Author Topic: Elscha?s guide to GUI customization  (Read 2849 times)

Elscha

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 27
    • View Profile
Elscha?s guide to GUI customization
« on: July 04, 2004, 12:00:31 am »
Part1. Status bar remover for PlaneShift (MB) v1.0
---------------------------------------------------------------

   This tutorial aims to help you eradicate the unnecessary status bar from the top-right of your screen (more of a problem for those running the PS client at 640x480 & 800x600 resolution). If you?re after a quick fix, download the guimod1.zip and extract into your PlaneShift directory, then run the guimod1.bat and it?ll automatically install itself ;)

http://www.psmc.uni.cc/elscha/PS_guimod1.zip

   Read on to see what?s actually changed and instructions on how to manually remove the status bar yourself. Okay first off locate the compressed archive ?gui.zip? (by default in C:/Program Files/PlaneShift/data/). Open the archive (?using for example WinRAR) and drag/extract the ?status.def? file out into the /data folder.

*NOTE Make a backup of the original .def file just in-case it all goes horribly wrong!

   Open ?status.def? in a text editor like notepad (though it?s a lot easier to pick your way though it in Word?) and adjust the Frame/Rect values individually to (0,0)-(0,0). These values appear to effect the status bars position in-game along the X & Y axis (though they still confuse the hell out of me?). Also make sure you alter the ?Mana Label? string to remove the ?100? and place it with a space ? ?, otherwise you?ll be left with a floating text remnant.
-------------------- START
window \"StatusBar Window\"
{
  Frame: (0,0)-(0,0)
  Style: wfsNone
  Options: wfoBeveledBorder

   component \"Statusbar\" is \"PS Image\"
 {
       Frame: (0,0)-(0,0)
      Image: \"/planeshift/art/gui/statusbar_big.png\"
        Rect: (0,0)-(0,0)
       Alpha: 0
    }

   component \"HP Bar\" is \"PS ProgressBar\"
  {
       Frame: (0,0)-(0,0)
      ProgressImage: \"/planeshift/art/gui/statusbar_big.png\"
        ProgressRect: (0,0)-(0,0)
       Direction: \"up\"
       Alpha: 0
    }

   component \"Mana Bar\" is \"PS ProgressBar\"
    {
       Frame: (0,0)-(0,0)
      ProgressImage: \"/planeshift/art/gui/statusbar_big.png\"
        ProgressRect: (0,0)-(0,0)
       Direction: \"up\"
       Alpha: 0
    }

   component \"Mana Label\" is \"PS Label\"
    {
       Frame: (0,0)-(0,0)
      Label: \" \"
    }
}
--------------------FINISH
*NOTE Replacing the Frame/Rect values isn?t really essential (after replacing the graphic) when it comes to the status bar as it has no ?clickable? regions? although it is slightly neater I think to shift it well off-screen. There are probably quite a few weird n? wonderful ways of stripping this status bar out that I?ve not yet experimented with. For example boosting the components alpha values to maximum should render the image invisible with no further image editing required? in theory.

   When you?ve edited the document fully as show above save it (making sure you retain the .def extension though) and replace the one already contained within the ?gui.zip?.

   As you can see there?s a single image reference in ?status.def? (statusbar_big.png). This .PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file is located in your C:/Program Files/PlaneShift/art/gui/ directory.

When it comes to editing this image there are quite a few programs available commercially that will do the trick (e.g. Adobe? Photoshop? & Paint Shop? Pro). I?m not overly familiar with the PNG format but it seems similar to GIF, in that there is no background merely a single layer 0 containing the image. So preserve this layer and remove (?cut) the status bar image, that way the image still exists when called for but is now a 256x256 empty layer.

And that?s it, load up PlaneShift and hey presto! no more status bar. Next post I?ll cover editing the Chat window textures, colour-schemes and resizing various components.

My curent chopped up GUI/inventory (a work in progress)


please feel free to leave any positive/negative feedback below :)
« Last Edit: July 04, 2004, 11:21:10 pm by Elscha »
IC|GM Name: Elscha
Guild: Game Masters

fireofsoul

  • Hydlaa Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 385
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2004, 02:42:40 am »
Awsome, The mana & Health bar gets annoying, good to see it gone.

