VGUI Screen Creation

Getting it to load

( Originally from jim_the_coder from TheWavelength )

1) Create a .res file in steamdir\SourceMods\yourmod\scripts\screens ex. vgui_test_screen.res:

"screen_basic.res"
{
   "Background"
   {
       "ControlName" "MaterialImage"
       "fieldName"  "Background"
       "xpos"   "0"
       "ypos"   "0"
       "zpos"   "-2"
       "wide"   "480"
       "tall"   "240"
       "material"  "vgui/screens/vgui_overlay"
   }
   "OwnerReadout"
   {
       "ControlName" "Label"
       "fieldName"  "OwnerReadout"
       "xpos"   "10"
       "ypos"   "20"
       "wide"   "240"
       "tall"   "34"
       "autoResize" "0"
       "pinCorner"  "0"
       "visible"  "1"
       "enabled"  "1"
       "tabPosition" "0"
       "labelText"  "No Owner"
       "textAlignment" "center"
       "dulltext"  "0"
       "paintBackground" "0"
   }
   "HealthReadout"
   {
       "ControlName" "Label"
       "fieldName"  "HealthReadout"
       "xpos"   "240"
       "ypos"   "20"
       "wide"   "240"
       "tall"   "34"
       "autoResize" "0"
       "pinCorner"  "0"
       "visible"  "1"
       "enabled"  "1"
       "tabPosition" "0"
       "labelText"  "Health: 100%"
       "textAlignment" "center"
       "dulltext"  "0"
       "paintBackground" "0"
   }
   "DismantleButton"
   {
       "ControlName" "MaterialButton"
       "fieldName"  "Dismantle"
       "xpos"   "78"
       "ypos"   "160"
       "wide"   "324"
       "tall"   "48"
       "autoResize" "0"
       "pinCorner"  "0"
       "visible"  "1"
       "enabled"  "1"
       "tabPosition" "2"
       "labelText"  "Dismantle"
       "textAlignment" "center"
       "dulltext"  "0"
       "brighttext" "0"
       "Default"  "0"
       "command"  "quit"
       "paintborder" "0"
       "enabledImage"
       {
           "material" "vgui/screens/vgui_button_enabled"
           "color" "255 255 255 255"
       }
       "mouseOverImage"
       {
           "material" "vgui/screens/vgui_button_hover"
           "color" "255 255 255 255"
       }
       "pressedImage"
       {
           "material" "vgui/screens/vgui_button_pushed"
           "color" "255 255 255 255"
       }
       "disabledImage"
       {
           "material" "vgui/screens/vgui_button_disabled"
           "color" "255 255 255 255"
       }
   }
}

2) The materials used in the .res file can be found in source material.gcf using Nem's GCFScape. Extract the files in hl2\materials\vgui\screens to steamdir\SourceMods\moddir\materials\vgui\screens.

3) In steamdir\SourceMods\moddir\scripts create or open the text file vgui_screens.txt and add a new entry for the screen. ex.

"VGUI_Screens"
{
   "vgui_test_screen"
   {
       // This is our example screen
       "type"		"vgui_screen_panel"
       "pixelswide"	480
       "pixelshigh"	240
       // This must be the file you created in step 1
       "resfile"	"scripts/screens/vgui_test_screen.res"
   } 
   "teleport_countdown_screen"
   {
       "type"		"teleport_countdown_screen"
       "pixelswide"	480
       "pixelshigh"	240
       "resfile"	"scripts/screens/teleport_countdown_screen.res"
   }
}

4) Open Hammer create a small square map with a spawn, a light, and a vgui_screen. Change the vgui_screen's properties like so: Panel Name = vgui_test_screen Panel Width in World = 64 Panel Height in World = 32

Height and Width can be changed to whatever you need. Those values define the actual size of the screen in the world.

5) Save your files, build your map, launch your mod, and whala! you have a vgui_screen in game.

Getting Input to work

Here is the proper way of fixing vgui input:

In in_buttons.h, where the other flags are defined add:

   #define IN_VALIDVGUIINPUT		    (1 << 23) //bitflag for vgui fix

next, in in_main.cpp inside the method - CInput::CreateMove(...) add:

   cmd->buttons |= IN_VALIDVGUIINPUT;

right above:

   g_pClientMode->CreateMove( input_sample_frametime, cmd );

next, in c_baseplayer.cpp inside the method - C_BasePlayer::CreateMove( ... ) add:

   if(pCmd->buttons & IN_VALIDVGUIINPUT)

right above:

   DetermineVguiInputMode( pCmd );

(So it only calls DetermineVguiInputMode if the buttons include our flag)

and finally, inside the method - C_BasePlayer::DetermineVguiInputMode(...) change both instances of:

   pCmd->buttons &= ~(IN_ATTACK | IN_ATTACK2);

to read:

   pCmd->buttons &= ~(IN_ATTACK | IN_ATTACK2 | IN_VALIDVGUIINPUT);

The move is created about 4 or 5 times from various points in code. What we've done, is added a flag to mark the buttons as valid for handling the vgui input in the only place where the buttons haven't manipulated and are still valid. This is a far better method of fixing the vgui input rather than using some counter.

Note: No offense TJMonk but if you're going to use my code/suggestions and "give me credit" atleast do it properly so I don't look like I've done a poor job. I hope no mods employed the previous "fix" posted here.

I hope this helps some people.

Screenshot of working panels in the mod Hostile Planet

-Helkus@gmail.com

Further Possibilities

1) Make it so that a player has to hold down a button to use the screen.

2) Make it so that when a player is viewing the screen, all input is sent to the screen, including movement keys. The player will not be able to move again, until they look outside the bounds of the screen.

3) Change the MAX_VGUI_SCREEN_INPUT_TICK to a convar like cl_screenmaxtick to allow clients control over how often the input should be updated. This could help laggy systems use the screen, and fast systems quicker response times.

Revision History

Created: 7/13/05 by TJMonk15 Fixed to work correctly: 7/23/05 by Helk