Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

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BlueCop
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Jul 2019, 19:57

Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by BlueCop »

I was working on modifying the mygui xml files to more closely match the xbox version of the interface.
I know some things will require button combinations which was requested here. https://gitlab.com/OpenMW/openmw/issues/4000

I thought I would document the difference in the base goty games for pc and xbox.
I will start with a comparison of the text colors from morrowind.ini

Xbox fonts & colors

Code: Select all

[Fonts]
Palettize=1
Font 0=century_gothic_font_regular
Font 1=century_gothic_big
Font 2=daedric_font

[FontColor]
color_normal=244,177,53
color_normal_over=249,208,134
color_normal_pressed=253,239,215

color_active=96,112,202
color_active_over=159,169,223
color_active_pressed=223,226,244

color_disabled=179,168,135
color_disabled_over=249,208,134
color_disabled_pressed=253,239,2159

color_link=90,96,139
color_link_over=114,120,163
color_link_pressed=139,145,180

color_journal_link=24,43,146
color_journal_link_over=44,70,222
color_journal_link_pressed=117,135,234

color_journal_topic=0,0,0
color_journal_topic_over=24,43,146
color_journal_topic_pressed=44,70,222

color_answer=150,50,30
color_answer_over=249,208,134
color_answer_pressed=253,239,215

color_header=249,208,134
color_notify=249,208,134

color_big_normal=169,128,65
color_big_normal_over=202,168,117
color_big_normal_pressed=225,206,179

color_big_link=90,96,139
color_big_link_over=111,117,162
color_big_link_pressed=136,141,179

color_big_answer=150,50,30
color_big_answer_over=202,168,117
color_big_answer_pressed=225,206,179

color_big_header=202,168,117
color_big_notify=202,168,117

color_background=0,0,0
color_focus=80,80,80

color_health=150,50,30
color_magic= 53,69,159
color_fatigue=68,166,83

color_misc=0,205,205

color_weapon_fill=150,50,30
color_magic_fill=150,50,30

color_positive=249,208,134
color_negative=150,50,30

color_count=249,208,134
PC fonts and colors

Code: Select all

[Fonts]
Font 0=magic_cards_regular
Font 1=century_gothic_font_regular
Font 2=daedric_font

[FontColor]
color_normal=202,165,96
color_normal_over=223,201,159
color_normal_pressed=243,237,221

color_active=96,112,202
color_active_over=159,169,223
color_active_pressed=223,226,244

color_disabled=179,168,135
color_disabled_over=223,201,159
color_disabled_pressed=243,237,221

color_link=112,126,207
color_link_over=143,155,218
color_link_pressed=175,184,228

color_journal_link=37,49,112
color_journal_link_over=58,77,175
color_journal_link_pressed=112,126,207

color_journal_topic=0,0,0
color_journal_topic_over=58,77,175
color_journal_topic_pressed=112,126,207

color_answer=150,50,30
color_answer_over=223,201,159
color_answer_pressed=243,237,221

color_header=223,201,159
color_notify=223,201,159

color_big_normal=202,165,96
color_big_normal_over=223,201,159
color_big_normal_pressed=243,237,221

color_big_link=112,126,207
color_big_link_over=143,155,218
color_big_link_pressed=175,184,228

color_big_answer=150,50,30
color_big_answer_over=223,201,159
color_big_answer_pressed=243,237,22

color_big_header=223,201,159
color_big_notify=223,201,159

color_background=0,0,0
color_focus=80,80,80

color_health=200,60,30
color_magic=53,69,159
color_fatigue=0,150,60

color_misc=0,205,205

color_weapon_fill=200,60,30
color_magic_fill=200,60,30

color_positive=223,201,159
color_negative=200,60,30

color_count=223,201,159
The xbox colors were probably better for the popular CRT TVs of the time. There are also color differences in the Weather sections.

One fun difference someone put in is the Level 13 text. xbox vs pc
Level13=It's the most amazing thing. Yesterday it was hard, and today it is easy. Just a good night's sleep, and you forget how to be stupid.
Level13=It's the most amazing thing. Yesterday it was hard, and today it is easy. Just a good night's sleep, and yesterday's mysteries are today's masteries.
The music is just wma rather then mp3. The sounds are a lower sampling then the PC version. The videos are also just lower bitrate version of the PC videos. There is one additional video mw_attract0.bik which isn't in the PC version which is demo type video when the main menu idles.

There are 3 main data files used by the game. Morrowind.esm, Morrowind.esm.map and Morrowind.bsa. These integrate the Tribunal and Bloodmoon expansions. The esm.map is also a esm of some kinda with full of CMAP types. I get errors/crashes loading either esm in morrowind editors. Some of the definitions for the types changed some data size definitions so error out. (Expecting length 12 instead of length 8 etc.)

The Morrowind.bsa for the xbox isn't extractable with any tools I could find. The filenames section of the file is mangled in some fashion. All the DDS and INFs are just data. I just dumped them based using their file headers as cut offsets so I could look at them. The nif and dds are usuaslly low quality versions of the PC versions. Many simple textures and nifs are identical. I don't know enough about NIFs to tell you how they are simplified.

