In-Game GUIs

[Åquarius]

Considering the awesomeness and incredible functionality of the in-game GUIs in doom3, what will they be like in hl2?

I have never seen any information about them, so if you know anything then please share.

 

[Brian Damage]

Apparently the VGUI2 system used in HL2 will have functionality on the windows desktop, in the game menus for option selection, and inside the game itself for computers and so on...

 

[Åquarius]

What is the VGUI2 system? WIll there be an application to create and edit VGUI2 GUIs, or is it done by scripting by hand?

And what do you mean by it will have functionality on the desktop?

 

[The Dark Elf]

Aquarius can you put your sig in the proper signature area, so people have the option of NOT seeing it if they don't want.


Cheers.

 

[Åquarius]

I'm supposed to give everyone the option of noticing or not noticing an element of my post?

rofl. Thats rediculous.

 

[Cutey_Kaite]

I'm supposed to give everyone the option of noticing or not noticing an element of my post?

rofl. Thats rediculous.

ARE U ARGUING WITH A MOD!?!?!??!?!

 

[The Dark Elf]

I'm supposed to give everyone the option of noticing or not noticing an element of my post?

rofl. Thats rediculous.

Actually yes, there's a correct place in your control panel where you add your signature. There are also options for viewing or not - sigs, avatars and regular images in posts. Not everyone wants to see sigs or even avatars all the time. It's better to give them an option.

FYI sigs can be four lines or less, include no images, otherwise put what you like in them, within reason.

 

[Åquarius]

He just stated that I have control over where peoples eyes wonder over my post, and that I should be more responsible by putting something someone might not want to see in a different place of my post.

mod or no Mod, that is rediculous.

I am obeying his request, as you can see, simply because it's their forum. But it's still a laughable request.

 

[Gorgon]

ARE U ARGUING WITH A MOD!?!?!??!?!

I think this is alright.........its his right to argue. :thumbs:

there is no rules in HL2 site saying you cannot argue with other members as long as you respect others.


Well for the GUI. I don't know alot.

 

[Shinobi]

sooo,, umm back to the discussion :0


doesn't VGUI2 = STEAMGUI? I mean I remember seeing them load up the map in the normal mapping explanation movie and it looked identical to the steam GUI

 

[The Dark Elf]

I am obeying his request, as you can see

Thank you

 

[Ahnteis]

in-game elements can have vgui.

So basically you could do something very similar to the doom3 button pads (fex) if you wanted.

 

[Wilco]

vgui is currently what you see when choosing teams/class in TFC or CS (haven't tried other games).

VGUI2 will be similar, but it will also be able to be displayed on polygons in the world, like thingy said for computers and stuff. I have a feeling a popular use will be to display an ammo count on weapons (a-la halo). Other than that I havent seen it. The Steam interface is different (I assume), what with it being green, would kinda limit the use of it (camoflaged interfaced ).

 

[A.I.]

What's GUI or VGUI anyway. Does it have to do something with the user interface?

 

[Shinobi]

someone made a weapons replacement for firearms halfife that had a working ammo counter

nevertheless that would be really cool

 

[Epsi]

Yeh, the Steam GUI is also the GUI used in HL2, and it's known as VGUI2 (Valve Graphical User Interface 2).

I get the feeling it's more flexible than just the Steam-style green windows, as for a start it allows the re-styling of those windows to use different colours. I think the in-game GUIs of CS and DoD have also been ported to use VGUI2 now, so I guess that it would be very flexible to allow those two very different styles of interface.

I just wonder if the HTML frame control is supported rendered onto a 3D surface. Because that would be unbelievably cool.

 

[OCybrManO]

It would be cool to be able to view a web page (from the WWW... not stored on your hard drive) on a billboard or read (but probably not post on) the forums on a laptop in the mod itself...

 

[Shuzer]

It would be cool to be able to view a web page (from the WWW... not stored on your hard drive) on a billboard or read (but probably not post on) the forums on a laptop in the mod itself...

Considering you can do this with MOTD's with Steam now, I bet it's possible.

 

[Epsi]

This is what I wonder though. Clearly, it's possible to render the HTML-frame onto the UI, as shown by the CS MotD, but can it be rendered onto surfaces in the 3D world too? It would be very very sweet indeed. Imagine having a web browser window actually on a wall in-game.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Considering you can do this with MOTD's with Steam now, I bet it's possible.

bit of a security issue that is. All it needs is a link to a website with malicious content in it, you might never know its accessed the site. Anyone could do it, even decompiling a trusted .bsp adding it then putting it back out into the wild.

 

[Epsi]

Apparently, the HTML control uses IE but with all the possible security-risking features locked out. It's no more dangerous than using IE as your web-browser really.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Apparently, the HTML control uses IE but with all the possible security-risking features locked out. It's no more dangerous than using IE as your web-browser really.

Heh all I ever hear is how naff IE is for security. I don't mind it though, don't see the point bothering with other browsers


I suppose there could be some problems either way, I imagine there will be plenty you can't have in the html page. I guess flash is probably out too, which is sorta a shame though as you could probably do some pretty interesting things in the game then... I can think of a few fun things already

 

[Wilco]

Yeah but you wouldn't have control over what the browser looked at

 

[Zakat]

A question, Why did Åquarius get banned? I found him annoying, just wanna know.

 

[The Dark Elf]

A question, Why did Åquarius get banned? I found him annoying, just wanna know.

Thats not something that you need to worry about, the authorities were contacted and its out of our hands now. If anyone from that cult contacts any of you, PM a member of staff immediately, with a copy of their PM, also put them on ignore (in your control panel)

Ta.. now, back to VGUI2 and your regular programming

 

[Brian Damage]

I was wondering about that...

He PMed me about four times. Odd little conversation, but nothing nasty.

I don't think that he was a real Raelian...

 

[Epsi]

Just saw this on the HLCoders mailing list:

The game engine is using a direct to memory rendering mode of the control so we can render to textures, and the Mozilla control doesn't seem to support this mode.

Sounds like it can render onto walls. Wow.

Another interesting bit of information:

VGUI (Valve GUI btw) has been rewritten, and like a caterpillar emerges from its cocoon to become a butterfly so has VGUI morphed into the beautiful VGUI2. We use VGUI2 for both the in game and out of game UI (i.e the steam windows on the desktop). It is also being used in the HL2 engine.

The next SDK release will include VGUI2 so everyone can use it (note that you can use one or the other, VGUI or VGUI2, so to switch you need to convert your whole mod to VGUI2). The next SDK will be released when its done (and when the VGUI2 interfaces are rock solid).

- Alfred

Sounds like VGUI2 is going to be good to be good to work with. Both those quotes are from Alfred Reynolds of Valve.