More hotkey configuration options

[majesd]

I think it would be great if the author would include more options for configuring custom hotkeys. Stuff like editing savestate save/load keys and a reset key. If anything at least a reset key...that would really help. Also not a big deal but an option to clear an entire controllers pad/key configurations. It rather tedius to have to set them all off manually. Oh yeah, and Thanx to the author for such a sweet program.

[patrickp]

If you want to clear the controller configuration, majesd, right click on one of the button selection boxes.

Edit: sorry, my mistake - the options on that right click menu are:

Clear
Clear Key
Clear Joystick

I always thought the Clear Joystick option was to clear the pad: actually, it just clears the joystick/pad setting for that box; Clear Key clears the keyboard setting and Clear clears both settings for the box.

But it's still a good way to clear the pad; you only have to do right click and click for each box.

[kinghanco]

patrickp thanks.

Btw: To clear the boxes. You need to setup the buttons setting with the controller first. Then clear the boxes and reset the buttons up. I had to do this because I couldn't clear the boxes automatic. Seem weird though. Maybe it will be fix on the next release or 2.

[Gamesoul Master]

majesd: You could always just clear them from psx.ini. And... please read the Known Requests thread before making any more requests (in reference to your custom hotkey request).

[icedagger]

I think if we design menu bar, hotkey, and config dialog more user-friendly. Custome hotkeys may unnecessary.

Redesign all GUI to be very user-friendly will make this emu more popular. This is the way all Windows applications should fulfill.

I saw many great applications but poor UI design died becuase users don't happy to use it.

Just an opinion.

[Deleted]

I don't think there is any need for gui re-design. Most of the time when you use pSx you'll be using your pad ro whatever to play it, not tweak the settings or anything other menu driven activity.

[icedagger]

>> I don't think there is any need for gui re-design. Most of the time when you use pSx you'll >> be using your pad ro whatever to play it, not tweak the settings or anything other menu >> driven activity.

I concerned about something called first impression. Imagine the first time you use some application that easy to understand. Most of them comply with good GUI design rules. This will make new users impress in pSX and continue to use.

[Deleted]

Well, anything bling bling will take time of the real, more important development, such as compatibility. Which would you rather have, more accurate emulator, or funky gui with all kinds on fun fun effects?

The pSX gui is simple and effective, what more do you need? Maybe some restructuring on some menu items, but really, a new gui is just silly.

[patrickp]

Besides which, does an emulator this good really need to worry about first impressions and 'GUI design rules' (are there any?). It's not a commercial enterprise.

The only people who will lose out if they're put off by the lack of flash are themselves. And if they're that shallow, they don't deserve the use of a gem like this anyway.

[icedagger]

Redesign in my opinion is not to completely wipe out the old one and create some modern & flashy GUI. I don't want pSX to implement skin-based like WinAMP or somethink like that.

I also prefer the plain and simpl GUI. However, plain and simple don't come up by just using traditional control put together. But we need to rethink about how to organize or arrange the position of each control (i.e. dialog, combo box etc.) most effectively.

For example:
- memu item should come with its corresponding shotcut key like "Open Ctrl+O"
- Well positioning of each control in dialog box.

patrickp: 'GUI design rules' does exist. But actually it is not 'rule' but 'good practice' for example please check this link --> www.magictree.com/vbcourse/11design/gui.htm

I know pSX is not commercial. So my opinion above is only suggestion.

[Ultima]

What's terribly wrong with control positioning? It's a tad bit off, but nothing really worth writing home about, IMHO. As for the GUI guidelines, Microsoft publishes GUI guidlines as well, but judging by how many applications out there look terrible and work terribly, I'm pretty sure other people don't follow the guidlines. Is pSX one of those applications? IMHO, no.

Let's take the guidelines you posted as an example...

• Don't be different: Does pSX really look all that different? It's your standard dialog with a menubar, and then a video canvas control of sorts.
  
  
• Keep it simple: Heh if my response to the previous guideline didn't sound simple, I'm not sure what else would As for the configuration dialog, the tabs are fairly well-organized. OK, Cancel, and Apply appear at the bottom right corner of the dialog like most standard Windows dialogs. The user can save his/her settings. I can't really see a hint of feature creep. As for control over the UI... well, to be honest, I don't see what the user needs to be able to control about the interface (other than the hotkeys, but that's the main point of this thread anyway, not GUIs).
  
