[CF-Devel] Java Map Editor Bug

[Mark Wedel]

Andreas Vogl wrote:
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      I don't feel that lack of Java coding power is a problem.
     
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      Sure I'm no Java expert, but there's nothing one cannot
     
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      figure out from the API docs.
     
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      For example, I made the entire font for all windows
     
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      customizeable. I have no problem with changing fonts. :-)
     
     
  When I first learned java, I realized pretty quickly that the language itself 
wasn't very difficult.  IT is all the classes and knowing what they can do. 
This is somewhat similar to C - if you restrict yourself to basic stdio.h type 
stuff, its not too hard to learn, but it is also harder to do 'useful' programs 
within that constraint.

  The problem is you just can't pick up a java reference book and read it to 
learn all the classes.  You basically have to learn them by experience.

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      About optimization - We must face it: You can't optimize
     
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      that much for graphics with Java. The JRE simply has
     
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      limits in speed and those are definite.
     
     
  on the bright side, as new systems come out (and perhaps even new JVM's), the 
performance issue is less and less.  The java editor seems fast enough on my 
machine, but then again, I just bought it some am at more of the top edge speedwisel

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      In my opinion, one of the main difficulties with the editor
     
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      is design & layout. Not only coding it, but figuring out how
     
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      to do it right. Creating an easy and intuitive GUI is
     
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      a lot harder than one might expect.
     
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      I for one don't believe it would be practical to have the
     
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      entire arch-input-interface always visible. Too much
     
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      data - uses too much space.
     
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      Also, I don't believe having seperated windows for the map-view
     
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      is good. I don't like the window-jungle Crossedit produces
     
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      for example. Now if Mark likes this and codes it as optional
     
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      thing - no problem with that.
     
     
  Its also tricky in what is useful depends on a persons environment.  The 
standard layout may be perfectly fine on a low res (1024x768 or something) 
system - you basically need the amount of reserved space to see the attributes. 
    but as resolutions go higher, you can stack more of the sub fields in a 
vertical fashion (eg, I've hacked it so that the map view (what's in the space) 
is above the information that is displayed about the selected object - I can see 
all the relevant information within that space.

  Similarly, my map editing demands are probably different - as of now, I'm 
mostly working on the world maps - these are big (50x50) maps.  And typically, I 
want two of them open at the same time (so I can see how the edges line up when 
putting in roads and what not).  I'm sure most people are working on smaller 
maps, and only need to see one at a time.  You can't please everyone.

  As said, ideally some of this would be configurable (popup map windows, 
alternate main window layout).  I think the main window one may be possible to 
make it configurable, as it just different the splitpanes.  But do make one map 
in a window would seem to be difficult, as your now inheriting a different class.



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      Talking about the JavaEditor, there's one thing I still miss
     
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      a lot: Pickmaps. Implementing those poses just the same
     
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      kinds of problems like discussed above. Where to put them? -
     
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      Seperate frames? Or a toggle between arch panel and pickmaps?
     
     
  To be honest, the individual window for each pickmap was (is) fairly annoying 
in crossedit.  One reason is as you said - to much window clutter, especially 
since each pickmap is a relatively small window.

  However, I know one of the functionalities I find useful on them is at least 
being able to access 2 at the same time.  For example, having both the river and 
  the background tile to be able to touch that stuff up.  I can't think of an 
easy way to do that in the java editor.  Doing the picks is also tricky because 
they come in different sizes (the pick maps themselves).

  One thing that may be sort of like the pick would be an alternate method for 
picking objects from the window - as it is now, its a list, icon on the left, 
arch name on the right.   A form which is more gridlike of just the icons would 
let you see potentially all the available items of that type - considering you 
can also make that area wider, this could almost be guaranteed depending on how 
big you make it.

  The fact that there is a window below which describes the selected item in a 
fair amount of detail (moreso than crossedit) gives you a pretty good idea on 
what you are selecting.

  what also might be cool (and one thing crossedit does do) is that if you 
select a multipart object, it displays the full (recombined) image.  doing 
something like that in the java editor (in the window which describes the 
selected abilities) could be useful, as the part displayed in the selecting area 
may not always be useful.