1/9. Nothing needs to be changed in the XML code since the UI layout just creates a portrait frame. All the visuals are done using triggers and actors (specifically using triggers to create the Model type actor on the portrait actor which just uses an invisible model). Just go to the actors data type and change it. In the demo map it is called 1testpanelmodel.
Hopefully its not a little too late today for response, but I have one question for today.
1. Positioning of the Models for the Portraits.
I wanted to ask about positioning of the models and how the model is set to face the unit. When I tried to add the Dehaka UI Mission Screen it showed up, but it appeared to be displaying it from the side and it was showing it was very tiny. This was dispite having the scale set to 17. How would I get UI planes like those positioned properly so they are facing the screen and large enough like the aiur bridge model.
EDIT: The purifier screen was the one I used I mean. This is a picture of what it looked like when I switched it in, but it appeared to be animating properly although not fully showing.
In my demo you will notice I used two SOp(Explicit Rotation) SOps to get the rotation facing directly at the camera. I also have a SOp (Local Offset) that was calibrated for the bridge model to position it in the right way and a third SOp(Explicit Rotation) that flipped the bridge 90 degrees to it was a top down view.
Those UI screen models are pretty small by default.
You should just be able to use the first two SOp(Explicit Rotation) SOps to get it straight and then use a third to get it in the correct orientation. The SOp (Local Offset) will need to be adjusted to center the model.
Alright. After lots of testing, trial and error and resizing different models, I finally managed to get all of the Co-op like command panels showing up properly, but I've run into some major road blocks. This currently as of now is only working in the demo map. Here is some of the next questions:
1. How to copy the XML to my main file?
One of the big issues that I ran into is that I noticed you cannot directly copy and paste XML nor the layouts in a similar manner like other data objects. So I tried to recreate them from scratch in my main file. When I saved and came back to try and copy the XML and other data they just disappeared.
2. What is the purpose of using Notepad for XML related tasks?
I recall you mentioning about this earlier. One thing I should point out is that I am using a Mac, but I have parallels which can run notepad. Since it is difficult for me to switch between parallels and the Mac, it would be more ideal if this is not required.
3. Can using regular Dialog item Portraits work?
Instead of using Ui Layouts, could it be possible to simply use a dialog item portrait, remove the boarder then setup the UI model within it? Could there also be another way to display the UI command panels without Layouts or dealing with xml? I ask since this seems especially complicated to do in order to just produce a few UI panels.
Going to stick with these questions for now before moving forward.
1. Create a new layout with your desired name in your main map and then select all the xml text in the layout you want to copy and copy it and paste it into the blank layout in your main map.
2. In previous versions the XML compiler would mess up especially with animation frames. Notepad++ was then required to manually correct the XML in the .sc2components file. This issue has allegedly been patched.
3. Yes it would but then you would not have all the fancy fading in of the buttons/panel or the ability to move the panel onto the screen. I believe if using dialog item command panels there is the issue of having to move the extra buttons off screen and hiding them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
This issue might be only happening with Mac users. Maybe I am wrong, but when I tried to copy the XML code, nothing happened. No option to copy it showed up. When I tried copying it using Control C, it did not work either. Maybe I am doing it the wrong way. Is there a certain way that XML Code needs to be copied? Just in case it remains the case that it is not working for Mac users, could there be a work around to copying the XML?
2. Okay. I will keep note of this though just in case.
3. Proceeding with that method.
As much as I would really love the drop-down and fading in, its ultimately overhanging command panel that is what I was really looking for and maybe the race consoles. Since I am guessing that the XML code is more than likely unable to be copied for Mac users at this time and doing this via parallels would be too time consuming at this time, I would like to know how this can be done via the dialog item portrait way. Currently, I have all of the actors, viable and triggers from that demo copied into the main file to give this a try. When I tried to adept it in the dialog item portrait way, nothing showed up. Initially I tried linking both the model actor that holds the command panel visual and the actor that creates the command panel visual. Same result for both. Here is a look at my setup:
Now I purposely have not hidden the border of the portrait yet just cause I am new at this and wanted to be careful what I was altering. When I have it set up this way though, a portrait with nothing visible in it shows up.
1. Crtl+C and Ctrl+V should do it. Not sure about mac only work arounds.
3. So notepad++ does not work for mac? You are not setting the model for the portrait after setting the size. Use a Set Dialog Item Model action to make it use the invisible model.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
My bad. For Mac users it turns out that I just need to use Command C instead of control C. I grew up using using Control on a pc most of my life till I get this expensive Mac. Since Macs have control c, I thought this would work. I probably should have known better by now.
