NewsForumsCodeLogsGallerySpecsSearch

Best global menu templates

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/Best global menu templates

Axel Wheeler(Posted 2008) [#1]
Can anyone recommend a template for a game menu?

Most games have the same basic choices for a root menu with Play, Options, and Quit at a mininum and some other pretty common ones as well, such as Create Player.

Within Options there will typically be Audio, Video, Graphics, Controls and possibly others.

What I'm wondering is whether there is/are some code snippets somewhere that becomes a skeleton for everything but the gameplay itself.

I'd love to see some discussion here about favorite methods as well; for example, the use of a Menu custom type would change everything, but might be too cumbersome?

(Note that I am not talking here about GUIs; Putting the menu on the screen is not the issue. I'm more interested in what's under the surface.)

If there is another post on this feel free to point me to it; "game" and "menu" are hard terms to search on! :)

Thanks in advance.


Zeotrope(Posted 2008) [#2]
There is an interesting thread (somewhere on this site) that discusses the way in which a menu tab/button is activated. ie: Most amature attempts result in "If mouseover, do something" where as a professional approach is to activate a menu on mouse button release.

All good software does this.....good place to start?


_PJ_(Posted 2008) [#3]
Im working on a more generic menu system at the moment...

It's Custom Type based, and unfortunately at the moment is pretty empty, as Im actually adding to it as-I-go. but here's what I have so far: It should be fairly self-explanatory as to how it works.

I'll get back to you here once it's more complete too :)

Function OpenMenu(sMenuTitle$)
	If (GetMenuExists(sMenuTitle))
		Return
	Else
		CreateNewMenu(sMenuTitle)	
		
	EndIf	
	
	Return
		
End Function	
	
Function GetMenuExists(sMenu$)

	For CheckMenu.Menu	= Each Menu	
		If CheckMenu\sTitle=sMenuTitle	
			Return
		End If
	Next
	Return False

End Function		
	
Function CreateNewMenu(sNewName$)
	NewMenu.Menu=New Menu
	NewMenu\sTitle=sNewName
	
	Select sNewName
		Case "Main Menu"
			NewMenu\nOptions=3
			NewOptions.MenuOptions=New MenuOptions
	End Select
	
	newOptions\sParentMenu=sMenuTitle		
End Function
	
	
Type Menu
	Field sTitle$
	Field nOptions
End Type

Type MenuOptions
	Field sParentMenu$
	Field sName$
	Field nOptionFunctionRef
	Field sText
	Field bCheck
	Field fPercent#
	Field X
	Field Y
	Field Width
	Field Height
End Type



_PJ_(Posted 2008) [#4]
Ooops.. sorry for double post -

Just found this: [url=http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=78842] Devil GUI[/url]

It's really simple to use, and very comprehensive. Looks good too :)


Axel Wheeler(Posted 2008) [#5]
Great responses so far folks.

I didn't mention it before but I'm using sprite candy. In theory this doesn't matter since that's a display technology and should be independent of the underlying "choices" methodology. It should be possible to adapt it as necessary.

I'll check out your suggestions; keep adding more ideas!

Thanks!

-Pete