Best way to make a HUD in MMF2

[YeOldeLuke]

When your game needs a HUD, what's your preferred way to do that?

The only real way I've found is to have a bunch of elements tagged to float nearby the player character wherever he walks. IS that the best way to do it?

(On a semi-related note, I've hit a slight snag in that regard because I've set a HUD in a very basic practice game to bounce when it leaves the player area. However, the game ignores this rule and HUD+player rhombus will zip right off the grid. If you know how to solve this, help would appreciated.)

[geothefaust]

Hi,


Depends on the game. But one that I'm working on at the moment, I've got a couple styles optional to the player. One is a stationary HUD and when the player nears the area the HUD covers, the HUD moves. Another is one near the player character that only shows when the player is hit/healed/hotkeyed/etc.. Then another for misc. parts of the HUD (like hotkey panels, ala Diablo/Nox) that can float permanently or be hidden/shown with a hotkey.

I usually use alterable values/strings to identify the various sections of each part of the UI I want to have different controls for (if there is more than one).

So, it really depends on what works best for your game, or what you want to have in your game. One thing that I personally thinks really helps, is to have some QA testers to try your game out and give you some input on what they think would be good in your game.

[Jacob]

But instead of positioning it relative to the player, use CTRL+K in the frame editor to open the layers window, then create a new layer above your game and drag the HUD into there. Then click on the layer and in its properties set the X and Y scrolling coefficients to 0. This will make it stay in place no matter what the camera does. Make sure you select your game layer when you're done though, otherwise new objects you create will be in the HUD layer.

[YeOldeLuke]

Thanks guys! HUDs are a lot easier now!

[macca02]

I just uncheck the option "follow the frame" of the object(s) properties that i want to be a HUD.

[HomelessGoomba]

Thanks a lot, this post helped me make a HUD with clickable buttons, I really appreciate it!

[Del_Duio]

Yeah for sure create a new layer on top of everything and just put all your HUD elements in it, uncheck the follow the frame for those objects and they'll remain right where you put them for the entire game.

[nivram]

I have an open source HUD example on my website. I think it uses 4 layers and the Hud as the last.

Marv

[Ziplock]

Here are a couple of older vids for a killer item wheel HUD
Item heads up wheel part 1
Item heads up wheel part 2