Modding the GUI : V - Skyrim

» Tue May 15, 2012 2:24 am

I'd like to kick in my request for multiple, customizable Action Bars such as those that exist in Rift.

» Tue May 15, 2012 6:02 am

http://darnified.net/duis/inventorytest1.jpg

Woohoo! Making progress!

I've gotten to the point that I can edit and save other sfw menus too now. The list on the left has the font sizes reduced and the bg has been altered. Simple changes really. Should be possible to rearrange this layout to a more familiar one.

I hope you mean something like in Oblivion. That was actually very good for getting a quick overview of all items. *Thumbs crossed*

» Tue May 15, 2012 6:51 am

I hope you mean something like in Oblivion. That was actually very good for getting a quick overview of all items. *Thumbs crossed*

That's what I was hinting at, yes. Better cross some toes too.

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:06 pm

I used the FOMM-way of extracting the interface.bsa however no, there aren't any .as files at that point. Once an swf is decompiled, the .as files are extracted along with the fla.

» Tue May 15, 2012 7:36 am

I used the FOMM-way of extracting the interface.bsa however no, there aren't any .as files at that point. Once an swf is decompiled, the .as files are extracted along with the fla.

What tools are you using to decompile to an FLA and AS files? The tools I'm using just display the entire contents of the SWF in tree form.

» Mon May 14, 2012 11:19 pm

From previous thread...

Disagree on the hold button and release. I'm torn about the categories idea. I get where you're coming from, but that would slow the whole thing down. Favorites is all about quick access. If you have 50 items in your favorites compared to like 10 to 20, there's no point, you could just go into your inventory or magic list. What would be more useful than categories in my opinion would be sets. You simply create a left hand / right hand set, and you can name it with a custom name. Then the list of names would appear in your Favorites.

It shouldn't slow anything down; there'd also be a category for 'All', just like in the inventory screen. That category would work identically to the current Favorites menu; thus, no slow down is even possible, except possibly if they make the 'favorites' menu remember what category you were on and you want to select something from a completely different category. Even then, it shouldn't hold you back much at all.

Sets would be a lot more difficult to code, but would be nice. Would also be nice if it could be more than just left/right hands, but also clothes/etc.

I figured the 'hold button for favorites' thing would be an option, not a requirement. I realize some people would rather not have it, but I would.

Great news that you can now edit other SWF files, DarN! Now we just need to get at those GFXers.

Has anyone tried opening them in Flash with the Scaleform extension from the Unreal Developer's Kit installed?

» Mon May 14, 2012 11:55 pm

http://darnified.net/duis/inventorytest1.jpg

I've gotten to the point that I can edit and save other sfw menus too now. The list on the left has the font sizes reduced and the bg has been altered. Simple changes really. Should be possible to rearrange this layout to a more familiar one.

I can edit this visually too - no more imagining the outcome while staring at 1000's of lines of XML code.

Great to see you taking a crack at Skyrim's UI, loved your work in Oblivion, so really looking forward to this.

» Tue May 15, 2012 7:19 am

...The list on the left has the font sizes reduced...

Great!

I hope this will work for dialogues, the inventory etc. So it should be possible to see all the texts without scrolling up an down!

I′m really looking forward for further results, thank you! :celebration:

» Tue May 15, 2012 6:26 am

First of all, great to see everyone working on this, and great to see DarN back. IMO this is the second most needed development after CDT/crash fixes. Maybe the first.

I know most of you have probably seen this but their is some fairly detailed discussion of the problems with the design of the interface from a layout/usability POV here: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1266556-usage-of-screen-real-estate-in-skyrims-interface/

I think there's good thinking there about the reasons behind changes, there were two similar threads I can't find but they haven't been combined that I can tell. One was by Rianna but I don't see a search feature.

And while it's kind of a separate issue, there are tips on managing blocked / unlisted command keys and mouse actions in the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1261029-keybinding-issues-2-hotkeys-favorites-numpad-cannot-drop-cannot-take-books-cannot-spend-dragon-souls-etc/ combined thread - sorry it got combined and is kind of jumbled, most of the relevant pasts are in the last few pages.

I don't think a GUI mod should consider assigning specific keys but it might be worthwhile or even necessary to unlock reserved keys and add additional items to the control key menu. That might also be better done in a separate mod. (shrugs)

» Tue May 15, 2012 1:03 am

I'm glad DarN is back and modding. I trust him to come up with something quite reasonable.

