GUI/HUD as DTS model instead of bitmaps?
by Alex Rice · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 05/30/2005 (5:29 pm) · 5 replies
Most or all of the torque games and demos I've seen use bitmap controls and buttons for the game's in-play gui and hud overlays. This sometimes gives a rather flat appearance to the in-game controls, especially compared with an awesome terrain behind it.
I was doing to sketches of the UI for a game design I am working on, and I realized that it would be useful to make .dts models w/ animations for the user interface and HUD elements, and then mount those to the active camera, so they stay in the field of view of the camera. There would be more depth and interactivity than just a bitmap type of button.
Does anyknow know of any games or demos using TGE that use this technique? I would like to look at them because I haven't found any yet or haven't noticed.
I was doing to sketches of the UI for a game design I am working on, and I realized that it would be useful to make .dts models w/ animations for the user interface and HUD elements, and then mount those to the active camera, so they stay in the field of view of the camera. There would be more depth and interactivity than just a bitmap type of button.
Does anyknow know of any games or demos using TGE that use this technique? I would like to look at them because I haven't found any yet or haven't noticed.
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#2
11/18/2005 (9:22 am)
Go a step further than this. In Halo2 and probably Halo the introduction screen is a map (mission in torque). This implies they are actually launching a level for the startup screens. I was thinking about implementing this so that I automatically have 3D object access in my screens. I was very much thinking about using 3D widgets. I have not gotten into this yet. You could even incorporate difs into the setup screens. Previewing players before entering a mission would be easy as well. You do not even need terrain for this, but it would look neat in the background.
#3
One is to use the guiFlash resource to make 3d objects
Another is to modify the client side object resource.
The latter currently places the object inside the gameworld. So you would have to hack it up a bit to make the position relative to the camera instead. But should be doable without major work
Simply mounting objects on the player would cause these objects to appear on other players screens too in multiplayer.
For mission and object viewing in the menus, there are 2 resources for that too. Use the search to get them
11/19/2005 (2:26 am)
2 ways to go currently that I know of.One is to use the guiFlash resource to make 3d objects
Another is to modify the client side object resource.
The latter currently places the object inside the gameworld. So you would have to hack it up a bit to make the position relative to the camera instead. But should be doable without major work
Simply mounting objects on the player would cause these objects to appear on other players screens too in multiplayer.
For mission and object viewing in the menus, there are 2 resources for that too. Use the search to get them
#4
03/14/2006 (12:51 pm)
What you could probably do is model the button, then make a render of it. Edit it a little to make it look nice and then you'll have a GUI that LOOKS 3D, but it's really just a normal 2D bitmap. 
#5
03/14/2006 (12:57 pm)
I've thought of something similar, but it rather used the demo mission as a guide to point to different regions of the map, alternate cameras and paths, and points oreference for options. It is, however, a single-player thought (as are most of my thoughts). 
Torque Owner Alex Rice
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