Factory UI 2.0 - Build-Bar Revamp

I had an idea of a new way to do unit production UIs/ factory UIs



There are two things I wanted to be accomplished:


1.) A streamlined factory UI that allows people who don't use hotkies for building units to quickly issue production commands. The age old bottom build bar does not allow this, because you have to move your cursor all the way down from the center of the screen (because probably you have centred your screen on the factory you just selected). In the design I came up with you have to move your cursor only a small way from where it already is (namely on the factory), to select the units to be build


2.) A production UI that lets you know what every single factory on the screen is producing with but a single key press!


So, how does it work... to issue build commands you select the factory as normal. A radial menu pops up, with an inner ring and a ring of outer buttons for the units. The inner ring will work as the queue, with a “current production” hex field at 12 o'clock. The radial menu design reduces the time needed to transit from the factory you just selected to the bottom build bar.

If you just want to check what all the factories are currently producing, just hold down shift and only the inner queue ring will be displayed! This way you can check what all your facs are doing with the press of only one button!

But there is a third possible feature, that his UI design allows for: Hold down Shift + Alt and you can issue build commands to any factory on the screen without the need to selecting it first, further reducing the time needed to issue build commands. You can hop from one fac to the other, giving build commands, just like that, this may save only 1 click per factory, but it makes the whole motions much more fluid, because you do not need to re-target the button of the unit you want to build after selecting the new factory, you just move the cursor from the last button you pressed of fac 1 to the first button you want to press of fac 2.




UI when only Shift held down:





UI when factory selected or Shift + Alt held down:





As I have already stated often, I am rather disappointed that PA didn't bring more innovative UI stuff... I don't know if this thing would actually play well, but it would be innovative and thus maybe worth a shot.

Would look really nice but I think most players like having ui buttons in the same screen coordinates at all times.

i would design fabber UIs in the same way for the same reasons - saving time else wasted on moving the cursor.

Clap clap clap clap.... wonderful idea., but the circle might have to be a square because with many factories close to each other, it might overlap on them.

Looks fine, but what happens when you select things offscreen via hotkeys or move your camera after selecting? Where this menu will be?

That looks wikid.

you making or just suggesting?

The time you waste on moving the cursor a few extra inches is nothing compared to the time you spend orienting yourself and moving the mouse to a location on the screen that depends on where the factory was when you selected it. I also make heavy use of the "Select all idle factories" hotkey, which selects factories even when they are off screen.

It looks really nice, but I don't think it is quite optimal.

*Edit*

What happens when you select 6 factories at once?

just suggesting, I have no idea how to mod.

It could become a normal build bar when the factory goes off screen due to moving the camera.

anyone want to try and mod this?

I think the idea is supposed to be you get a single one for all factories selected just like right now.

When you select more than one factory you could get the radial menu centered around your cursor for example.

For me they KEY component is the queue ring anyway, which can get displayed for all facs on screen at once.

I like where it is now. What you made would be good for Consoles XD

This is how toy soldiers I think was the name did it... A real time tower defense game for console (I played it for the 360)

A lot of CAD programs adopt this sort of radial menu for quick operations. I think the idea has merit and I'd be quite at home with it. But, later on with a screen full of other units and factories, wouldn't an overlapping UI element clutter an already busy scene even more?

yes obviously strat zoom interferes a bit

Halo Wars did it too



Even though this is really cool, it was made for consoles. With a mouse you can click anywhere and having a streamline UI and simple elements fits the PC better.

Radial elements should stick to joystick applications.

Zero-K does it too.

Very nice! You could avoid unnecessary overlap by simply having multiple selected factories share the same build widget.

I would go further and detach the ui from the factory entirely, turn it into almost a semicircle and offset it a little lower and to the right of center screen. Keep it small but scaleable and we might be getting there perhaps. Never go full radial!

Looks good in my head! I just lack the talent to make it look good on 'paper'.

Full radial menus can be great for quick operations, though. If you memorise them they can cut menu selection time in half, simply because each direction is mapped to a command. This only really works well if you have eight or less commands, though. Eight commands allows for up, down, left and right plus diagonals, but more becomes confusing both selection-wise and visually.

In this case, because we have so many unit options, it may get a little overcomplicated.

hmm you could split it up, into a t1 and t2 node first.

So is using hotkies, yet the difference using them is huge,,,

radial menus for console are the only practical way of doing many menus that need to be used in a hurry, for PC they are a way to speed the already fast method of using the mouse up even more. They are not only good for consoles. You can also appreciate them using a mouse and cursor. They don't even need to make your cursor disappear for the time of operating them. I intended this one to be one where your cursor does not disappear, btw.