Z-Eras -- Reality alternatives

I could do a quick removal of the Era Detail screen, if that's what you have in mind.

 

Yup, something like this... or just keep the "indirect" access to that screen and simply drop a quick "Teaser" image (possibly the latest mockup with a few hints) in the whole screen_area without any active components.

Even if it may take a LOT longer to return to it eventually... let's just put the stuff on the compiled temporary (partially finished version) file and specify we won't know when it will all be more complete.

The Era spoilers "device" is fully functional anyway.

I really don't mind if and when you might find the time (or willingness) to continue this project... but as of now - giving people (via Steam workshop as usual) a working version would be fun.

Right?

 

OK. A teaser file has been added, and the newerapopup.xml/lua have been updated.

Just unzip this in your Documents\Firaxis ModBuddy\ZN-Era Popups\ZN-Era Popups\ folder, overwriting the newerapopup.* files, set DetailTeaser.dds to VFS=true, and Rebuild.

 

Cool!
At least -- now we have a quick temporary version for upload to the Steam-Workshop.

Many thanks once again for your excellent work on this (shared design and coding!) stuff and if you ever feel the urge to come back to it all just let me know!!

 

Alright, i was able to compile your temporary files and they look to be in good working conditions.

Yet, i think one more slight set of repair(s) would need to be done before we release the "final" version to Steam Workshop if you don't mind.

See below...



As you can see the Resources Icons are dynamically rendered by the Civ5 engine... but they lose quality (Possibly a DDS3 filter). Could these be pulled from their (80F with frames) files instead? Dunno how complex it should be to edit the code to change that.

The "Coming Soon" Detail-Screen would also need to receive the correct "button" image (as its header) which is top512centertrim.dds (256x64) rather than the other Era-PopUp (with clock & colored Era dots) version.



There's also the Era Description flavor as Italic_Text short phrase(s) which are meant to be inserted in the bottom area (Left or Right sides) along with each of their unique big "Era Icons" with custom framing in or near the middle section. A bit more work to be done, i'm guessing -- but, i think you've already reserved some functions or code parameters for that as shown by the snapshot above, right?

Otherwise, everything else seems perfectly fine!

 

Sorry, I guess I didn't see this post!

As for the dynamic resource icons, as mentioned above:

The topper can be changed on line 429 of newerapopup.xml by changing Texture="eraspopuptop300.dds" to Texture="top512centertrim.dds". You will also need to change the y-coordinate for Size and Offset.

The description text is defined in EraPopups_NewText.xml. I'm not sure what you mean re:big "Era Icons"

 

Alright then... i can handle any of these corrections from here, just wanted to get the exact words and proper solution(s) from *The* precious Code-MasterGuy!
PS; Must have skipped the Dynamic_Resouce_Icons = false trick -- or my memory is acting up again on me!!

Big Era-Icons? Simple... these can be found in the previous set of Eras images (mostly 128, but i also made 256 versions) meant to be developped for the (now oldish and pending further coding) bottom areas. I've inserted a new Zip Package below that includes whatever files i still have about this stuff.

For example your "ComingSoon" screen has the Renaissance (SailShip) copy already assembled into the correct citizenframe128_GS.png (GS for Grey-Scale which should be okay for Ancient). Ideally that Icon would also need extra copies made with the same coloring variety that their corresponding Eras use.

 

Good news buddy...

I finally could get around applying your set of last-minute fixes while personnally adapting a lot of other stuff to various features in some degrees of importance. All these files compiled smoothly and everything looks fine ingame.

-- The (bottom area) Eras description texts (along with their mini Tooltips - good foresight on your part, btw) were extremely fun to create.
-- Luckily, i caught a silly error for the Renaissance backdrop splash. Everything was empty as intended, except that the right side Pods-Trio was wrong (copy of the left-side!!). Fixed it.
-- All the resources Icons (w-Frames) are now rendering correctly and much better visually.
-- The "ComingSoon' screen has received its proper top-trim version too.

Sooooo, i'm extremely happy with the results... and i think you will also. You should be very proud of all that excellent code-work. Let's hope together that one day you'll find both the time and will to finish that cool project of ours!

Many thanks, again.

PS; There is a slight "flaw" that i just noticed... the Key-Wonders Icons_80 (On the Left side are Units_80, Center_128 are Techs) seem to be borked up for Medieval and Industrial PopUps. Some of the other Eras selection(s) are getting somehow transfered to that place-holder (example; Medieval should be a Workshop image but at random times it could be anything else but). If i start directly with any of these two Eras, their icon locations are just empty.

I've tried real hard to figure out if i could fix this before releasing the Mod to Steam... but i can't find whichever tricky typo prevents either the LUA or XML files from working correctly. Anyway - take a look please and let me know, asap.

