Graphical User Interface
Table of Contents
Introduction to the GUI
The GUI, or the player’s Graphical User Interface, refers to the frame around all the controls while playing a game.
The entries for these frames are somewhat complex, and have entire files devoted to defining every little box and icon for each race. With the knowledge you already have about sprite entries, you should be able to at least understand the entries.
Changing the GUI's Look
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\Sprites
This section will provide an example of the easy modding that can be done to the look of the GUI, rather than to the layout. Much like the menus in the bitmap folder, you can change the look of a file based on just the image, or in this case, the texture.
The first step is to again look in the sprites folder. This time, you will locate and open the gui_federation.spr file. Though this step is not needed, you can see that all the beginning entries refer to the texture:
federation_interface.tga
Upon opening this file, you will see a fairly simple box layout. This is almost as simple to edit as a regular bitmap, and therefore an example of a mod to this is provided.
This is a simple generic GUI based upon the Federation GUI (below). It is really just a de-color-saturated Federation GUI with minor edits, but it is simple, and that was what was needed.
Original
Modded
No…not much done, but it does work. Here is what it looks like in-game.
GUI Configuration Files
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\misc
The first configuration file we will explore is gui_interface.cfg . This file sets the default configuration assets that are reverted to if not specified in the faction specific GUI configuration files.
Just as in the other sprite files that you have dealt with, if you are presented with four numbers for a command, the first two numbers in the reference refer to the location of THE TOP LEFT CORNER of the button in X and Y notation.
The next numbers refer to the size of the button in X and Y notation.
Minimap
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\misc\gui_interface.cfg
The first part of this file deals with minimap features, which should probably be left alone.
// Minimap.
minimapDefaultCursor = "standard_cursor" //Which cursor to use when the mouse cursor is over the minimap
minimapBackgroundSprite = "map_background" //Sprites used for the cleared sections of the minimap
minimapFogSprite = "map_fog" //Sprites used for the fog on the minimap
minimapShroudSprite = "map_shroud" //Sprites used on the shroud
The second part is much more editable:
// with LIZ ART
minimapBackgroundPanel = "minimapBackgroundPanel" //Something to do with telling Armada what part of the GUI this is for
minimapPanelArea = -1 818 351 383 //Location and size of the minimap section
minimapBackgroundPanelArea = 0 0 0 0 //*uncertain*
minimapBackgroundPanelSize = 1 // *uncertain*
minimapBackgroundPanel_0 = 0 0 351 383 //*uncertain* Tells Armada what parts of the mini map display are the minimap
minimapDisplayArea = 16 19 320 320 //The size and location of the actual map (within the minimap area)
minimapShipFilterArea = 0 0 0 0 //Size and location of the filter ship button
minimapStationFilterArea = 0 0 0 0 //Size and location of the filter station button
Information Buttons
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\misc\gui_interface.cfg
With the mini-map out of the way, we can move to the configuration information for the buttons found at the top right hand corner of the gameplay screen.
// Button Panel
buttonDefaultCursor = "standard_cursor" //Just tells the game which cursor to use when in this area
buttonPanelArea = 1323 8 266 42 //First 2 numbers tell the game where the top left corner is to appear onscreen and where the buttonarea is to be located. 3rd and 4th numbers state the distance from the top left corner and where the bottom right corner is (aka the size)
buttonBackgroundPanel = "buttonBackgroundPanel" //Calls the required section from the sprite files
buttonBackgroundPanelArea = 0 0 266 42 //Probably tells the game were the buttons can be placed within the button panel
buttonBackgroundPanelSize = 2 // *uncertain*
buttonBackgroundPanel_0 = 243 0 21 42 //*uncertain*
buttonBackgroundPanel_1 = 0 0 21 42 //*uncertain*
idleButtonArea = 25 0 42 42 //The location and size of the idle button in the button panel area - takes you to the next ship that is waiting for orders
toggleButtonArea = 69 0 42 42 //The location and size of the toggle view button in the button panel area - has the same effect as pressing caps lock in-game
commButtonArea = 113 0 42 42 //This is the location and size of the idel toggle button in the button panel area
objectivesButtonArea = 157 0 42 42 //This is the location and size of the comm menu button in the button panel area : the comm menu opens mp option menu
moreButtonArea = 201 0 42 42 //This is the location and size of the more button toggle button in the button panel area : more button allows the second line of buttons to appear or be hidden
menuButtonArea = 201 43 42 42 //This is the location and size of the menu button in the button panel area : the menu button opens the menu screen
paletteButtonArea = 0 0 0 0 //This is the location and size of the palette toggle button in the button panel area : not currently used but can be modded back this turns off the ship/station buttons
helpButtonArea = 0 0 0 0 //The location and size of the help toggle button in the button panel area. Does not work in FO, but in Stock it allowed the side instant tooltip menu to be shown or hidden
Avatar Icons
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\misc\gui_interface.cfg
These entries are responsible for the little avatar icons lined up vertically that appear in the top left of the in-game screen in Fleet Operations.
