[New Formats] Making "IN" and "OUT" signs for all teleporters/receivers

[IchoTolot]

We want to make "IN" and "OUT" signs for all teleporter/receiver pairs in the new format version to make them overall clearer and easier to understand.

If graphic set designers want to do this for their sets themselves tell us here! If there is no notice for lets say until after the holidays here, Nessy and I will do it ourselves! A quick notice that you are doing it yourself is enough.

We just want to give you a fair chance to do it your way to your tilesets without us simply changing your sets without notice. If you want us to do it this is no problem at all, but we might do it in a different way from what you have in mind.

If you made "IN" and "OUT" signs for one of your teleporter/receiver pairs pm them to either Nessy or me. The sprite should be displaying "IN" or "OUT" fully written out and be sure to set the transparency.

To edit one of your teleporter/receiver pairs just get the current sprites for them out of the matching tileset folder in the styles folder of the new formats player.

Here is a list of all teleporter/receiver pairs that still need the "IN" and "OUT" signs:

Arty Lego
Gigalem Dread
Gigalem Ghz
Gigalem Starport
IchoTolot Dune   (I will do that myself of course )
Minim PS3 Dark
Minim PS3 Factory
Namida Abstract
Namida Circuit
Namida Machine
Namida Martian
Namida Purple
Namida Space
KingShadow3 Brick (already edited)
Orig Marble
Raymanni Eldorado (will do it himself)
Raymanni Spooky (will do it himself)

[Ryemanni]

Does it have to be text? Can it be an arrow pointing at the teleporter and an other one pointing out from the second teleporter?
Nevertheless, I will add the in/out text to my teleporters and post the fixed versions here.

[Nepster]

Does it have to be text? Can it be an arrow pointing at the teleporter and an other one pointing out from the second teleporter?

The problem with these arrows is the following: namida's machine style teleporters and receivers already use such arrows, but unfortunately the other way around: Pointing away for the teleporter and pointing to the receiver sprite. I fear relying on such arrows will only lead to more confusion.
Upshot is: The text is preferred, but if you cannot manage that for whatever reason, then post here and we will find a better solution.

[IchoTolot]

Does it have to be text? Can it be an arrow pointing at the teleporter and an other one pointing out from the second teleporter?
Nevertheless, I will add the in/out text to my teleporters and post the fixed versions here.

Yes, we want to have text. If it's 100% impossible we could figure out an alternative solution to that specific case, but text is desired.

An arrow is not as clear as the writing: Does an upwards arrow mean that the lems go in that way or out that way; does the downwards arrow mean that they should go in or out here?

[Simon]

Text? Those who can't design are condemned to document? Text was considered bad by me and suboptimal by Nin10doadict, whereas antenna on sender, satellite dish on receiver, got no criticism whatsoever.

I'd discourage pure arrows.

-- Simon

[IchoTolot]

whereas antenna on sender, satellite dish on receiver

That's way harder to draw and again not as clear as the writing. I doubt that this is totally clear from the get go. Could be a good alternative when the writing is impossible though.

[Nepster]

Text? Those who can't design are condemned to document? Text was considered bad by me and suboptimal by Nin10doadict, whereas antenna on sender, satellite dish on receiver, got no criticism whatsoever.

Yes, some other sign would be even better, but if we want to enforce that, we will run into two problems:
1) Designing such signs that fit the respective style is very hard. Try to design satellite dishes for the cavelem style. A neutral text fits much better.
2) Some teleporters are rather small. namida's martian one is only 12x16 pixels. Small text is easier to add than a satellite dish, without overpowering the original design.

[ccexplore]

Text? Those who can't design are condemned to document?

A single "in" or "out" word is hardly "documentation".  It's not like Lix exclusively uses all text-free buttons either, even though plenty of games exist that do.

Don't get me wrong, the text will probably look somewhat clunky compared to a pure-graphical solution, but at the same time it'll probably be difficult to find something graphical that works well across any possible style of teleporters.  Of course, you can also argue that once we established a standard graphic to use, future incarnations of teleporters can adapt to that graphic accordingly, and so it should only clash with some of pre-existing teleporters.

[GigaLem]

With most of my teleporters, I label them to make them easy to tell what goes in and what goes out
Teleporters are marked with green, Receivers are marked with red.
I guess to be fair with this, I think an "in-game" marker would make it easier to tell.

[IchoTolot]

With most of my teleporters, I label them to make them easy to tell what goes in and what goes out
Teleporters are marked with green, Receivers are marked with red.
I guess to be fair with this, I think an "in-game" marker would make it easier to tell.

That still doesn't answer the question: Do you want to make the "IN" and "OUT" signs yourself or should we do it?

[Colorful Arty]

You can make the IN and OUT signs for the Lego teleporters, just please make them easily differential from the terrain (i.e. don't make the IN and OUT signs the same color as any of the lego terrain pieces)

[GigaLem]

With most of my teleporters, I label them to make them easy to tell what goes in and what goes out
Teleporters are marked with green, Receivers are marked with red.
I guess to be fair with this, I think an "in-game" marker would make it easier to tell.

That still doesn't answer the question: Do you want to make the "IN" and "OUT" signs yourself or should we do it?

You guys can handle it

[Ryemanni]

Is it enough if the text is only visible when the teleporter/receiver is idle? See the changes I made to my eldorado teleporters.

[IchoTolot]

Is it enough if the text is only visible when the teleporter/receiver is idle? See the changes I made to my eldorado teleporters.

I think this is a great idea and would call it totally viable!

[GigaLem]

Is it enough if the text is only visible when the teleporter/receiver is idle? See the changes I made to my eldorado teleporters.

I think this is a great idea and would call it totally viable!

I second this