified UI window.
• There is also now a new interface property that give detailed version information: version="<major>.<minor>.<revision>"

  • If the major number does not match, the window will not be displayed (e.g. if the window version in-game is 2.0.0, but your mod's version is 1.0.0, it will not display).
  • If the minor version number does not match, some functionality may not work correctly, but the window will still be displayed.
  • If the revision version number does not match, there was a cosmetic change to the window.

• There is a new interface properly for modder attribution and commentary that is displayed in in /window_version: version_note="<text>"

[Patch Notes]

Here are the following XML Changes found on the test server 11.17.05. The left side is what is on live server 11.17.05 and the right side is what is on the test server now 11.17.05. Changes are shown in red and some xml above and below the changes are left in for context.

Please keep in mind these changes have not gone live yet and more changes may be in the works and only introduced on patch day.

Changed:
eq2ui_inventory_bag.xml
eq2ui_inventory_loot.xml
eq2ui_inventory_market.xml
eq2ui_inventory_store.xml
eq2ui_journals_active.xml
eq2ui_ListboxStyles.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_clock.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_compass.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_hotkey.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_mainchat.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_map.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_society.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_target.xml
eq2ui_newcharscene.xml
eq2ui_playerhousing.xml
eq2ui_popup.xml
FontZapf15.xml
FontZapf16.xml
FontZapf18.xml
FontZapf20.xml
FontZapf24.xml
images\icons\icon_transp1.dds
images\mugshots_female.dds
images\specialelements.dds
images\window_elements_specific.dds

New:
eq2ui_popup_houseitems.xml
images\frontend\window_elements_specific.dds

[Agathorn]

At a quick glance these new hotkeys seem to be causing serious problems with UIBuilder.

I can no longer load the default UI into UIBuilder. It errors out.

I can also no longer seem to edit the default Hoetkey window in UIBuilder. While working on my new Serenity suite I was still using the default hotkeys, and today decided to work on modding them for mine. I noticed for some reason it wasn't showing up under MainHUD so I went and copied the default file over to my custom directory. Still not showing up. Loaded up equi_mainhud.xml into notepad and looked and it wasn't even included! So I included it. Still not showing up!

I sure hope this is a bug and not intentional -- some hardcoding. It may even be me having just woken up, but it doesn't seem to be working. I'm going to have to pull the hotkeys from live and work with them.

[Agathorn]

Ok after taking a closer look at the hotkey file, I managed to fix it. Or at least get it loaded properly into Serenity. Haven't checked with Default UI yet.

That little 'box' that we all love and hate is missing from the hotkey.xml file. Manually edit it in notepad to add it in and it will load properly.

And no I didin't mess it up. This is missing in the default UI version as well.

[Sir Taleisin The Seer]

Originally Posted by Dolby

You can now resize the icons in your hotkey bars.
The hotkey bar context menu allows you to increase or decrease the size easily.
You may also set the icons to the desired size using /hotbar_iconsize <id 0..9> <size>
The minimum icon size is 11 pixels, and maximum size is 1337 pixels.

............... SOEs goal in life must be to piss me off...............

[Agathorn]

Worst part about the hotkey stuff is not only does it not work properly (it resizes the icons but not the bank selector, nor the vertical window size), but it appears to be a hardcoded feature. So 1) Theres no learning from it to do your own, and 2) I'm guessing even if you have your own super custom window it will allow users to at least try and resize the icons there as well, and I know many windows won't be designed to properly resize.

It IS a cool feature, but I think it will cause problems.

[Agathorn]

Just an FYI - warning - too all my fellow modders out there. ATM /loadui is once again broken and causes client crash after performing near any action.

[Dolby]

Keep in mind this is Lu17a and its still on the test server. I'll make sure Bobble is aware of the problems and he notifys the correct people.

[Agathorn]

Test is my home server and I posted on the testers private forum SOE gives us for better communicating issues, but if you send it up to him thats more chances for him to see it

[Laffs]

Hmm im sure we can bodge our own hotabars up to work correctly even if soe's dont... What does appear to be a pain is this version number stuff

So what there saying is if soe has say player window at "version 2.1.1"
And I have my own player window at "version 1.1.1" then its doomed because of the version number and reguardless to the fact as if it actualy still works fine in game or not?

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick here?

[Landiin]

Originally Posted by Laffs

Hmm im sure we can bodge our own hotabars up to work correctly even if soe's dont... What does appear to be a pain is this version number stuff

So what there saying is if soe has say player window at "version 2.1.1"
And I have my own player window at "version 1.1.1" then its doomed because of the version number and reguardless to the fact as if it actualy still works fine in game or not?

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick here?

Lol you are correct.. Its going to bite going to ever window and adding version="1.0.1" every time there is an update.. Is there any such app out there that will search files in a folder and do a find and replace with out having to load every freaking file?

[Laffs]

Om*g .............. Stuff that its hard enough work as it is

Im off to buy some rope

[SOE_Bobble]

* Hotbars resizing - we'll fix the issues or the feature won't make the live patch. Currently all the code is doing is changing the CellSize on the volumePage and the hotbar OnResize code kicks in (which I had debated against but decided it was preferable). I had to adjust a few other packsize/packlocation properties along the way. Pretty easy to learn from that to make all the other icons work (and if people like the feature, expect the default UI to do just that.)

* Version information - the point of the change is to top generating customer service calls for custom windows that don't work because of a change we made. Read the notes again and this thread.

