CaWE improvement thread
Posted: 2006-04-25, 15:11
Hi all,
as we discussed yesterday in #ca3de, we want CaWE to be able to compile maps.
To Carsten and me, the approach I used in my GUI tools seems to be a good approach to handle this (bat-files that do compile in combination with txt files that needed for the input).
I prepared a suggestion for the integration, more complex onces might follow.
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As an important part in map making, the map compiler deserves a palce in the menu bar on the left side. A compiler button could replace the senseless camera button!
This would look somehow like this ( I know it looks crappy^^):
This button could launch a small window that could look like this (looks even mor like crap):
As you can see, I reduced it to the core features. To my mind, 95% of the users won't change the compile parameters anyways and for those who do -> they can change the bat files. Eventually we could integrate a help button in this window that links to a wiki page including these informations.
Ok so we kept it simple, now let's look at it. On the left, there's the Run group, there you can mark which programs you want to run, so if you mark all three, the map gets fully compiled. I saw this working in another map compiler, if Carsten can't do this, buttons or radio buttons should also do the job!
Well CaPVS and CaLight speak for themselves, don't they? I put "Fast" at top, because most map compiles are for testing purposes, so mostly the quick options are chosed.
This design approach has 2 weak points:
1. You can't decide which map you want to compile so you would have to load a map to compile it.
2.Advanced users can't tweak the settings, but as I said, the big majority doesn't do that anyways.. But of course we could add some parameters like the one defining if the compile window closes after it has finished work or not...
--------------
Tell me what you think. Suggestions for the other tools will follow
as we discussed yesterday in #ca3de, we want CaWE to be able to compile maps.
To Carsten and me, the approach I used in my GUI tools seems to be a good approach to handle this (bat-files that do compile in combination with txt files that needed for the input).
I prepared a suggestion for the integration, more complex onces might follow.
------------
As an important part in map making, the map compiler deserves a palce in the menu bar on the left side. A compiler button could replace the senseless camera button!
This would look somehow like this ( I know it looks crappy^^):
This button could launch a small window that could look like this (looks even mor like crap):
As you can see, I reduced it to the core features. To my mind, 95% of the users won't change the compile parameters anyways and for those who do -> they can change the bat files. Eventually we could integrate a help button in this window that links to a wiki page including these informations.
Ok so we kept it simple, now let's look at it. On the left, there's the Run group, there you can mark which programs you want to run, so if you mark all three, the map gets fully compiled. I saw this working in another map compiler, if Carsten can't do this, buttons or radio buttons should also do the job!
Well CaPVS and CaLight speak for themselves, don't they? I put "Fast" at top, because most map compiles are for testing purposes, so mostly the quick options are chosed.
This design approach has 2 weak points:
1. You can't decide which map you want to compile so you would have to load a map to compile it.
2.Advanced users can't tweak the settings, but as I said, the big majority doesn't do that anyways.. But of course we could add some parameters like the one defining if the compile window closes after it has finished work or not...
--------------
Tell me what you think. Suggestions for the other tools will follow