Background of the compass

Gyd · Post by **Gyd** » 2008-04-03 09:44

I tried to search the forum, but haven´t found anything related to my idea. If I was only blind, accept my apology

Here´s the thing: I use compass to tell my squadmates, where to go, where´s the enemy, etc. But it´s pretty difficult to read the degrees, because they are white and there´s no constant background under the numbers. I think the background of the compass should be black, the degrees would stay white.
This would be a great improvement and the usability of the compass would be increased.

jOHNNYdOUBE · Post by **jOHNNYdOUBE** » 2008-04-03 13:46

What if the white had a small black border?

Jester_Prince · Post by **Jester_Prince** » 2008-04-03 14:00

White with black borders is a bad idea it can often make things harder to read, I know I spend my life worrying about these sorts of graphical problems, giving them a totaly black background would be the neater and more practical method. The black outline might make it a little hard to read quickly....which is important for the successful usage of it.

jOHNNYdOUBE · Post by **jOHNNYdOUBE** » 2008-04-03 14:08

I meant a very very very fine black border like one pixel wide that would show up only when it was completly whited out.
Orr.
Black with a teeny tiny itt bitty hint of a WHITE border.
For when it gets blacked out.
One or the other.
It's contrast.

Jester_Prince · Post by **Jester_Prince** » 2008-04-03 14:22

Yeah I got what you meant, it may or may not work visualy, thats the problem, simple answer would be a black background. Mabey even a semi transparent background would work even. Adding a border could work, I dunno, not saying It couldn't just depends really on the font, sometimes that sort of thing can make it easyer to read or even hader.

Anyway, the method the compass is improved doesn't matter, I agree, It needs to be done, especialy for the desert maps.

Jantje|NL^ · Post by **Jantje|NL^** » 2008-04-03 15:34

A black background would be very ugly..

I think a black border around the numbers etc would be nice.

Jester_Prince · Post by **Jester_Prince** » 2008-04-03 15:38

I wast thinking for prettyness, I was thinking for usability.

Gyd · Post by **Gyd** » 2008-04-04 06:14

I do not insist on black background, however, something should be done with the background in general, it takes too much time to read the degrees.

Ghost716 · Post by **Ghost716** » 2008-04-05 02:07

Post by **Chuc** » 2008-04-05 03:10

That would go against the original brief, that the compass has to be unobstructive and that really we're going for a minimalist HUD. Notice how even the minimap GPS overlay was dropped in favour of a minimalist border/box?

Btw, I'm trialing an outlined compass, so this suggestion has ears.

Gyd · Post by **Gyd** » 2008-04-05 07:37

Unobstructive needn´t mean not useful

Anyway, the compass can be read clearly while aiming through iron sights. It´s not my idea of solution, but it works for the moment.

Fatal-M · Post by **Fatal-M** » 2008-04-05 19:16

i agree ! sometimes a container or an object pops out behind the number ur trying to read and u cant read it !

I VOTE YES

Jester_Prince · Post by **Jester_Prince** » 2008-04-06 04:21

Biggest obstruction I find is on bright patches of sand or the sky, I often find I have to flick my camera over somewhere darker quickly so I can read the numbers. Its really nice having it where it is, and I dont think having a thin band of black/grey/transparent grey/outline would be at all obstructive... Also would it also be possible to highlight every majour point, ie, N,NE,E ect in red or something.

there's a toss up between quick ease of use and minimalism. The Current RP Hud is one of the best in games, ive seen because I hate clutter, on bf2142 I turned most of my hud 90% transparent so it didn't get in the way.