3. Trying the original plan first.
Since I now found out how to copy XML. I am going to the original way and see if this works as original was planned. There is probably a notepad-like alternative for Mac. I just need to figure out what it is. So hopefully now I won't have to settle for an inferior method of getting this done. I am going to try that first.
Its working. Finally after all this time, I've been trying to figure out so hard out to get those UIs working in the games since some of the earliest times of this project. This is a huge step forward and I think I should be able to apply this to other types of uis. Well see. I do have some questions yet. Some of these questions are new and some are related to what has been discussed today. Before I ask about the buttons though, I want to study those more and see if I can understand the demo better.
1. How to increase the size of the UI layout portraits?
I am not sure how to change the size of the UI layout portraits. Its not urgent at the moment, but I may want to do this should I decide to use this as a method of creating the race Console UIs. I did send a message to that person you recommended who might know how, but there is a possibility he may not decide to help or won't be active for quite a while. What I would also like to know is if there is anything else important that would need to be changed along with changing the size of the UI layout portraits and how might be the proper way to simply overwrite the existing console ui? I'd imagine that if I simply just make a UI then try to place it over the existing UI it would overlap or parts of it would still be visible.
2. Proper way of setting up the music.
In the mod I am making, players select factions at a faction screen once the game loads. Once the timer hits zero, then the game starts for all active players. The way the music is set up is like this:
A. Any time a player chooses a faction, then soundtrack for their race is set to start playing, but immediately paused by an event right after. This event pauses the soundtrack for all players.
B. Once the timer hits zero there is an action to unpause all soundtracks.
C. Important to know: All of the music in the default races has been set to none.
D. I've double checked that all the music at the sound files is playing correctly as well as at the soundtrack.
What is the problem? The music will sometimes play, but sometimes won't. Some games it plays just fine, but others it doesn't play at all. I've also doubled checked that I have my music set on and volume up. Now I was looking for a potential other method to this in an attempt to try and get the music playing each time just right. Do you have any recommended methods of getting the music working for sure each time?
1. Look at line 6 and 7 and 44 and 45 of the layout in the demo map. The Width and Height properties set the size of a frame if it is not anchored on both sides of a parent frame. You might need to adjust the offset for left anchor of the command panel. In hind sight I know you can use % offsets instead of Min, Mid and Max which would be more efficient since it would be self scaling. To modify the console UI just modify the GameUI layout.
2. Don't know about that one. Try checking how the campaigns do it for cinematics.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
Alright. I will keep note of those sections. I have a few more questions. So far I've managed to get just about all the ui panels in place. Some just need a bit of resizing and offsetting. Shouldn't be too big an issue.
1. How would the previous race consoles would be removed or overwritten?
Specifically, what I mean is the part about removing the existing ui. I am not asking the same question as before, but assuming I add new race console ui, the present ones would need to be removed.
2. How to adjust the location of hosted buttons from the caster unit?
Right now there is a number of buttons showing up, but I need to know how to adjust the offset and number of buttons. I think I understand already how to create new buttons with abilities that can be used.
3. How to apply glazes to these UI models?
I have an idea of how this could possibly be done via the model actor directly, but I wanted to check if there was a simpler and faster way to get this done. I asked something like this a long while ago, but I was not ready to even start getting into this.
2. Under the Command Panel frame is the <HideUnusedButtons val="true"/> property so the buttons are all there already but hidden if not used by the command card of the caster unit. The Button type frames under the Anchor properties have an offset (used mostly for the left in the demo). All visible buttons are anchored relative to the left of the previous button while the unused ones are left in their default position.
3. I believe the UnitEffectModelFrame type can do glazes but have heard it is near impossible to work with.
Here is another quick question. I am about to get started on these others today, but as I was working on 2, I noticed another potential issue:
1. How to position buttons behind tentacles, but remain in front of the panel?
In co-op, many buttons are able to hide behind certain parts of tentacles or parts of the panel. Maybe this is actually simple and has to do with setting render priority. Just wanted to check in case it is something more complex?
1. Alright. Well, I've come this far. Maybe I eventually might be able to figure how that is done. Although I cannot thank you enough. With so many of the limited resources outside of Sc2mapster, I don't think I would have been able to get this far with your valuable advice. Certainly would have taken much longer.
2. Simple question. How does one hide dialog's without hiding buttons?
I probably should already know this. Maybe I have just forgotten how this is done. There is a number of buttons that I want to have visible on the screen, but with no dialog visible. Unless there is a way of setting up buttons without a dialog? Might be harder anyway.