If folks don't like the warning for minor changes (note, not on revision changes) it can be removed easily.

We already had code that checked the major version, we just didn't remember to use it often enough. That was a black/white choice. The new system gives us lots of greys.


* Loadui crash - Second on my list today. See below.

* UIBuilder - a new version of UI Builder is on the way to resolve the issue with templates not loading correctly. We are handling UI files different internally and the switch changed a byte in the UTF8 header that caused unintended results. We don't rebuild UIBuilder that often and a couple of issues are preventing me from pushing it. Top of the list today.

* Thanks for playing on Test!

(edit because links are hard)

[Agathorn]

Originally Posted by SOE_Bobble

* Thanks for playing on Test!

I wouldn't play anywhere else In fact I don't think I even have any toons on a live server anymore lol.

Personally I think the version system is a good idea, though the minor change warnings may be too much. It will certainly help keep things a lot more stable in the long run when MAJOR changes happen and that is always a good thing.

[Drumstix42]

Lol, if the window still works, but the version is wrong, you could just open it and change it couldn't you? Doesn't seem like a problem to me.

[Dolby]

One thing authors that have interfaces with a ton of modified files might appreciate is if the window version could optionally be split off into a eq2ui_versions.xml so when a patch comes and their interface still works but need to update the version numbers they just have 1 file to modify. However there are many mods that just modify 1 file so being able to include the version info right in that file like now would be best for that situation.

[Landiin]

Originally Posted by Dolby

One thing authors that have interfaces with a ton of modified files might appreciate is if the window version could optionally be split off into a eq2ui_versions.xml so when a patch comes and their interface still works but need to update the version numbers they just have 1 file to modify. However there are many mods that just modify 1 file so being able to include the version info right in that file like now would be best for that situation.

I was just thinking the same thing..

Give us a page like Dolby suggested so we can just edit that one page something like;

<page Name="eq2ui_versions"
mainhud_target="2.0.0"
mainhud_mainchat="2.0.1"
>

And for the authers that just do windows have it where IF a ver propertie is populated it overrides the eq2ui_versions page.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the versions but for authers like me where every peice of the UI is modded its going to be a real burdon on us to keep up with each window version if we have to do it on a page by page base.

[Landiin]

Originally Posted by Drumstix42

Lol, if the window still works, but the version is wrong, you could just open it and change it couldn't you? Doesn't seem like a problem to me.

If you just do one or two windows sure its no trouble, but if all of them are modded thats where the problem comes in.

[Laffs]

Originally Posted by Landiin

I was just thinking the same thing..

Give us a page like Dolby suggested so we can just edit that one page something like;

<page Name="eq2ui_versions"
mainhud_target="2.0.0"
mainhud_mainchat="2.0.1"
>

And for the authers that just do windows have it where IF a ver propertie is populated it overrides the eq2ui_versions page.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the versions but for authers like me where every peice of the UI is modded its going to be a real burdon on us to keep up with each window version if we have to do it on a page by page base.

That would be very good

I can see where Mr Bobble is coming from with the CS calls and crap thats down to user ignorance basicly and in a productive way trying to cut down on it.. Hell who wouldnt lol .... But somthing like Landiin has surgested surely could be implemented? and would make the chore of updating version numbers for the like's of us with whole UI's much better.... As we do this outta love not $$$ or £££ ... Love for our users and love of SoE for bringing us such an good game in the 1st place that we can play and mod till our hearts content....

The changes you guys have made are good to the UI and it is much more adaptable / modable than it ever was, And thats good, I for one still havent caught up 100% on all 3 UI's I have.... But getting there...

Now if somthing like a version number is enough to break a mod then I'm sorry to say I for one may have to throw the towel in and stop producing UI's for people to use... And maybe a few others will feel the same way..

In all Mr Bobble you got a job to do at the end of the day... And I think I can speak for all of us here and say that we hold loads of respect for you for taking the time to read and post here, And giving us the "heads up" on things to come...

May I ask that you have a re-think of the version plan please to make it somthing along the lines of what Landiin surgested...

[Faetyl]

or...
We could modify the Help window so that no service tickets could be generated.


Sorry I just had to say it

[Dolby]

Originally Posted by Faetyl

or...
We could modify the Help window so that no service tickets could be generated.


Sorry I just had to say it

lol, that is good!

[Sir Taleisin The Seer]

that is good, here you go

[Agathorn]

* Hotbars resizing - we'll fix the issues or the feature won't make the live patch. Currently all the code is doing is changing the CellSize on the volumePage and the hotbar OnResize code kicks in (which I had debated against but decided it was preferable). I had to adjust a few other packsize/packlocation properties along the way. Pretty easy to learn from that to make all the other icons work (and if people like the feature, expect the default UI to do just that.)

Where is this onResize()? I don't see anything in the hotkey xml file. I'm guessing this is hardcoded?

[Kharzon]

You know....

When World of Warcraft did this same thing, adding version numbers to thier UI pieces and not loading if others mods didn't match that number ...


Someone made a program that went through all the UI pieces and replaced the version numbers with the current ones...

Just a thought ...

[Drumstix42]

All it is, is an extra feature to help authors, saving them time from people coming to them and having thier "problems". Rather than thinking it's something else, know they'll know it's the version. Obviously anyone can still just go in an edit it

[Landiin]

From my understanding the UI it self isn't going to have one ver number. Each window will have its own ver number making a clean sweep app that will update the ver number a bit more hard. If it is one ver numver sweet ultraedit's file search and replace will realy come in handy