Looking for icon tabbing advice..

[Trigger_tre 1]

Hello.

I recently uploaded my first BAT to the STEX and I am working on some additions for a ver.02

I would like in my ver.02 to have different colored tunnels for each type of transit. Basically I want to add a Gray/Silver and perhaps a deep red or hunter green color scheme to the existing Blue tunnels I have uploaded now.

However, the new colors plus my new additions (avenue & intersections) will add up to many icon slots taken up. I was curious if anyone had the knowledge or links on how to make certain icons tabbed. So the number of icons wouldnt seem to great.

By tabbed I am referring to how the puzzle-pieces are tabbed from NAM.

thanks in advance, and yes I searched.

-trigger

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[Andreas Roth 607]

Unfortunately, this is not possible for lots, but only for network items. For adding more variety to your lots without having an excessive amount of icons, I suggest to use building/prop families. Add a building/prop family property to all building or prop exemplar files and assign the same unique ID to them. When you plop the lot, the buildings or props will be randomly selected.

[Daeley 46]

me and andreas are also working on an alternative way to save menu icons, but you'll have to wait a bit for that as RL has taken a bite out of the time I have available for SC4

[Trigger_tre 1]

I would be VERY interested to see what the two of you (daeley/Andreas Roth) can come up with. I think this could be an extremely useful tool/add-on/modd.....whatever it would be.

Personally I think a great solution that would still conform to the current game aesthetics is basically just the ability for a user to create an additional sub-menu list for those lots that have large numbers of individual pieces.

Example: Deadwoods Raised Park Sets are wonderful but can add a huge amount of icons all in a row and if something your looking for is at the end of that sub-menu list then your out of luck.

For instance when you select the ingame Transportation Tools icon a sub-menu of 7 or 8 icons open for Mass Transit, Rail, Airports, Seaports, etc. If you select the Miscellaneous Transit icon then another sub-menu opens with the entire list of LOTs.

What if....instead of that long list of Raised Parks itermingled with all the other parks you simply had 1 (yes one) icon named Raised Park Series then when you selected it the entire list of lots for the Raised Park Series would display in its own sub-menu.

Of course this could either be further sub-divided/categorized or not. I dont know. I am not very modd-literate and cannot even concieve a way of how to even begin this.

In case the above jargon doesnt sink in. I created a simplified picture of how it could possible look ingame.



It would be great if these extra sub-menu's could be created via Ilive, Datgen, or SC4Tool(wink...wink). Perhaps the addition of an Exemplar Property that can simply be added to the building exemplar list and just be given the TGI codes for the lots that will be included in that extra sub-menu.


I think something like this would be very efffective and could possible inhance gameplay when you think about the tedious task of slowing scrolling through looooooong lists for just the right piece to complete that Raised Park puzzle.

Just my thoughts, and something I think more than just I would find useful.

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[Andreas Roth 607]

Unfortunately, submenues are not possible. It has been tried numerous times, but without proper results. However, daeley found a method to hide the icons unless they are needed. As he said before, we're still tinkering with the functionality, but the results are promising so far.

[Trigger_tre 1]

Thats unfortunate that the extra sub-menu's are not possible (well not impossible, just not figured out yet because I am sure its possible since the game uses it already).

Either way I look forward to what you both come up with.

-trigger

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[Gman55 0]

While this topic is more mundane than say creating huge flashy skyscraper BATs, I am so looking forward to this. The main reason why I'm reluctant to download a.) non-growable buildings b.) terrain packs c.)canal kits and the like is because of menu clutter. SC4 really dropped the ball on the GUI and I sure hope the folks here at ST can fix the situation.

Good luck with this!

[Trigger_tre 1]

I belive this would be an invaluable tool. The need for this tool is obvious and if it ever becomes a final product and open to the public then many would want this.

Andros Roth & daeley: Hope you guys are still at work on this

-trigger

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