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GUI Libraries
Money
Member #6,730
December 2005
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hey, do you know of any good, easy-using gui systems around? cegui is too complex for me right now, im just looking for something easy to use for making windows and menus and stuff, i want a nice easy good looking gui library

i looked into glo, i don't like that either

and i definately didn't want to use allegro's gui susystem, once i saw how it looked i literally wanted to stick my fingers down my throat and vomit.

thanks in advance :)

nonnus29
Member #2,606
August 2002
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Masking is pretty easy to use... Other than that try guichan?

Synapse Jumps
Member #3,073
December 2002

Are you looking for in a game or a stand-alone program?

If you're looking for a stand-alone, you should look into the big ones:
Windows API (not as bad as it sounds! especially if you can "get your hands on" any copy of MSVC with its awesome dialog editor)
Umm... The Linux ones like GTK and junk. I don't know the actual names to be honest with you ::). I think GTK is a GUI lib for the X Windows System, yes? Someone will correct me.

Anyways, Windows isn't a bad place to start, IMHO. Dialogs are super easy and you don't have to deal with the messy registration routines or anything, DialogBox does all that for you. And the MSDN reference is very useful!

EDIT: Win32 is daunting at first, but don't be afraid of it! All thos HINSTNACE and crap like that, they're just pointers! Anything with an H in front of it is a pointer, pretty much. You'll get the hang of it quickly

Jonny Cook
Member #4,055
November 2003

MASkinG is super cool. I suggest you use that. Or perhaps you could try making your own GUI? It's a big job and chances are you won't complete it, but it's a good learning experience.

The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

X-G
Member #856
December 2000
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Guichan comes with zero documentation. I tried.

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Trezker
Member #1,739
December 2001
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MASkinG is the best I know of.
The documentation is quite rich too.

Kitty Cat
Member #2,815
October 2002
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Linux (or really X11) uses GTK or Qt more often than not. Both GTK and Qt4 work in X and Windows, so if you're looking for a stand-alone cross-platform solution, that's the way to go.

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miran
Member #2,407
June 2002

I think he already tried MASkinG and failed to install it.

From what I've seen so far I think CGUI is the best one out there and most complete too. But as the dancing tiger said, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to make an application such as some sort of editor and want it to integrate seamlessly with the desktop environment, then you will want to go with a big general purpose lib. Your choice also depends on whether you want your product to be cross platform. If you do, then what Kitty Cat said. Or you could even go the Java way and use it's GUI. But if you want specifically something that will give you a GUI for your Allegro game, then you will want one of the Allegro add-on libraries. MASkinG can be used for games, as well as CGUI, and then there's that XML base GUI lib that looks very promissing...

EDIT:
Here's a list of some of the GUI libraries you might want to check out: http://www.allegro.cc/resource/index.php?id=8
There are some others on the depot as well...

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Evert
Member #794
November 2000
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Quote:

and i definately didn't want to use allegro's gui susystem, once i saw how it looked i literally wanted to stick my fingers down my throat and vomit.

You can overload the drawing operations, eg (pseudoish code)

int my_button_proc(int msg, DIALOG *d, int c)
{
   if (msg == MSG_DRAW) {
      stretch_blit(bmp, gui_get_screen(), 0, 0, bmp->w, bmp->h, d->x, d->y,
                   d->w, d->h);
      /* other stuff, eg text */
      return D_O_K;
   }

   return d_button_proc(msg, d, 0);
}

creates a button that looks exactly how I want it to look and it still uses Allegro's default GUI system.
You may also want to have a look at ADime (http://adime.sourceforge.net/), which I've never used but always thought was a pretty cool idea.

m c
Member #5,337
December 2004
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For in-game GFX i think i'd use MASkinG.

For non-game GFX I'd use glade or something (RAD gui tool for gtk).

(\ /)
(O.o)
(> <)

Jonny Cook
Member #4,055
November 2003

I've got the MASkinG binaries if you need them, Money (I have a feeling that's not your real name...)

The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

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