LE UI Overhaul Idea Bank

[JuliusM]

Hey, so the one big thing that has been bothering me (and so many others) the most in Skyrim is the UI. The following is a work-in-progress summary of the most popular and/or best ideas for an upgraded UI that I have come across. I've read various threads on the topic of UI modding (well over 50 pages of posts) and done my best to filter the ideas into this list. The ideas below are probably biased toward my own preference to some degree, and some are of my own invention (and thus not necessarily "popular"). I'm afraid that's inevitable.

 

The purpose of this thread is to come up with the ideas that the vocal majority want to be implemented. I'm no modder myself, but I know that many modders out there are already working on improving the UI (including the famous DarN). While the focus of these modders and their threads is on how to implement UI improvements, I'm trying to gather all the ideas in one place so the modders have a better idea of what to implement when they're ready.

 

I've given credit for the more unique ideas.

 

Generic

• First and foremost, repair mouse selection, sensitivity, and other issues.
  
• Optimize keyboard and mouse use to maximize efficient interface navigation. Allow for exclusive keyboard and exclusive mouse use as well.
  
• Make greater use of screen real estate while maintaining a similar aesthetic to the vanilla interface.
  
• Change font to something more period-appropriate. Actually, best if this is kept separate from the overall UI mod. (Already a mod for this: http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=95)
  
• Change hot key icons displayed in menus when these hot keys are remapped in the settings.
  
• Allow for hot key remapping that actually works (current system only partially remaps keys, so in certain situations the old key must still be used).
  
• Add a character manager to the Save/Load interface. Allow for renaming of saves, and possibly other management tools. (suggested by trexmaster: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1267229-modding-the-gui/)
  
• Add a UI settings menu in the game setting interface with all required items for customizing the UI.
  

 

Tab Pop-up

• Bypass 4-way selector when Tab is pressed and instead go straight to menu interface.
  
• Create horizontal tabs along the top to switch between Favorites, Inventory, Magic, Journal (Quests), Map, and Skills. Possibly include a Stats tab for the "General" menu and remove Quests and General from the System interface. (mocked-up by Wakeupbrandon: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1274237-skyrim-ui-pc-specific-redesign/)
  

 

Inventory

• Display weight, value, and stat for each item with the ability to sort by these columns. Optional (set in UI settings), add value-to-weight ratio as well for even easier identification of valuable items.
  
• Create sub-categories such as 1-handed, 2-handed, and bows; or light armor, heavy armor, jewellery, etc. Implementation options include a drop down box or simply list dividers (or both).
  
• Move equipped items to the top of each category list followed by unequipped favorites, quest items, and then the rest. (suggested by RealmEleven: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1266556-usage-of-screen-real-estate-in-skyrims-interface/page__st__140)
  
• Consider replacing vertical category listing with horizontal tabs (although may be better to leave as vertical list). Hide empty categories as is already done in the vanilla interface.
  
• Add paper-doll view to see equipped items at a glance (IF POSSIBLE). Either provide toggle button for 3D item view or paper-doll, or reduce 3D item view and show both at once.
  
• Add additional category(ies) such as "To Sell" where items you want to sell instead of keep can be placed. When you get to a shop, you can open that category to easily access all items you wish to sell.
  
• Create option (set in UI settings) to view inventory as list with text, or grid with icons (if the latter is even practical).
  
• Consider adding additional categories to the inventory: Magic (for scrolls, soul gems, etc.), Smithing (for ore, ingots, leather, etc.), and Jewellery (instead of simply making a sub-category). (mocked-up by headbomb: http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/454732-ui-overhaul-concepts/)
  

 

Magic Menu

• Mostly match the functionality of the inventory, but with several differences.
  
• WIP...
  

 

HUD

• Display active effects! Most likely icons which fade when the effect runs out, but no timer per se.
  
• Include options in the UI settings to stack/unstack H/M/S bars; adjust H/M/S bar size; show compass at top, bottom center, bottom right, or not at all; show enemy health bar at top, middle, or bottom; etc... (HUD is one of the hardest things for everyone to agree on, so lots of options is important)
  
• Assign a key to display-on-hold a more extensive HUD without pausing the game (could be hard to implement?). Could display compass (if otherwise hidden), level progress, active effect remaining duration, what is equipped in each hand, weapon poison, shout, active quest, small local map, etc... (This is my idea, haven't seen anyone else ever mention anything like it)
  

 

Favorites

• Allow quick keys to be mapped to any unused keyboard keys (within reason), not just 1-8.
  
