A new modified UI ("Black UI")

[Xanacru]

This is a private UI I made for myself a while ago. I never planned to release it but I don't have the time to play PlaneShift nowadays and it's just sitting wasting away in a folder, so I thought why not share it?

It's very very simplistic, I basically wanted to create it as a template for possible future modifications and to be able to make everything look good transparent. It does reuse many existing elements from earlier versions of PS and current UIs. However, nothing in it came from anywhere outside of PS, unless it's something I created myself in Photoshop.

Complete credit for existing reused elements goes to PlaneShift dev team current or past or whomever contributed them to the team.

Here are a few screenshots:

. .

It's probably not for everyone but it suited my needs.

Here's a download link for the "Black UI":

http://www.filefactory.com/file/59d05c/ (black.zip) [click "Download for free with FileFactory Basic"]

- Place the file (don't extract it) into your "art>skins" folder

And here is a link for three slightly adjusted .xml files (not crucial to GUI usability but makes it look better):

http://www.filefactory.com/file/8c61dd/ (black_xml.xip) [click "Download for free with FileFactory Basic"]

1) Place the "prefs.xml" in your "data" folder

2) Place the "exchange.xml" and "inventory.xml" in your "data>gui" folder

Both should overwrite existing .xml files.

A few notes:

- I usually set most on-screen windows to around 50% transparency (both, current and faded) within the game.

- Some of the images are already transparent by default, such as the status-info window in the right upper corner. The reason is if you try to make it transparent by right-clicking, the stance buttons get transparent too and are harder to see.

- The toolbar from default theme has been made somewhat less shiny, so it's easier on the eyes.

- Mouse pointer from default skin changed to a bluish tint.

Unfortunately, just like with the proposed forum theme I recently posted, I don't have time to tweak and perfect it, so don't ask for improvements.

Once again, because of the use of the existing elements from PS, complete credit goes to Atomic Blue and PlaneShift team. I gave all credit to "Atomic Blue" in skin description as well.

As usual, use it at your own risk, and I take no responsibility, if it causes you any problems or issues.

Enjoy (or don't, if you hate it)!

[Karyuu]

Gasp! Clean, sleek, and simple! It's what I've always wanted. Thank you muchly!

[Xanacru]

You're welcome and thanks!

edit: Feel free to host it on PlaneShift modding sites, since I suspect the links on that host will eventually be outdated.

If you like the UI, let me know how it feels in game. Perhaps, post some screenshots of how you configured your layout with this skin.

[ThomPhoenix]

* ThomPhoenix likes!

[Nikodemus]

I'm really interested how you managed to avoid the bad pixelation and blure effect PS GUI usually looks like? I understand many borders are just defined in the prefs.xml, but what about everything else? I can see the edges of chat window are rounded ? How is it possible it looks so nice? I was once trying with ArcaneFalcon, but it was all looking really bad, even if original images were just fine.
High resolution images?

[Xanacru]

Each element was made as close to its native size/resolution within the game as possible.

After looking at all three available UIs, it looked like the "stone" skin was the closest to the default sizes specified in main .xml. Possibly because it was the latest skin to be released. Therefore, I just used it as a template.

The reason some images from different UIs look either pixelated or blurry is because they originally had a different native size and appropriate .xml but when .xml was adjusted for newer skins, it messed with the original, stretching or squishing them.

The native UI resolution seems to be identical to the game's resolution when the game is run at 1024x768 windowed mode, so it was adjusted accordingly. Screenshots were taken at 1024x768, so the "default" UI toolbar still looks a bit pixelated when made smaller due to the individual icon images being 128x128 pixels in size and also round (makes it more noticable). However, as you increase the resolution in game, it becomes smoother.

It probably also helps that the UI is essentially untextured.

I recommend to developers that the UI is always kept at its native resolution, without scaling up with in-game resolution. Think of it as your operating system - as you change resolution, the UI and icons stay at their native pixel size, so you would usually only set it large enough before everything became too small. If everything scaled up, you'd never be able to take advantage of a larger screen-estate. It also makes UI editing and proper alignment less of a mess.

[Abaddon]

I like it too, as Karyuu said : clean and simple !!!
Thank you for sharing !! 

[Nikodemus]

there is parameter resizetoscreen="no", but it didn't really helped. uyt it was long ago. A lot could have changed. Recently i also saw you have option to tile image... So in theory we have everything what we need. Only you wold have to create like 9 separate widgets, when you want to make resizable window with round borders.
I been always wondering why PS wot use html and css? I gues there were reasons.

[Suvok]

Thats really good. Much less eye candy to confuse you. Looks slightly like Vista.

*Suvok continues ripping his hair out trying to navigate through FileFactory

[Induane]

I have been working on a black theme too - yours reminded me of mine in some ways, though I was going for a glassy look.  Would you mind if I downloaded your theme and used some parts of it with some modifications to complete my theme?

[Xanacru]

Hi,

Thanks for the compliments and nice comments, everyone. It makes me happy that people like it and are going to use it.

@Induane: Sure, go ahead, if it helps. Though, if any of the elements are those reused from Atomic Blue, you're really asking them. Otherwise, I don't mind. And hey, your UI is looking pretty good too.

[Eagel]

*Suvok continues ripping his hair out trying to navigate through FileFactory

Look for this message:
Download for free with FileFactory Basic

then look for the Verification code image and type what you see... press continue and you're done!

Thanks Xanacru!! 

[Induane]

Xanacru if you like I can provide an alternate download for you on my webserver - would be easier than having people search for it on that site, and the download would be a direct link.

[Xanacru]

Sure, mirror download locations are welcome.

Who knows how long FileFactory will be around, so the more alternative download locations the better. Feel free.

[Karyuu]

And here is a link for three slightly adjusted .xml files (not crucial to GUI usability but makes it look better):

http://www.filefactory.com/file/c52038/ (xml.xip) [click "Download for free with FileFactory Basic"]

Getting the following message now: