New Trading Tool - Cmdr's Log v1.1!

[steviebuk]

Lol... ya know; working on a tool like this and getting feedback from people really exposes who the pirates are...

That whole trade thing I plan to redo soon. For one, it's too small to even ready the station names half the time, and two, its barely useful when dealing with price. I'll probably make a much more fancy trades window that pops up so I have room to add controls and features without worrying about screen space too much.

I'm the Del Boy of space; I'll sell you anything as long as it makes me money.

 

[Bingeling]

I would prefer the commodity list to stay where it is, but the data entry stuff could be moved to the current data entry window. It does not hurt to keep the function key stuff for the main screen commodity list, though.

I like the application the way it is, but with additions it does indeed break down. The main issue is the number of buttons, and that the good trade list is in a bit too cramped spot even before adding more to it. The column width on the good trades list could be optimized a bit, though.

Btw, in good trades and the "to selection", "anywhere" should have something around it and be always on top, and it would be lovely with a "clear" button like there is on the station search.

 

[pwnieb0y]

Like what? Sorry, tool virgin here. What can you do with the number pads? EDIT: Oh, notcied you can change high, med, low etc with them hehe.

yep, then hit enter and you can add the price. Enter again, and move on to the next one. Super Fast.

 

[Njos]

My super humble opinion is that if you don't want to rework the entire program and add substantial functionalities to what are there now (which is perfectly fine btw) then you can just get rid of a lot of space reorganizing the present layout. Just things you may consider:

- get rid completely of the Commodity window (the central one) and make it togglable just for inserting values. Of course one could recall it for checking but once done it just disappears. You don't use that for business actually, you use the notes and profit window. This way you could just leave all the hide buttons in that floating/togglable window as well. Even add some, they are just toggles, better to have them visible and clickable rather than to go search through menus
- that space could get filled with the profit window, which is the core of the app. Add dirty features there as you please.
- notes too could: a) fill the whole right column (in fact I always have to scroll down to see them all or open em in the edit mode) or b) become a flaoting window too (as the data entry one). In case you go b, then you have the whole right column to fill with extra features
- in any case having some extra feature about notes would be nifty and useful. Like when you need to know where to find a place that sells the Federal Dropship or where to buy an A4 FSD or whatever else

The ultimate goal is to clean up some screen space; and possibly reduce the window size down a bit if possible. Right now the app is just barely too wide to fit on a screen that's 1024 wide.

Sorry but I'm not following you there. Is there someone out there playing Elite on a 1024x720p screen? If making it resizable is a pita make it 1920x1080 and we start talking business

edit: err.... just wondering. Isn't it possible to swap panels among layers instead of flaoting windows? As in an excel spreadsheet, you know down there at the bottom of the sheet/screen?

 

[ArchV1]

My super humble opinion is that if you don't want to rework the entire program and add substantial functionalities to what are there now (which is perfectly fine btw) then you can just get rid of a lot of space reorganizing the present layout. Just things you may consider:

- get rid completely of the Commodity window (the central one) and make it togglable just for inserting values. Of course one could recall it for checking but once done it just disappears. You don't use that for business actually, you use the notes and profit window. This way you could just leave all the hide buttons in that floating/togglable window as well. Even add some, they are just toggles, better to have them visible and clickable rather than to go search through menus
- that space could get filled with the profit window, which is the core of the app. Add dirty features there as you please.
- notes too could: a) fill the whole right column (in fact I always have to scroll down to see them all or open em in the edit mode) or b) become a flaoting window too (as the data entry one). In case you go b, then you have the whole right column to fill with extra features
- in any case having some extra feature about notes would be nifty and useful. Like when you need to know where to find a place that sells the Federal Dropship or where to buy an A4 FSD or whatever else



Sorry but I'm not following you there. Is there someone out there playing Elite on a 1024x720p screen? If making it resizable is a pita make it 1920x1080 and we start talking business

I've had a couple people having the log open on a mini-monitor that's on the side. Those little 7" USB monitors are 1024x768 If I was catering to 1920x1080 that'd be AWESOME, but, I really can't... hehe.