Requests:

When you press 'r' to craft, a 'confirm' screen comes up. This would be much more painless if it was possible to keybind 'yes' and 'no'. I'd also appreciate a chance to craft multiples of the same item (especially leather creation!) at once.

'Store all' would be great. I keep all my alchemy ingredients in the satchel on the alchemy table in my house. I can pick them all up easily, but I can't set them all down easily; 'store all' -> 'confirm yes/no' would prevent this from becoming a good way to lose yer stuff.

Finally, better cursor position awareness would be much appreciated. I think I have the trick of how to click on the item I want, but I wish this did not actually require... concentration.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:43 am

Here r my thoughts about what Skyrim GUI should be like. Playing the game doesn't mean spending most of the time in menus.

1. First of all: there should be clickable icons on screen. Number of items in Skyrim is simply too big to bind and rebind and rebind and rebind... the keys all time. Also, we can't deny the need to change weapons against different mobs pretty often. Not sure if this is easy to do, but i guess that if u have menus there shouldn't be a problem to assign an icon to each item from a menu. Clickabuility might be a problem though. Making icons would be demanding cause of so many items, but still easier to check items than opening and scrolling all those menus.

2. The inventory screen should take the whole screen thus avoiding unnecessary scrolling up and down. A ragdoll is necesarry to see if we have shoes on or not, but i don't think it should be a big one, just big enough to see if armor is worn or not. I want a big inventory screen cause while u sell stuff or use pots during fights u want to see what u can chose from instantly and we don't need empty space on screen for anything else.

3. Accessing items in inventory and manipulating them should take 3 clicks at most.

4. When u open inventory items should already show up in groups without having to click the name of the group. If icons could be used we should see the potion group of icons, weapon group and so on soon after clicking inventory screen. If only menus can be used there should be groups of menus. Not one menu like Darnified in Oblivion, but more smaller separate menus, one for weaps, one for apparel nd so on.. with an option to choose which menu should appear at certain time. What I mean: when u fight u don't need miscellaneous or book menu, u need potions, weaps, armor and food. When u r at the store u need other groups as well, cause u can sell misc. items as well. When smithing u need just items that can be improved and ingredients for smithing, no need for cooking ingredients...

5. Menus must allow ordering items by alphabet, weight, values etc. Sell and buy menu should be separate and confirmation needed to leave one before changing to another to avoid buying back items u just sold.

6. Menus for hired mercenaries should be the same as for main character. Also when opening chests or looting mob menus of your and chest inventory should be visible on the screen without clicking any other button, something similar to Fallout 3 trading menus.

7. Needed an option to transfer multiple items to your companion or chest or trader at once. be it by group, by weight or any other criteria.

8. Repurchase option is needed, cause sometimes we sell items by mistake. repurchase option should be limite by set period or expires after purchasing from the same trader second time.

9. Needed an option to sell more items at the same time, at least junk items that can be picked up together with other items by mistake (plates, tankards, useless robes etc.). Maybe also an option to define (by each player) what is junk- let's say all items that can be sold for max. 20 gold or all fur items etc.

10. Needed an option to chain items, to make dependancies: e.g.: if u choose to wear shield to raise block and u have an amulet who raises block as well, could be useful to automatically change block amulet for another one just by equipping shield. OR by equipping all otems of same set, e.g. whole fur set...

11. Sell option should be always on top if there r more possible chatting lines to avoid scrolling and searching among other lines.

At the time I only play Aion game and its UI is zillion times better than Skyrim's. It works, simple as that.
Please tell me which of these wishes are possible. I also wonder what can we do to persuade Brthesda their UI are out of time and to force them to make a modern, useful UI.

» Tue May 15, 2012 10:24 am

Ok DarN you got to tell me how you do it. I have flash pro CS5, I have a decompiler for swf that decompile everything including the actions scripts of course so I see everything fine in flash but when I publish into swf back even without changing a thing, I get errors in scripting and errors in other areas. I gathered that it was ActionScript 3.0 they were using most of the time even then... I got an error for instance telling me that the property _parent was not supported anymore and to use parent. Yet they managed to do it so I'm obviously missing some ActionScript extension (I gather Scaleform 4.0 because I have the 3.3.89 for the UDK which only support ActionScript 2.0 sadly).

Seems I need to register as a member of a company to be allowed to the developper SDK from scaleform which is not really possible for me. So how do you do it? What are your tools?

I forgot to mention that you also seem to have the fonts! How?!!!

Please tell us your secret.

» Tue May 15, 2012 10:10 am

@ismelda-lasombra:
They are only using ActionScript 2.0.

» Tue May 15, 2012 4:36 am

Ok DarN you got to tell me how you do it. I have flash pro CS5, I have a decompiler for swf that decompile everything including the actions scripts of course so I see everything fine in flash but when I publish into swf back even without changing a thing, I get errors in scripting and errors in other areas. I gathered that it was ActionScript 3.0 they were using most of the time even then... I got an error for instance telling me that the property _parent was not supported anymore and to use parent. Yet they managed to do it so I'm obviously missing some ActionScript extension (I gather Scaleform 4.0 because I have the 3.3.89 for the UDK which only support ActionScript 2.0 sadly).

Seems I need to register as a member of a company to be allowed to the developper SDK from scaleform which is not really possible for me. So how do you do it? What are your tools?

I forgot to mention that you also seem to have the fonts! How?!!!

Please tell us your secret.

I use http://www.sothink.com/product/swfquicker/. I do get some errors in scripting, but some menus seem to work regardless. Others like the itemcard bugs out.

I don't have the fonts. I just set the program to not substitute them.

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:29 pm

@ismelda-lasombra:
They are only using ActionScript 2.0.

well those create load of errors in flash when I tr to publish as lot of methods and so on are not recognized. So there must be a script extension that they are using I don't have or I set up my flash wrong? I did it as the Scaleform tutorial told me from their documentation.... I just don't get it...

» Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 pm

Ismelda Lasombra,

What errors are you getting? I had to set a few class paths to get this working.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:27 am

Aye good luck DarN and everyone else making the effort. It's good to see some old faces taking a hand with this game.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:27 am

.... DarN is back?!? OMG *schoolgirl squeal*

Welcome home!

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:33 pm

Good to see DarN working on this. The GUI made me cry, and I'm 31 years old...

U need to fix this, I just quit smoking and I can't deal with this too....

» Tue May 15, 2012 3:26 am

Ismelda Lasombra,

What errors are you getting? I had to set a few class paths to get this working.

Ok for instance the inventorylists.fla:

Spoiler

G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\Shared\CenteredScrollingList.as, Line 265	There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\Shared\CenteredScrollingList.as, Line 182	There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\Shared\BSScrollingList.as, Line 142	There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 289	There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 187	There is no property with the name 'numControllers'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 185	There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 173	There is no property with the name 'numControllers'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 171	There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 166	There is no property with the name 'numFocusGroups'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 69	There is no property with the name 'numControllers'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 67	There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 60	There is no property with the name 'numFocusGroups'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 55	There is no method with the name 'getFocusBitmask'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 7	A class's instance variables may only be initialized to compile-time constant expressions.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\core\UIComponent.as, Line 6	A class's instance variables may only be initialized to compile-time constant expressions.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\Shared\GlobalFunc.as, Line 79	There is no property with the name 'safeRect'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\Shared\GlobalFunc.as, Line 78	There is no property with the name 'visibleRect'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 175	There is no method with the name 'getControllerFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 157	There is no method with the name 'getControllerFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 121	There is no method with the name 'findFocus'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 85	There is no method with the name 'getControllerFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 68	There is no property with the name 'numControllers'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 64	There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 16	There is no property with the name 'disableFocusRolloverEvent'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 15	There is no property with the name 'disableFocusAutoRelease'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 14	There is no property with the name 'disableFocusKeys'.G:\MyDocuments\FD Trillix\Converted on 2011-11-14\inventorylists.swf_as\gfx\managers\FocusHandler.as, Line 13	There is no property with the name 'alwaysEnableArrowKeys'.

that is with ActionScript 2.0 If I use ActionScript 3.0 to publish, I get no error at all. Meaning the properties and so on are handled correctly (I believe) or that flash doesn't bother to give compiling errors for ActionScript 3.0?

Also I didn't change anything in the file. Just swf to fla, then open the fla and publish it to be converted back in swf. That is the first step to ensure I get a viable swf to put in the game.

» Mon May 14, 2012 9:05 pm

Thx for the kind words guys (and girls?)

Ok for instance the inventorylists.fla:

that is with ActionScript 2.0 If I use ActionScript 3.0 to publish, I get no error at all. Meaning the properties and so on are handled correctly (I believe) or that flash doesn't bother to give compiling errors for ActionScript 3.0?

I get some of the same errors:

ERROR: GlobalFunc.as, Line 111: Syntax error.		MovieClipERROR: FocusHandler.as, Line 182: Syntax error.		                return (_loc3 < (TextField)(ERROR: inputDelegate.as, Line 2: The class name is different from The Class file name.ERROR: scrollbar.as, Line 2: The class name is different from The Class file name.ERROR: Button.as, Line 118: Syntax error.		        var _loc2 = (gfx.controls.ButtonGroup)(ERROR: constraints.as, Line 2: The class name is different from The Class file name.WARNING: BSScrollingList.as, Line 109: There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.WARNING: CenteredScrollingList.as, Line 145: There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.WARNING: CenteredScrollingList.as, Line 219: There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 34: There is no method with the name 'getFocusBitmask'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 36: The property being referenced does not have the static attribute 'numFocusGroups'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 41: There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 42: The property being referenced does not have the static attribute 'capabilities'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 135: The property being referenced does not have the static attribute 'numFocusGroups'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 140: There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 141: The property being referenced does not have the static attribute 'capabilities'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 151: There is no method with the name 'getControllerMaskByFocusGroup'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 152: The property being referenced does not have the static attribute 'capabilities'.WARNING: UIComponent.as, Line 241: There is no method with the name 'getTopMostEntity'.

For inventorylists, I just ask it to continue with the export and ignore the errors. Seems to work in-game. Some of the errors are flat out wrong too (class name).

I know they use CS 4 with AS 2.0, so I have no idea what's going on with that. I set it to output AS 2 & Flashplayer 10 here. I get the feeling something's missing somewhere...

» Tue May 15, 2012 12:42 am

Just a quick message to say thank you!
Going to make alot of people happy, to see you back modding and modding the UI already!
Great to see work in progress.

Thank you!

» Tue May 15, 2012 1:04 pm

I could not comment much on the UI because I hadn't played the game, until now.

Bethesda hit the spot! Hate it or Love it!

And I'm in love with the Bethesda UI.

Best luck with modding the UI though. You have high standards to match now!

Game on!

» Tue May 15, 2012 1:05 am

Thx for the kind words guys (and girls?)

I get some of the same errors:

For inventorylists, I just ask it to continue with the export and ignore the errors. Seems to work in-game. Some of the errors are flat out wrong too (class name).

I know they use CS 4 with AS 2.0, so I have no idea what's going on with that. I set it to output AS 2 & Flashplayer 10 here. I get the feeling something's missing somewhere...

Ok i found it. There is a place in the File menu where you have to set the Scaleform GFX scripts. They said to add it in the preferences but it seems that doing so doesn't update that other part (2 place to set up same thing with one not working is not very clever). Anyway, I only get one error now:

dialoguemenu.swf_as\DialogueMenu.as, Line 57	There is no method with the name '__get__instance'.

and this one should be related to the instance of the dialog you are in. So there might be a higher control somewhere to set this property as it should be. Whatever the case is, it also works in game!!!!

Even though I can't not change the fonts like you do it seems, I can get them to other fonts from my computer. So basically, it works. Now to make a UI that works with my multi-screens display.

» Tue May 15, 2012 11:26 am

For inventorylists, I just ask it to continue with the export and ignore the errors. Seems to work in-game. Some of the errors are flat out wrong too (class name).

I know they use CS 4 with AS 2.0, so I have no idea what's going on with that. I set it to output AS 2 & Flashplayer 10 here. I get the feeling something's missing somewhere...

I had a similar problem when trying to re-publish the hudmenu.swf. I think the stuff it's missing are extensions by scaleform, as described in http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:ER62oTH0UyAJ:www.scaleform.com/documents/gfx_3.3_extensions.pdf+scaleform+extensions+getFocusBitmask&hl=de&gl=de&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgUOtaMkvHd9UBRFQWpQk-vkUeFVne85m2dit2zjyuvIYmLx3Bzl_8vuTWKz0_uIVU23DwX_i727yCaVv4V34F62nJTqM1sMyKOYTmjtaf65SuSeCsNSlzSnp1RFMTmcgqFwpAJ&sig=AHIEtbTX_ezEjcZp8GumsSGPAEk7Rd2g_g. I tried with flash cs5.5 and the UDK scaleform gfx, but still had those compiler errors.

Ok i found it. There is a place in the File menu where you have to set the Scaleform GFX scripts. They said to add it in the preferences but it seems that doing so doesn't update that other part (2 place to set up same thing with one not working is not very clever).

Ah ok, that fixed it