• Allow for any number of items (which can be of different types) to be assigned to a single quick key, so custom "sets" can be favorited.
  
• Use the Favorites tab in the Tab interface to manage all favorites and their quick keys. Items are added to the Favorites list from the Inventory and Magic menus, and quick keys are assigned and organized in the Favorites menu.
  
• Keep the Q favorites menu (also managed in the Favorites Tab menu) for excess items which don't fit on your quick keys. Split the list into 5 columns (too much?) for Weapons, Magic, Shouts, Potions, and Apparel.
  

 

Container Interface

• View inventory and container contents simultaneously.
  
• Add category division to items in a container. When few items (<15?) are present, simply add list dividers with headings for each category. When many items are present, incorporate horizontal category tabs to display only the items within a certain category. Only one row of tabs is shown for both your inventory and the container and clicking a tab switches the view for both (e.g. you view your weapons and those in the container, or your ingredients and those in the container).
  
• Create a text input field in pop-up box for multiple item pick-up or drop. Make the pop-up appear with the accept button directly behind the cursor and default to max number of items in text field (with the number highlighted on pop-up). Thus example process goes: click item stacked 9 high -> pop-up opens with 9 pre-entered and highlighted -> click again to accept OR type 4 and click to accept (no mouse movement).
  
• Adjust key mapping so same key opens and closes container (e.g. open with E, close with E; not open with E, close with Tab).
  
• Add button/key to store all in current inventory category in a container, and another to pick-up all in current container category. This would never transfer favorited or equipped items from your inventory. (suggested by RealmEleven: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1266556-usage-of-screen-real-estate-in-skyrims-interface/page__st__140)
  

 

Shop Interface

• Display merchant inventory and your own inventory simultaneously.
  
• Perform initial buying and selling selections which are listed for easy review in a center column between inventories. Only perform final transaction once a Trade button is clicked.
  
• Favorited items are relocated to a separate Favorites category of your inventory when in the shop interface to prevent accidental sale.
  
• Similar to container, display one row of category tabs which affect both inventories (e.g. you view your weapons and those of the merchant, or your ingredients and those of the merchant).
  
• Change the indicator which shows whether a selected item is better than what you have equipped, to only show when the selected item is of the same type (blade, light armor, clothing, etc) as what you currently have equipped. (suggested by amcculley: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1278538-skyrim-ui-pc-specific-redesign-no-2/page__st__160)
  

 

Crafting Interface

• Make confirmation pop-up appear with accept button directly behind cursor to allow for "double-clicking"
  
• Minor adjustment to ingredient listing to minimize clicking and scrolling, but essentially the same.
  
• Needs more thought...
  

 

Skills Interface

• Allow for review of all skills, their levels and progressions, and all obtained perks in a single view.
  
• Sort skills by current level (thus displaying in order of importance to your character). Resolve ties with current level progression...
  
• Create feature to right click perk stars and select Bookmark to create a list of perks you want to obtain next.
  
• Display H/M/S numeric values as unaffected + magic effects (instead of combined) to distinguish what the plain unaffected values are.
  
• My Concept: Three column display. Left column has a list of all skills with level and progression bars in row (minimize scrolling while maintaining visibility). Right column has a list of all obtained perks at the top followed by a list divider and then all bookmarked perks you want next. Center area displays current constellation graphic using star mouse-over to view perks instead of click-and-zoom. Skill constellation loads upon clicking a skill who's font then changes to a mild red, blue, or green. Animate movement between constellations, but increase speed as appropriate. Skill description pops-up on skill mouse-over and pause. Perk description and requirements card is shown upon mouse over of stars or items in perk lists of right column. Level, Health, Magicka, and Stamina bars shown on bottom. Name, Race, and Stone (info on mouse-over) are shown at top. (progression from headbomb's mock-up: http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/454732-ui-overhaul-concepts/ as well as others)
  

 

Journal

• Add section for personal note taking where you can write goals, lists, etc. (suggested by trexmaster: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1267229-modding-the-gui/)
  
• Not much needs changing here, adjust to match rest of UI changes.
  

 

Map

• Toggle between default 3D map and a topographic map (suggested by paperclip: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1267229-modding-the-gui/page__st__140)
  
• Allow complete zoom-out to see entire map at once.
  