3. Elaboration on the GameUI layout?
Is this the part that you were talking about? I tried inputting GameUI as the frame in place of the location where Mainframe will located and soaoverlaytemplate as the portrait. Since I am a noob at this, it is still hard for me to understand exactly what stuff it is that makes things work, but I am getting a clearer idea. Commandpanel was left the same. When I tried this, nothing showed up different. I used the same setup that you were using from the demo. Before I tried this, I simply tried switching the model with one of the console his and it showed up. Could it be possible it is not showing up due to offsets or something like that?
4. Image of Buttons is not showing up. What could I have done right?
Okay. I got the caster units in place and the buttons although they are working and I understand now how to offset them, the image of the buttons is not showing up. I looks like I copy and pasted most of the stuff needed for them to show up, but its the images that aren't showing up. Maybe I should study this a bit more carefully. I must have missed something.
2. You need the dialog but just use the Show/Hide Dialog Background and the border can be pushed off screen by it being big enough.
3. Not that layout the one that is just called GameUI (above GlueUI). in there is the UIContainer frame which does all the interesting stuff. You need to hook up that UI frame and then use the Show/Hide Dialog Item (if you want to keep the default) else you can do like the tutorial and rearrange everything by starting the XML of your layout off with <Frame type="GameUI" name="GameUI" file="GameUI"> to override the default (by using the same names as the child frames it can also affect those).
A child frame cannot be bigger than the parent else it will be cropped.
4. Remember they are set to be automatically hidden unless the casting unit uses them. For the images make sure you are anchoring them relative to the correct parent and the buttons are not overlapping.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
Something is wrong with the Imgur servers at the time so I input an attached picture below. That is my basic question for today. I used the same set of actions as with the call down panels except with the new actors and I changed mainframe to gameui. However I was noticing that there is still the portrait part to check. I did not change anything with that because I did not see a portrait under gameui. Maybe I missed it. Should I remove the portrait selection from game ui?
Note: Ignore the last 5 actions in the highlighted section. That was for something else.
The console panel has models somehow linked directly to the console panel. These choose models based on the file path. All you can do is hide them and then use a portrait, unit model or cutscene to replace them.
You do not create the GameUI panel you use the Hookup Standard Dialog Item action. The panels with the portraits would need to be hooked up separately.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
Ah. No wonder it wasn't working. I feel like such a noob right now. Reminds me of back when I was still trying to get a basic understanding of how morphing animation a structure to another structure with animations worked. You remember that topic about the Amon hkdralisk den? Took me months to finally really understand how to properly and finally be able to get that working properly on my own. So one step at a time. However its not working perfectly quite just yet. How do I hide the default ui again since I want to replace this new ui with the old one? Maybe I missed something.
1/9. Nothing needs to be changed in the XML code since the UI layout just creates a portrait frame. All the visuals are done using triggers and actors (specifically using triggers to create the Model type actor on the portrait actor which just uses an invisible model). Just go to the actors data type and change it. In the demo map it is called 1testpanelmodel.
4. https://sc2mapster.gamepedia.com/UI/Referencing#Asset_Reference . You can also ask Willuwontu. It also works for sounds too allegedly.
5. Why do you think I use an invisible model for the portrait and host my models as Model type actor attachments in all my example maps.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
In my demo you will notice I used two SOp(Explicit Rotation) SOps to get the rotation facing directly at the camera. I also have a SOp (Local Offset) that was calibrated for the bridge model to position it in the right way and a third SOp(Explicit Rotation) that flipped the bridge 90 degrees to it was a top down view.
Those UI screen models are pretty small by default.
You should just be able to use the first two SOp(Explicit Rotation) SOps to get it straight and then use a third to get it in the correct orientation. The SOp (Local Offset) will need to be adjusted to center the model.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
Alright. After lots of testing, trial and error and resizing different models, I finally managed to get all of the Co-op like command panels showing up properly, but I've run into some major road blocks. This currently as of now is only working in the demo map. Here is some of the next questions:
1. How to copy the XML to my main file?
One of the big issues that I ran into is that I noticed you cannot directly copy and paste XML nor the layouts in a similar manner like other data objects. So I tried to recreate them from scratch in my main file. When I saved and came back to try and copy the XML and other data they just disappeared.
2. What is the purpose of using Notepad for XML related tasks?
I recall you mentioning about this earlier. One thing I should point out is that I am using a Mac, but I have parallels which can run notepad. Since it is difficult for me to switch between parallels and the Mac, it would be more ideal if this is not required.
3. Can using regular Dialog item Portraits work?
Instead of using Ui Layouts, could it be possible to simply use a dialog item portrait, remove the boarder then setup the UI model within it? Could there also be another way to display the UI command panels without Layouts or dealing with xml? I ask since this seems especially complicated to do in order to just produce a few UI panels.
Going to stick with these questions for now before moving forward.
