Editor UI revamp, (stage 2, WIP)

[Kinophile]

Update on my progress with a personal revamp of the CM:BS UI, into a much more modern, minimalist style.

Editor UI is almost finished - still need to mod the terrain/unit/building icons and the Force icons for US/UKR/RUS.

Game UI is finished, except for the vehicle/weapon profile pics.

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I've always felt the current Ui was terribly cluttered, with far too many borders, curves and generally unnecessary decoration.

I know that many people like a UI with character or overt style - I personally don't. I don't care about extruded borders or embbssed, recessed, outlined icons. I just want the information and the commands. Everything else is secondary. 

This version strips away a LOT of stuff, especially the pronounced borders. I've also shifted to colour palette to a neutral grey / strong black, with white for text and mid blue, strong red for highlighting of selections and buttons. Some things I have no control over, such as the cyan background in the title bar in that first screen shot. Or the end curves forced on the highlighting bars. But all in all, I've managed to change about 90% of the UI.

I personally find this version far, far cleaner, clearer and more visually coherent than the current UI, even at this WIP stage.

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Side by Side examples below.

INTRO

DATA SCREEN

UNITS SCREEN

AI SCREEN

 

The main game interface is also heavily modded in the same style, although with a black base rather than the light grey for the editor.

I used a black base as otherwise there is a displeasing break between the UI and the large black spaces to its left and right - ie. the UI does not scale to the monitor resolution, it simply fills in the difference with black.

The command buttons on the right get a different colour for each when highlighted/selected.

Doesn't show up in screenies, but its there.

I'm in the process of harmonising the weapon/vehicle portraits with the new UI.

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Edited October 7, 2015 by kinophile

[Kinophile]

 

TO DO:
- Harmonise Vehicle & Weapon profile pics with the new UI.
(T90A, T90AM, BMP-3M & Tunguska are finished examples).
- Harmonise editor icons for terrain, AI work and object orintation with new UI
- Revise crew portraits (some new ones for RUS already, but not good enough).
- Alternate splash screens, backgrounds
- Harmonise briefing, objectives screens with new UI
- Redo Force Choice screen again
- Harmonise armor, ammo, etc icons
- Finish/revise special equipment icons (4-5 left)

KP