Re: CF: CrossEdit

[Peter Toneby <woormie@acc.umu.se>]

Hi

Well, since there has been som cutting I would just like to say it was
me and David Sundqvist who have said we would like to work on the new
and improved editor.
The reason we haven't cranked something out is mostly christmas, and for
me I got a new computer that had to be set up. David seems to have been
working on another version of the client (according to another thread).

So after those excuses here is what will be done:

On Wed, Jan 20, 1999 at 01:45:08PM +0100, Raphaël Quinet wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Jan 1999, Anthony Thyssen wrote:
> > Scott Wedel on  wrote...
> [...]
> > | I see two features of primary importance.  First is any easy way to see
> > | and manipulate all objects on a map square so that items held by monsters
> > | or inside of containers are easy to deal with.

This is a simple tree structure, and shouldn't really be to hard to
handle. One of those treewidgets in GTK should get the job done.
High priority, since it's very useful.

> > | Second is the ability to
> > | easily make customized palettes of wall type, monster type, etc which are
> > | able to be in their own windows.

This will be done to, But we haven't done any thought obout how it will
be done. Since we will use the crosslib-functions as much as possible, we get
all archetypes right away and ot should not be more than a matter of
arranging lists that are displayed in a pleasing manner.
High priority.

> > Most important feature missing from crossedit I can see is a
> > layering mechnism.  EG:  `effects layer'. ground, layer. walls. monsters
> > etc etc etc.

This is TOP priority (well, after getting some kind of UI) will probably
work something like gimps layers, with the addition to be able with one
buttonpress change to the next/prev layer.

> 
> Some other things to put on the TODO list for CrossEdit:
> 
> 4. An option "show connected objects", which would draw a blue or green
>    box around all objects that are connected to the current one.  It
>    should be a toggle (not a one-time thing), so that when the option is
>    active you could easily select various objects on the map and see what
>    they are connected to.  That would be very useful for all these gates
>    and triggers, especially in the recent maps that use them for complex
>    special effects.

> 
> 5. Same as (4) but for keys, doors and chests that have a lock code.  If
>    there is an object on the same map that has the same lock code as the
>    currently selecte object, then that object should be highlighted by
>    having a box drawn around it.  Note that some keys might be in monsters
>    or containers.

These two seem very useful, and shouldn't be to hard to implement. That
the keys might be in inventories shoudn't make it more difficult. One
just have to have a list of keys/triggers... and their corresponding
objects. 

> 6. Redo the mouse bindings!  The current interface is extremely unintuitive
>    for new map designers.  The combination of left/right/middle mouse clicks
>    in the map window and in the main window has a logic of its own, which is
>    not shared by any other program that I know.  This is not a big problem
>    for me because I have been using CrossEdit for five years or more, but
>    these mouse bindings are probably confusing many potential map designers.
>    The interface should be redesigned in order to be more similar to what
>    others are doing.

No kidding?!?!?!? What I think would be useful are left mouse draw,
right button for a customisation box, middle button for select. I think
this would be fairly intuitive. I don't how hard it would be to make
this customizable. 
> 
> 7. Use GTK+ instead of Xt.  :-)  That could help solving the previous
>    problems (6).

Bah, Xt is good, when not used ;), of course we will use GTK+, It's
currently the coolest thing around ;)

/Peter T
-- 
,-----------------------,-------------------------,------------------,
| Peter Toneby          | www.acc.umu.se/~woormie | tel: 090-190715  |
| Historiegränd 12A-108 | woormie@acc.umu.se      | cel: 070-4265345 |
| 907 34 Umeå           |                         | hem: 08-7760415  |
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