Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (Full Version)

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JPJ -> Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 3:25:37 AM)

I wonder if it's possible to always show stack information in the Info Panel? For example like in the screenshot.

I'm extremely happy with the Group (Stack) Composition view and the Advanced Counter Values for stacks. In fact I keep an eye on such stack info all the time, along with the single unit info for selected units. Unfortunately, the Unit Panel cannot show single unit info and the stack composition at the same time (it's one or the other), and also the counters cannot show unit and stack values at the same time (space is limited). Ideal would be to always see both stack and unit info without having to toggle between them.

So I thought the Info Panel might be suitable to show stack information continually. (Most of the Info Panel currently is empty most of the time as messages are centered and leave much space left and right unused.) I have attached a modded screenshot of one possibility. It's not refined but to give the idea a picture (on a screen 1920 wide). What do you think?

I'm aware it's quite a change in the current Info Panel but thought this might be a great way to always see important stack/hex info at a glance (in the Info Panel) along with single unit details (in the Unit Panel) at the same time.


[image]local://upfiles/57283/8FA9518262FC4D75B0BF8775E7336A32.jpg[/image]



Sniper31 -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 3:36:59 AM)

It is an interesting idea...



Meyer1 -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 3:38:56 AM)

That looks nice, but I suspect it would take quite a bit of coding [:D]



budd -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 5:15:50 AM)

Can we fit hex terrain info on the bar too[:)]



Templer_12 -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 7:28:30 AM)

I like the idea.
Information should always be placed in a central location. The scattering all over the screen makes the eyes quickly tired.
Annoying. [:@]



sPzAbt653 -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 8:46:46 AM)

I love your idea to utilize more of that space for valuable information that is not readily seen. I hope Ralph can let us know if this is possible. If he is positive towards the idea we can contribute ideas as to what should be there.

Now you immediately have me thinking that a lot of stuff could be there, like a row of little buttons that when one of the buttons is clicked it would activate the info bar to show that info. [;)]



JPJ -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 8:56:59 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

Now you immediately have me thinking that a lot of stuff could be there, like a row of little buttons that when one of the buttons is clicked it would activate the info bar to show that info. [;)]


We are definitely thinking in the same direction. Thanks for joining in.



BigBog -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 1:52:59 PM)

+1



Steves762 -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 2:45:18 PM)

This is an interesting suggestion, I think it would be useful in many situations.

Steve



Shadrach -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 3:01:25 PM)

I agree it should be easier to handle stacks and find what units are in them. One game I think handles this well is Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa, but it also spends a lot of screen estate to show these units, at the cost of showing less of the map.

I think a good solution would be to use the Group Composition panel. At the moment, it unfortunately doesn't allow you to select another stack on the map. If it was made to always display the selected stack, and you would be able to select others, then it would work great.

The player could move it, hopefully it would even remember the panel state and position, could place it where they want and see at a glance the units in the stack. I think this would be a good compromise, without having to constantly fill the Info Bar with all the units. Not that much code either I would suspect?



JPJ -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 3:31:51 PM)

Thanks Shadrach, I agree, of course the Group Composition window might also be suitable, for me if this window is much smaller, includes stack counters, and made so that it does not block scrolling and playing (as it currently does), and updated with each hex I click on etc.

An important drawback of a new window is that it takes away more screen space for the same purpose, while the Info Panel space is largely unused at the moment.
First of all I wondered whether we can utilize more of the Info Panel?
Can we fit the Group Composition window contents in the Info Panel?

The additional stack view in the Info Panel could be made optional – perhaps one of several optional "info views" in the Info Panel, as sPzAbt653 also suggested above. That means you can turn it off if you don't need it, but it does not take more space if you use it.



DanNeely -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 10:01:20 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Meyer1

That looks nice, but I suspect it would take quite a bit of coding [:D]


I suspect the bigger *cough* problem is that while it looks nice on your large screen, it won't fit on the 1366x768 screen in a low end laptop.



Lobster -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 10:48:28 PM)

Great idea. It may not take as much coding as you think. Bob changed a lot of the information available and he was not a programmer but certainly knew enough to do a sterling job of it. This might be something he could do. It's more of a matter of manipulating existing data and graphics.



Splatsch -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 10:55:02 PM)

I do agree that more info concerning stacks would be needed :)
I would only suggest... if that would happens with the idea developped here, it could be nice to be able to easily increase the height of the info panel, to see more what's inside (because with the current exemple.... well it's a bit small).

But I like the idea too of an optional whole new panel, with "information about the hexe" : terrain + detailed units in this hexe, where you could click on each unit to see in the current"single unit info" panel the infos of the desired unit.
This way the whole new panel could be turned on or off, and moved at the place of the screen on the preference of the player.

Edit : Edited because I misread one of the previous message, sorry !



JPJ -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 11:35:01 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Splatsch

it could be nice to be able to easily increase the height of the info panel, to see more what's inside (because with the current exemple.... well it's a bit small).



I copied the icons in the Info Panel in that example directly from icons in the Group view in the Unit Panel. (Which is the same size as the single unit icon in the Unit Panel you see at the top right.) I may have shaved off one pixel or so in height for the sake of this example, but basically that icon size is already being used in the interface.



Splatsch -> RE: Showing stack info in Info Panel possible? (wishlist) (11/21/2017 11:59:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JPJ

quote:

ORIGINAL: Splatsch

it could be nice to be able to easily increase the height of the info panel, to see more what's inside (because with the current exemple.... well it's a bit small).



I copied the icons in the Info Panel in that example directly from icons in the Group view in the Unit Panel. (Which is the same size as the single unit icon in the Unit Panel you see at the top right.) I may have shaved off one pixel or so in height for the sake of this example, but basically that icon size is already being used in the interface.


Sorry if I badly explained : I already find this icons [and text] small in the info units panel (I don't understand why they're so small btw : every other icons are of a nice size).
It wasn't directed toward your example, but if we are getting more infos about units in an hex, I would personally appreciate if the infos icons of the units inside can be a bit bigger (even in the info panel).
It was only a suggestion [;)]



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