8 replies to this topic

[Alpha_ProgDes]

If I wanted to create a GUI/desktop/windowing system, what should I be looking at to start doing that sort of programming?

[Yrjö P.]

1) doing GUI design, 2) building GUIs for apps within an existing environment and 3) building a windowing system from the ground up are very different kinds of efforts.

[3Ddreamer]

Hi,

Take a look at the MonoDevelop/Mono community. The GUI support is quite good for what you want.


Clinton

[exoity]

Game Engine Gems, Volume 1 has a great chapter on GUI programming named "A GUI Framework and Presentation Layer".

[Alpha_ProgDes]

What I would like to do is 1) prototype a GUI interface for an app. 2) once I'm able to do (1), I'd like to be able to the same for a tablet (or OS with a touch interface).

Hopefully, this clarifies what I'm asking for.

[Yrjö P.]

It does does clarify things - you aren't looking to create a windowing system, but to prototype and build GUIs for desktop and then for mobile or tablet.

What tech you use at the end depends on which platforms you want to target - Windows, OSX, Linux, Android, iOS, WinRT, and so on.

Most people looking to make a desktop app should, instead of re-inventing the wheel, probably use a GUI framework like Qt. That one is cross-platform between Windows, OSX and Linux, and has good support for Symbian on mobile. Android support is on the way. It is "C++ native", but it can be internally scripted with QtScript (~Javascript) and there are bindings to most major languages. There is a graphical interface builder that should help for quick prototyping.

I'm currently looking to learn Qt in conjunction with a UI design course.

[Alpha_ProgDes]

So when I thought of creating a GUI system, I was thinking something along the lines of the video below (but not exactly). What do you have to do get your desktop to do THAT!

 

This seems to be homemade, but it could be Alienware as well. All I know is, I would love to learn how to do something like this (altering GUI/UI on my desktop to awesomeness).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-ohF9tRI8

Edited by Alpha_ProgDes, 25 December 2012 - 05:09 AM.

[Alpha_ProgDes]

Anyone?

[Yrjö P.]

The Youtube video says exactly what the guy used to get that desktop - Rainmeter for the widget engine, a bunch of ready-made Rainmeter widgets, some software from Stardock (probably the start menu replacement), and Dreamscene (probably for the video background). I don't think he did anything on his own except collecting the widgets and tools.

If I understand correctly, the thing you want to do is start hacking together a Rainmeter competitor with your own widgets? If so, my earlier recommendation of Qt is still good. Qt Quick 2.0 is great for quickly putting together widget-like UIs and animating them, but you also get very fine-grained control when you need it.

Edited by Stroppy Katamari, 27 December 2012 - 02:13 AM.