PS2!!; Okay -- you wont have to bother about the "KEY_BUILDINGS (Wonders)" two flaws anymore. I've just switched the WORKSHOP call for CHICHEN_ITZA & FACTORY for BIG_BEN. I suspect your attempt at a parsing function that would coordinate references to both Wonders and Buildings simultaneously **JUST** to accomodate that single location with different types (a silly restriction on my part, and i'm sooooo sorry for the extra coding troubles this may have caused you)... was somehow failing at runtime. Thus, if you ever return to that code section... some changes might need to be made knowing that only Wonders are now dispatched to that global KEY location. Much easier and simple, AFAIC.

 

Dunno if it still matters much to you, Nutty... but;

Our (Long and dedicated work of Magic(s)!) ZN-Era Popups (v1) has just been R-E-L-E-A-S-E-D to the Steam WorkShop!!

 

Congratulations!

Of course it matters to me! My blood, sweat, and tears have been shed over this thing! (Well, I may have been close to tears of frustration at a few points, anyway...)

So, oops, I'm not sure when I introduced the bug re: Workshop and Factory, but you're right about the reason. It should be an easy enough fix, but that can wait since you swapped them out already.

I'd like to return to this at some point since it's the start of a nice extensible UI framework that could be applied to other projects. Maybe we'll be done by the time Civ6 comes out... ;-)

 

I'm extremely pleased to hear from you, friend(!)...

Last i checked we already have about 22 D/L in less than half-a-day for our tears filled work of love. TBH, for me too... my cheek bones were shivering while i was sending in the Teaser snapshots of each Era screens to the Steam library. It's an incredible feeling of joy.

When you're ready, we'll both return to this stuff -- more determined than ever!

In the meantime, here's a small zip that has all the exact final code files that i had to fix'n'edit for this release (all other necessary graphic files are in the downloadable Steam mod). If we synchronize our tasks and keep track of anything that matters, it should be much easier for both of us.

I've also plunged a lot deeper in your current code structure earlier this afternoon and, found some hints about your ingenious "Dynamic Buttons" (something like #0 to #12) and i think those could certainly be put to good use for a quick & simple drop trick of the 128 Eras-Icons (mentionned earlier) on each sides of the Top-Trim (with Cityscape, tiny symbolic clock and mini-dots) banner.
Thus ... AN+CL+ME+RE (on the Left) & IN+MO+AT+FU (Right). In some sort of a self-re-locating place-holder (that has relevant individual colors for each frames) gimmick that could deploy (In fact, almost slide) as 1-2-3-4 and then, 5-6-7-8 with about 24 pixels gaps between each. All tied to the current Eras in focus and only one shown at a time. And so on.

Here's a quick sample of what i called "Welcome_Z-Era_128" for that stuff. The custom dectop (LR) bottom edges are supposed to gently touch the Grid frame...



How do you like 'hem bottom Era-related comments?

Take care and be sure to post right here -- if & when, emotional tears have dried up!!

 

Just found the mod. It looks very good. It definitely makes you want to do one more turn!
Can't wait to see the eras center and what tricks you guys have planned.

 

abj, if you read through some of the earlier posts in the previous two or three pages... you'll have a fairly good idea of what we're currently designing for Eras-Center.
The "Coming-Soon" splasher isn't hinting nearly as much as what concepts and features the whole finished component and its multiple options should hopefully offer.

I've nicknamed it "Civilopedia'Bis on steroids" for good reasons.

 

Alright Nutty,

Within the last month, we've got nearly 600+ D/L's for our mod!
I feel this relatively good "performance" is worthy enough for us to continue development about what remains to be done with the Details-Center feature, agreed?
If you're willing and able - i know i am for whatever should come next.

 

Time is currently at a premium. I've got to somehow muddle through the next couple of weeks, then we'll see what I can get accomplished after these work projects are complete.

 

Of course... just come back here when everything is ready -- only!

I'll probably have to do a much more polished & precise MockUp version, so we can stick our energies and time on better concept planning both in terms of optimal coding steps and various rational features we'd like to pursue.

Premium? Sooooo true!!

 

Oh -- well... three full months without any code-work being done. I'll just have to presume you've somehow lost any interest in those tasks, Nutty?

Not that much important - as i only wished the "Center" feature would have become reality some lucky days in the near future of our mutual pasts!

Besides -- i've been sooooooo busy with XCom-LongWar mods of my own lately.

 

Actually, I've been poking at it for a while here and there; the tech tree is nearly complete, as is a simple stats display for buildings and units. It definitely needs some "prettifying" but is at least somewhat functional.

Congratulations, I'm glad you're still at your own modding.

 

Civ-Fanatics forums are **finally** re-activated!

Good to hear that you've taken some further steps into developping it a bit more.
Need anything... just ask!

 

WE will return to this -- soon!!