  
• Look professional: pSX is an emulator, so it does what it sets out to do -- it displays the video as the main control on the interface. Size and alignment really couldn't be any better than it already is, seeing as how it's so simple in the first place Regarding the configuration dialog... I suppose I can agree on that one -- the alignment for some of the widgets are questionable; some widgets have a decently-sized gap between them (maybe 5-10px in size), while other widgets have little-to-no space in between (maybe 0-2px). While it's not exactly the hardest thing to fix, it isn't the biggest problem in the world either -- I can't imagine people spending more than 1-2 minutes in the dialog every single time they want to change something. Fonts are as standard and consistent as can be. The points about color, clutter, and grouping are all met by pSX.
  
  
• Be direct: IMHO, pSX meets all of these guidelines.
  
  
• Be consistent: Yeah... same with these (as I've mentioned several times before.
  
  
• Give cues and feedback: Tooltips are just about the only things "missing" here, but really, most of the options are self-evident with regards to exactly what they do.
  
  
• Forgive mistakes: We do that all the time, and correct users all the time too ;\

With such a simple interface, I'm not sure how much it really needs to be improved. If pSX Author really were to rewrite the interface, I suppose I wouldn't mind (as long as it's not skinned and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in comparison to other Windows applications), but I don't really see it as a pressing matter.

[icedagger]

Good defend, Ultima. I think you'are an experience developer that used to defend comments from reviewer. hehe

Maybe the word 'redesign' in my previous post is overstated and lead you to misunderstand. I don't mean that current GUI design is poor so that it need to be redesign. That guileline I post in only give info to patrickp since he ask for.

Of couse, I don't have any problem with current pSX's GUI. For me I can understand them all. No mature point I think pSX have to improve. Only minor things that come up in my mind when I first look pSX.

OK, stop talking theory about good pratice or rule now because it will never ending. Just read my actual review which fully biasd by my opinion ^_^' not guildline I post.

Note! Don't take this too serious - -'.

My assumption before review:
+ Always think that it is a commercial-level application. like Microsoft Office.
+ All comments shall not lead to GUI to complicate
+ Never comment to use advanced GUI

COMMENT	Priority
1. Can we have only one main window, end user don't need a separate debug screen.	minor
2. Provide shotcut key for the 'Reset' menu items	minor
3. Mene items should have "..." to make user know that there will be a dialog come up	Decoration
4. Quick save should have range from F1-F4 and Quick load F5-F6 to make a matching in keyboard	minor
5. 'Load state', 'Save stae' and 'Quick save' sub menu should be included in same main submenu	minor
6. 'Configuration', 'Language' and 'Debug' sub menu should be included in same main submenu	minor
7. Default function of 'ESC' key should be 'Exist full screen' not 'Exit' to protect user from accident close application with no intention	minor
8. Shotcut for toggle bilinear, frame skipping	minor

[Ultima]

Hm...

1. That can be done with pSX Frontend The console window is extremely useful in diagnosing problems, so I don't see it getting removed, really.
2. Indeed, that'd go under a more customizable hotkey configuration
3. Interesting point -- makes sense
4. Not all keyboards are laid out like that -- mine goes from F1 to F5, breaks, then F6 to F12. Making it customizable makes more sense.
5. That makes it a bit more difficult to reach, though (I suppose) it does feel a wee bit funky making it a top-level menu (just a tiny bit, not enough to make me worry -- I still find the menu useful).
6. Eh it seems fine where it is, but that's just my opinion... =\
7. That's why it's customizable, though.
8. Again, fits under the original request posed in this thread...

And I'm not all that experienced a developer. The only *real* GUI I've made has been pSX Frontend. I've made others in Java Swing before, but it was... fugly ;D

Last thing to note... GUI modifications are outside the scope of the original point for this thread, so if you're going to suggest any changes, do make them in another thread. At least that way, it's more noticable.

Back on topic... It'd be cool for pSX to have a hotkey system like foobar2000's (very handy and customizable), but it'd probably overkill for an emulator ;\

[exter]

a reset key would be great and ill explain why !

I want to run this great emu on a laptop on my TV.
I do not want to exit full screen to click on the reset button everytime I load a new game.
Actualy I dont want to have a keyboard connected to the laptop.

So a Configurable Reset button would be great


;D