RANT: How is ED not ashamed of putting out a mission editor with such appalling interface failings?

[Hippo]

I'm using the mission editor and have a carrier group, planes etc very close to each other so that I just see a bunch of icons very close together.  There is one simple thing I want to do: move the carrier group.

 

I click on it, but no, some other unit is selected.  If I'm not very careful, I'll move a carefully-placed unit that I didn't intend to move.  Ooops, no problem Ctrl-Z to undo.  Only, no, there is no undo function!!! arrrgh.

 

Ok.  Let's try bringing up the list and selecting the main unit from there.  Surely that should do it.  I select the carrier (unit 1) in the list, then click on its icon.  Arrrgh, I'm now moving ship no 7.  Nooo.  Back to the undo function (i.e. reload the mission).

 

How do people put up with these "quirks"?  It's just awful.  Sorry for the rant, but I needed to let off some steam.

 

Being more productive, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can select the entire group, quickly and easily?   BTW, hiding all other objects using the list, or zooming in near enough so that the units separate is not "quickly and easily" imho.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Hippo

[-Quetzalcoatl-]

I've found it easiest to click on the "stack" multiple times until I get the unit I want. This is especially useful on the carrier. I too share your frustration with the mission editor overall.

[Rudel_chw]

33 minutes ago, Hippo said:

... hiding all other objects using the list ...  is not "quickly and easily" imho.

 

Oh well, there goes my suggestion. 

 

Regarding your rant about the appalling editor, have you tried the editors of the other big-bucks Sims that are out there? .. those are truly appaling or even non-existant. Of course DCS Editor could be better, but I'm good with it .. when I find a defficiency I have just to look beyond the fence to calm down and realize that we actually have one of the very best game editors on the market.

[Hardcard]

Mission Editor is free, that's how.

[dorianR666]

5 hours ago, Hippo said:

Being more productive, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can select the entire group, quickly and easily?

if it is a carrier, keep clicking on the icon until the carrier is selected. then move it, planes on it will move with it.

if it is a vehicle group, move the first vehicle of the group. that moves the entire group.

if it is a heli/plane flight, move any. they always stick together.

 

in other cases you cant.

 

the editor seems bad at first, but you get used to the quirks and become reasonably efficient.

Edited January 16, 2021 by dorianR666

[Hippo]

7 hours ago, Chump said:

As previously mentioned, the only way to select a specific unit (without ultra zoom) is to keep clicking on the "stack" of units. I agree that this needs to be a wishlist item that would greatly improve the editor usage, or at least the sanity of the mission developer!

 

 

I have found that this usually works if, say, there are a number of aircraft waypoints close to each other.  However, in the situation I describe, I have seven ships (in one group) in close proximity, and a number of aircraft taking off and/or landing from the carrier.  At no point was I able to click so that the carrier was selected.  I would cycle through planes and some ships but never the carrier.

 

Furthermore, my suggestion that zooming in could be a solution did not work either.  I later zoomed in so that the ships separated and clicking on the individual carrier icon selected an aircraft nearby instead.

 

So my remaning option is to go through the list of around 70 units and hide them until I can get to the ships.  Then unhide again as I carry on with the mission.  Hardly optimal.

 

How many here have experienced the delight of painstakingly placing a number of units just so, only to later go and unintentionally move one because the picking system behaves in an inconsistent manner.  And then?  No undo.  Reload the mission.  Hopefully you remembered to save recently.  This. Is. A. Joke.

 

I am astonished at the number of replies that deem this acceptable and blithely write it off as something that should just be lived with.  This would be ok if we were talking about some obscure rarely-used feature.  But the basic essential funtionality of selecting units being a frustrating battle with an inconsistent system?  Come on.  No undo? This is 2021.  And it's been like this for years.

 

The mission editor is not some in-house, not for release, optional unsupported tool.  It is an integral part of the product.  I have over the years come to the mission editor with the intention of building some missions that others might like, but it always ends in frustration as I have to battle with bafffling interface design choices that seem to differ from all established conventions.  It is in everybody's interest that the ME makes mission creation as efficient as possible, and not a fight against an interface with features designed by someone with a deranged sense of humour.  I have been working around these issues for the past few months, but last night my patience just reached its limits, as I spent 15 minutes trying to click on an icon.  And further time I'll never get back searching forums for solutions and an answer to the question:  I must be doing something wrong, it can't possibly be this awful?  The thing is, much of the ME is actually very good, but when ED doesn't seem to be bothered to fix the most basic of basic necessities, it makes the whole thing look a bit of a joke.

 

Here's another one.  When you have a drop down list with tens of items (e.g. trigger options) - how about letting the user type in the one they want, so they don't have to waste time scrolling through the list to find it.  I'm not in the builder now, but iirc, pressing a key whilst in a drop down takes you out of it!  What is so blood-boilingly irritating is that I shouldn't have to post about any of this.  It is obvious.  It is basic, expected, functionality, and has been standard interface design for decades.

 

So, if by some miracle, someone from ED is reading this.  Respecfully, could you please do something about this before the end of the decade?

 

</rant>

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Hippo

[DD_Fenrir]

Or you could make the carrier the second unit of a ship group then should you wish to change the location of your carrier you grab the first ship of your mini-fleet and move that instead.

 

The ME is pretty good actually and far more intuitive than some others. But much like the rest of DCS it is evolving content and sometimes it gets a little behind as new features and functions appear in the base game.

 

At this point you have two options. Whine like an over entitled bitch about how difficult your life is and demand that someone fixes your problem; or get stuck in and use it as opportunity to learn and innovative. Improvise adapt and overcome.

[Hippo]

1 hour ago, DD_Fenrir said:

Or you could make the carrier the second unit of a ship group then should you wish to change the location of your carrier you grab the first ship of your mini-fleet and move that instead.

 

The ME is pretty good actually and far more intuitive than some others. But much like the rest of DCS it is evolving content and sometimes it gets a little behind as new features and functions appear in the base game.

 

At this point you have two options. Whine like an over entitled bitch about how difficult your life is and demand that someone fixes your problem; or get stuck in and use it as opportunity to learn and innovative. Improvise adapt and overcome.

 

Thank you for your curious little recommendations.  I think at this point I'll be sticking with option number one.

Edited January 16, 2021 by Hippo

[BIGNEWY]

Thank you for the feedback and comments, although ranting is not appreciated, I have already had to moderate this thread, delete posts that were against the rules or quoted deleted posts. 

 

Regarding the undo feature it is already requested internally. 

 

Next time please keep the feedback constructive.