HUD window mods - Idea (Read post before voting)

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:50 am

While I was flying, I encountered an idea due to how long I listened to the same background music for 5 hours a day 7 days a week, and I really wanted to change that. I know you can create a music folder to play the songs you put in, but I wanted to have the abillity to change the tracks in-game. Now here is the idea: What if Vice made an extra HUD window (wich makes 4) or used the 3rd hud window as a window for custom, well, functions... So other can make addons for the HUD screen for music, tactic planning, something fo mp etc.
So for example:
I want to send icq from my HUD window (Classic xD), but Vice dosent have the time to build this functionallity. If Vice could've built the add-on functionallity to the HUD window, a different developer can make the ICQ addon that fits with Vice's HUD for Evochron Renegades, and all I have to do is press a specified button to change my HUD window from showing my targets to showing my icq contact list or messages in the HUD window, which in some situations may be usefull. Ok, who care's about ICQ??? Lets use teamspeak - same situation. What about music? Entering notes to your HUD? Make an addon yourself if you know the coding and share it with the world, or find one from the other developers... Anyway I hope you guys get the idea

[Edited on 5-30-2008 by kserver]

[Edited on 5-30-2008 by kserver]

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:42 pm

Good idea.I like it...

Multi-functional hud windows, I wondered before.Really good...

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:43 pm

I wonder how long it can take for Vice to programm this, adding syntax for addon files, etc, etc...

Post by **Vice** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:17 pm

Much of it is outside ths scope of the game's design and the limits of the development system. You can't just 'plug in' windows for ICQ/TS or other programs or other external functions. For such external operations, you'll need to use those external programs and call them up using alt-tab (or Windows-tab for Vista/Flip3D) and use them while the game is running.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:22 pm

true, but using external programs through the hud screen is not really my point. What I'm saying is if it was a good idea to have have the abillity to mod the HUD windows, allowing modders to add more functionallity and mabye even change how/what the HUD displays, etc.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:23 pm

Kind of like the HUD windows (MFD) in orbiter - completely modable

Post by **Vice** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:27 pm

Orbiter was not developed with the same system used for ER. And again, most of the functions you list are outside the scope of what can be added to the game.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:31 pm

oh well... just had a thought but thanks for the answer Vice.

Post by **Vice** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:34 pm

If the existing audio mod options are not extensive enough for you and music is one of your main goals, as you point out, then I'd recommend running your favorite media player in the background so you can then use any playlists you've put together with more controls and options. The game supports flexible task swapping so you can do thing like this.

[Edited on 6-5-2008 by Vice]

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:58 pm

oh, speaking of alt-tabbing, when I alt-tab the game when running in locked mode resolution, it wont restore the graphics when I switch back to the game, and it completely minimizes the game.

Post by **Vice** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:01 pm

Correct, don't use a full screen mode if you want to use alt-tab. Leave it set to Optimized, which uses your desktop resolution and activates the Window mode which supports alt-tab.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:02 pm

It plays at lower framerates when I do that

Post by **Vice** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:01 pm

That kind of problem is what can happen when you combine an FX5200 with, well, just about anything. Motherboards and processors that are at a similar level of age and low performance can further expand on the problem. Add in only 512 MB of memory and getting 9-10 FPS when the system is only running the game is actually quite amazing. Really the only solution is to upgrade, even if it's only to technology that's 2-3 years old, it will still be way ahead of where that configuration is at.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:42 am

lol, I can go run to my mum and dad and whine for a new motherboard for my PC

Solution - Overclocking.... that way my computer will explode, and in this case I hope they will buy me another Motherboard. Speaking of 512mb, I have a 1gb page file on each hard drive and the hard drives are high top quallity, defragmented and maintained, which imo solves the problem. Speaking of which, remember I was telling you about the HUD slowing my computer, what I ment was the HUD itself, not the cockpit that, as you stated, uses 3D

.

Post by **Vice** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:32 pm

Page files don't necessarily solve low physical memory problems, they can provide resources for certain things. But using a disc as memory is dramatically slower than physical RAM and you still need plenty of physical memory for programs themselves to fit into (and games are some of the most memory hungry programs).

I didn't state the cockpit, I was referring to the HUD. The HUD is rendered in 3D also, not just the cockpit structure. Everything in the cockpit is rendered in 3D, even the text is rendered in 3D as part of the scene.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:48 pm

Originally posted by Vice
Page files don't necessarily solve low physical memory problems, they can provide resources for certain things. But using a disc as memory is dramatically slower than physical RAM and you still need plenty of physical memory for programs themselves to fit into (and games are some of the most memory hungry programs).

Oh yes they dont solve memory problems, but help a little

I didn't state the cockpit, I was referring to the HUD. The HUD is rendered in 3D also, not just the cockpit structure. Everything in the cockpit is rendered in 3D, even the text is rendered in 3D as part of the scene.

Hmmm...

? lol when I turn it off the game speeds up dramaticly!!!!

Post by **Vice** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:53 pm

Hmmm... ? lol when I turn it off the game speeds up dramaticly!!!!

Exactly, that's because your system has to render less of the 3D scene, which will, obviously, run faster when fewer objects/details are rendered. The difference is greater on lower performing systems.

Kiboney · Post by **Kiboney** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:04 pm

ohhh... scary

I definitly need to overclock my PC