Editing mouseover Thread - Vanilla UI Plus mod for Fallout: New Vegas

Hey mate!

I've been messing around with UI in FNV recently, and I managed to download and install a combination of mods which makes my UI look very similar to the classic UI in Fallout 1, including the font. Thing is, I don't like the way Fallout NV handles mouse over highlights. Instead of actually changing the brightness of the text, it instead shows a box. Because of the new font I have installed, the boxes are a little out of place for most selectable options in the game. I have the revelation version of the mod.

I.imgur.com

So the brightness setting in settings.xml works right. The box on the other hand, still appears though: Gyazo.com

I tried doing this inside both text_box.xml files:

<_box_visible> &false; </_box_visible>

and

<_box_visible> <copy src="me" trait="mouseover"/> &false; </_box_visible>

I also tried changing and disabling some of the functions inside of text_box.xml and I even tried deleting the entire file, and it literally did nothing. So far, the only thing that seems to work is the VUI Highlight function, which changed the brightness of the text and the box. I tried reinstalling the mod, I tried installing the standard version and messing with the files, I tried it without other UI mods, nothing seems to work. Anything that I do within some of these files just doesn't take effect.

I am not entirely sure how the brightness is handled within these files, but the VUI Highlight function seems to only change it slightly. I'm not sure if the brightness of the box washes the text color out or not, but I was wondering if it is possible to not only change the brightness but also the color of the text when moused over. I saw a few settings in the MCM files that changed the color, was wondering if I could do that for the standard UI text as well.

Thanks for the help on nexus and I hope we can work on this further!

Just to make something clear: you want to remove the highlighting boxes from the dialog menu and all lists ?

Or from the text buttons at menus ?

Edited by: Axonis

Pretty much all of them, so that only the text is highlighted. I know that text_box.xml doesn't change all of them, which ones does it effect?

For buttons

Edit text_box.xml and set <_box_visible> to &false;

For list items

Edit list_box.xml and

1) move to <hotrect name="lb_highlight_box"> and set <_line_alpha> and <alpha> to 0.

2) move to <hotrect name="VUI+HighlightBackground"> and set <alpha> to 0.

Ah, alright I'll give this a try and get back to you, thanks a lot!

Nice one, it works! Had no clue it was in list_box.xml all this time. So changing the color, is that a possibility?

Gyazo.com

As you can see, I have brightness on VUI Highlight set to 255, and the text is still a little dim. I was thinking I could set it to a different color + the brightness would highlight the text even more.

The problem isn't the highlighted text, it's the non-highlighted text. You need to set this to a lesser value but that means you'd need to edit the list_box_template section in all menus you wish to change.

Hmm, somehow I managed it to highlight brighter, I guess 255 is not the max value for VUI Highlighting? I turned it up to 500 and it looks nearly perfect right now, I will have a look at list_box_template and see what I can do with it.

I've been trying to figure out which file configures what part of the UI. Say, if I was to make the inventory part of the pipboy highlight items brighter, I would have to edit inventory_menu.xml right? But what part of it would I have to edit to do so?

Gyazo.com

Also, I know that the bottom buttons in the pipboy are in a separate file, and I know it is super_text_box.xml. The problem is, I also can't figure out how to make them highlight brighter, right now it looks like this:

Gyazo.com

For example, I can see this code in inventory_menu:

			<text name="ListItemText">
				<font> 2 </font>
				<string> <copy src="parent" trait="string"/> </string>
				<wrapwidth>
					<copy src="parent" trait="width"/>
					<sub src="me" trait="x" />
					<sub> 47 </sub>
				</wrapwidth>
				<brightness> <copy src="parent" trait="brightness" /> </brightness> <!--VUI+ target highlighting -->
				<x> 40 </x> <!--VUI+ reduce padding around the square to make more space for the name -->
				<y> 17 </y> <!--VUI+ reduce padding of list items -->
			</text>

But again, when I change the brightness part it becomes a static color, and doesn't change when I mouse over it. Man, let me tell you, I am terrible at this!

Edited by: tom4Hawk

By "bottom buttons" you mean the tabs at the bottom of the Pip-Boy menus ? The brightness in these is controlled at super_text_box.xml at <alpha> and <rect name="stb_text_box">\<_line_alpha>. These were complex edits and the goal was to make the active tab bright but also add some brightness on targeted (mouseover) tabs.

To properly control brightness for list elements, edit the last lines at list_box_template.xml

I really hope what you're doing will work; removing the borders is a drastic change in usability but you seem to be putting some real effort into it.

Yes that's what I meant, sorry was in a bit of a rush and I just put that post together ASAP.

I try to put as much into this as possible, I'm preparing for a playthrough, and I am literally obsessed with having everything perfect and in place so that the game is just smooth and ready to go whenever I want to play. Unfortunately, with this engine it is a little hard when you have over 160 mods installed. Since I am also terrible at programming, I seek any help I can!

I'm trying to understand as much as I can in these files, but I have no previous experience with UI, none at all. With your guidance, maybe I can set this up properly. I will have a look and get back to you as soon as I'm finished!

