How moddable is the GUI?

[Stardog]

I would like to redo every part of it.

Is it possible, and how do I get started?

[Phinixa]

Since the GUI is coded with Lua, almost everything should be moddable.

[StoneLegionYT]

X-Rebith sadly brought in GUI Modding quite late but to give you an idea of how powerful it was. Someone made a RTS style working Map. Where you can select your ships and move them around on the map RTS style like in X4.

It's quite powerful and I really hope mod makers take the time to work with it and learn with it... Because it could really change the future of X4 where X3 even most heavy modded game still looked like normal X3 UI.

[SirNukes]

If it helps, the Rebirth UI modding overview is here: https://www.egosoft.com:8444/confluence ... ng+support.

[Stardog]

I'm looking to transform it as much as this, but I can't see anything related to reskinning. I will maybe buy X4 today and look around the files.

[StoneLegionYT]

I'm looking to transform it as much as this, but I can't see anything related to reskinning. I will maybe buy X4 today and look around the files.

If I was not dirt poor I would buy you the game just to take the risk on your adventure I hope it works out!

[MegaJohnny]

I had a look at some of the code very briefly, and it looks like the same as XR with some more possibilities. The complex rendering stuff like the map, the 3D part of the ship and station editor, don't expect anything to be possible with them. But all the table/row based stuff we can mess with. There are hard, immutable limits on the numbers of things, same as in XR. But you can have a lot more tables than 3 now.

[Stardog]

I got the game and it looks like I'm looking at 'ui\addons\ego_interactmenu\menu_interactmenu.lua' lines 1487-1807 for the interact menu along with various parts of helper.lua to figure out how tables work.

[XTC0R]

I would like to write down an idea for a two windowed interface with tabs (like total Commander) where you can trade between ships, stations (goods, crew, Equipment), have a tab for missions, commanding ships, logs, crew hiring.
Let's say to manage all the non flying tasks within it. Before I create a gui mock up and a massive thread I would like to know if something like this is possible.

[Azran_Zala]

I'd love a better trade offers interface... not loving the zooming in and out to filter reach & limited to 5 best offers.
Maybe im missing something, but I find this harder to find decent profit runs than in XR and thats saying alot.

[nonnex]

Depends on...

Do they (Ego's UI-Designers) still use the abandoned old "Anark Studio" Software they have used for Rebirth?
If yes, then there will be still some limitations what can be done by modders regarding 3D visuals and so on.

Have'nt looked into the files yet.

[XTC0R]

I created a thread with my idea about a two windowed GUI with tabs. Very similar to Total commander.
Find it here:

viewtopic.php?f=181&t=404020

Would love to here feedback from you if this is feasible in X4.

[nonnex]

Ok, now I'm back home from work and have extracted the .cat datacontainers to take a quick look on the ui structure.

The 3D Visuals (presentation files) are still the Anark Studio (Gameface) fileformat. So modders can say bye to make visually custom GUI's. Except if someone has an old copy from this software of course.

This are the restrictions from my point of view regarding GUI modding atm:
- Everything can be done, as far as Ego's LUA API allows/give acces to it (available methods) and your planned change does'nt need to touch/recompile the anark presentation files.

[Stardog]

Ok, now I'm back home from work and have extracted the .cat datacontainers to take a quick look on the ui structure.

The 3D Visuals (presentation files) are still the Anark Studio (Gameface) fileformat. So modders can say bye to make visually custom GUI's. Except if someone has an old copy from this software of course.

This are the restrictions from my point of view regarding GUI modding atm:
- Everything can be done, as far as Ego's LUA API allows/give acces to it (available methods) and your planned change does'nt need to touch/recompile the anark presentation files.

I imported one of the .dae files into blender but it crashed after a second of looking through the hierarchy.

I'm mostly looking to modify what's there already, and add proper titles, consistent spacing, font sizes, etc, so it should be ok.

Do UI changes go into a regular extensions folder like everything else? I looked at the Rebirth wiki and it seems like I have to make a list of the parts I've overriden or something.

[nonnex]

Ok, now I'm back home from work and have extracted the .cat datacontainers to take a quick look on the ui structure.

The 3D Visuals (presentation files) are still the Anark Studio (Gameface) fileformat. So modders can say bye to make visually custom GUI's. Except if someone has an old copy from this software of course.

This are the restrictions from my point of view regarding GUI modding atm:
- Everything can be done, as far as Ego's LUA API allows/give acces to it (available methods) and your planned change does'nt need to touch/recompile the anark presentation files.

I imported one of the .dae files into blender but it crashed after a second of looking through the hierarchy.

I'm mostly looking to modify what's there already, and add proper titles, consistent spacing, font sizes, etc, so it should be ok.

Do UI changes go into a regular extensions folder like everything else? I looked at the Rebirth wiki and it seems like I have to make a list of the parts I've overriden or something.

The .dae files (fcollada) contains only the basic ui presentation meshes, but not the additional important stuff like ui bahavior and how this 3D mesh is going to be used by the application.
Changing something to the mesh can conflict with those information within the .bgf .bsg and .amw files and may result in errors and|or crashing the ui.

Without proper tools nothing can be done here.

[SpaceCake]

Man, I just wanted to edit the crosshairs, those blue brackets that box every object in the game and the big orange waypoint ui. I thought it was just a simple edit like I did with the mouse cursors. Didn't know I had to become one with the omnissiah for this.

[AlienM1nd]

ATM this put a crimp in the whole ui modding party: viewtopic.php?f=181&t=405182

[Lc4Hunter]

I'm looking to transform it as much as this, but I can't see anything related to reskinning. I will maybe buy X4 today and look around the files.

Is there any chance to change the color of the UI to something like this?
This black on black with grey and blue was not a good choice...

A bit more X3 look with it´s eyefriendly blue would be nice.

[SamuraiWasp]

How difficult would it be to mod the size of some of the GUI elements only? I'm thinking about the bug that prevents mission windows and other elements from appearing at ultra-wide resolutions:

viewtopic.php?t=403024


While hoping Egosoft fixes this in a formal patch, a mod might be a good temporary solution. It might be pretty ugly to just downsize the pop-up mission windows, but if it makes the game playable at ultrawide resolutions that would be worth it.

[Bluerealis]

[...]

Is there any chance to change the color of the UI to something like this?
This black on black with grey and blue was not a good choice...

A bit more X3 look with it´s eyefriendly blue would be nice.

Looks like UI colors are defined under \ui\addons\ego_detailMonitorHelper\helper.lua.
Once they fix the bug we should be able to start modding this and other files.
Neanwhile the best we can do is figure out how it works and start making mock-ups, Stardog's looks really nice.