Shut off splash graphic in Vassal 3.0 ?

[Glenn Jupp]

The subject line says it all, really. Is there an option or switch to shut off that big honking non-functional graphic that pushes the actual buttons off the bottom of my screen, thus preventing me from using Vassal 3.0?

Yeah, I know. "Upgrade your hardware." Not gonna happen anytime soon.

[mehrunes]

He's right. You don't see any buttons anymore when using a resolution below 1024x768.
Although you can pull the window smaller, you can't scroll down to the buttons.
But apart from this, I guess that you don't have much fun with the maps on that resolution.

It would be nice to be able to use Vassal at least with 800x600.
I use 1280x1024 resolution and yet have to scroll maps on many modules.

[uckelman]

Thus spake "Glenn Jupp":

The subject line says it all, really. Is there an option or switch to shut o
ff that big honking non-functional graphic that pushes the actual buttons off
the bottom of my screen, thus preventing me from using Vassal 3.0?

Yeah, I know. "Upgrade your hardware." Not gonna happen anytime soon.

1. It should be possible to move the window so that you can get the
buttons onto your screen. In most X11 window managers, you can do
something like hold Alt and drag with the left mouse button to move
a window (even if the title bar isn't on your screen). In Windows, you
can do something similar, I think by bringing up a menu from the title
bar and choosing "Move" or something like that.

2. If you remove Splash.png from Vengine.jar, then the splash graphic
definitely won't display---but I haven't checked if VASSAL will still
load without it.

--
J.

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[bsmith]

That Splash graphic should be at least half as large as it is. Opening Vassal at work is the equivalent of turning around and telling everyone you're about to be unproductive for an hour

There are a few other problems, under Windows some of the wizard screens do not show up on the taskbar. So it's possible to have Vassal open and not even know it unless you Alt-Tab through the windows. I'm not at all enamored with all the stuff which happens before the main Vassal Window appears, as I'm sure everyone knows by now!

[uckelman]

Thus spake "bsmith":

That Splash graphic should be at least half as large as it is. Opening Vassa
l at work is the equivalent of turning around and telling everyone you're abo
ut to be unproductive for an hour

There are a few other problems, under Windows some of the wizard screens do n
ot show up on the taskbar. So it's possible to have Vassal open and not even
know it unless you Alt-Tab through the windows. I'm not at all enamored wit
h all the stuff which happens before the main Vassal Window appears, as I'm s
ure everyone knows by now!

No, I don't like it either. What I'd prefer is splitting out the Editor
so that we have two apps. (This would be trivial---it would amount to
having the Editor app start from the point in the code where you hit
the "Edit Module" button now.)

I think it's important that we have a splash screen---but a true one,
just a graphic that displays for a second---but there should be a pref
for turning it off.

The other two things you can do from the current initial window, check
the server status and load extensions, could be moved to menus in the
main app. (I assume that hardly anyone starts VASSAL just to check the
server status, so that wouldn't merit having its own app.)

This would also remove a few hundred lines of code from the codebase.
Less code is a Good Thing.

--
J.

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[bsmith]

No, I don't like it either. What I'd prefer is splitting out the Editor
so that we have two apps. (This would be trivial---it would amount to
having the Editor app start from the point in the code where you hit
the "Edit Module" button now.)

I'm totally in support of this.

I think it's important that we have a splash screen---but a true one,
just a graphic that displays for a second---but there should be a pref
for turning it off.

Exactly my thoughts.

The other two things you can do from the current initial window, check
the server status and load extensions, could be moved to menus in the
main app. (I assume that hardly anyone starts VASSAL just to check the
server status, so that wouldn't merit having its own app.)

This would also remove a few hundred lines of code from the codebase.
Less code is a Good Thing.

Agree with all of this too. But does anyone even use the Extensions loader? Or is it just there to test extensions under development? I thought you just dumped the extensions in a sub-folder so they were picked up automatically. I've never used it myself.

This brings up an issue, lets say someone wants to start altering the code for all of this right now... how do new features get authorised? Do we wait for Rodney to give the thumbs up? Democratic vote? How do other Open Source projects work, does anyone know? I'm happy to (continue to?) go with a "Rodney sez" system, just curious!

[uckelman]

Thus spake "bsmith":

Agree with all of this too. But does anyone even use the Extensions loader?
Or is it just there to test extensions under development? I thought you jus
t dumped the extensions in a sub-folder so they were picked up automatically.
I've never used it myself.

I don't know---I've never used that myself either. If anyone uses it,
Brent would (or would at least know how).

This brings up an issue, lets say someone wants to start altering the code fo
r all of this right now... how do new features get authorised? Do we wait fo
r Rodney to give the thumbs up? Democratic vote? How do other Open Source p
rojects work, does anyone know? I'm happy to (continue to?) go with a "Rodne
y sez" system, just curious!

Some projects have a benevolent dictator---the Linux kernel comes to mind.
Some projects operate by consensus. We've tended to operate by consensus,
at least recently, though ultimately Rodney is the one merging things to
the trunk. I can't think of a time when we've attempted to get Rodney to
merge something he was opposed to, though, so I don't know how we would
resolve that if it were to happen. Perhaps it's more accurate to say that
recently we've had consensus on code which has already been written, and
so we've never had to explore seriously the issue.

