Xadavus

Hello,

I am totally new to this new UI skins and coding. Never done it until now. I downloaded a skin, was close to what I wanted, changed it a bit around and it came out perfect. I looked around futher more in the files and I noticed few things...

I noticed that all the UI skins that are sumited for downloads such as UImap, Timer, etc use an exsisting window to add new features. Well in default folder I found EQUI.xml that lists what windows should appear. Soo.. I came to the idea. Hey why not add a line in that list that says..

<Include>EQUI_Map.xml</Include>

And make a file from scratch named Map.xml, or timer, or any other features that ppl have in mind.

True you just don't dump the file in seperate folder and /load anymore. But instead also download new EQUI.xml that has that line added or add it yourself then dump the file in folder you want, log on and /load (whatever).

And if new windows can be made, perhaps it is even possible to make a new icon in menu bar for that, like for maps or timer or any other features.

Just wondering if that works, I might do some tests myself later on. Meanwhile if anyone wants to give it a try or has tried it, please let me know. Hopefully this will open up new doors for new features or make things easier.


Xad

IshiroTakagi

I've been looking at that alot, and the one thing to keep in mind is that the UI we get to play with is just the top level of the entire user client/interface. There is alot of hard coded stuff.

You can make an entire new window, however, you won't be able to have it open. If you look at the Selector Window xml file you'll notice that none of the buttons actually have a command attached to them that causes the associated window to open. That's something hard coded into the client. You can add a button, but you can't make it open your new window.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong though... I'd love to make my own windows. hehe

Lady Silver

As it stands, it is not currently possible to create (and have appear) new windows. It sure would be wonderful if we could. Maybe VI will change that... someday.

~Lady Silver

Xadavus

If it can be done, which few rumors goes around, then imagine what we could do , and worry less about taking exisiting windows. Not just map, timer, hell we might be able to completly redesign the entire UI with more artwork in it. And who knows who else got ideas to add to it.

Lists of I heard alot of ppl like on new window...

Trade skill
Quests
Spell info
Map
Timer (multiple)
Revised and Improved Help info.

and god knows what else.

Xad

PS: Good Luck

BlakGard

The reason why this cannot be done is that windows are opened by the servers, not the XML files. The XML files only determine what the layouts of the windows look like -- nothing more.

Sadly, there's not much that can be done about this on our end. In order for anything like this to be done, Verant would need to create the functionality for custom windows on the servers. Until then, we can only re-write existing windows.

Xadavus

Well thats odd, if it is controlled server side, why would we need the EQUI.xml that lists what windows should be displayed.

Some mentioned about hard coded windows which cannot be altered or added to. Yet rumor flies around that some are doable.

I don't know, I understand some why or why not certain things don't work. But I do not understand many other things since I am new at it. Yet it seems its simple to make them and have access to many areas to make it happen.

I hope VI creates few neutral windows or our own purpose. Since alot of ppl do like to have certain skins yet they have to keep most of their default windows as default for their use.

I can see melee classes have more use of UI than any other classes. They can use Help, spell hotkey and Pet window since they never use it. But any other class (hybrids and casters) definatly use spell hotkey window, some use Pet window, remains Help window they can use if they do not wish to alter any other windows.

True, NewUI is still new, and we still learning as VI improves or changes them. It will most likly take several months till they finalize it. Just hope they don't nerf it.

Xad

guice

Windows are cotroled by the client, 100%.

Your Inventory is controled by the client. Any changes are just sent back to the server.
Everytime you zone, the server sends your inventory information to your client and it stores it in memory.

Right now, the client won't recongize any added windows within the EQUI.xml files. Sucks, too. It's not a hard fix to put in. Matter of fact, preventing other windows would require more code than allowing them.

__________________
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Officer/Leader of Chronology
Mithaniel Marr
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dregor

it would be very easy for them to make it so that we could add more windows.. and do many other things.. but they have to be very careful when they do such things.. everytime they open the code up to allow us to be able to do more things.. the possibility that something they do could cause a security weakness is very high... games like this cant afford to be hacked... which is why theyre so anal about everything, security is king.

im sure they'll eventually open it up more... but its going to take time for them to test everything and make sure theres not any security hazards.

Nennayan

I'm pretty sure that if they simply allowed an unlimited number of custom windows to be created in the first place, someone would have found a way to exploit it by now, and they would have fixed it, and everyone would be happy, but maybe that's just me.

__________________

Gendal

If you could create your own windows how would you open them?

I assume just have them load on startup or controlled in ini files?

What about if you closed one then how would you open it?

Verant would have to put in things like control keys to open windows or a /console command to handle it. Its not a hard thing to do, but it isn't trivial either, it would require a signifigant amount of work, which right now they are concentrating just on getting it to a finished state. Maybe they will add it later, maybe though won't /shrug

I agree though, would be great if they did it =)

guice

You bring up a good point, Gendal. The UI just isn't "independent" enough to allow such an addition.

But, it's not hard. VI stores the window key cmds in the eqclient.ini, why not store them there, but get the default values from the UI.

That would solve that problem.
Read the Defaults, base them off the Screen Names, and ta da! The possabilities are endles! God, I hope VI's techies are reading this.

Now, I know that might be a bit to code, but they've done so much, it won't required a "big" patch, just changes in the functionality of the client engine.

BlakGard

The XML files control the display of the windows -- that is all. By this I mean they tell the server where to display your HPs, character name, inventory slots; what kind of border to render; the size of images and text; etc. The server is what actually opens the windows, and the server only knows how to open 30-40 windows (I haven't actually counted the number of different windows there are). If you try to open a window that the server doesn't know to open, it will cause an error.



ALL windows can be altered and added to in some way. Some content in the windows cannot be taken out, however. The reason for this is that the server needs specific information from certain windows. If it doesn't get that information, then it causes an error. But there is no such thing as an EQ window whose display cannot be altered in some way.

UniDyne

Actually, it is the client that controls the windows. The downside is that it is also the client that dies with an error when it recieves a request to open a window that it doesn't know about. My guess is that this is to prevent anyone from adding windows - it would conflict with the EULA. In order to add a window, you would need to hack the client.