Mini (Me) Map options

[redrum]

@hepps Well I could use the logic from the AI to probably indicate if it would disagree with your attack and put a notification on the minimap.

[Hepps]

@redrum "You're too drunk! Please stop playing now!"

[redrum]

@hepps So potentially small map properties:
smallMap.territory.alpha=0.5 # 0.0-1.0 (transparent to opaque)
smallMap.unit.size=4 # size of unit squares
smallMap.viewer.borderColor=C0C0C0
smallMap.viewer.fillColor=C0C0C0
smallMap.viewer.fillAlpha=0.5 # 0.0-1.0 (transparent to opaque)

Thoughts? Any additions?

[Hepps]

@redrum My next one was the dot size... but I see that is in there already.

Still looking at it.

[redrum]

@hepps Here's TWW small map changing like all of them:

Original:

[Hepps]

@redrum For TWW reducing the unit dot size is great!

[Cernel]

@redrum Why not only allowing for the smallMap to be either above or under the ownership colours? I'm not sure what the transparency setting is making transparent.

[redrum]

smallMap.territory.alpha=0.5
smallMap.unit.size=2
smallMap.viewer.borderColor=C0C0C0
smallMap.viewer.fillColor=C0C0C0
smallMap.viewer.fillAlpha=0.5

[redrum]

PR: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/pull/3453

[alkexr]

@redrum How can I test this feature? I've found the relevant branch, but there are no releases. Does it mean that I have to compile the code? And how do I do that? Is it complicated? Should I just wait a few days until it is merged with master?

[redrum]

@alkexr Yeah, until the PR is merged into master, it doesn't build a release. Most people just wait til the PR is merged then grab the latest pre-release from github. You can also pull the source code down and run it which isn't too difficult. Here are the minimum steps to run the source:

1. Make sure you have git and gradle (build framework) installed
2. Pull down the triplea repo: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea
3. Open up the command line, navigate to the base directory of the project, and run these commands:

./gradlew test
./gradlew check
./gradlew run

If you don't like the command line then you can instead use an IDE (eclipse, intellij, etc), import the project into that, install the gradle plugin, and run from your IDE (more developer setup here: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/tree/master/docs/dev).

[redrum]

PR merged. This can now be tested in the latest pre-release: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases/tag/1.9.0.0.10351

[RoiEX]

@redrum I just wanted to point out just compiling and running the code is easier than you described.
It's sufficient to just download the zip of the specific branch and run ./gradlew run (or .\gradlew run on Windows) in a folder this zip has been unzipped to.
The gradle wrapper will automatically install gradle if its doesn't already exist, and run the code afterwards.

[redrum]

@roiex Ah, didn't realize the wrapper would pull down gradle. Thanks for the follow up.

[RoiEX]

@redrum No Problem ^^
It's basically all the wrapper does.
If a valid installation is found, the gradle installation is being invoked and all the argument are being passed over

[Hepps]

Just awesome!!! I just reworked the TWW minimap.... thing is way better than it ever was.

[redrum]

So some bad news on this feature. The fill alpha for territories is causing problems because territories when conquered are drawn over the previous one. This causes conquered territories to become a blend of the previous owner color and the new owner color when alpha is set to less than 1 (some amount of transparency). So instead of alpha parameter, I'm going to have to switch this to just have territories being filled with a slightly lighter version of their set color. This should achieve a similar effect except won't capture any of the underlying smallMap image texture if there is one. Moving forward please use "saturation" instead of "alpha".

smallMap.territory.saturation=0.5

[redrum]

So probably not quite as nice as alpha but gonna have saturation instead. Here is LME with 0.5 saturation:

[Cernel]

@cernel said in Mini (Me) Map options:

@redrum Why not only allowing for the smallMap to be either above or under the ownership colours?

What I meant is tha this way the mapmaker can have the smallMap transparent, the same way as the relief work. Basically deciding if the smallMap is base or relief, default base.

[Frostion]

Seeing the mini map with a darkened "highlighted" area just seems wrong. People would expect highlighted stuff to light/bright, just as the units in the game are highlighted when mouse-over or selected.

I think players will more easily spot where the big screen is on the mini map if light/bright than if dark.

Generally since the mini map feature is a universal one for all maps, a part of the UI and a part of how TripleA is controlled, I would think it best if individual maps did not customize the appearance when it comes to light/dark, frame, transparency etc. I can see the point in setting the unit dot size since the mini maps are not all the same size, but otherwise the appearance should be uniform from map to map if we want players to easily jump into another map and be acquainted with the controls. By not allowing all sorts of mini map settings, there would also be some sort of quality control that ensured a practical mini map and not just "fancy" and unreadable mini map.

I can see the appeal of mapmakers setting up their own version of nice looking minimaps, but I still would prefer a good and practical standard mini map that did not change from map to map.