Feedback needed - how would you use customizable unit images?

[Colen]

Hey gang,

We're working on one of the new AB3.3 features, and I thought I'd pitch a question to you guys to see how you'd use it. The question is about - customizable unit images.

In AB3.3, we're planning to let you associate images with units. At the moment, we're envisioning the primary use of this being to print a small, maybe 1"x1", thumbnail image beside the unit entry in roster output.

That way you can put a small image of a character, or maybe a small picture of a banner, to distinguish each unit, so you know "This guy is the dude with the giant axe, this unit has the banner with the smiley face, etc etc".

Is this how you see yourself using customizable images for output? If it is, or if it isn't, please post here describing how you'd like to use your own images. We want to try to implement something that will be of maximum use to the community, rather than just our (possibly incorrect) notions of what that would be.

Thanks! I look forward to your replies.

[Mr_Rose]

What I'd love to be able to do is have a "wide-screen" shot of the entire unit put behind the output text of the roster entry, but I guess that shouldn't be too hard to make happen with the custom XML output.

Anyway, to your actual question; I guess the use would really depend on where the picture was visible in the interface; if it's behind four levels of menus I'm unlikely to use it at all, but if it's right there in the unit description or mouse-over, then I'd probably be running it the way you suggest.

P.S. Any chance of having "saved units/squads" appear as one of the filter options?

[Colen]

The image will be visible in an info window - if you have widescreen mode enabled (which will be the default for screens over 1000 pixels wide) it'll be shown automatically. You should be able to find a screenshot of this in our newsletter from 1 or 2 months ago if you're interested in seeing how it will look.

Being able to show saved units & squads is on our to-do list, but I don't think we'll get to it for this release. It's definitely on our to-do list for the future.

[hockeyhyper]

Yes that'd be the main way to use it. It would come in very handy for highly converted armies. Like DonMondo's lizardman IG conversions.

[Pssyche]

What would be good for me would be the ability to be able to catalogue my entire army with photos of the individual models/units then be able to drag and drop them into my roster rather than create the same unit time and time again.

Secondly, I'd like the ability to print out an Index Card for each Unit that would carry a photo of the said Unit, and all the characteristic information and special rules pertinent to that unit.
This would be an invaluable in-game aid that would prompt you to remember all of those little details that so easily slip your mind in the heat of battle.

[JMichael]

It would be great for 40k and transports.
Say having the same icon associated with a unit, it's transport with something actually painted on the transport (like an icon, #, etc).
Especially useful in tournaments.

[Caradryan]

It would be nice an image composing the unit by single gif or png model image. So if you have a unit of 20 spearmen with command group you visualize automatically that. You take off some model(s) and you visualize automatically that.

[jboweruk]

Cool idea, I think I'd like to have an image printed as a use for it, so that people can see which unit is which at a glance, and to be able to see them so that I can choose without getting my models out.

[Colen]

Originally Posted by Caradryan

It would be nice an image composing the unit by single gif or png model image. So if you have a unit of 20 spearmen with command group you visualize automatically that. You take off some model(s) and you visualize automatically that.

This is not really something we're looking to do; our intent is to have a static image that you can view for a unit.

While it would be pretty cool to have 20 different spearmen appear when you added 20 models to the unit, anything we did like that would likely be really complex for users to use, and likely not particularly useful for many people.

BTW, you can see some examples of the custom images functionality in our November newsletter:

http://wolflair.com/index.php?contex...=november_2010

[Colen]

Originally Posted by Pssyche

What would be good for me would be the ability to be able to catalogue my entire army with photos of the individual models/units then be able to drag and drop them into my roster rather than create the same unit time and time again.

This is on our to-do list, but unfortunately won't make it into 3.3. I'll put another vote down for it.

Originally Posted by Pssyche

Secondly, I'd like the ability to print out an Index Card for each Unit that would carry a photo of the said Unit, and all the characteristic information and special rules pertinent to that unit.
This would be an invaluable in-game aid that would prompt you to remember all of those little details that so easily slip your mind in the heat of battle.

Unit cards are doable in AB3.3 (although sans images) - see this preview for details:

http://wolflair.com/index.php?contex...september_2010