1. Create a new layout with your desired name in your main map and then select all the xml text in the layout you want to copy and copy it and paste it into the blank layout in your main map.
2. In previous versions the XML compiler would mess up especially with animation frames. Notepad++ was then required to manually correct the XML in the .sc2components file. This issue has allegedly been patched.
3. Yes it would but then you would not have all the fancy fading in of the buttons/panel or the ability to move the panel onto the screen. I believe if using dialog item command panels there is the issue of having to move the extra buttons off screen and hiding them.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
1. Crtl+C and Ctrl+V should do it. Not sure about mac only work arounds.
3. So notepad++ does not work for mac? You are not setting the model for the portrait after setting the size. Use a Set Dialog Item Model action to make it use the invisible model.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
1. Look at line 6 and 7 and 44 and 45 of the layout in the demo map. The Width and Height properties set the size of a frame if it is not anchored on both sides of a parent frame. You might need to adjust the offset for left anchor of the command panel. In hind sight I know you can use % offsets instead of Min, Mid and Max which would be more efficient since it would be self scaling. To modify the console UI just modify the GameUI layout.
2. Don't know about that one. Try checking how the campaigns do it for cinematics.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
1. Try this tutorial: https://sc2mapster.gamepedia.com/Tutorials/Fixing_inventory_buttons . You could just hookup the GameUI layout and set it to Hide.
2. Under the Command Panel frame is the <HideUnusedButtons val="true"/> property so the buttons are all there already but hidden if not used by the command card of the caster unit. The Button type frames under the Anchor properties have an offset (used mostly for the left in the demo). All visible buttons are anchored relative to the left of the previous button while the unused ones are left in their default position.
3. I believe the UnitEffectModelFrame type can do glazes but have heard it is near impossible to work with.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
1. Probably a feature of cutscenes if they are the same layer as the buttons.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
1. Alright. Well, I've come this far. Maybe I eventually might be able to figure how that is done. Although I cannot thank you enough. With so many of the limited resources outside of Sc2mapster, I don't think I would have been able to get this far with your valuable advice. Certainly would have taken much longer.
2. Simple question. How does one hide dialog's without hiding buttons?
I probably should already know this. Maybe I have just forgotten how this is done. There is a number of buttons that I want to have visible on the screen, but with no dialog visible. Unless there is a way of setting up buttons without a dialog? Might be harder anyway.
3. Elaboration on the GameUI layout?
Is this the part that you were talking about? I tried inputting GameUI as the frame in place of the location where Mainframe will located and soaoverlaytemplate as the portrait. Since I am a noob at this, it is still hard for me to understand exactly what stuff it is that makes things work, but I am getting a clearer idea. Commandpanel was left the same. When I tried this, nothing showed up different. I used the same setup that you were using from the demo. Before I tried this, I simply tried switching the model with one of the console his and it showed up. Could it be possible it is not showing up due to offsets or something like that?
4. Image of Buttons is not showing up. What could I have done right?
Okay. I got the caster units in place and the buttons although they are working and I understand now how to offset them, the image of the buttons is not showing up. I looks like I copy and pasted most of the stuff needed for them to show up, but its the images that aren't showing up. Maybe I should study this a bit more carefully. I must have missed something.
2. You need the dialog but just use the Show/Hide Dialog Background and the border can be pushed off screen by it being big enough.
3. Not that layout the one that is just called GameUI (above GlueUI). in there is the UIContainer frame which does all the interesting stuff. You need to hook up that UI frame and then use the Show/Hide Dialog Item (if you want to keep the default) else you can do like the tutorial and rearrange everything by starting the XML of your layout off with <Frame type="GameUI" name="GameUI" file="GameUI"> to override the default (by using the same names as the child frames it can also affect those).
A child frame cannot be bigger than the parent else it will be cropped.
4. Remember they are set to be automatically hidden unless the casting unit uses them. For the images make sure you are anchoring them relative to the correct parent and the buttons are not overlapping.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
5. What am I doing wrong here?
Something is wrong with the Imgur servers at the time so I input an attached picture below. That is my basic question for today. I used the same set of actions as with the call down panels except with the new actors and I changed mainframe to gameui. However I was noticing that there is still the portrait part to check. I did not change anything with that because I did not see a portrait under gameui. Maybe I missed it. Should I remove the portrait selection from game ui?
Note: Ignore the last 5 actions in the highlighted section. That was for something else.
The console panel has models somehow linked directly to the console panel. These choose models based on the file path. All you can do is hide them and then use a portrait, unit model or cutscene to replace them.
You do not create the GameUI panel you use the Hookup Standard Dialog Item action. The panels with the portraits would need to be hooked up separately.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
In reply to DrSuperEvil:
You hook it up then you hide it.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg