Making of the Minimap

[trilarion]

After the last chat, we basically have two possibilities for the minimap.

As a roughly 200x200 large field on the upper right corner of the screen (A) or as a substitute for the game map / playing field in the middle when pressed the middle mouse button (B). Then the minimap could be larger but the player would have to switch between minimap and playing field. I prefer solution A, although we could have even both.

What do you prefer from a design point of view?

Although this is also a programming task for now, I am very much interested in the opinion of graphics people on this issue since it is part of the user interface. While the programming is going on I will post screenshots from time to time. Also for now I will come up with some mock images in the next days...

[trilarion]

As convenience here a copy of the old discussion including the old screenshots:


Tril:

Hi, I want to reimplement the MiniMap. Actually I do not know how it was implemented in the C-version of freelords. Anyway I see two possibilities, either as separate window, which can be moved forth and back or as inlay in a corner e.g. the right upper corner. In any case the minimap will be able to be toggled on and off.

My question to you is: from an aesthetic point of view, what do you like more?

Trav:

I tend to prefer inlays to separate windows, however I'd also say put an option some where (possibly even just in a text file) to have the inlay at any of the three corners, or even better, at the bottom of the right hand side panel.

I'd also say the minimap would be better off using flat color representations (dots and lines rather than images) so it can be really really small.
Remember that the demonstration map is tiny compared to some of the maps used in WL2

Patton:

In the old version was in the top-right corner separate from the main window.
Anyway we can use an Inlay map with an hook to drag the map away (and set it windowed).
The hook will stay there so that you can reput the mini map inlay.

Ulf:

In the old version it took up the upper right corner. See, e.g., http://www.lordsawar.com though Ben did improve the minimap quite a bit.

I would even throw in a third option. The minimap has two functions. You can scroll around quickly, and you have a good overview of the whole map. From a practical gaming viewpoint, the second thing is only crucial for realtime games, so the most important purpose is to conveniently scroll around. Furthermore, if we basically agree on implementing zooming at some point again, you can just zoom out to get The Big Picture. With all these conditions: Why not hide the minimap altogether until the user presses, e.g., the middle mouse button or some key? Then he clicks somewhere, the map jumps there, and the minimap vanishes again. The UI framework is a bit restricted right now, but it can be done.

[trilarion]

After the last chat, we basically have two possibilities for the minimap.

As a roughly 200x200 large field on the upper right corner of the screen (A) or as a substitute for the game map / playing field in the middle when pressed the middle mouse button (B). Then the minimap could be larger but the player would have to switch between minimap and playing field. I prefer solution A, although we could have even both.

What do you prefer from a design point of view?

Although this is also a programming task for now, I am very much interested in the opinion of graphics people on this issue since it is part of the user interface. While the programming is going on I will post screenshots from time to time. Also for now I will come up with some mock images in the next days...

So, there are still two possibilities. I need to make mock-ups. Just wanted to add that with the new larger tilesize the need for a minimap is even stronger. Scrolling the map is kind of a boring task.

[ulf82]

So, there are still two possibilities. I need to make mock-ups. Just wanted to add that with the new larger tilesize the need for a minimap is even stronger. Scrolling the map is kind of a boring task.

Yes. If I remember correctly, the last chat included the idea of moving the chat log from the right side to the bottom, and use the free space for a permanent minimap. I have not looked up how difficult this would be, can this be done in the layout file already?

[trilarion]

I have started on the minimap, but only by reserving space on the game maps sidebar a roughly 200x200 pixel wide area on the upper right side. Now I need to think about a proper drawing of simplified tiles and entities on the map as well as the listeners for mouseclicking and refocus of the maps center. Maybe we even will need scrollbars. This is some programming work. However here is how it looks right now.

Clipboard01.jpg (12.97 KiB) Viewed 17 times

[ulf82]

I have started on the minimap, but only by reserving space on the game maps sidebar a roughly 200x200 pixel wide area on the upper right side. Now I need to think about a proper drawing of simplified tiles and entities on the map as well as the listeners for mouseclicking and refocus of the maps center.

Well, good luck. I guess you are already looking at the Layer classes.

Maybe we even will need scrollbars.

Please don't! You should rather use layers that can paint the map at an arbitrary fixed size, and care properly about placement of the single tiles. What is the point of a minimap if you need scrollbars for it?