Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

Eh, I was hoping to pretty it up a bit... make it a bit more intuitive somehow than just a big long laundry list of fields...

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

As far as CK's sample there, "number of abilities" should be automatic.

Just let the user add or delete abilities and track the total.

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

Yeah, that was one thing I had in mind... another was display of the relevant images...

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

You could have a box with the current image displayed. You could have arrows under the pic that allow the user to flip through the stack of pics available. Of course, it would also respond to the number the user type in for pic number.

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

I was thinking maybe even a button you click to popup the Components.bmp or whatever and then you can click a mini http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

Just from a novice's point of view, maybe make it both graphically functional ( and aesthetic? ) and beginner level user-friendly. I'm not a programmer, or a computer-whiz, and to be honest as appealing as it is it's dauntlingly complicated for a complete beginner.

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

I like the part about duplicating the data files and inserting choice boxes. It would make the program a jumping off point to doing more personalization. Semi-tutorial as you use it. You can see exactly what is not being modified, or what is and where it is in the file. It would make the user braver about diving in manually to try one of the items still left on default.

Id also love to see it offer pop-up explanations of each entry. Maybe calling a seperate outside file for that like a comma-dilimted file. That would make it easy for other people to expand on the help text

Gandalf Parker

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

OK, I've got an editor for racial traits (they were among the simplest of the data files and do not have references to other files); you can add parameters (for tech grids, though the parameters are currently ignored) and (most importantly) Javascript code - see a number get squared, ooh ahh! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif As you can see in the attached screenshot, the "useless" fields that SE4 requires but ignores are filled in automatically http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

Just thought I'd mention that I just now added a "quick-parser" which detects any errors in your data fields and highlights them red! Very simple to do given that I was already running the data through the script engine all at once - this time I just run some of it through! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif The quick-parser also lets you hover over a field and view its value; haven't tested it with actual templatized items, mainly because I haven't implemented those yet, but I imagine it would look something like this: [10, 20, 30, 40, 50] for a simple 5-level progression http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Contemplating a graphical Templatizer...
 

Looks like you're on the right track to me !!!