Note that these are overwritten by the gui_5x4.cfg and other files (for different resolution aspect ratios), so you must adjust those. Likewise, these files contain commented out lines for correct placement of three avatars, which can always be added in to replace the two avatar format.
// avatarBox
avatarBoxDefaultCursor = "standard_cursor"
avatarBoxPanelArea = 8 75 64 64
avatarBoxBackgroundPanel = "avatarbox"
avatarBoxBackgroundPanelArea = 0 0 64 64
avatarBoxIconArea = 0 0 64 64
avatarBoxBackgroundPanelSize = 0 //Do not edit
These next entries are responsible for positioning the avatar button icons lined up horizontally that you click when starting a game.
CommandInfoBarDefaultCursor = "standard_cursor"
CommandInfoBarPanelArea = 524 400 522 256
CommandInfoBarBackgroundPanel = "CommandInfoBar"
CommandInfoBarBackgroundPanelArea = 0 0 522 256
CommandInfoBarButtonRect = 0 0 256 256
CommandInfoBarButtonDistance = 296
CommandInfoBarBackgroundPanelSize = 0 //Do not edit
PanelArea defines the avatar selection bar space. This also allows you to move the upper left corner of the avatar "bar" where buttons are aligned (that way you don't have to mess with the ButtonRect location values)
BackgroundPanelArea should have the same dimensions as PanelArea.
ButtonRect is the size and location of the avatar button you push, while IconArea is the size and location of the little avatar icons
ButtonDistance is the distance between upper left corners of each button on a horizontal basis. For the numbers inputted in the CommandInfoBarButtonDistance example above, the buttons are 40 units apart (296-256).
Horizontal Placing
In order to change the horizontal placing of the avatar icons that you push (which are by default, the center of the screen) you will want to play around most with the CommandInfoBarButtonRect command or the CommandInfoBarPanelArea command.
For ButtonRect you will notice that it has four values. The first two are the X and Y position on the screen, where 0,0 is the middle of the screen, just to the right of the cinematic window (if you want to line up more than two avatar icons, you'll need to make negative numbers). The last two values are the X and Y measurements of the avatar icon. No matter the size of the actual graphic, this command will warp it to the stated dimensions. Thus it is possible to make rectangular buttons.
gui_{faction}.cfg
SelectionRectangleColor = 1 0.4 0.2 // Red Blue Green color of the selection box displayed when you select a unit
minimapDisplayArea = 16 21 320 320 // Overwrites LIZ ART in gui_interface.cfg if different
minimapShipFilterArea = 24 348 22 22 // Overwrites LIZ ART in gui_interface.cfg if different
minimapStationFilterArea = 54 348 22 22 // Overwrites LIZ ART in gui_interface.cfg if different
groupTextColor = 1.0 0.7 // *uncertain*
gui_defaultrace.cfg
#include "gui_interface.cfg" // Indicates that gui_interface.cfg is included in this file
tooltipBackgroundColor = 0.0 0.0 0.0
tooltipTextColor = 1 1 1
Resource Display
Path: Fleet Operations\Data\misc\gui_defaultrace.cfg
These boolean options determine whether or not the amount of the resource in question is displayed on the screen. In order to change which resource amounts are displayed on a specific faction's GUI, you will need to add these entries to your {faction}.cfg file, which will comment out the orignal values used in Fleet Operations:
noCrew = 1
noDilithium = 0
noTritan = 0
noOfficers = 1
noMetal = 1 // For the Borg GUI, this is set to 0 so as to display Collective Connections
noSupply = 0
To move the resource values that are displayed these values will need to be added to the {faction}.cfg file, which will comment out the orignal values used in Fleet Operations:
resource_2 = 50 4 100 26 // Dilithium
resource_3 = 210 4 100 26 // Tritanium
resource_5 = 370 4 100 26 // Supply
resource_4 = 530 4 100 26 // Special
resource_1 = 690 4 100 26 // Credits
resource_0 = 850 4 100 26 // Crew
The first two numbers are the resource value icon's location, and the last two numbers are the icon's size.
In order to remove the actual icon (or move the icons) for the resource from the GUI you will need to add the following entries to your {faction}.cfg file, which will comment out the orignal values used in Fleet Operations:
resourcePanelSize = 3 // How many resources?? find out
resourcePanel_0 = 0 0 0 0 // 0 0 48 48 // Dilithium is removed
resourcePanel_1 = 0 0 0 0 // 160 0 48 48 // Latinum is removed
resourcePanel_2 = 320 0 48 48 // Biomatter is kept on the GUI
resourcePanel_3 = 0 0 0 0 // 480 0 48 48 // Metal is removed
These entries will comment out the orignal values used in Fleet Operations. The first two numbers are the resource icon's location, and the last two numbers are the icon's size. To remove a resource from the Resource Panel display, simply give the desired button no location and zero size.