...Can someone make a easy to follow, user-friendly, idiot's guide to making a custom

[A Forgotten Legend]

...I've tried other tuts that are supposed to be user-friendly... I got lost after a second of reading (exaggerated)...


Topic title:
...Can someone make a easy to follow, user-friendly, Idiot's guide to making a custom picture based menu with an Item's menu, and a Task menu?  Please?  Please?!?!?! ...

Sorry if I am annoying anybody by posting this. I know how to get to the menu and from it, but not the menu itself.

If you can help, thats great, if you can't, don't post. O.k.?  O.k.! lol.

[Daetyrnis]

Almost all Picture-Based CMSs are individual, unless they are very basic, they will be different from each other in numerous aspects.

Sure, someone could technically write a tutorial for a basic CMS, or spend a large portion of their own time for a more complex one, but there is little payoff.

Instead, I strongly recommend that you experiment with, learn the functionality and boundries of, and get to know how to use dynamically:
• Variables (For ease of use, learn about the pointer/reference capabilities of variables)
• Pictures (Especially displaying pictures based on variable coordinates)
• Labels (More versatile than loops, you should always use these instead of loops)
• Key Input

If you have trouble with any of them, feel free to ask for some help.  Remember, especially when you've asked such a broad question to start with, that the more specific you are, the better.

[A Forgotten Legend]

...
Basic would work.
I only have like four items and 10 tasks in the entire thing.
Literally. Let me count the items:
1-Rose
2-Book
3-Gift
4-Sheet Music

The game doesn't have that much actual playtime.  I think you play about the same amount of time you watch cutscenes. *sigh*

[Daetyrnis]

...
Fine.

I'll write a tutorial, a very extensive one with pictures and all.

[A Forgotten Legend]

its okay if you don't want to. i can use the map based since lucas so kindly offered!  its ok!

if you already started it its ok too.

[Daetyrnis]

Originally posted by lucas_irineu
picture based cms may be hard. i use map based one cause they are more easy to do, and they have everything that the pic based have

They don't provide everything.  You cannot have smoother visual effects, transparency, menus over the map, and many other things.  Any time you teleport to another map, all the event positions get reset, so unless you go through a strenuous task of recording the coordinates of any moving events and setting them to those when you return, a map-based CMS can seriously mess up ingame events such as minigames.

Map-based CMSs are clunky, and rely on the already implemented movement system.  A picture based CMS can provide easier movement of the cursor and overall easier referencing.  Showing a list of items in a map-based CMS is ridiculous when you have to create so many different tiles, when you can create one picture for an item with a picture-based CMS.

Seriously, learning how to create a picture-based CMS will benefit you in the long run.

AFL, yes, I've started the tutorial, it's coming along nicely.

[DragonBlaze]

Originally posted by Daetyrnis

Originally posted by lucas_irineu
picture based cms may be hard. i use map based one cause they are more easy to do, and they have everything that the pic based have

They don't provide everything.  You cannot have smoother visual effects, transparency, menus over the map, and many other things.  Any time you teleport to another map, all the event positions get reset, so unless you go through a strenuous task of recording the coordinates of any moving events and setting them to those when you return, a map-based CMS can seriously mess up ingame events such as minigames.

Map-based CMSs are clunky, and rely on the already implemented movement system.  A picture based CMS can provide easier movement of the cursor and overall easier referencing.  Showing a list of items in a map-based CMS is ridiculous when you have to create so many different tiles, when you can create one picture for an item with a picture-based CMS.

Seriously, learning how to create a picture-based CMS will benefit you in the long run.

AFL, yes, I've started the tutorial, it's coming along nicely.[/B]

Yeah, a picture based menu system is a lot nicer. However, for someone whos learning how to make a menu system, a map menu system may be better. Its like teaching someone advanced algebra before teaching them multiplication. Basically, a picture menu system is a lot more complex than a map menu system can be, and sometimes its better to work your way up to learning that. On the contrary though, if you can teach them the advanced thing right away, then they'll learn more quicker. So I guess what Im saying is while picture menu systems are better, sometimes its better  to start with the map menu systems, though sometimes, its not...

[Daetyrnis]

Originally posted by DragonBlaze

Originally posted by Daetyrnis

Originally posted by lucas_irineu
picture based cms may be hard. i use map based one cause they are more easy to do, and they have everything that the pic based have

They don't provide everything.  You cannot have smoother visual effects, transparency, menus over the map, and many other things.  Any time you teleport to another map, all the event positions get reset, so unless you go through a strenuous task of recording the coordinates of any moving events and setting them to those when you return, a map-based CMS can seriously mess up ingame events such as minigames.

