Author Topic: New File Manager: Opinions Wanted! (Read 3398 times)

Nexus · December 17, 2013, 10:12:00 AM

So I was playing blockland yesterday and attempted to located an old save to load, when I came to a stunning realization.

The default brick save/load gui is pretty bad.

Overlapping text, nothing resizable, no more folder support. I remember this used to be something a lot of people complained about, although I haven't heard much about it recently. I made two quick mockups for what I plan on making:

The in-game should look closer to this:

(ignore colors, helps me see what I'm doing)
Gear = options (button will literally be a gear)

However, I'm not sure if this is something that people really want/need anymore. I'm looking for a lot of community feedback to make sure that this project is worthwhile and of good quality. Chances are that the save/load gui isn't the only one I will be reworking, so let the suggestions fly!

Planned new features:
- Folder support
- Resizable and customizable
- Shows brickcount
- Shows files graphically in list rather than a wall of text

Suggestions
- Search Feature
- Rename files
- Move files

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Port · December 17, 2013, 10:16:11 AM

stop:

using random colors
stretching button controls to horrible proportions
using that button text style
having random positional differences
a bunch of other things

Nexus · December 17, 2013, 10:18:50 AM

Quote from: Port on December 17, 2013, 10:16:11 AM

stop:

using random colors
stretching button controls to horrible proportions
using that button text style
having random positional differences
a bunch of other things

no

I don't wan't to start an argument here, but damn it if I didn't explain in detail that this is a quick mockup and to ignore the colors used. Frankly you need to take a minute before stuffting on a thread. You should realize how utterly unhelpful you are being with that.

Zeblote · December 17, 2013, 10:26:42 AM

Quote from: Port on December 17, 2013, 10:16:11 AM

stop:

using random colors
stretching button controls to horrible proportions
using that button text style
having random positional differences
a bunch of other things

port pls
it's obvious this is a quick mockup / test gui

Cr�wn · December 17, 2013, 10:53:58 AM

This is cool, I wish the loading saves still had folder support. My saves are so cluttered now.

Port · December 17, 2013, 02:31:18 PM

Quote from: Nexus on December 17, 2013, 10:18:50 AM

no

I don't wan't to start an argument here, but damn it if I didn't explain in detail that this is a quick mockup and to ignore the colors used. Frankly you need to take a minute before stuffting on a thread. You should realize how utterly unhelpful you are being with that.

What? I'm not trying to start an argument.

Quote from: Nexus on December 17, 2013, 10:12:00 AM

I'm looking for a lot of community feedback to make sure that this project is worthwhile and of good quality.

Lugnut · December 17, 2013, 03:14:21 PM

Quote from: Port on December 17, 2013, 02:31:18 PM

What? I'm not trying to start an argument.

Quote from: Nexus on December 17, 2013, 10:12:00 AM

I made two quick mockups for what I plan on making:

The in-game should look closer to this:

(ignore colors, helps me see what I'm doing)
Gear = options (button will literally be a gear)

forget you port. i count at least four places that imply it isn't a final copy.

go right ahead nexus.

jes00 · December 17, 2013, 03:31:04 PM

Please make this. The saves list is all cluttered right now.

Treynolds416 · December 17, 2013, 03:37:06 PM

Someone suggested this in v20 when the saves changed, but it was never made.
Please do this

Night-Stalker · December 17, 2013, 03:52:36 PM

I'm shocked this never got fixed...

Personally, I would remove "Go" and replace it with a back function, similar to how windows does it and "iconize" the go and up one buttons. The bar should be a dropdown instead.

REF:

CMPR REF:

Quote from: Nexus on December 17, 2013, 10:12:00 AM

As for Save and Load, keep to original conventions that were previously established, so keep the original Cancel and Load/Save positions for familiarity's sake.

Nexus · December 17, 2013, 06:36:32 PM

Quote from: Night-Stalker on December 17, 2013, 03:52:36 PM

As for Save and Load, keep to original conventions that were previously established, so keep the original Cancel and Load/Save positions for familiarity's sake.

Oh, right. The second button that says Save/Load is supposed to say Cancel like in the first mockup.
As far as conventions go, the gui for saving bricks is actually reversed from the gui for loading bricks, although I think I will flip it from what I had in the first mockup.
In any case, I will probably make the Save/Load button larger than the cancel button to make it more obvious and avoid misclicks.

Night-Stalker · December 17, 2013, 06:41:41 PM

A simple green on just the save/load could work if it was desaturated. Different sizes can potentially throw the user off.

Greek2me · December 17, 2013, 09:00:28 PM

The load GUI should include a search bar. The save-file name box in the save GUI should also search for files that match what you have typed.

elm · December 17, 2013, 10:07:35 PM

But Nexus, even if it is a mockup, your GUIs usually look something like that, lol.

Nexus · December 17, 2013, 10:54:59 PM

Quote from: Greek2me on December 17, 2013, 09:00:28 PM

The load GUI should include a search bar. The save-file name box in the save GUI should also search for files that match what you have typed.

Yeah that is a pretty good idea. When loading you don't have a reason to be naming a file, so the text bar can be re-purposed for that.
Do you have a good reference for ranking an array of strings by similarity to a key string, or should I just use strpos and be kinda lazy?

Oh, if anyone has some good icons I can use, that will be greatly appreciated. Apparently the ones I made myself a while back were poop. I'll need:
bls icon (probably a brick)
generic file icon
folder icon (empty and full versions maybe)