GP2X Style Guide

[delsydsoftware]

I think it would interesting to develop a style guide for GUIs on the gp2x. I haven't gotten my dev kit up and running yet, since I'm waiting on a new hard drive and a BoB. But, I think it would be interesting to create a document that sets up certain standards for GUI access. The games and emulators I've used so far are really great, but it seems like each one uses a different scheme for bringing up the emu menu, making selections, quitting the app, etc. If we could establish a good standard and stick to it, we could make the software on the gp2x much more intuitive.



Any opinions on this?

 

[yaustar]

Seems plenty
http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/Common_User_Inte...Recommendations

There was a thread somewhere on this but I can't seem to find it..

 

[delsydsoftware]

Seems plenty
http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/Common_User_Inte...Recommendations

There was a thread somewhere on this but I can't seem to find it..

Doh, I missed that. Thanks for the link.

 

[Nickmon]

Just use SquigeSnes as an example ?

 

[aapje89]

Just use SquigeSnes as an example ?

yeah, ssnes has a very nice ui

 

[___]

I personally like the drmdx gui best. But that's like comparing a jaguar to a volkswagen... I think a guide would be good also a certain standard but on the other hand not everybody is able to stick to something like that. It's quite good the way it is.

 

[Alex.]

I think it's wrong to impose a certain style set in stone for app GUIs. Every programmer is an individual with his/(her?) own tastes, we should appreciate their work for what it is, after all if you want everyhting looking the same, go back to your PPC

- Alex

 

[delsydsoftware]

I think it's wrong to impose a certain style set in stone for app GUIs. Every programmer is an individual with his/(her?) own tastes, we should appreciate their work for what it is, after all if you want everyhting looking the same, go back to your PPC

- Alex

Well, I mis-phrased my post. What I meant by "standardized GUI access" was that it would be nice to have a standard set of keypresses for navigating a gui, not the same GUI repeated over and over again. I'm no fan of preventing creativity(especially with such talented coders around), but it would be nice if you could rely on the fact that holding select for 3 seconds would return you to the main menu, or that the A button made selections and the B button went back a screen, etc. A world with the same gui layout and graphics would be pretty boring. That's what I get for posting early in the morning---I don't think things through enough.

Anyway, the guide on the dev wiki seems to have some good guidelines for controls.

 

[kzar]

Could you not make some variables used for the menus. Then let the user decide which buttons do which things, then it would be standard for all programs and customizable. The program would just refer to the variable like returnToMenu and maybe the user decided that should be the start button. Best of both worlds except a bit more complicated I suppose.

 

[rooster]

What I meant by "standardized GUI access" was that it would be nice to have a standard set of keypresses for navigating a gui

100% agree with this.

I'm all for individually styling apps and games but the difference between one emulator and the next in terms of menu navigation + button presses is crazy.

There's the 'A-Button should mean select' camp and the 'No!-B-Button like the main GP2X menu' school.

Standardization people! Yes Please!!

Then we'd all have a lot less 'shit I didn't mean to quit I meant to start the game' moments