Map-based CMSs are clunky, and rely on the already implemented movement system.  A picture based CMS can provide easier movement of the cursor and overall easier referencing.  Showing a list of items in a map-based CMS is ridiculous when you have to create so many different tiles, when you can create one picture for an item with a picture-based CMS.

Seriously, learning how to create a picture-based CMS will benefit you in the long run.

AFL, yes, I've started the tutorial, it's coming along nicely.[/B]

Yeah, a picture based menu system is a lot nicer. However, for someone whos learning how to make a menu system, a map menu system may be better. Its like teaching someone advanced algebra before teaching them multiplication. Basically, a picture menu system is a lot more complex than a map menu system can be, and sometimes its better to work your way up to learning that. On the contrary though, if you can teach them the advanced thing right away, then they'll learn more quicker. So I guess what Im saying is while picture menu systems are better, sometimes its better  to start with the map menu systems, though sometimes, its not... [/B]

The thing is, map-based CMSs lead to complications that can lead to having to waste time.  They also reinforce "bad habits" for going about things.

Making a picture-based CMS is simple if you can grasp the concepts, it only gets difficult once you actually simplify the code for efficiency.  Like if you use reference variables as opposed to a bunch of conditional branches.

But yeah, if they can't do a picture-based CMS yet, it could still be beneficial to try their hands on a map-based.

Overall though, picture-based CMS > map-based.

[A Forgotten Legend]

thanks.


...i don't think I'd want a mapped based one then...

[aboutasoandthis]

I'm sortof making both a map-based and a picture-based menu system for my game. I actually managed to finished a map-based one before it was deleted. This is what I've come to learn.

Map Based:
Pros: If you set it up correctly, you get speed. You are able to mass produce menus very quickly.

Cons: Unless you take the time to learn picture-based cursor movement and "set tile" commands, you will have a very clunky interface. If you need an example, look at my Custom Battle System screenshot.



This is using charasets only. Notice how I put an interface of 4 into a 3-Tiled space.

Yes, you do have to figure out how to set different events back into place; they will reset otherwise.

Picture Based (On top of map):
Pros: You do not use as many conditional branches. I'm guessing some of you are looking at that statement like WTF? For number displays especially, all you really need are 9 to 19 conditional branches to dispay a number. With charasets however, you need between 99 and 109 to display a number using double-digits alone.
*If you know what you're doing though, once you finish setting up, you can copy/paste these conditional branches several times over so you do not have to do them again.

Cons: You cannot effectively use more than 3 characters in your party with a picture based CMS. Displaying basic information such as Health, Magic Points, and Experience demands at least 11 pictures per character, and that's only if you are using double-digit pictures. You also have to manually go in, and set all 44+ pictures, for the 99-109 number graphics, and reset it several times over for each page of your custom menu system. This could take days.

In my opinion, a map-based CMS is better. It just takes some work to get it to look good.

[Daetyrnis]

Originally posted by aboutasoandthis
I'm sortof making both a map-based and a picture-based menu system blah blah blah...

For battles, I completely vouch for a mix between map-based and picture based, mostly map-based for the numbers.

For a menu however, where you don't want to travel to a completely different screen each time, a well thought-out picture-based menu can prove to be better.  The only con is that it isn't made as easily as a map-based system.

[aboutasoandthis]

Originally Posted by Daetyrnis
 

For a menu however, where you don't want to travel to a completely different screen each time, a well thought-out picture-based menu can prove to be better. The only con is that it isn't made as easily as a map-based system.

If you can show me an effective Picture/Based Custom Menu system that used four characters, I will bow.

Also, it's pretty easy to trick people into thinking you're on the same map when you are actually not.

Abit off topic, my CBS is actually based on Final Fantasy 12's battle system. Battles take place on the map. If I use too many pictures however, I "freeze" the screen and teleport you to a map based CBS area and use charasets.

[SaiKar]

Originally posted by Daetyrnis
Overall though, picture-based CMS > map-based.

I'd say it's highly dependant on the situation.

If you want a few quick commands that the player will need to reference often than yeah, go with a picture based setup to make it look better and let it go overtop of the current map. But for more strenuous menu tasks such as equipping abilities and party changing (namely, things you should only be able to do at specific locations where event reset isn't an issue) a map-based CMS is many times easier to build, debug, modify when you inevitably come up with additional things you want to add, and jazz up to look fancy.

[A Forgotten Legend]

hm.. well in my menu, i don't have to worry about health and all that other stuff.  All you see is which characters you have, and thats it. (Thats because there is no fighting in it.)

Which makes it simpler?
All I'm gonna do is


Char. pic here           Name: -------
______________     ----------------

Like this...


*Insert Pic here*     Name: Quasimodo
______________    Bell Ringer

The only thing is not everyone is in the party at the same time.
And I have around 8-10 characters.
At least 6 will be in the party at the same time.