RE: [GD-Windows] Complex GUIs

[Jon W. <hp...@mi...>]

We use a different approach: we write our GUIs in Macromedia Flash. There's
awesome tools available to generate Flash, and we embed the actual,
honest-to-goodness Flash ActiveX control, making it render to a texture with
translucency (we actually have to render twice to get the translucency
right). ActionScript and some custom Monikers complete the circle, and it's
fully integrated.

CPU usage if your UI animates is really high, though.

Cheers,

			/ h+


-----Original Message-----
From: gam...@li...
[mailto:gam...@li...]On Behalf Of
Brian Hook
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 4:14 PM
To: gam...@li...
Subject: Re: [GD-Windows] Complex GUIs


> If we wanted to do a complex GUI for a Windows game, on the order
> of an MMORPGs (toolbars, menus, windows, buttons, lists, etc.),
> would it be best to:
> 1. Use Windows native functions but overriding the drawing, etc.

Oh, hell no.

> 2. Use a third party gui widget toolkit and put in our own
> rendering functions to render the widgets.

Doubtful that this would be general purpose enough to make you happy.

> 3. Just do it how we do on consoles and use a thin, lightweight GUI
> built over the immediate mode toolkit.

Bingo.

> 1. Use Windows native event/messaging to drive the gui. 2. Use
> Direct Input and develop you own event messaging to drive the gui.

I think either approach works, they both have their pros and cons.
There have been games that have used the GDI messages directly (e.g.
Quake) with success, but DirectInput has a couple moderate advantages,
especially when it comes to support of more exotic input devices, e.g.
with force feedback.

Brian




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