Tutorial: ORK3 abilities/shortcuts HUD

ChimpLogik

I know you're still cranking up the documentation for ORK3 (great job by the way) and I'd love to see a tutorial on setting up from scratch a player abilities HUD with shortcuts. I'm still quite unfamiliar with the new ORK3 UI system and I've been trying to build one following the documentation but not very successfully..

Solkyoshiro

I concur.

It's super powerful, and trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing is no simple affair.

gamingislove

It's on my list :)

There's already a documentation available, no tutorial, though.

Solkyoshiro

It doesn't have to be a full tutorial, but examples or a clear set of steps would help alot.

I've been reading that page repeatedly and still having a really hard time makingu own UI.

gamingislove

Short step-by-step:

1) Create a shortcut prefab using the scene hierarchy context menu: ORK Framework > HUD > Shortcuts > Shortcut Content (for prefabs) Use one of the variants, depending on which additional content you want, e.g. slot index.

Make a prefab out of the created game object, it'll be used to create the individual shortcuts (abilities, items, etc.) in a slot.

2) Navigate to UI > Shortcut Settings and use the prefab as the Default Shortcut UI, i.e. it'll be used by all shortcuts as default version.

3) Create a shortcut slot prefab using the context menu: ORK Framework > HUD > Shortcuts > Shortcut Slot Content (for prefabs) The UI Key settings define which shortcut UI it'll use to create a shortcut on it's slot. You can also set up how the slot's content can be used and assigned, as well as state changes (e.g. highlight color when it's active, etc.). You can also add an Image component for a background image of the slot. Make a prefab out of the created game object, it'll be used by a shortcut slot list to create the individual slots.

4) Create a HUD as usual, e.g. a horizontal one via the context menu: Makinom > HUD > HUD (Horizontal Layout) Add a Shortcut Slot List component to it that uses the shortcut slot prefab (created in #3). The component also defines which slots are displayed. Make a prefab out of the HUD and set up the HUD in ORK as usual.

Solkyoshiro

I'm using premade graphics for my game, so I'm trying to use existing prefabs.

I added HUD Shortcut Slot Content components to where my shortcut slots are on my prefab, but I'm not sure if you still use a Shortcut slot list with it, and if so, how?

Currently, I have the Main Action Bar with a horizontal Grid Layout Group and 10 Action Bar Slots set up already. Each of the Action Bar Slots has a HUd Shortcut Slot and HUD Shortcut Slot Content on it.

However, I can't quite figure out how the Empty UI key and Assigned UI Key parts work to add abilities and such to it.

gamingislove

Here's a new in-depth tutorial for shortcut HUDs.

If you want to add individual shortcut slots instead of using a list, add a HUD Shortcut Slot component to the game object. This component is a content provider and needs to be used by the HUD Shortcut Slot Content component as content provider.

The UI Key settings can be used to use different shortcut UI setups in different parts of your UI. The default setup is done in UI > Shortcut Settings for an empty slot and individual shortcuts (all shortcuts, items, abilities, etc.). The standard prefab you set up is without a key and is used as fallback in case you use a key but no matching setup is found.

So, for a standard setup, you'd just set up shortcut UI prefabs and use them without UI keys.

Solkyoshiro

I appreciate the detailed tutorial, but for some reason, I'm still having an issue with my HUD.

The Value bars, Status Text Content, and Shortcut HUDs are all greyed out as if it couldn't find a Combatant. But my player is spawned and able to run around, so I'm not sure why what option I missed.

gamingislove

Did you set up the HUD as a Combatant type HUD in ORK and have a player combatant (when displaying it for the player)?

Solkyoshiro

Indeed I did. Here's the options I'm using.

ChimpLogik

Unfortunately I'm also unable to get the shortcut HUD working. I tried both following the Tutorial from scratch and using the prefabs included in the tutorial but in my case the Shortcut HUD doesn't even get created. I double checked the settings for UI > Shortcut Settings and UI > HUDs and both are following the Tutorial.

On a separate note, since my Combatant HUDs (Value bars & Status Text Content) work, I tried using the same HUDs setting but unsuccessfully.

gamingislove

Hm, could someone send me a Unity test project with their setup (remove the library folder to reduce size, upload it somewhere, e.g. dropbox/google drive and send me the link to contact@orkframework.com)? I've added the prefabs to the 3D RPG Playground project without any issues.

ChimpLogik

Would it be possible to have your working UI project instead? Something like the template project you made for ORK2 That way we can compare our versions with the working one and you can focus on making ORK3 even more awesome :)

ChimpLogik

Ok, I was able to get the HUD showing up! The problem was that in the Combatants>Combatants>General Settings I needed to Add a Control Map and assign it to my ControlMap instead of leaving it blank (the default option).

Now the problem seems that neither the key shortcuts (sets in the Base Control> Input Keys and Base Control> Control Maps) nor the mouse-click selection on the UI seem to activate the abilities/items. Matter of fact, when clicking on the UI, the raycast for mouse click control navigation used by the player still works

Solkyoshiro

That's interesting @ChimpLogik, I have my control map set already.

Though I'm wondering if it's the slot list? I'm not sure. Ork has so many options and I'm not all the way sure ok what they all do yet.

Somehow working with the UI has been the hardest part, lol.

gamingislove

Huh, that's strange - control maps don't have any impact on the shortcut slots or the HUD showing up, they just use actions, e.g. stored in shortcut slots. Naturally, you need them if you want to fire what's in a shortcut slot via input keys.

What you need is have assigned shortcuts to have anything show up in a slot, but you should still see empty slots (if you followed the HUD setup from the tutorial).

Actions can only be used if they're useable at that time, e.g. an ability only available in battle will not be useable in the field.

As for the player control click still being used - add a UI Receive Cursor Events component to the HUD, that should let the click/touch input know it's over a UI :)

If you use the 3D RPG Playground project, import the prefabs, set up the HUD and add some default shortcut assignments and auto add slots (e.g. as in the shortcut HUD tutorial) they'll show up.

Solkyoshiro

Uggh, I know it's a setting somewhere I've done wrong. I've been following the tutorials, but my setup is a bit different from how you do it so I think that's why I'm having issues.

This is my action bar/HUD setup. I have it show my players HP, MP, XP, and 10 shortcut slots.

This is the setup on the top level of the prefab.

And this is the setup I have for the HP bar.

Then the prefab is added in UI System > HUDs with HUD Type Combatant.

I'll upload my project asset and email it to you as well. I don't think it's a glitch, I'm just missing something.

gamingislove

I think I know what your issue is.

You have a HUD Content Provider and a HUD component on your root. The HUD itself is already a content provider and is what'll receive it's content when the HUD is instantiated. Now, if other components on your HUD use the HUD Content Provider component at the root, they'll not have any content to display.

Remove the HUD Content Provider component from the Dual Orb Action Bar game object and update the content providers on those components that are now missing a reference (e.g. the HUD Status Value component in your screenshot).

Solkyoshiro

YES! Holy crap, thank you so much @gamingislove.

Now onto the next (self-inflicted) issue!

gamingislove

You're welcome - looking good btw :)

Writing an in-depth look into the Unity UI HUD system is on my TODO-list, the whole content provider handling and separation between content definition and content display components is a bit complex to grasp without more details.