Quickbar

[PyTom]

For quite a long time, Ren'Py has supported an in-game shortcuts menu. (For example, see: http://www.renpy.org/wiki/renpy/doc/coo ... _Game_Menu). I'm thinking that it's about time a feature like this is added to Ren'Py by default, and since I'm a bit too tired to go debugging, I thought I'd write up my thoughts.

I'd like to call this the quickbar.

I'm thinking the following functionality should be available:

* Quick Save
* Save
* Preferences
* Skip
* Auto-Forward

I'm thinking there should be at least three quickbar variants available:

A text-only variant. (The names given above are too long, so this would probably look like "q.save save prefs skip auto", but it would be translatable.) Right now, I'm thinking this would be simple text, rather than using the theme's buttons. But perhaps a variant that uses theme buttons could also be made.

An imagemap-only variant.

A stock image based variant. This would share code with the imagemap variant, but would use stock icons supplied with Ren'Py. These icons could be re-colored to match the game's color scheme. (Think something like the humanity panel icons.)

The quickbar would only be visible when the window is visible.

The stock images are interesting, especially when they are without text. I don't know how we would design culturally-neutral icons to distinguish quick-save from save, or skipping from auto-forward. Ideas are welcome from the graphically inclined, as well as everyone else.

[JinzouTamashii]

Yes.

Also:

[jack_norton]

if I understood correctly you mean something like in my screenshot below:

in this case I made a "quickbar" on the right side of the text window, but maybe you should have also customizable position and size (vertical like mine, or horizontal). From code perspective it would work like an overlay I suppose or is something different?

[PyTom]

Probably, it would use the new config.window_overlay_callbacks function, so that it tracks the window more closely. But what you have is the thing I'm going for... I think it should be part of all Ren'Py games, with customized games getting a better version of it.

[chronoluminaire]

Sounds good to me. I don't use most of those features myself - quick skipping is the exception, but I use Tab for that - but I know that many players like them, so if you're suggesting a way I can get a basic version of this without any extra effort on my part, I'm all for it

[JinzouTamashii]

I believe so as well.

jack_norton is a kind of visionary in execution of games, if you ask me.

[Vatina]

Awesome! I will definitely use that. Tried to make one before, but didn't like how it turned out... will try again if this new feature comes out

[luminarious]

Wouldn't quicksave as well as regular save be kind of redundant? If one wants to do more than quicksave, then let him use the right-click menu..