From TDN

Describing various tasks we're working on with the GUI system in Torque.

Contents 1 Overall Goals 2 Notes on Specific Topics 2.1 GuiStackCtrl 2.2 GuiPaneCtrl 2.3 TreeView 2.4 Better Container Controls 2.5 Tool Tips 2.6 Pop Ups

Overall Goals

Our big focus on Torque GUI development in the immediate future is enabling tool development. Torque's GUI system is great for games - even overkill in some ways - but the default control set isn't up to snuff for serious tool usage. It needs polish and growth. As Dave Wyand's excellent show tool demonstrates, the basic architecture is sound.

Some general features we want:

• Working copy and paste on all platforms.
• Polished controls - should expose their features to both keyboard and mouse input, as well as dealing properly with all corner cases.
• Control unification and cleanup. We have some broken controls, some inexplicable controls, some duplicate controls, and no real order over 'em. This needs work! They should be documented, consistent, and so forth.
• GuiControlProfiles Lots of vague fields, not a lot of consistency. I think a datablock-esque approach would be great here.
• Software GUI Rendering Having lots of GL accelerated windows open is taxing on most systems. For the purpose of supporting multi-window interfaces (very important in complex UIs!), as well as exposing Torque GUIs in non-game situations (for instance, launcher apps), it would be desirable to have a way to implement GUIs in software.
• Multiple Windows Ties in with above. Need to be able to support multiple open windows (ie, multiple GuiCanvases) at a time.

Notes on Specific Topics

GuiStackCtrl

A control which makes it child containers stack vertically.

GuiPaneCtrl

A collapseable pane control. Hides child controls when it is collapsed.

TreeView

Zac is working on developing a unified treeview control. It will combine the inspector functionality of the existing treeview as well as providing rich script control of treeview items.

Better Container Controls

We need some better controls for enforcing constaints on GUI layouts (for instance, the expand/collapse buttons at the top of the inspector tend to screw up as they can't reliably split the space 50-50). The GuiFrameCtrl is good, but pretty gnarly.

Tool Tips

We need these working again! (Not much else to say, I think.)

Pop Ups

Combo controls, drop down lists, menus. These all need to be fixed up a bit so they look like real controls. There are other niceties like autocomplete that need work; the basic work on this area has been done by Robert but there remains stuff to be done!

-- Main.BenGarney - 29 Jan 2005

See also: How do I make a Gui Control?