Ah, I forgot to say I managed to remove the boxes from the pip-boy tabs, the only thing left is the brightness. The thing is, I put &false; in the <alpha>and the <box_visible> sections. The only thing left to edit is <line_alpha>. One question, though: is 255 the max brightness I can go up to? Because if so then I don't think I can increase the brightness of the text in this file since it is already at the maximum:

<_line_alpha>
	<copy> 127 </copy>
	<onlyif src="me" trait="target"/>
	<add> 128 </add>
</_line_alpha>

<!-- The text box -->
<rect name="stb_text_box">
	<include src="text_box.xml"/>
	<depth> 1 </depth>
	<!-- Box is visible upon mouse over and stays visible if it's selected -->
	<_box_visible>
		&false;
	</_box_visible>
	<!-- These values are inherited from parent() -->
	<string> <copy src="parent" trait="string"/> </string>
	<justify> <copy src="parent" trait="justify"/></justify>
	<_horbuf> <copy src="parent" trait="_horbuf"/> </_horbuf>
	<_verbuf> <copy src="parent" trait="_verbuf"/> </_verbuf>
	<_x><copy src="parent" trait="_x"/></_x>
	<_y><copy src="parent" trait="_y"/></_y>
	<_fixedwidth> <copy src="parent" trait="_fixedwidth"/> </_fixedwidth>
	<_line_alpha>
		<copy src="globals" trait="_VUI+Highlighting" />
		<onlyif src="parent" trait="_selected"/>
		<add src="parent" trait="_line_alpha"/>
	</_line_alpha>
</rect>

255 is the max in the official files, but not for VUI+. I'm regularly using greater than 255 values for various reasons.

Edited by: Axonis

Yeah, I realized that when I increased Highlighting in VUI up to 800, but how would I be able to do that with other brightness settings in other files?

which files ? screenshots ?

Well, like the pip boy tabs I sent you earlier, since the brightness in those files doesn't go above 255, I don't really see any way to increase the brightness further by simply increasing values.

In some cases the engine applies hardcoded limitations. Overcoming those limitations is quite difficult and requires lots of hours of modding.

Unless you see it as an entertaining challenge (as I do), there's zero value in wasting this time.

Well, I'm terrible at any sort of code, I see getting this to work as an entertaining challenge, but I would need a place to start. I mean, I'm exploring these UI files as we speak, while I really want to get this to work, it is going really slow for me. Would you be able to briefly explain how one could overcome these hardcoded limitations? Would that be a matter of delving deeper into these UI files or messing around with the GECK?

It's impossible to provide a brief explanation or an explanation at all. Dealing with hardcoded elements requires experience and dedication, but I can tell you that one well known method is to enclose a hardcoded block into a new block and let the new (parent) block inherit the necessary properties from the hardcoded (child) block. This is used extensively in oHUD, but it can cause compatibility issues with other mods.

I don't think that helps in your case though. Please post a screenshot of what you are trying to modify.

Edited by: Axonis

Ok, let me explain and show you the full extent of my intentions with this 'little' endeavor.

Briefly stated, I simply want to remove the box that appears around moused over, selectable buttons/text, and I want to replace that with simply highlighted text. As you may already know.

Here is a full list of my achievements so far:

The main menu buttons highlight properly, although in a perfect scenario I would imagine them to be slightly brighter, or maybe just another color when they are highlighted:

Main menu: Gyazo.com

Perfect: I.imgur.com

As you can see in the Fallout 1 screenshot, the moused over option is a brighter shade of yellow than my current shade in FNV.

The Pip-Boy tabs, they highlight but only slightly, so much so when I mouse over them it is barely a visible change, and when I select them it only brightens the green a little. I simply want them to highlight just as bright as the menu buttons. After selection, I don't mind them staying the same color as when they are moused over. Same goes with Pip-Boy lists, and any lists that are encountered in the game. As you can see the list color in the Pip-Boy Inventory is slightly duller than the main menu buttons. I know this might sound a little picky but I always try to aim for as much consistency as possible. In addition to the text, I always tried making the unselected square have the same brightness as the text, but it turned it into a white color. I also discovered that the new CND/H2O etc. tabs that you've added work in a similar fashion to the tabs, and I'm guessing that the same file that affects the bottom tabs affect these ones.

Pip-Boy tabs: Gyazo.com & Gyazo.com

Pip-Boy Inventory: Gyazo.com

Pip-Boy Square: Gyazo.com

As you can probably guess, I would like to achieve the same with the dialogue. Remove the box, add text highlight to the same color/brightness as everything else.

Dialogue: Gyazo.com

I'm guessing that the same files that affect lists in the Pip-Boy will affect the lists in trading menus?

Any other type of menu, like the character generator or the terminals, if I can I'll get to in time, but for now I'm testing the most used menus in the game, Main, Pip-Boy, Dialogue, Trade. I don't even know if I can edit the generator or the terminals yet, I have no clue where to start either. I would guess some of the settings we change in the files we have discussed also change some factors in the generator/terminal UI, so for now I'll just leave it be until this works.

Anyways, this is what I've got so far and what I'm trying to achieve, if you need any more details let me know!

Start Menu: try to use a combination of brightness & alpha > 255. You can also use colors but I don't know them well.

Pip-Boy bottom tabs: you need to modify super_text_box

Pip-Boy lists: you need to modify the list_box_template sections of those menus. Try to use a lower brightness so that the contrast between highlighted and standard items is greater.

Depending on your quality expectations, what you are trying to achieve may take several months of modding.

Oh wow, did not expect that. Well, thing is I had no idea this would take SO long. Thought it was more of a day, or maybe a week for a less experienced modder like myself. So there is no easy way to simply change the highlighted text's color? I'm pretty sure you would be able to do that with RGBA, I've seen it done in MCM. In fact, when you mouse over MCM options, it highlights, but it doesn't only change brightness, it also changes the color as far as my knowledge goes. One problem here is, I have no idea how to make this mod's files to use the same RGB editing as MCM's. Does it have something to do with simply including a files from MCM inside the VUI+ files and then setting up the RGB or would this go even deeper than that?

As I've said I haven't really worked on color edits because whenever I tried I found that I couldn't control brightness or alpha.

Hmm, that is strange. I think I'll dig into MCM files and if I find something I'll let you know, might take a while since I also am a little busy with work at the moment. Still, I'll see what I can find and get back to you!