• Add filters to view only cities, cities and towns, only giant camps, only stones, etc... (as in DarNified UI for Oblivion)
  
• Scale scrolling speed so it's not too slow when zoomed out and too fast when zoomed in.
  

 

Character Creation

• Same functionality, better navigation. Not much to be said here. Adjust to match other UI changes.
  

 

I would be interested in seeing all or most of these and more implemented in one mod so they work cohesively.

 

Please share your own ideas and/or make suggestions to mine.

 

Happy Adventuring!

Edited November 28, 2011 by JuliusM

[JuliusM]

Sources / Further reading for those interested:

 

Technical UI modding thread

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1256213-interface-change-pc/

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1267229-modding-the-gui/

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1275750-modding-the-gui/

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1290652-modding-the-gui/

 

Discussion of possible UI changes

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1266556-usage-of-screen-real-estate-in-skyrims-interface/

 

Suggestions of possible UI overhaul (GUI, not coding)

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1274237-skyrim-ui-pc-specific-redesign/

http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1278538-skyrim-ui-pc-specific-redesign-no-2/

 

http://www.thenexusforums.com/index.php?/topic/454732-ui-overhaul-concepts/

 

http://imgur.com/a/hcp6S

 

 

Significant UI mods in progress

Schlangster's UI: http://www.image-share.eu/share/336850-TESV2011-1.jpeg

 

The highly popular DarNified UI for Oblivion

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=10763

Edited November 28, 2011 by JuliusM

[Athela]

There are hotkeys in the game allready.

 

Favour the spell or weapon - enter the favorite menu (Q) - hover over the weapon or spell you would like to hotkey and press 1-8.

 

Press the hotkey twize to add the same spell in both hands.

 

Its a hassle - yeah. But its there.

[The Bluejay]

Just thought I'd link to this in case you haven't seen it already, since it seems relevent Edited November 24, 2011 by The Bluejay

[amycus]

sounds good to me, just a suggestion for another way to do the hotkeys:

make it so that 1-5 will change the weapons on your left hand, while 6-0(oh, you get what I mean...) changes the weapon in your right hand.

[JuliusM]

Athela, I did realize just recently that there are already hot keys, but as good as that is it really doesn't change much; the system still needs much improvement. I'll definitely be using the current hot keys in the meantime though :-)

 

Bluejay, Thank you! I knew there must be something already going on out there, just couldn't find it myself. Perhaps I didn't look hard enough...

 

That thread also linked to this one: http://forums.bethsoft.com/index.php?/topic/1267229-modding-the-gui/

 

Clearly modders are already hard at work coming up with improved UIs. I may try and gather all the best ideas and put them here as a sort of summary of wants and needs which could be useful for said modders. I guess I've got some research to do :-p

[JuliusM]

OP has been revamped to be more useful as a collection of UI upgrade ideas. Several of the modders currently working on how to mess with the UI code have indicated it would be useful to have a resource of uprade ideas in one place so they can more easily implement the changes people want. Well, here it is! (or will be)

[mrmysery]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/mrmysery/InventoryOverhaul.jpg

 

Just a basic UI overhaul MOCKUP. Being as i have 0% mod experience, i cant make this, but what do you think? I wanted to keep the elegance of the vanilla inventory screen.

 

P.S. This is a WIP. Any Suggestion can be added.

Edited November 26, 2011 by mrmysery

[JuliusM]

 

Just a basic UI overhaul MOCKUP. Being as i have 0% mod experience, i cant make this, but what do you think? I wanted to keep the elegance of the vanilla inventory screen.

 

P.S. This is a WIP. Any Suggestion can be added.

 

Thanks for the input mrmysery. My strategy is to develop the concepts for each of these interfaces before doing any actual mock-ups since it's hard to know right off the bat what really should be included. I feel that this is the most productive way to advance a mod like this. For example, it would be good to have weight and value listed for each item with the ability to sort by those columns. Adding a paper doll is also a popular demand.

[amycus]

Personally I think this is the best example/suggestion I have seen so far (not made by me, found in earlier posted threads):

http://i.imgur.com/LvUlP.jpg

 

Also, please make the world map and local map separate. I can live with the few seconds extra time it takes to zoom out when I want the world map, but the same timedelay of zooming out to the world map when you just want to see the local map? No thank you.

Edited November 26, 2011 by amycus