New user interface coming in Alpha 15 - New Screenshot

[Dan Dixon]

We've been making lots of good progress over the last few weeks... the physics improvements are coming together and we've been making lots of progress on the user interface (UI). We've also improved our handling of settings and the performance test. Plus we've got many backend visual improvements in the pipe for a release after Alpha 15. We've also been working on some new tech to allow players to heat up one side of a body and we've improved the volatile loss rate (look for these post-15).

As good as it looks (I'm really happy with our interface direction for the first time), there are still dozens of more things to improve, better spacing, labeling, sizing, grouping, and improvements to the icons themselves.

Someone wrote that the interface was good enough before these changes and that this was a waste of time, but I disagree... making the interface accessible and fun to use is one of the greatest challenges to solve on this project. There's nothing else quite like what we've made so we're often breaking new ground in both our simulation and ways of interacting with a live physics simulation. I hope that once everyone gets their hands on this, you'll agree our changes are for the better.

Alpha 15 is shaping up to be one of the most significant updates yet. We'll be releasing it just as soon as we can...

The screenshot below is a look at the improved Open (left), Add (center bottom), and Properties panels (right)...

[crashman1390]

Will it really take up that much of the screen on higher resolutions?

Anyways, great work! 

[Dan Dixon]

Will it really take up that much of the screen on higher resolutions?

No, it will scale gracefully to higher (or lower) resolutions... and you probably wouldn't have all 3 panels open at the same time anyway.

[WitheHole18]

it looks fantastic  ,the relase is for may?And the SPH?

[tuto99]

Wow, very nice

[Darthman]

cant wait for this!!!!!!!! AHHHHH just wannna play it now, great job guys!!! 

[Cryo]

Im going to attempte to start making a few test Videos on my YouTube channel, never really got around to using that thing and this could be a great first attempt. Oh By the way i saw a paint palate near the bottom of the screen is that what i think it is? *cough* atmospheric color options that are realistic? *cough* either way im hyped for this next update. As always keep up the fa-nominal work

[dylan]

is alpha 15 amost done

[im4space]

is alpha 15 amost done

I'm sure that it is almost done. Just remember the ninety-ninety rule,

"The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time."

—Tom Cargill, Bell Labs

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-ninety_rule

[Gordon Freeman]

180%? Okay...

Anyway, I really hope that the icons will be scaled down a bit, because their current size is actually pretty ugly. I also don't like how the Add List is on the bottom. Other than that, the new UI looks great, but I wish that GA would spend more time polishing current features rather than adding more game-breaking aesthetics.

[Greenleaf]

180%? Okay...

Anyway, I really hope that the icons will be scaled down a bit, because their current size is actually pretty ugly. I also don't like how the Add List is on the bottom. Other than that, the new UI looks great, but I wish that GA would spend more time polishing current features rather than adding more game-breaking aesthetics.

No, the first 90% of the code takes 10% of the time, while the last 10% of the code takes 90% of the time. It is an awful truth, and it is why developers generally underestimate the time things take... oh and then comes the very last 5% of the code on top of that. Guess how long that takes ;-)


As to the GUI. Suspend judgement until you see it in use. I quite like it, and I didn't make it.


Speaking of polish vs new... as always, keep in mind that we are not one person or a group of identical persons all working on the same. For instance, I am the "game breaker" right now, and I am not involved with the GUI development.

[im4space]

Quote from: Gordon Freeman on Yesterday at 12:41:53 PM
"I wish that GA would spend more time polishing current features rather than adding more game-breaking aesthetics."

I don't think that GA is at the polish phase yet. You start with coarse sandpaper, then move to fine sandpaper, and then polish.

GA is still at the coarse sandpaper stage.

[Retsof]

I don't think that GA is at the polish phase yet. You start with coarse sandpaper, then move to fine sandpaper, and then polish.

GA is still at the coarse sandpaper stage.

They might still even be at the band-saw stage

[blotz]

The icons don't look that ugly, what are you talking about?

also are you guys going to update pluto as new horizon sends back more pictures?

[Greenleaf]

I don't think that GA is at the polish phase yet. You start with coarse sandpaper, then move to fine sandpaper, and then polish.

GA is still at the coarse sandpaper stage.

They might still even be at the band-saw stage

We are at the alpha stage. Where are you guys at? ;-)

[Gordon Freeman]

Quote from: Gordon Freeman on Yesterday at 12:41:53 PM
"I wish that GA would spend more time polishing current features rather than adding more game-breaking aesthetics."

I don't think that GA is at the polish phase yet. You start with coarse sandpaper, then move to fine sandpaper, and then polish.

GA is still at the coarse sandpaper stage.

I think you misunderstood me. By "polish" I mean making sure certain features are actually usable before developing new ones. You don't board passengers onto a plane before testing the jets, do you?

The icons don't look that ugly, what are you talking about?

They're not ugly on their own; the amount of space that the image takes compared to the text is.

[gabriel.dac]

I was the one who said it was a waste of time, Dan. Well, I didn't mean to sound rude. I've been visiting this forum once every month (or so) only, and in this time I visited, Alpha 15 still hasn't been released. When I said that working on this UI was a waste of time, it didn't mean I didn't like the changes. It meant that you take too long to get it done, and that's what makes it not worth it, in my opinion.

I'm just saying what I meant. Well, see you next month (if I don't forget this place exists)

[Dan Dixon]

Alpha 15 is also taking longer than I wish it was.

While the UI improvements are the not the reason for the delay, we've been using the extra time to polish some of the smaller details. And a major overhaul of the UI was always on our list of things to do and highly prioritized.

I hope that once you use it you'll agree it was a good idea.

[dylan]

is it coming out next's month

[Dan Dixon]

Question marks are helpful to indicate questions, fyi.

And it will be released as soon as it's ready. It will definitely be before the end of next month (and hopefully much sooner than that).

[titanicpassenger1]

Looks very very Cool! WOW (Haven't played the game since Alpha 12 because my laptop is taken by my father. He's returning next month )