On the new station editor

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MrDGY
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Joined: Sat, 16. Nov 19, 04:53
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On the new station editor

Post by MrDGY » Mon, 20. Sep 21, 05:18

Just come back for the new 4.1 release. The new station editor really amazes me and thank devs for the good job. Still, I have some suggestions for further improvements (at least IMO):
1. Use Euler rotation. It is more intuitive than rotation with respect to the global frame, at least for rotation of a single module. It is probably also better
to do so for a sequence.
2. Unbound rotation axis with camera's direction. IMO, free rotation is an advanced feature that is relevant for only a fraction of players. Currently
it may confuse players who accidentally rotate a module around the other axes (there is a "reset rotation" in the right-click menu, but that means
further complication to correct an accident). My suggestion is to unbound rotation axis with camera's direction and set the rotation axis in the right-click
menu (e.g. three new items x, y and z). When the cursor hovering over one of the three items, game will display all three axes of the chosen module
(probably in RGB like in some 3D software) and the one that the cursor is hovering on will be highlighted. The rotation axis default to the z-axis. This
way, a casual player will not rotate modules around other axes without making an explicit choice in the right-click menu.

It is good that now the connection points (the white frames) are hidden unless we are dragging a module. In addition to this, I would suggest a new "snapping mode" for accurate snapping, especially in mega plots. It works like:
1. Click a module to select it. Then connection points on the selected module is displayed (e.g. the white frames as usual).
2. Select one of the displayed connection point (A) by clicking it. This activates the "snapping mode".
3. Game displays free connection points on the other modules that is close to the camera (within a defined range).
4. Click another displayed connection point (B). Then A and B are immediately snapped together and exit the "snapping mode".
It is essential to only display free connections close to the camera, because in a huge plot it is quite possible that multiple connection points project to the same position on the screen if all connections are visible. The camera is free in the new editor so the player can just navigate the camera to the desired connection point and select it.

Raevyan
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Raevyan » Mon, 20. Sep 21, 09:26

The function to rotate across all axis itself is great, the implementation is just lackluster and inconvenient from usability point of view. I‘ve never saw a game that has this sort of rotation bound to the current angle of the camera... why can’t we just have toggles like in any other game? Keenan Space Program has it, Planet Coaster/Zoo it for example.
Please give us a toggle (hotkey would be best) to enable adv move on x y and z axis (eliminating having to use the mouse to drag things around) and another toggle for rotation that adds a rgb sphere around the module which we can use to rotate in all 4 directions.

Why does it have to be so complicated?

Y-llian
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Y-llian » Tue, 21. Sep 21, 01:18

Yes, I think the new improvements are really good too! One element that would really help, would be a soft size/distance grid displayed on the edges of the cube (with an on/off toggle) e.g on the x axis, x1, 2, 3 etc. perhaps in meters or something such - same for Y and Z axis. And when you select a module three lines, one for each of three axis, draws outward from the module onto the grid so you can more easily see where in the box the object is located.

Right now, because we have to rotate the cube you might think you’ve placed a module correctly but after rotating the box again, you find it’s way out of place. Even doing placement at an oblique angle can be tricky because it’s not totally clear where the module is currently situated in the box.

Just some thoughts to ponder….

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Hador
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Hador » Thu, 7. Oct 21, 01:47

It would help people who like symmetrics a lot if modules would be rotateable by certain degree (at least 90° steps). Freely rotation makes it nearly impossible to ajust several modules to exact the same direction.
if this function is implemented already, so maybe somebody can tell me how to do so please?

ahead of this:
thank you devs for the advanced editor in 4.1!

Zloth2
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Zloth2 » Thu, 7. Oct 21, 02:20

`tis! And it's exceedingly handy, too. If you hold the shift key down, the rotations will go in steps. You can set what the steps are, too, using the gear icon in the upper right. I set my step to 15 degrees.
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home
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xant
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by xant » Thu, 7. Oct 21, 10:16

Hador wrote:
Thu, 7. Oct 21, 01:47
if this function is implemented already, so maybe somebody can tell me how to do so please?
It actually is. I'm not in the game right now, so I can't say for sure, but I think you have to press Ctrl or Shift when rotating a module.

