Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Mnots on March 30, 2016, 01:42:11 pm

Title: HUD Design
Post by: Mnots on March 30, 2016, 01:42:11 pm
I've been working on a design for my game's HUD. It's gone through a few stages so far, starting from a clunky, over-sized, grey design to its current version.

Here's what I've come up with, let me know what you think and how I could improve it!

(https://i.imgur.com/s9iUtiM.png)
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: startselect on March 30, 2016, 02:06:33 pm
I think you can afford to increase the widths of the bars to improve the readability. Also maybe increase the intensity of the colors for the bars. Will they be hollow when depleting or will they have some background? Make sure they are readable at just a glance which is something that gets more important the faster the pace of the game is.
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: MysteryMeat on March 30, 2016, 02:34:21 pm
the compass definitely needs more contrast, it's a bit hard to see.
I'm a bit colorblind, though, so I'm a bit biased against red-on-greenish-colors.
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: Mnots on March 30, 2016, 04:11:00 pm
I think you can afford to increase the widths of the bars to improve the readability. Also maybe increase the intensity of the colors for the bars. Will they be hollow when depleting or will they have some background? Make sure they are readable at just a glance which is something that gets more important the faster the pace of the game is.

I was thinking a white background as they deplete, like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/VwITKGy.png)
but I'm not entirely sure on it. Ignore the weird coloration on the ornament. I forgot to increase my color count on the save file. haha

As for the readability, this is what they look like in terms of scale in-game:
(http://i.imgur.com/piaaWN1.png)

Think that's alright for readability?



the compass definitely needs more contrast, it's a bit hard to see.
I'm a bit colorblind, though, so I'm a bit biased against red-on-greenish-colors.

It could definitely use some contrast, but I'm not too sure on how to do it. Perhaps a solid black background instead of the dithered one. (Also, it's supposed to be a clock. :P)
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: MysteryMeat on March 30, 2016, 04:24:22 pm
Yeah, I'd say knock the background of it down a few shades then so it pops more. No need to get rid of the dithering i feel, just copy the layer and hit multiply.
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: Mnots on March 30, 2016, 06:06:26 pm
Yeah, I'd say knock the background of it down a few shades then so it pops more. No need to get rid of the dithering i feel, just copy the layer and hit multiply.

How's this?
(https://i.imgur.com/1ykJE82.png)
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: MysteryMeat on March 30, 2016, 06:09:30 pm
yeah, that's WAY more readable.
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: rocifier on March 30, 2016, 07:50:34 pm
Suggestion:
(http://i.imgur.com/oEWDjTj.png)
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: Mnots on March 30, 2016, 08:18:04 pm
Suggestion:
(http://i.imgur.com/oEWDjTj.png)

Great suggestion! Makes the bars a lot more readable!
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: trough on April 02, 2016, 10:27:43 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/13Me2Zc.png)
Here's an edit I made trying to reduce banding around the clock.  I AA'd to black, assuming it would be on a dark background like in your example.  I simplified the ornament on the end, because it seems like it got corrupted somehow since your earlier post, and I thought it looked noisy, but YMMV.
(http://i.imgur.com/kbeUAI1.png)
The only way I could think of to make this look better on a bright background was to add a black outline.
Title: Re: HUD Design
Post by: Mnots on April 03, 2016, 12:46:10 am
(http://i.imgur.com/13Me2Zc.png)
Here's an edit I made trying to reduce banding around the clock.  I AA'd to black, assuming it would be on a dark background like in your example.  I simplified the ornament on the end, because it seems like it got corrupted somehow since your earlier post, and I thought it looked noisy, but YMMV.
(http://i.imgur.com/kbeUAI1.png)
The only way I could think of to make this look better on a bright background was to add a black outline.

Thanks for the edit, trough! I really like the splitting area between the two bars, and the black depleted area. It maintains a nice readability while giving them the curve I was originally going for. I like the bottom edit, with the black outline, as well. It'll make it stand out a bit more during my outside game scenes. The hour hand on the clock is a bit thin, but I otherwise agree with the edits you made there, as well. These will make excellent improvements. :D

You were definitely right about the ornament being corrupted from my first post. I didn't even notice it. Thanks for pointing it out! It must've been from some pixels being shifted to the right on it.