UNIT TYPE DESCRIPTOR DISPLAY: HOW LONG ?
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Unit Type Descriptor Specification
Unit Type (UT) descriptors are specified in file EQUIPMENT.PGEQP. Traversing the columns from left to right, The SECOND (2nd) column encountered therein is dedicated to such specifications.
Display Screen Locations
A UT descriptor is
simultaneously displayed on the following screen locations:
--- Scenario Panel Areas A.4, A.5 & A.6
--- Unit Info Pop-up Screen
--- Battlefield & Undeployed Unit Listing Ribbon Panels
--- Unit Upgrade & Purchase Pop-up Screens
--- New Equipment Availability Notification Pop-up Screen
The Technical Challenge
What is the
maximum visual length a UT descriptor can sport which does NOT interfere with the full, unobstructed display of
everything which is intended to be displayed
on each and every screen location ?
As it turns out, certain screen locations are more "demanding / restrictive" than others.
Potential "Bottlenecks"
The key to
ensuring that a UT descriptor can be visually accommodated
in all depictive respects is to serially focus on potential "bottlenecks".
The most obvious such potential "bottleneck" screen location is
Scenario Panel ==> A.5 Hovered (Mouse Cursor) Unit Info ==> FIRST (1st) row
The following depictive elements are serially encountered as one traverses the row going from left to right:
--- Military ID Designation
--- {Space Character}
--- UT Descriptor
--- {Space Character}
--- Unit Strength Factors
enclosed in parentheses
--- Enemy Unit Strength Factors suffering
lasting suppression preceded by a MINUS sign to their immediate LEFT (all in blue color)
Progressive Accommodation Easiness
If one were to ensure that no UT descriptor can ever interfere with the full, unobstructed display of everything which is intended to be displayed on the FIRST (1st) row of A.5 (Hovered (Mouse Cursor) Unit Info), he
might NOT need to worry about anything else.
The following is a listing of screen locations where UT descriptors are displayed in
generally increasing accommodation easiness:
1) SECOND (2nd) row in A.4 (Selected Friendly Unit Info) and A.5 (Hovered Unit Info). The following depictive elements are serially encountered as one traverses the row going from left to right:
--- UT Descriptor
--- {Space Character}
--- {Organic Transport Tiny Icon}
--- {Space Character}
--- {5 Stars}
2) Immediately below the Unit Icons displayed within gilded rectangular frames in the
Battlefield & Undeployed Unit Listing Ribbon Panels. The following depictive elements are serially encountered as one traverses the row going from left to right:
--- Military ID Designation
--- {Space Character}
--- UT Descriptor
3) Everywhere else; just the UT descriptor is displayed.
Just Counting Descriptor Characters Is NOT Enough
For the time being, PGF's "native" UI specification remains unmolested...
Consider the following "maximalist" example specifically applicable to the FIRST (1st) row of A.5 (Hovered (Mouse Cursor) Unit Info) potential "bottleneck":
992nd WWWWWWWW (20)
-20
where the UT descriptor consists of EIGHT (8) upper case Ws.
Now compare it with the following "minimalist" example:
1st IIIIIIII (1)
where the UT descriptor consists of EIGHT (8) upper case Is.
Clearly, all potential UT
visual length display eventualities will essentially fall in between those two extremes. To this effect, empty space to the immediate right of the row's content will vary in length.
More Elongation, Please ?
What if, say, one wants to fully accommodate the "maximalist" example of
992nd WWWWWWWWWW (20)
-20
where the UT descriptor now consists of TEN (10) upper case Ws ?
Fortunately, this is currently, technically feasible. It requires that the PGF's "native" UI be modified so that the
Scenario Panel's width is allowed to grow a bit at the attendant expense of the Tactical Map's rectangular surface, of course. To be precise, the Tactical Map's "native" aspect ratio is 39:29. The following requisite modifications to the contents of file MAIN.HTM residing in the UI subfolder will render the aspect ratio 37:29:
Modification 1
FROM ==>
Code: Select all
<div id="StatusInfo" style="left:2#; top:1#; width:180px; height:79px; overflow: hidden; background-image: url(SIDE-0_HEADER.PNG); background-position:50% 50%; background-repeat:no-repeat;">
TO ==>
Code: Select all
<div id="StatusInfo" style="left:2#; top:1#; width:213px; height:79px; overflow: hidden; background-image: url(SIDE-0_HEADER.PNG); background-position:50% 50%; background-repeat:no-repeat;">
FROM ==>
Code: Select all
<div id="StatusInfo" style="left:2#; top:2#; width:180px; height: 36px; text-align: center; overflow: hidden">
TO ==>
Code: Select all
<div id="StatusInfo" style="left:2#; top:2#; width:213px; height: 36px; text-align: center; overflow: hidden">
FROM ==>
Code: Select all
<div style="left:2#; top: 7#; height:100%%; width:180px; border-spacing: 7px; overflow: hidden">
TO ==>
Code: Select all
<div style="left:2#; top: 7#; height:100%%; width:213px; border-spacing: 7px; overflow: hidden">
FROM ==>
Code: Select all
<div style="left:2#; top:9#; width:180px; height:32px; overflow: hidden"><center><img src="SIDE-0_FOOTER.PNG" /></center></div>
TO ==>
Code: Select all
<div style="left:2#; top:9#; width:213px; height:32px; overflow: hidden"><center><img src="SIDE-0_FOOTER.PNG" /></center></div>
The
first TWO (2) modifications
widen the
Scenario Panel's rectangular area by approximately TWO (2) centimeters.
The
last TWO (2) modifications ensure that all visual elements displayed within the
Scenario Panel's rectangular area A6 are
visually centered.
It's somewhat useful to visually peruse, say, in MS Notepad, the following vertical comparisons:
WWWWWWWWWW
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
abcdefghijklmnop
Give or take ONE (1) character, there're THIRTEEN (13) upper case characters OR, alternatively, SIXTEEN (16) lower case characters which can visually be accommodated now.
Fundamental Given
The decision one makes and implements regarding the
Scenario Panel's width forms the basis of reference for all other UT descriptor screen display manifestations. To this effect, I've already made my
strictly personal selection: 213px. The rest follows...
Safe Harbor Technical Suggestion
If one has not yet implemented the technical suggestion covered in
Where Did The "Close" Button Go ?
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=554#p9101
I strongly recommend he does so now !
Excellent News Across the Board
Scenario Panel Areas A.4 & A.5: Third Row
All displayed elements remain unmolested.
Descriptor ABCDEFGHIJKLM is
handsomely accommodated in:
--- Scenario Panel Areas A.4 & A.5: Second Row
--- Scenario Panel Area A.6
--- Unit Info Pop-up Screen
--- Battlefield & Undeployed Unit Listing Ribbon Panels
--- Unit Upgrade & Purchase Pop-up Screens
--- New Equipment Availability Notification Pop-up Screen
without any additional modifications.
More... Ambitious Elongations ?
The preceding notwithstanding, designers may decide to do some uncaring... violence
to the UT-related information displayed within the
Scenario Panel's FIRST (1st) row of A.5 (Hovered (Mouse Cursor) Unit Info) or, alternatively, substantially expand the Scenario Panel's
width so as to accommodate much longer UT descriptors on different screen locations.
As one becomes increasingly... ambitious, he is bound to be faced with all kinds of display problems such as a centered descriptor text and unit icon:
--- Running smack into left side "barriers" and, consequently, not visually fitting into / below the intended, gilded, rectangular frame.
--- Pushing the "next" gilded, rectangular frame out of its intended screen location.
