In-Ship UI Blocks + Streamlined Redesign

[Blaza612]

Note: I'm finding this ludicrously difficult to explain, so please bear with me. :/

Something that I'd really like to do is create my own UI on blocks inside of my ship, similar to Elite: Dangerous.

In the image above, you can see a small cockpit for one of my fighters. I can't do much with only a Display Module, but something that I'd like to add more functionality to 3D UI, rather than use the standard hotbar and health/power/speed bars.

My proposal, is to not only create a 3D block UI thingy that can be placed into the cockpit, but to also use this to streamline the UI in a much nicer way.

These blocks would be holographic and 3D, and would only move if the ship moved. There would be a number of UI blocks that could streamline the HUD, such as:

• 3D minimap, essentially the current minimap, yet can be placed wherever and would be look as if it was 3D, rather than the current 2D feeling one.
• Power, would simply be bars that can be placed, again, wherever and would only move with the ship, rather than the camera
• Systems Menu, would have three different categories that can be switched between by holding Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel, the three categories would be, Offensive (cannons, missiles, beams, pulse, shield/power drain, inhibitors), Support (Power/shield supply, Astrotech, radar jammer, cloak, push pulse), Utility (Jump drive, docking, logic, salvage)
• Hull, armour and shields, would be bars that can either be placed as only bars, or surrounding a 3D holographic recreating of the current ship.

All of these would be placeable in spaces already occupied by a block, but would only allow one UI element per block. These would of course be optional, and a player can choose whether to use the current UI or their own placed one.

That's pretty much all I can say about it, as stated previously, I had a lot of trouble explaining this, so hopefully I managed to get the idea through. :P

 

[Mork2]

We can currently build very crude systems at the moment. I have a picture from my current titan build the lights are all on for purpose of demonstrating. When the indicator lights are off its harder to see.



Left Top Indicator: Hostile detected using detector module when light is on
Left Middile Indicator: Non friendly missile detected using detector module light is on
Left Bottom Indicator: FOF missile launchers are firing when light is on
Right Top Indicator: Logic to fire FOF missiles when hostiles detected is turn on when light is on
Right Middle Indicator: for the hostile detector to reset properly this light must be off otherwise detector is faulty.
Right Bottom Indicator: Main docked power cores are supplying power if light is on.

View while the lights are off

 

[Blaza612]

We can currently build very crude systems at the moment. I have a picture from my current titan build the lights are all on for purpose of demonstrating. When the indicator lights are off its harder to see.

View attachment 16121

Left Top Indicator: Hostile detected using detector module when light is on
Left Middile Indicator: Non friendly missile detected using detector module light is on
Left Bottom Indicator: FOF missile launchers are firing when light is on
Right Top Indicator: Logic to fire FOF missiles when hostiles detected is turn on when light is on
Right Middle Indicator: for the hostile detector to reset properly this light must be off otherwise detector is faulty.
Right Bottom Indicator: Main docked power cores are supplying power if light is on.

View while the lights are off
View attachment 16122

As you said, it can only be very crude, and is only capable of delivering information that exists as a Boolean rather than multiple numbers, system selection or a minimap. While it's quite nice and would've taken a lot of work to do, it's ultimately flawed in that respect.

 

[Reilly Reese]

I believe this has been suggested before back in 2014.

 

[jayman38]

If I'm understanding correctly, block-placed UI elements would be revolutionary. I'd love it and it would add a whole new way to create a HUD. Furthermore, it would be a per-ship custom HUD, and even different cameras on the same ship could have different HUD layouts. For instance, maybe on a docking camera, you no longer need to see whether you can buy from a shop, see your current power level, or see the location indicators for different radar contacts.

These HUD elements would be "invisible", so it might be a single block ID. I am imagining they would become 3-D elements in 3-D space, in any location in front of a camera, instead of billboards on the 2-D screen projection.
Now Imagine slaving specific hud elements to system computers as a builder. Knock out the main weapon computer? Suddenly the reticle no longer appears. Knock out the scanner computer? Target indicators and target information elements no longer appear.
Each HUD element would need to be name-able (if only so you can select the right one from a list later - there are going to be multiple HUD elements in the same block space.)
Each HUD element, when edited, will need details on how the HUD element will appear. For example, you could select whether the target information window will show up in the upper-right corner, lower left, center left, etc.
Builders could build HUD elements away from the main camera, to force the use of crew members. For example, maybe the speed element is presented in front of the "navigation station" instead of the main pilot's computer, forcing a crewmember to coordinate speeds with the pilot. This is a bad example, but shows what a builder can do to encourage crews, which might be important on larger ships. A better example might be showing the current power storage level. Maybe the pilot doesn't know the current power storage, and relies on a crewmember to coordinate current power levels.

Another idea: Multiple radar contact HUD elements: Have the pilot see the radar contact for currently-active target. Have another HUD element for nav points (adjacent sectors, selected sector, locations of stars and wormholes) set up for the navigation-officer-type crewmember. Have yet another HUD element for ship radar contacts for a tactical-officer-type crewmember. Then they are all coordinating import contact information without a single person being overwhelmed by all the contact all at once.
Pilot: "I've got the enemy in my sights."
Nav officer: "Don't get too close to the star; 3 o'clock low."
Tac officer: "Fresh enemy contact! 6 o'clock high! It's a trap!"

 

[Blaza612]

If I'm understanding correctly, block-placed UI elements would be revolutionary. I'd love it and it would add a whole new way to create a HUD. Furthermore, it would be a per-ship custom HUD, and even different cameras on the same ship could have different HUD layouts. For instance, maybe on a docking camera, you no longer need to see whether you can buy from a shop, see your current power level, or see the location indicators for different radar contacts.

These HUD elements would be "invisible", so it might be a single block ID. I am imagining they would become 3-D elements in 3-D space, in any location in front of a camera, instead of billboards on the 2-D screen projection.
Now Imagine slaving specific hud elements to system computers as a builder. Knock out the main weapon computer? Suddenly the reticle no longer appears. Knock out the scanner computer? Target indicators and target information elements no longer appear.
Each HUD element would need to be name-able (if only so you can select the right one from a list later - there are going to be multiple HUD elements in the same block space.)
Each HUD element, when edited, will need details on how the HUD element will appear. For example, you could select whether the target information window will show up in the upper-right corner, lower left, center left, etc.
Builders could build HUD elements away from the main camera, to force the use of crew members. For example, maybe the speed element is presented in front of the "navigation station" instead of the main pilot's computer, forcing a crewmember to coordinate speeds with the pilot. This is a bad example, but shows what a builder can do to encourage crews, which might be important on larger ships. A better example might be showing the current power storage level. Maybe the pilot doesn't know the current power storage, and relies on a crewmember to coordinate current power levels.

Another idea: Multiple radar contact HUD elements: Have the pilot see the radar contact for currently-active target. Have another HUD element for nav points (adjacent sectors, selected sector, locations of stars and wormholes) set up for the navigation-officer-type crewmember. Have yet another HUD element for ship radar contacts for a tactical-officer-type crewmember. Then they are all coordinating import contact information without a single person being overwhelmed by all the contact all at once.
Pilot: "I've got the enemy in my sights."
Nav officer: "Don't get too close to the star; 3 o'clock low."
Tac officer: "Fresh enemy contact! 6 o'clock high! It's a trap!"

Didn't think of either the crew encouragement or putting more information into the HUD elements themselves. Brilliant additions to the suggestion. :P