Elscha

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 27
    • View Profile
Part2. Basic (wood themed) GUI v0.9 for PlaneShift (MB)
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2004, 03:42:51 am »

Installation Instructions;
---------------------------------------------------------------
Download; http://www.psmc.uni.cc/elscha/PS_guimod2.zip
1.) Extract the above .zip file (using Winrar/Winzip) into your PlaneShift main directory
2.) Run guimod2.bat
*As before when completed the obsolete installation files will be removed keeping things nice and tidy.

- To return to the default look of PS, download and run this from within your PlaneShift directory; http://www.psmc.uni.cc/elscha/gui2un.bat

IMPORTANT!
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Make sure you know your username & pass before installing as the Planeshift.cfg will be replaced this may mean you?ll have to run the updater again to select full screen & the resolution that\'s right for your system.

Changes;
---------------------------------------------------------------
New wood/bark Texture; invback.png on all window backgrounds
New \'bulk\' Graphic; slot.png & slot.tage on equipment screen
New temp Graphic; bulk.png, equip.png, quit.png & stats.png on equipment screen
-
*Changed chat/player window colour scheme & TextForeColor in psgui.def
*Altered X-Y width of Player (Target) window; now able to see players with ridiculously long names, also adjusted transparency and No target text.
*Altered alpha transparency & ratio used 30:70 of server/chat area & made scroll bar slightly smaller.
-
*Installs my status bar removing gadget thing (see previous post)
*Probably a few other things too...

Colour sample / psgui component / RGB value
DEFAULT SCHEME


NEW SCHEME


I Will follow-up soon with a tutorial & maybe a few diffrent themes... any suggestions?
IC|GM Name: Elscha
Guild: Game Masters

Veromen

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 38
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2004, 02:15:00 pm »
Looks great! that mana and health bar was bothering me too. The wood theme is kewl. looks nice

Nikodemus

  • Prospects
  • Veteran
  • *
  • Posts: 1808
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2004, 05:27:37 pm »
Its really good work with this hp/mana bar. Thank you Elscha, i don\'t like uselles things on screen ;)
As about the second mod I used only the bacground for windows because my messages window is rather small and i ws seeing two lines of commands with this mod ;)

Maybe you will one day modify this window to resize both parts of it as anybody like ;)



What you can failure tommorow, failure today.


Better click for shiny stylez Help me with images!

Ciry

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 46
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2004, 10:33:42 pm »
Good work Elscha!  ;)
ur gui customizations work fine with my mods too, now as soon as i have more time i\'ll hide the status bar by default in the code if no1 have nothing against it...

Cryha

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 49
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2004, 11:09:15 pm »
Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love GUI Mods

Ciry

  • Traveller
  • *
  • Posts: 46
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2004, 11:00:38 am »
Ok Elscha, i\'v updated the mods 0.9, now also chat window colours avaiable in planeshift.cfg, try it and tell me if u have any problem.

Cybio Kingfist

  • Hydlaa Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 464
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2004, 09:25:20 am »
Phuzzah for Elscha!
Mah best emmy customer.

I think I may do this, looks neat.
The steel priest is back and ready to start converting.

Psybur

  • Hydlaa Resident
  • *
  • Posts: 165
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2004, 03:35:11 pm »
Ugh, please dont say I need Elscha\'s mod for Ciry\'s mod... Elscha seemed to have forgotten about the people who use linux. Thanks. :(

Taldor

  • Hydlaa Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 255
  • Tinker (traveling merchant)
    • View Profile
    • Bloodclaw
(No subject)
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2004, 03:52:51 pm »
Quote
Originally posted by Psybur
Ugh, please dont say I need Elscha\'s mod for Ciry\'s mod...

No, you don\'t.

Dali Llama

  • Wayfarer
  • *
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2004, 11:33:41 am »
I can\'t seem to make the url given to download the mod work. Has the server been taken down? If so, is there another location to get the mod, or can someone email attach it to me, please.

Cheers!
Dali, a.k.a. Miago in-game
\"A man has begun to understand the meaning of life when he plants shade trees under which he knows he will never sit.\" -- paraphrasing an Elton Trueblood quote

fireofsoul

  • Hydlaa Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 385
    • View Profile
(No subject)
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2004, 12:58:23 pm »
it is down... if someone could send it to me i could make another download site..