New design for unit selection menus in Mission Editor

[Wild_Weasel_31]

This idea came to me while working on the massive convoy strike misslion.

If you have a large group of units, espeсially of different types, it takes much time to operate with them. For example, if you want to turn 5 tank units into 5 cargo trucks, you have to open 2 diffenerent droplists and find a necessary unit for each of them. It is even more difficult in case of using a big number of units from third developers, because every list becomes too long, and not of them have scrolling lifts on their side. This is a repetious work which takes much time, mouse button clicks and wheel turns.

Instead, I suggest to alter unit selection from droplist to a kind of Windows Explorer analogue, using a tree of directories. I made some graphics to explain it.

A minimalistic variant, where dropmenus "CATEGORY", "SUB. CAT." and "TYPE" are replaced by small windows containing a Unit List as a Folder Tree. Upper, you can see a standart Explorer buttons of file operations, because I think that user customising option of units categories and unit names will also be useful. For example, while working with SAMs, I'd rather chose to have their vehicles sorted into folders like "SA-2", "SA-3", "SA-5", etc. with option to change the very unit's title in the list (like "9A310M1 Buk-M1 [SA-11 TELAR]" instead of "SAM SA-11 Buk "Gadfly" Fire Dome TEL").

Spoiler

A compact Unit Tree design in comparison to present interface

 

Extended variant for large monitor owners 

Unit Tree is placed side-by-side to the Group Settings panel and contains much more elements. It allows user to work with multiple subfolders at the same time. A vacant place from droplists can be used for a little preview window, similar to Static Objects panel or other options, like a menu of munitions load settings page or else. There is also a show/hide option for this panel, if user needs more working space in the main page to place the units correctly. Folders and units operations are also included.

Spoiler

 

 Features not shown on the graphics, but also quite useful:

 - An [ >> ] / [ << ] button near each folder, allowing user to expand or collapse all of it's subfolders.

 - Removing [Player Drivable] folders and replacing them with a little special icon or symbol at the beginning of the Combined Arms - compatible vehicle's name. For example, [   "BM Oplot" MBT ], [  2S7 "Pion" SPG ] or just [ <CA> 9К97-1 "Tochka-U" TBM].

 - Setting a specific icons for basic folders and subfolders. For exaple, using NATO tactical symbols for diffenent vehicle types, like that
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/NATO_Military_Map_Symbols

The same option is even more necessary for Static Objects panel due to a much larger number of assets in it and a very wide variety of it's categories: from fire extinguishers and plastic cones to huge buildings or bomb practising targets. If you install one or two large asset packs, you'll have to scroll a lot to find an wanted element each time.

So, that's my decent attempt to make mission builder's life a little easier. Please, feel free to express you opinion in this topic.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Wild_Weasel_31
One more little idea added

[Exorcet]

How I would improve unit handling

Add a checkbox called

"Copy current unit changes to remainder of group"

What it does:

Any change made to the current unit in the existing unit selection menu is copied to all units listed afterward. So for example if you want to change 5 tanks into 5 trucks, select the lead tank and turn it into a truck. If the box is checked, all units in the group will be a truck. If you wanted 1 tank and 4 trucks, select the second unit and change that tank into a truck.

This would also work with names. So if you copied a group of tanks to make a group of trucks, normally the name is copied to, lets say all the units are called "Tank 1-x". Currently you'd need to change all unit names at once. However if the checkbox is checked and you changed the lead unit to "Truck 1-1" all the following units would become "Truck 1-x".

[upyr1]

Overall I like the ideas in the extended variant. I would like to make the folders an option It's not a bad idea  I just don't want to lose the classic option.

I would also like to add the following check boxes

Aircraft

Player flyable - If I am building a mission for players why not?

carrier capable  - 

vehicles

air-transportable - I want the option to airdrop vehicles

amphibious - for the cyber Marines out there

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