Not sure if this has already been mentioned but can I suggest that in the design screens when you have sliders that you display what that max and min values are for all sliders and include a text box where you can type in the number you want. This will help perfectionists like myself have the same value for every car/component we make. =)
If this is too much then maybe just have the number displayed so we can move the sliders to the same numbers. Though, this would be sub-optimal and the text box would be WAAAAAAAY better with the added advantage of massively reducing clicking!!!
Actually, on a related note. Can we get at least one decimal place on our bore and stroke numbers? Maybe two? That would make me a happy Franky! B-)
(01-28-2014, 02:22 AM)Frankschtaldt Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure if this has already been mentioned but can I suggest that in the design screens when you have sliders that you display what that max and min values are for all sliders and include a text box where you can type in the number you want. This will help perfectionists like myself have the same value for every car/component we make. =)
If this is too much then maybe just have the number displayed so we can move the sliders to the same numbers. Though, this would be sub-optimal and the text box would be WAAAAAAAY better with the added advantage of massively reducing clicking!!!
Actually, on a related note. Can we get at least one decimal place on our bore and stroke numbers? Maybe two? That would make me a happy Franky! B-)
I like the idea of having number values you can input for some sliders in some specific cases, most notably the bore/stroke which you mentioned. I felt the same thing when i was recently designing something to a specific bore/stroke (trying to design a historical engine).
For that specific slider, its a good suggestion i think.
I think it really couldn't be used for all sliders as you suggest though, as most of them seem to indicate a general tendency rather than some kind of specific number you can input.
For example, compare something like Material/Component quality and the Bore/Stroke already mentioned.
While stroke and bore are clearly something you could input with text, Material/Component quality is a vague representation of the focus of a design team. (or at least thats my interpretation of it) This is something hard to meaningfully represent with a number, or even a percentage.
My last point is
probably off-topic, but related to reducing the amount of clicking as you mentioned:
I think ive suggested before that my ideal would be to have the entire design process be controlled through the keyboard as an option.
For example, lets just say all the design windows (like design focus/layout etc.) are open.
You would hold down left or right(or shift-left/shift-right for fine control) or use one of the two buttons(maybe pageup and pagedown) to set it to min or max
Then you press tab to go to the next slider and do the same.
It could just be my experience with rougelikes and games like X3 that makes me think this is a viable workaround though.
I totally agree that those sliders are very abstract but I'd be very surprised if they didn't already have a number behind them. If they do then it's a simple case of displaying that number. Giving an abstract idea a numerical value isn't the worst idea. RPGs do it all the time.
I think having both the numbers and the sliders is important because some people process images and graphs better while other cope better with numbers and this way your catering to both groups.
(01-28-2014, 02:48 AM)Frankschtaldt Wrote: [ -> ]I think having both the numbers and the sliders is important because some people process images and graphs better while other cope better with numbers and this way your catering to both groups.
I'd love to second that idea of at least showing the actual number or some grade or...something other than a slider location to help quantify values. I mean, while creating the engine yourself it's not quite that important I think...BUT, I know it'd be very important if you're trying to recreate something you either made before with an eye towards upgrading it, or you're trying to mimic something another player is showing around.
Most numbers are just values between 0 and 1, I don't like the idea of just blatantly displaying them on the screen as it would clutter GUI.
What if I add a window that shows you all the sliders in number format, their current value, and a text box to set a new value? A sort of "Slider Summery" screen.
(01-31-2014, 12:27 PM)Eric.B Wrote: [ -> ]Most numbers are just values between 0 and 1, I don't like the idea of just blatantly displaying them on the screen as it would clutter GUI.
What if I add a window that shows you all the sliders in number format, their current value, and a text box to set a new value? A sort of "Slider Summery" screen.
That would be awesome!
I'm pretty sure that'd be the only window I'd end up using!
Slider summery screen has been implemented.