--
J.

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[Brent Easton]

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 14/01/2008 at 11:28 AM Joel Uckelman wrote:

Thus spake "bsmith":

Agree with all of this too. But does anyone even use the Extensions

loader?

Or is it just there to test extensions under development? I thought

you just dumped the extensions in a sub-folder so they were picked up
automatically.

I've never used it myself.

I don't know---I've never used that myself either. If anyone uses it,
Brent would (or would at least know how).

Are we talking about the 'Extension Design' buttons on the splash screen dialog? Yes, using them every day at the moment. This is how you create/edit extensions. Not needed when you are just playing a game that uses extensions.

These buttons could easily be moved elsewhere - Only module editors need them and only for modules that use extensions.

Brent.

____________________________________________________________
Brent Easton
Analyst/Programmer
University of Western Sydney
Email: b.easton@uws.edu.au


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[uckelman]

Thus spake "Brent Easton":

Are we talking about the 'Extension Design' buttons on the splash screen dial
og? Yes, using them every day at the moment. This is how you create/edit exte
nsions. Not needed when you are just playing a game that uses extensions.

I figured you'd know.

It would be ok if this were relocated to the File menu in the editor, yes?

--
J.

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[rk]

This brings up an issue, lets say someone wants to start altering the code for all of this right now... how do new features get authorised? Do we wait for Rodney to give the thumbs up? Democratic vote? How do other Open Source projects work, does anyone know? I'm happy to (continue to?) go with a "Rodney sez" system, just curious!

Nobody wants to have to fork the code, so it's worthwhile to try to reach a consensus. I can be pretty flexible when the chips are down.

rk

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[Brent Easton]

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 14/01/2008 at 4:09 PM Joel Uckelman wrote:

Thus spake "Brent Easton":

Are we talking about the 'Extension Design' buttons on the splash screen

dial

og? Yes, using them every day at the moment. This is how you create/edit

exte

nsions. Not needed when you are just playing a game that uses extensions.

I figured you'd know.

It would be ok if this were relocated to the File menu in the editor, yes

Extension work is a two step process. First you have to 'Load Module' and load the base module, which is basically the same 'Edit Module', except it loads it into an ExtensionWindow instead of a ModuleWindow. Step 2 is to Load/Create the Extension, which MUST follow the loading of the module.
____________________________________________________________
Brent Easton
Analyst/Programmer
University of Western Sydney
Email: b.easton@uws.edu.au


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[uckelman]

Thus spake "Rodney Kinney":

This brings up an issue, lets say someone wants to start altering the code
for all of this right now... how do new features get authorised? Do we wai

t

for Rodney to give the thumbs up? Democratic vote? How do other Open
Source projects work, does anyone know? I'm happy to (continue to?) go wit

h

a "Rodney sez" system, just curious!

Nobody wants to have to fork the code, so it's worthwhile to try to reach a
consensus. I can be pretty flexible when the chips are down.

rk

I don't think anyone was suggesting a fork---like I said, we've haven't
had much serious disagreement about features, anyway.

--
J.

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[uckelman]

Thus spake "Brent Easton":

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 14/01/2008 at 4:09 PM Joel Uckelman wrote:

Thus spake "Brent Easton":

Are we talking about the 'Extension Design' buttons on the splash screen

dial

og? Yes, using them every day at the moment. This is how you create/edit

exte

nsions. Not needed when you are just playing a game that uses extensions.

I figured you'd know.

It would be ok if this were relocated to the File menu in the editor, yes

Extension work is a two step process. First you have to 'Load Module' and loa
d the base module, which is basically the same 'Edit Module', except it loads
it into an ExtensionWindow instead of a ModuleWindow. Step 2 is to Load/Crea
te the Extension, which MUST follow the loading of the module.

Thanks for the explanation. I've never done that before.

I'll look into doing this as soon as the bug parade for my 3.1.0 builds
is over.


--
J.

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[bsmith]

I'll look into doing this as soon as the bug parade for my 3.1.0 builds
is over.


--
J.

Are you really going to work on this interface stuff Joel? Should I create a short spec document outlining what we have decided? At least then you can concentrate on the implementation when the time comes, without having to re-visit these conversations. I'll post it in [Development] and we can alter as needed until everyone is happy.

[uckelman]

Thus spake "bsmith":

Are you really going to work on this interface stuff Joel? Should I create a
short spec document outlining what we have decided? At least then you can c
oncentrate on the implementation when the time comes, without having to re-vi
sit these conversations. I'll post it in [Development] and we can alter as n
eeded until everyone is happy.

Yes. Simple fixes tend to cut in line in my TODO list. I already know how
to do what we want.

I'm not sure that we need a spec document. Is there anything more to
it than

1) creating a launcher which loads VASSAL
2) creating a launcher which loads VASSAL + editor
3) showing a splash screen for each while it loads, which can be
switched off
4) moving editor-related buttons into menus in the editor
5) moving server status button into a 'Tools' menu?

--
J.

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