Here is the current default layout:

The object here is to give a 1930's control panel feel...
To get an idea of relative sizes is that the corner rivets are all the same size.

This is the splash screen, was thinking it'd show the engine start up status changing to a splash image upon completion.


Pressing the 'Online Simulation' switch results in this GUI popping up.




Now these are the Joystick GUI's which I'll eventually get to linking too.




Pressing the 'Add' switch results in this GUI popping up.



Pressing the 'Config' switch results in this GUI popping up.

I like it, nicely laid out and simple to see what is what.

Hi Simon,

i appreciate the clean and clear design of the gui. Some controls are not intuitive though:
1. Online or Offline Simulation is an "either or" issue, so flip switches for both modes are misleading
2. For the online simulation i would provide a gui button on the main screen popping connection dialog and mission selection
3. config screen for device mapping really suffice the requirement, but i would replace flip switches with buttons (button would delete an entry, by contrast, the flip switch suggests that you can turn something on or off)
4. could you explain me the meaning of the dealers on the stick configuration page?
5. On the controller configuration page we need space enough for up to 32 buttons.

Can't wait until i get my hands on the SVG version of the controller configuration page . This page is the most urgent since we have to provide controller configuration really soon.

Quote by: outlaw

Hi Simon,

i appreciate the clean and clear design of the gui. Some controls are not intuitive though:

Ok Let's discusse

In a control system there are 3 different types of pushbuttons...

1) Momentary
2) Latched
3) Mechanically interlocked

A Momentaty pushbutton is one that you press and once released returns to it's original position..like a start pushbutton
A Latched pushbutton is one that you press and it remains pressed untill you press it again and it returns to the other state
A Mechanical interlocked pushbutton is one that you press and it remains pressed, pressing it again won't un-latch it, and will only become un-latched when you press another pushbutton.

There is a mix of all these type of pushbuttons on the GUI's shown, which one is which is not made clear...

There's also the possiblity of using a Rotary style selector switch... and these come in various designs as well..

1) Latched
2) Spring return to centre

I guess that's because I was looking to get a clean and clear design across and not nesseccarily the functionality...I'll mod the diagrams to make it clearer which is which.

Quote by: outlaw

1. Online or Offline Simulation is an "either or" issue, so flip switches for both modes are misleading

Yes agreed it is an 'either or'..... So how does one select either of them ?

Option 1
We could use a rotary selector switch with spring return to centre.
Or we could use momentary pushbuttons as shown.

Option 2
We could use a rotary selector switch which selects either of the 2 functions
We could use mechanically interlocked pushbuttons such that only one could be selected.

Option 2 requires another action to happen such as an OK pushbutton, whilst Option 1 doesn't

Quote by: outlaw

2. For the online simulation i would provide a gui button on the main screen popping connection dialog and mission selection

Will have a look at this.

Quote by: outlaw

3. config screen for device mapping really suffice the requirement, but i would replace flip switches with buttons (button would delete an entry, by contrast, the flip switch suggests that you can turn something on or off)

See opening paragraph

Quote by: outlaw

4. could you explain me the meaning of the dealers on the stick configuration page?

I believe you mean dials..

The bottom 2 are for a 'force feedback' joystick
The Top 4 are.... as you say a picture paints a thousand word and a working joystick GUI one thousand and one words.......... have you downloaded Targetware 0.64 and looked at their joystick config controls ?
I'd suggest you do, we should be able to help you with this.

Quote by: outlaw

5. On the controller configuration page we need space enough for up to 32 buttons.

32 ? ok I'll redesign it.

These are indicators that light up when it's corresponding pushbutton on the controller is pressed so as the user knows what button is what...

Quote by: outlaw

Can't wait until i get my hands on the SVG version of the controller configuration page . This page is the most urgent since we have to provide controller configuration really soon.

Shouldn't be long now.. once we're happy I'll see if Rick will knock us up some better graphics as groups in a template file and I'll then copy and paste them into the final GUI arrangments.

Regards

Simon

As software developer, i'm more familiar with typical controls. Let's say, we want to remove some mapping from the list (f.e. ESC key mapped to "Leave simulation" should be deleted). Here i would expect just a button:
1. Select entry from the list
2. click the button "Delete"
3. Button produces visible response ("pressed" than "released"
4. Entry disappears from the list

For better understanding, lets "map" the terminology, "what is that":
1. Check box (checked or unchecked, option on/off)
2. Button (default state, pressed, released after mouse button release)
3. Radio button (same as checkbox but grouped in the list of multiple check boxes, only one of the can be checked)
4. Slider, Value spinner is apparently presented by the dialer, Am i correct?

One more quick link: config in LOMAC


http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100ee.html" rel="nofollow">- http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100ee.html


http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100bb.html" rel="nofollow">- http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100bb.html


Regards
Paul

Quote by: outlaw

As software developer, i'm more familiar with typical controls. Let's say, we want to remove some mapping from the list (f.e. ESC key mapped to "Leave simulation" should be deleted). Here i would expect just a button:
1. Select entry from the list
2. click the button "Delete"
3. Button produces visible response ("pressed" than "released"
4. Entry disappears from the list

Agreed, so on this GUI you'd select the position from a drop down menu and the keyboard and controller lists change to reflect the maped functions.... highlighting the 'ESC' key and left mouse clicking over the remove button and it disapears from the list...

