Posted by Billcow [JiB] on January 11, 1998 at 08:03:05:
In Reply to: Re: JED, etc. - update (Some requests) posted by Kepone on January 10, 1998 at 23:52:50:
>
> > > -Ability to view Top and Side views simultaneously.
> > Is that really necessary? It goes againt the interface I have. Wouldn't quick swtiching between views do the trick (use 1 through 6 and Shift+1 through 6).
> Not -really- necessary no. But for those of us used to Quake style
> editors, it seems more intuitive when selecting surfaces etc, rather
> than switching back and forth until you have the right one.
> For instance, if I have a very crowded level with lots of sectors
> all jumbled up real close, it's a little hard to pick just the
> right surface I want without switching back and forth using the
> shift-x keys. Again, it's not a huge problem at all. :)
>
> > > -Easy adjoining. For instance, it would be wonderful to be able to select
> > > two surfaces and click a button to adjoin them rather than writing down all
> > > the vertice coords by hand and pulling your hair out because you missed
> > > a number. I'd like to just tell JED 'Adjoin these -two- surfaces, no matter
> > > where they are at' and let it do it's thang.
> > Why do you need that for? It's just a way to add
> > inconsistencies that potentially lead to corrupted levels.
> > Use "Snap to vertex" mode to force surfaces to overlap -
> > no need to enter vertex coordinates manually.
> Wow, I learn something new every day. Thanks, I'll use this method.
> > > -Detailed explanation of each 'Thing' and what it looks like and does. It'd
> > > even be nice to have a 3D preview of 'Things' in the selection window with
> > > a blurb about what the heck it does.
> > 3D preview of things may be tricky. I'll see.
> At least a little blurb about what the object is and does. Maybe even
> with a size estimate if it's not intuitive by the name. :)
> Ex: 4x8 Catwalk, dark grey with yellow and black stripes along the
> sides.
> or....
> Ex: Big honkin Lambda class shuttle, like the one Palpy tools
> around in. You'll need an area x by y to fit this sucker in.
> You get the idea.. ;)
>
> > > -Have JED warn you if you're choosing a texture that doesn't look right with
> > > the current colormap.
> > JED has no way of knowing that.
> I wasn't very clear with this question. I meant that sometimes
> if you choose a certain texture, it has pink splotches in it when
> you run the level, so you have to go back and choose a different
> colormap. (I believe this is what happens, I usually just pick a
> different texture.) ;) Again, not a -big- deal.
> > > -Grid with lines instead of dots. Makes lining things up easier.
> > It makes the grid take too much space on the screen.
> > Anyway, I've already got several requests to improve the grid.
> > I'm working on it.
> > > -More intuitive consistency checker with suggestions for fixes.
> > Later it will fix the easy errors for you.
> Excellent!
> > > -Ability to set the default texture for all sectors, from the get go.
> > You can do it now. Just set the textures of the first sector and it will be copied to all new ones you create.
> But when I carve, the new surface uses the ugly grey/yellow mat.
> I'd love to be able to tell JED to use something else as
> the default for whatever level I'm working on. This lessens the
> chance of that "Oh crap" feeling when you decide you want to make
> a whole bunch of carves for a rounded room or whatever. Currently,
> I'd have to go through each newly carved surface and reset a texture.
> I want to set a default texture before I begin the level, so it will
> look perfectly fine if I just left it alone after the carve.
> Once again, this isn't a major problem, just me being lazy.
> > > -Item editor smaller and built into the toolbar somehow. That pop up item
> > > editor gets in the way sometimes. If it was always present, but 'out of the
> > > way', it would be easier to manage. Up along the top would be nice, I'm sure
> > > it wouldn't need much room, but I'm not the programmer. :)
> > Just position it wherever you like it - its position will be remembered. I'll also add an option to make it stay on top.
> I'd like to have an option to have it not be in the way of my
> editing window at all. I have a very small monitor and screen
> real estate is precious. 640x480 max. If it were permanently up on
> the toolbar or something, that would be ideal. (For me anyway.)
> I can definately live with the current pop up item editor though.
>
> > > -Ability to lock movements to one plane. Example: If you just wanted to move
> > > something vertically without it affecting the horizontal by accident.
> > Just position the grid the correct way and you've got it. Use Shift+1 through 6.
> Hmm.. I'll play with this more. I remember trying to drag a surface
> vertically to make a pit, and inadvertantly skewed the horizontal
> up somehow while dragging.
> I'll try it again.
>
> > Sure. Your suggestions are very constructive. Thanks for the feedback.
> > Alex.
> > *Other stuff you mentioned are being added, left out for brevity*
> Excellent!
> Oh I almost forgot one other suggestion. I'm still learning the
> sizes of things and so forth so I'm not sure how to ask this, for
> example it takes a little trial and error to get a sector as big
> or small as you want it first off. Sometimes it's either way
> bigger than you expected, or way too small. Is there a way to
> display the size of a sector somehow? Like compared to the size of
> Kyle; that would be a good indicator. I might want a ceiling that
> is four times taller than Kyle. It's a little hard to do this
> currently without a few trial runs to test it.
> Hey, how about 'Things' with bounding boxes showing they're
> relative size in the level, as opposed to just a dot?
> (Granted, having them modelled in the preview window would
> be ideal, however I expect it would be difficult.)
> I'll try to draw a little ASCII here to explain what I mean...
> Bear with me, I flunked out of ASCII Art College.
> ------------------------------------
> |
> |
> | ______
> | | |
> | | Kyle | _________
> | | | |Rail Gun |
> | ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
> ------------------------------------
> Or... just something that tells me how big a surface/sector is in
> units. (Then I'd just figure out how big Kyle is in units and judge
> from that.)
> Thanks :)
> Kepon
While we're on the subject, A couple things i'd like:
1. change the way the <- and -> arrow keys rotate the level like this:
_______
| |
/__ | | __\
\ | | /
|_______|
Instead of this:
_______
__ | | __
\/_ | | _\/
| |
|_______|
So it would rotate like kyle does if you hit the <- or -> keys.
2. Have mabey a wireframe model of the 3dos in the level. kinda like the picture of the LEIA editor (JK editor used by LA) in the November '96 PCGAMER.
3. Add cogs by clicking a button on the item editor and selecting the values for stuff from there? I hate having to go back to the item editor and looking at what thing number something its then going back to the COG editor and typing it in.
BTW: I improved the ascii-art. I am a good ascii-artist.