I did find all the xbox_button_XX.dds files in the bsa for the xbox controller keys which I was going to use as a base to re-add their textures to the interface. I was thinking new icons could we switched out for other controllers types.

I am having some trouble understanding why NeedKey and NeedMouse properties used in the mygui xmls sometimes. I can disable some NeedMouse properties and then some elements work with directional keys and enter and but some don't. I might need to start looking at the source to see how things work because there will probably need code changes to get what I want done. I have been documenting the xbox interface with screen shots and then modifying the mygui interface to match as much as possible.
screenshot000.png
screenshot000.png (958.69 KiB) Viewed 12630 times
screenshot003.png
screenshot003.png (854.39 KiB) Viewed 12630 times
I was kinda just playing around here with increasing the mini-map size and moving elements around.

I have tons of in game screens from the xbox interface if anyone is interested in them or maybe cooperating on this. I don't really have a good understanding of the game engine or anything so will just have to learn as I go.
Petethegoat
Posts: 3
Joined: 08 Dec 2017, 04:29

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by Petethegoat »

I won't be any help implementing this in openmw, but i have kicked about the idea of implementing a controller friendly UI for the original engine with MWSE, so i'd definitely appreciate your reference screenshots and the extracted button textures. :)
BlueCop
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Jul 2019, 19:57

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by BlueCop »

I will try to get them uploaded somewhere. I am not sure the best way to host them. It kept failing when I was uploading to imgur.

I was working on making an on screen keyboard like the xbox version to try to get me familiar with game code. I have just modeled things up and trying to get the code to connect things up.
Original Xbox
vlcsnap.png
vlcsnap.png (264.77 KiB) Viewed 12504 times
There is some code overriding the GUI Text Value to "OK" from "Done" which I set with text dialog box. I will have to modify it to get the Done text showing correcting. I will try to do it correctly for localization of strings. Also the B back button shouldn't be showing.
screenshot009.png
screenshot009.png (993.39 KiB) Viewed 12504 times
argonvegell
Posts: 225
Joined: 08 Dec 2015, 23:45

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by argonvegell »

Image

I hope PlayStation controllers can be included in this as well, since I'm playing OpenMW with my PS2 controller.
BlueCop
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Jul 2019, 19:57

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by BlueCop »

Petethegoat: removed the link per request. I knew some of the original dds names from the strings the xbe. I named some because I didn't find them referenced. I have my 360 and original xbox available to capture video. I started out working with youtube videos to capture screens. I want to finish organizing and kinda de-duplicating screenshots before try to post all these. It keeps failing would just be messy.

argonvegell: The controller support already works well in open-mw. I just wanted to change the interface use a mouse cursor less. It was still used on the map to navigate on the xbox. I was hoping copy the xbox interface which could then be skinned with other controller button icons. I plan to do one set for the nintendo switch because I want to play with my pro controller on it.

The xbox version of morrowind changed the splash screens to add game and controller tips. Some other changes the original xbox morrowind and the goty xbox morrowind was changes to the controller tip splash screens from the original big type xbox controller to the s type small xbox controller for the controller tip types. Here is an album of both controller splashes(I want to remake these for switch joycon/pro controllers). I tried to upload the rest of the loading screens to imgur but hit the upload limit and then kept bugging out. I am going to modify the loading screens to match the xbox version to line up so it never overlaps the text tips of these. I know you won't see the loading screens much on modern pcs. The switch port still has more loading times because its from a microsd card.
Last edited by BlueCop on 12 Jul 2019, 15:19, edited 1 time in total.
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AnyOldName3
Posts: 2666
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 03:25

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by AnyOldName3 »

Are those custom-made textures/images that you're linking or are they original game assets? We're definitely not allowed to have links to them here if it's the latter, so please remove them immediately if so. If you've not confirmed that they're actually safe pretty soon, a moderator will remove the link.
BlueCop
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Jul 2019, 19:57

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by BlueCop »

I removed the link to the button icons. I will post the offsets in the xbox bsa file where someone can extract them if you want since they aren't easily found.
User avatar
AnyOldName3
Posts: 2666
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 03:25

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by AnyOldName3 »

I guess that's probably fine, although there's also the thing about Bethesda not wanting us to support non-PC assets on PC, which, while not legally-binding, might encourage them to lawyer-up and go looking for things they can nitpick.

In terms of a practical gamepad input scheme, there are plenty of nicely-licenced button prompt packs out there, such as this one I found by googling cc0 xbox buttons https://opengameart.org/content/free-ke ... ompts-pack. Even if this specific example doesn't nicely fit Morrowind's UI, something else will be out there that would work.
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kust
Posts: 11
Joined: 10 Jan 2019, 14:06

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by kust »

Hey, BlueCop!
Any updates on this?
glebm
Posts: 1
Joined: 12 Mar 2021, 00:15
Gitlab profile: https://gitlab.com/glebm

Re: Documenting Xbox UI differences from PC

Post by glebm »

BlueCop, can you please share the code you've got so far? Perhaps someone else can pick this up
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