Activating the keyboard list by clicking within the windown and then left mouse clicking over the Add button brings up another GUI of the possible functions for the position, Highlight the function and pressing the key to map to it results in a mapping.

Returning to the previous GUI shows it's been added the the list of maped function for that position.

Quote by: outlaw

For better understanding, lets "map" the terminology, "what is that":
1. Check box (checked or unchecked, option on/off)
2. Button (default state, pressed, released after mouse button release)
3. Radio button (same as checkbox but grouped in the list of multiple check boxes, only one of the can be checked)
4. Slider, Value spinner is apparently presented by the dialer, Am i correct?

One more quick link: config in LOMAC
- http://www.lockon.ru/img/about_game/Opt ... t-Diff.jpg
- http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100ee.html
- http://www.simhq.com/_air/air_100bb.html

Regards
Paul

1. Check box (checked or unchecked, option on/off)

Graphically looks like a button.... Momentary action


2. Button (default state, pressed, released after mouse button release)

Graphically looks like a button.... Latched action


3. Radio button (same as checkbox but grouped in the list of multiple check boxes, only one of the can be checked)

Graphically looks like a series of buttons.... Mechanicall Interlocked action


4. Slider, Value spinner is apparently presented by the dialer, Am i correct?

You are correct.


Regards

Simon

Modified the Joystick GUI's... removed the keyboard selection list and treat it as you would any other controller... be it a joystick, peddles, throttle quadrant etc.

Added 32 illuminated lamps.

Simon

This is the second GUI after deciding to participate in either on-line play.

The aim of this GUI is to communicate to the player just what's going on within this server.... who's playing, a map of the front... (similar to Dad's Army).. a ticker tape 'news from the front'.... ++++++++ Air raid siren sounded over Dover ++++++++ Large fleet of German Bombers sighted over the channel+++++++Fighters to be scrambled from Hornchuch+++++++

A player can configure the controller inputs and graphics levels depending upon the machine and also select one of the voice comm servers that the community will have set up.

I'd expect a player new to the Lounge to look up who's on-line, show allied players, axis players only or all using the selector switch...
Press the Radio Buffer button to bring up the standard ingame radio buffer GUI and read/write general game play comms or communicate direct to individuals he could then highlight a bomber pilot from the list and request to join as a crew member.... if so he's straight in the plane, if rejected a polite message is displayed.

If a players got squad affiliations he could call up his squad GUI...where he'd get squad news direct from their web site and see who from his squad is on-line, configure his squad voice comms server and generally communicate with his squad...

Or having selected a side he could simply press the OK button and go into the airfield and plane selection GUI.

Uuuh, i love the last screen you posted! Nice ideas!

This is the off line players lounge.

A player can select a scenario, and the number and skill of AI pilots... he could also if he wishes be a gunner for an AI plane.

Thats shaping up really nice...

This is where a player selects the ride...

The 'Location' drop down list contains both airfields as well as existing mission...
Selecting an airfield allows the vehicle to be selected and displays it's handbook c/w image
A player can then select the plane starting alt, speed and direction plus it's load out and available fuel. (up to max take-off weight)

A player selecting an existing mission will be spawned closely to the formation, at it's current speed, direction, mission vehicle, load out and current fuel load.
The Mission brief or planes handbook can be toggled into display

If a player chooses to start from an airfield he can choose to call a mission through the 'mission call' window,,, once filled in with a brief description it will appear on other players Hanger GUI 'Location' drop down list for them to select.... once a total of 4 planes exist in the mission then the OK button can be activated... and a mission is initiated.

Looking good!

I admit to not having given this much thought but, wow, it's obvious you have. I like it!

Hello T4T!

Any ideas for the pilot logbook? What information should be recorded? I plan to have it just as detailed as in falcon4. Here is an example of us army flight sheet:
http://simtechnologies.de/pub/flight_sheet.svg (viewable with Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome and not with IE)

Can I take it the fields will be automatically populated from the game servers database ?

A flight log is almost a score sheet... a record of ones performance, be it flight hours, longest streak, kill/death ratio, bombs dropped, rounds expended per kill, number of kills as a pilot, as a gunner, number of genuine missions taken part in... etc.

In a combat flight sim environment, it's about being effective, making a difference and having a record of that diference.

It boils down to bragging rights at the end of the day.... a game of 'top trumps' in the Players Lounge.... and it's very important that the sim has such a thing as it's a very positive method of activating the pilots.

Oh for Denada to take an interest with his past experience.

Simon's hit it!

Details of whats happened are THE calling card for building an online world.


Yep, Denada, where-for-art-thou Denada!! LOL

Heard from him any Simon?

Ok let's go back to the 'Players Lounge' from there you can select your squads GUI..

On this GUI I'd expect to see squad news, Welcome to new members, Goodbye to those transfered, Calender of upcoming events.... Baby news if it comes to it...It's about being part of something, a team..

You can see who's in your squad, and if they're online... Squad members can also invite players to be members by filling in the invite box and presing the button. The Player will see a standard accept/reject message, if he accepts then he's added to the list with all membership rights, if rejects, there's no harm done.

An Admin/Squad Leader only can transfer pilots out of the squad.

Nice start to things.

Simon, when you go to production, though, please be sure to spell "hangar" correctly.

And, I'd comment that the After Action Report screens should come up automatically upon death or deplane; it shouldn't have to be selected by the player (unless he's not at the end of a sortie). However, a player should be able to call up stats any time he's on the ground.