UI Widget Design Request: Slider

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Geoff the Medio
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UI Widget Design Request: Slider

#1 Post by Geoff the Medio »

I'd like to add a slider UI widget, for things like map zooming or selecting the number of stars in a galaxy (rather than the slow and cumbersome up/down clicky buttons). There has been some long-standing discouragement of sliders in the FO UI, which I generally agree with, but in some cases they warrented... Particuarly when there existence doesn't subtely or overtly influence the underlying design.

Anyway, before doing this, it'd be nice if I had a nice design for the slider, so hence this post.

Note that this widget is distinct from a scrollbar, mainly in that it's not scrolling anything. The purpose is different, and I figure a distinctive appearance is appropriate.

My initial thoughts are for a centreline with ticks, and a slider tab, similar to this:
Image

I'm hoping for something that can be either overlaid on an interesting / busy background such as the tech tree or the galaxy map, or over an empty background such as a black featureless area of the galaxy setup screen. These two options might require an optional backgorund / enclosing box.

An optional numerical readout attached to the slider would also be good. Perhaps beside, or perhaps floating next to the tab when its being slided? The former would work better for something like picking the number of stars on the galaxy setup screen, and the latter might work better for zoom settings where the absolute number doesn't matter... (though then again in that case, why have the number at all?)

Any thoughts, comments, objections or ideas?

Thanks.

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eleazar
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#2 Post by eleazar »

geoff wrote:There has been some long-standing discouragement of sliders in the FO UI, which I generally agree with, but in some cases they warrented... Particuarly when there existence doesn't subtely or overtly influence the underlying design.
As i understand it, the objection isn't to sliders as a UI device, but to sliders as the embodiment of a micromanagy, input-on-a-continuum approach to controlling the game.

I agree, a slider is ideal for controlling zoom levels and possibly a few other things.

I wouldn't use ticks unless there is actually significance to the increments. For zooming, with seems to be continuous, they should not be used.
I wouldn't use numbers with it for zooming.
For star count, i'd put the number off to one side, since the player may still want to see the number even when he's not adjusting the slider.

Here's a crude concept. Added are buttons at either end, and a gradient to reinforce what either end of the slider means.
Image

I'll probably do something more useful later...

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Geoff the Medio
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#3 Post by Geoff the Medio »

Uhm... so it turns out there actually already are sliders in the UI... I just forgot about where they were used. Seen here, volume controls:
Image

Arguably they could use some sprucing up, though, so perhaps this thread isn't a total waste...

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utilae
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#4 Post by utilae »

Well that's true. The entire GUI could use a spruce up actually. Looks a bit bland with just black and white.

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Geoff the Medio
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#5 Post by Geoff the Medio »

You're free to change all the colours in the Options -> Colors tab...

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