Topic: FB Alpha Game Selection Dialog

[Barry Harris]

It seems that the bigger game selection dialog isn't that popular. You can see a lot more of the longer game titles, and a lot more of the filters, but it is big.

Let us know which one you prefer.

[money_114]

I think height is ok, but rom dialog is longer, should adjust Length appropriate.

Or add support users adjust selection dialog themselves.

[KaaMoS]

Well... my idea could be so vague, but...
...what if you add a feature to maximize button (or perhaps a resize one) to the Game Selection window?

Once maximized, some areas could change its percentile by being flexible items, while others could keep a fixed size.
This is an example:


Game List itself: 
· Change height and width.
· Left and Bottom flexibility only.

Game Info (below):
· Change width.
· Left flexibility only.

Game List features (Show items, IPS managing, etc):
· Change width.
· Left flexibility only.

Game titles, previews, etc:
· Nothing.
· Fixed size, no matter which height/width was set.

Hardware List, filters, etc:
· Change height.
· Bottom flexibility only.


This way anyone could customize window size (or keep it as is).
In this case, FBA should keep a registry about which size was set before closing window.

[JacKc]

I vote for old one...Not because new one is bad but a bit too large

[Barry Harris]

Resizing is a good idea. I've had a play with it (win32 api dialog programming is a pain in the arse!) and got most of the way there.

I redesigned the box a little and made all the elements that need to stay static in size be together to help things along. Anyway the default game selection dialog will look something like below (which is the same size as the old dialog).

[Barry Harris]

Here is what it looks like after I drag it out a bit.

There is still some work to do. The dialog needs to support a minimum size (the default) and not shrink below it. I also need to save the dialog size in the ini and restore the size on dialog init. There is also a niggling issue with the resize of the gamelist which doesn't quite go wide enough.

All in all though, not a bad start, and most of the win32 api stuff is done.

[KaaMoS]

I suppose that the 1st image is window on its default size, while the 2nd. one is the same window, but resized.

· Keeping this in mind, I think you could move "Game Images" at the top of the window, being "Game List" below.
· Then move these images to be left aligned and swap places between "Title" and "Preview" in order to make "Title" the first one.

· Also, I think you could allow window to show MORE or LESS "Game Images", depending of window size (I'm talking about width, since you've managed to show window contents appearance correctly, despite of their height).
· · In this case, default window size, would show 2 images ("Titles" and "Preview"), as you've shown on your first pic.
· · While resizing (or, probably better, using a "maximize" button), if screen allows, it could show more images at the right ("Select", "Highscores", "Bosses", etc) in order to avoid that "whitespace" you've shown on your second pic.

[money_114]

I think images is best in original position.  I'd like show 2 images only,  if it have more images, selection dialog  isn't beautiful.

Or maybe others have a better idea.

[BisonSAS]

The new dialog is very bad for me. My netbook uses resolution 1024 x 600. The FB Alpha 0.2.97.22 is unplayable.
Look:

[KaaMoS]

Well, seems to be that Game Selection window definitely has to be flexible (at least its height).
Fortunately Treble_Winner was already working on it

I put an image about how contents could move if they were resized.
I hope Treble_Winner could work on it (just to see if it works), this way main appearance wouldn't change. 

[Barry Harris]

Thanks for the suggestion of putting the images at the top - much cleaner. I'm not planning on supporting more than those two though.

Anyway, by default the dialog now looks like the image attached to this post. It's small enough to fit in a 800x600 screen.

[Barry Harris]

And this is it stretched. All issues are fixed now - you can't over-minimise it, and the dialog size is saved in the ini.

I also fixed the issue where the preview image would disappear after you went to a different window and came back, since this also made the image disappear when resizing.

[Barry Harris]

Oh, and the voting was much closer than I imagined. Still, now everyone has plenty of choice about the size of the dialog.

[KaaMoS]

It looks pretty good, thanks!
Uhm... what do you think about changing places between "Title" and "Preview" images?