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Ketraar
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EGOSOFT
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Ketraar » Thu, 7. Oct 21, 11:02

Hador wrote:
Thu, 7. Oct 21, 01:47
if this function is implemented already, so maybe somebody can tell me how to do so please?
Press shift when rotating to snap to defined angles. You can define which angles snap in the station editor options, the icon with the wheel.

Station Editor Options.png

MFG

Ketraar
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Hador
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Hador » Fri, 8. Oct 21, 06:27

Thank you all for your help! :) :thumb_up: :thumb_up: :thumb_up:
I swaer I tried using shift, but with my clumpy fingers... :headbang:

Repli
Posts: 524
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by Repli » Fri, 8. Oct 21, 08:29

MrDGY wrote:
Mon, 20. Sep 21, 05:18
Just come back for the new 4.1 release. The new station editor really amazes me and thank devs for the good job. Still, I have some suggestions for further improvements (at least IMO):
1. Use Euler rotation. It is more intuitive than rotation with respect to the global frame, at least for rotation of a single module. It is probably also better
to do so for a sequence.
2. Unbound rotation axis with camera's direction. IMO, free rotation is an advanced feature that is relevant for only a fraction of players. Currently
it may confuse players who accidentally rotate a module around the other axes (there is a "reset rotation" in the right-click menu, but that means
further complication to correct an accident). My suggestion is to unbound rotation axis with camera's direction and set the rotation axis in the right-click
menu (e.g. three new items x, y and z). When the cursor hovering over one of the three items, game will display all three axes of the chosen module
(probably in RGB like in some 3D software) and the one that the cursor is hovering on will be highlighted. The rotation axis default to the z-axis. This
way, a casual player will not rotate modules around other axes without making an explicit choice in the right-click menu.

It is good that now the connection points (the white frames) are hidden unless we are dragging a module. In addition to this, I would suggest a new "snapping mode" for accurate snapping, especially in mega plots. It works like:
1. Click a module to select it. Then connection points on the selected module is displayed (e.g. the white frames as usual).
2. Select one of the displayed connection point (A) by clicking it. This activates the "snapping mode".
3. Game displays free connection points on the other modules that is close to the camera (within a defined range).
4. Click another displayed connection point (B). Then A and B are immediately snapped together and exit the "snapping mode".
It is essential to only display free connections close to the camera, because in a huge plot it is quite possible that multiple connection points project to the same position on the screen if all connections are visible. The camera is free in the new editor so the player can just navigate the camera to the desired connection point and select it.
Hey, I would like to second these suggestions.
Many of them would work great with hotkeys.
Imo it would be great, if you can switch off/on the connections points of the modules, too. The suggestion form MrDGY is a "pro-version", Imo it would be enough, just to switch on/off all connections points of the selected stationmodule via hotkey. Maybe set default mode, whether connections points are on or off if placed.
Just one hotkey for this switch ;)

The rotation-axis could be switched via hotkey , too. And now two more hotkeys for rotating/moving at predefined angles at the choosen axis, because sometimes it is really difficult with mouse only, even if you press shift :)
So yeah, 4 hotkeys for all of it :D

Sequences are now determined by the module you build first. Maybe a solution would be to manually set the "main-module" for a sequence :?:

And last but not least, increasing the maximum plot-size bigger than 20x20x20km (10x10x10x10x10x10) :roll: Yes, I know, this would only apply to a very small playerbase, but for these players it would be awesome.

(and make more construction-ships deployable at the same time, to increase building speed)

MrDGY
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat, 16. Nov 19, 04:53
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Re: On the new station editor

Post by MrDGY » Sat, 9. Oct 21, 05:44

Repli wrote:
Fri, 8. Oct 21, 08:29
Hey, I would like to second these suggestions.
Many of them would work great with hotkeys.
Imo it would be great, if you can switch off/on the connections points of the modules, too. The suggestion form MrDGY is a "pro-version", Imo it would be enough, just to switch on/off all connections points of the selected stationmodule via hotkey. Maybe set default mode, whether connections points are on or off if placed.
Just one hotkey for this switch ;)
I think in the current version you can disable the connections by holding ctrl while displacing the modules. However this still seems to be not good enough for mega complexes. Because even if you move the module to the desired connection point, you still need to reenable connection so the module can snap to the point. But once you release ctrl, the module will in many times just snap to some arbitrary connection point far away from the desired one if you already have many modules in the plot.

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