Btw, for finding ships in notes; as long as you are logging the ships the station sells in the notes, you can check the "Search Notes" box on the filter and put in Federal Dropship and it will only show stations that have that in the notes.

 

[Njos]

Btw, for finding ships in notes; as long as you are logging the ships the station sells in the notes, you can check the "Search Notes" box on the filter and put in Federal Dropship and it will only show stations that have that in the notes.

Damn me, learning something erryday

 

[ArchV1]

n't it possible to swap panels among layers instead of flaoting windows? As in an excel spreadsheet, you know down there at the bottom of the sheet/screen?

That'd be tabs. Hate tabs. Well, I love tabs, I hate implementing tabs.

 

[Christopsy]

Would this bother anyone...

Cmdr's Log 1.7 Prototype Screenshot
Basically; get rid of all that stuff under commodities and let it be accessed from a menu up top. I could also add all that to the Right-Click context menu as well.

Getting Rid of Station Buttons Too
How about getting rid of all the station buttons right under the station list and have those be from the menu (or right-click context)?

I MUCH prefer this. The current UI is slighty busy for my tastes.

Well, it's exactly how I tend to build things initially too, but it's reached a point where I think it might need to be tidied up a bit.

If people want to have the buttons accessible perhaps you can make the panel containing them pop-away (i.e. hide itself) with a check box?
/EDIT: I am not so sure this is easy to do out of the box with MFC...

 

[starjump]

yep, then hit enter and you can add the price. Enter again, and move on to the next one. Super Fast.

Aah neato. Thanks.
|
@OP, i think it will look more "complicated" if all the options are hidden. Its just ease of use to have everything in the open to click fast. If its hidden in menues you have to keep look there to see if you clicked them or not etc. But if you want a cleaner interface then do it. Im just happy you share this with us. Oh and a journal entry delete button/function would be neat. If i add something and then want it gone i have to open the created text file in the programs folder and delete it manually. Not really bothersome, but if a delete button could work its way in, awesome.

 

[harag]

@Archv1

The menu screen shots look good, looking forward to the new version. I do have a some more suggestions if I may.

1. The Search Results window - can you please make this window so we can have this open AND still use the main window (but keep it on top?). The reason for this is basically I've just picked up a couple of missions mission to fetch lithium & computer components. Looking at the search (need button) for me to get the items I need to go to two different systems, I have a list of 4 or 5 on each commodity. What I would then like to do is keep that window open and then look at the good trades window to see which two stations I can also do a trade run between.

2. Based on #1 above, what would be good if we can have multiple searches in the window above (date/time stamped) e.g. I Need computer components, click the need button - bing search appears!. I also need Lithium - select and click the need button again - bing the search window is updated with the lithium details. You could make the table wider and put the extra columns in.

date/time, commodity, system (station), status, quantity, price.

Now with the window open and all the details there, I can easily use the good trades / station lists to see which two I want to trade - e.g. do I pick up computer components first and then trade to the litium station, or visa versa.

3. Now with the above 1 & 2 in mind hopefully you can see what I'm doing - I'm not the sort of trade that trades for most profit - I like to do the missions at the same time and trade whatever I can, even biowaste. This takes more thought and planning on my port. So what would be good is a "Trade Planner". I'm thinking something along the lines of.

a. select station
b, select where to (or anywhere)
c, scroll down trades and then select the commodity you want to do
d. click "Add to planner" button.
Bingo - the data above is added to a planner
rinse and repeat.

In a "planner" window have something were we can delete the route from the planner and/or mark it as completed.

Using the planner I can then see where I am thinking of going and what goods etc I need.

Does all this make sense? Keep up the good work!

 

[ArchV1]

I MUCH prefer this. The current UI is slighty busy for my tastes.

Well, it's exactly how I tend to build things initially too, but it's reached a point where I think it might need to be tidied up a bit.

If people want to have the buttons accessible perhaps you can make the panel containing them pop-away (i.e. hide itself) with a check box?
/EDIT: I am not so sure this is easy to do out of the box with MFC...

Yeah MFC is a fairly limiting unfortunately. But at this point to do it on a better platform would take just as long as creating it in the first place. :/

I'm also not even fully adept at MFC either; there' a bunch of tools in the MFC toolbox that I haven't even explored yet. I think I'm gonna have to branch off the project and just start messing around with DRASTIC interface changes. Might not go anywhere, but at least I'd figure out what could be done.

 

[Christopsy]

Yeah MFC is a fairly limiting unfortunately. But at this point to do it on a better platform would take just as long as creating it in the first place. :/

I'm also not even fully adept at MFC either; there' a bunch of tools in the MFC toolbox that I haven't even explored yet. I think I'm gonna have to branch off the project and just start messing around with DRASTIC interface changes. Might not go anywhere, but at least I'd figure out what could be done.

Yep, the only other platform I can imagine wanting to use is .NET -- either Winforms or WPF. IMO there's probably not much extra you'd gain from Winforms other than it's *not MFC*, and if you're not used to C# then WPF would be two fairly steep learning curves Having said that if the logic is fairly well separated from the UI then it wouldn't be very difficult to rebuild what you've got now in one of the above.

I don't really mind drastic interface changes. I even like the Office Ribbon. Go for it!

 

[ArchV1]

Ok after staring at this thing for an hour...

I think perhaps getting rid of the commodities list in the middle and going only data entry mode for them. While commodity data is important; entering it is really the only time you interact with the commodity list. Now this depends somewhat on the trade tools getting beefed up. If the trade tools were more awesome, you'd use that primarily instead of looking through the commodities list.

Also, since I'm hoping the trade tools become a powerful interface, it will need it's own window in order to have room for all the complicated buttons and knobs and lists

So, now, we are faced with: Commodities is a window, trade tools is a window. The only thing that's left is Stations, and if they are alone on the main interface because there's nothing left, stations are effectively just a window as well.

Now I could attempt to make them all modeless dialogs, which means they can all be opened at the same time, but for the most part, you won't NEED them all open at the same time.

Let's see if you can follow this vision:

You run the app, and you only see a window with the Station List (and maybe notes on the side)

You Right-Click a station, and there will be a Commodities... button. Also probably a button directly on the main interface.

Clicking the Commodities... button opens up the commodities window (currently data entry mode). You could leave the window open, and click through Stations on the other window to see commodities change (just like you do now).

There would be a separate button, not related to commodities for Trades

Hitting the Trades button will open the Trades window (which will be an entirely new thing that's not created yet).

The Trades window will have all the tools for listing trades, best trades, round trip trades, etc.


All this accomplishes a couple things. The footprint of the app is smaller since everything is broken up into windows. Each major component having it's own window allows for more flexibility in adding controls and stuff without running out of room.

Might be worth a shot...

 

[Njos]

Let's see if you can follow this vision:

...... serious business.....

Might be worth a shot...

Don't forget the first and original use of the tool though (at least for me): the Cmdr's Log! I'd so much like to have a newer layout for the Journal and the travel log too. Personal log and Journal separated, customized headers (date, timestamp....) maybe colors to highlight stuff like war thingy, commercial thingy, exploration thingy, searches, subcategories for events or timeframes we want to enclose in an envelope outside the main logging......

All right now. Is it ready yet?

 

[KellyR]

Yeah MFC is a fairly limiting unfortunately. But at this point to do it on a better platform would take just as long as creating it in the first place. :/

I'm also not even fully adept at MFC either; there' a bunch of tools in the MFC toolbox that I haven't even explored yet. I think I'm gonna have to branch off the project and just start messing around with DRASTIC interface changes. Might not go anywhere, but at least I'd figure out what could be done.

Well, when I program, I use Visual Basic.net 2010. I've tried C++ and C# and they just seem confusing to me. Statements enclosed in {}'s and []'s "=' only for assignments; have to use '==' for comparison, and such. None of that nonsense in VB. And I haven't found anything I can't do in VB if targeted for the Windows OS. I can read and write to the registry, access the special user folders, etc. The only thing I can't do with it is write programs for non Windows OS's, but I have no wish to do that anyway.

And the best part is it's free. Sure, there are some features that aren't included in the express edition. But I've written some serious programs with it.

 

[ArchV1]

Well, when I program, I use Visual Basic.net 2010. I've tried C++ and C# and they just seem confusing to me. Statements enclosed in {}'s and []'s "=' only for assignments; have to use '==' for comparison, and such. None of that nonsense in VB. And I haven't found anything I can't do in VB if targeted for the Windows OS. I can read and write to the registry, access the special user folders, etc. The only thing I can't do with it is write programs for non Windows OS's, but I have no wish to do that anyway.

And the best part is it's free. Sure, there are some features that aren't included in the express edition. But I've written some serious programs with it.

Hey and that's better than most people. If you're self-taught that's even better. I was self-taught BASIC (in 1986 on an Apple //c). It got me interested enough in programming to take all the classes in college and all that. I'm a master in C++ as a language; but MFC still takes some self-teaching. There's no classes that teach MFC.

You hate code that's like this eh?

typedef boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<wchar_t>, std::wstring::const_iterator, std::wstring> tokenizer;
boost::char_separator<wchar_t> sep(L"\r\n");
tokenizer tok(str, sep);

So program in whatever you can, and more power to you! It's a good skill to have no matter what you do in life.

 

[Christopsy]

Hey and that's better than most people. If you're self-taught that's even better. I was self-taught BASIC (in 1986 on an Apple //c). It got me interested enough in programming to take all the classes in college and all that. I'm a master in C++ as a language; but MFC still takes some self-teaching. There's no classes that teach MFC.

You hate code that's like this eh?

typedef boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<wchar_t>, std::wstring::const_iterator, std::wstring> tokenizer;
boost::char_separator<wchar_t> sep(L"\r\n");
tokenizer tok(str, sep);

So program in whatever you can, and more power to you! It's a good skill to have no matter what you do in life.

Absolutely. I primarily use C++ and C#, plus bits and pieces of others. And I also started with BASIC on the BBC, probably about the same time as you...

@ArchV1: That's not MFC code though, that's lovely Boost templates ;-) It's the Hungarian notation that most makes my eyes bleed when I read or write MFC. And my word, trying to create dialogs with resources and such... yuck.

@KellyR, can't say I like VB very much but I agree with ArchV1 100%. Program in whatever you can and whichever you prefer. Certainly if you're using .NET, then VB.NET and C# are essentially interchangeable.

There are odd little things that you can't do in one or the other, but that's almost always at the level of having a nicer syntax for something (works both ways, and also a matter of taste) -- rather than what you can achieve.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Pressing ENTER to get out of the confirmation for "you have arrived/departed from xxx" launches the help screen.

 

[ArchV1]

Need some help here for you all that actually get to PLAY game

Population Sizes
- Tiny
- Large

Wealth Types
- Poor
- Wealthy

Station Types (got these from Here)
- Coriolis (the hexagon)
- Orbis
- Ocellus
- Asteroid
- Platform
- O'Neill Cylinder

Fill in others! I'm pretty sure I'm missing wealth and populations for sure. Someone go poke around the galaxy map a bit

 

[KellyR]

Hey and that's better than most people. If you're self-taught that's even better. I was self-taught BASIC (in 1986 on an Apple //c). It got me interested enough in programming to take all the classes in college and all that. I'm a master in C++ as a language; but MFC still takes some self-teaching. There's no classes that teach MFC.

You hate code that's like this eh?

typedef boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<wchar_t>, std::wstring::const_iterator, std::wstring> tokenizer;
boost::char_separator<wchar_t> sep(L"\r\n");
tokenizer tok(str, sep);

So program in whatever you can, and more power to you! It's a good skill to have no matter what you do in life.

That looks like some kind of weird gobbledegook to me. I'll stick to my VB.net. At least I don't have to write the code to create the actual windows. I know, kind of lazy of me, but that's why it's called a rapid development environment. You just worry about what you want the program to do, write code for the events, visually design the interfaces and it takes care of the rest.

 

[vonvonbraun]

Thank so much this is great