User interface enhancement

Long time lurker first time poster. Always thought Winuae could use a killer user interface.. something flashy and Amigaish, but figured it would require a graphics artist to really make it shine..

I guess at the very least the icons and maybe the menu structure could use a touch up. I just wanted to suggest a similar design to Zoomplayer's options page which has a nice clean look with a click to expand tree structure. Would be great to see the GUI getting a bit of love like the rest of the program gets. Cheers!

[Vot]

I like the current UI, I would rather it stays how it is.. professional looking.

If anything maybe an option to skin it but the current one stays as the default.. That would keep everyone happy. I'm pretty sure however, I read, Toni say he had no interest in doing it. (Could be wrong)

Id much prefer him spend time on improving the emulation not UI tinkering, because lets face it not many people if anyone can code the emulator like he can, anyone can wank around with UI code. He is a obviously a very talented person. He knows the amiga architecture, 68k asm and windows coding very well. The amiga community is very lucky to have him... When i get some spare cash I'm donating again...

[Toni Wilen]

No.

I hate all Windows GUIs that try to be something else and have GUI objects that do not work like normal Windows objects work or have missing short cut keys, wrong look and so on.

Windows programs (that run on desktop, fullscreen-only of course does not count) with non-Windows look are stupid and functionality should always come first.

EDIT: also expanding trees are slower and annoying to use if full open tree already fits

[Vot]

Hehe.. I thought you said similar...

[Michael Sykes]

If you like a cool and fancy GUI, why not use fs-uae?
It's not(yet) as sophisticated as WinUAE but imho it has what you want.
I never used it but from what I read here and there it seems worth a shot.

[Leandro Jardim]

I asked something similar too, but Toni has other priorities for WinUAE, I think he wants it too, but dont have enough time...

Since you asked, I will suggest two ideas also, albeit I dont know if everyone will like they. I would love to see a GUI for WinUAE with the look of the Amiga Early Setup, to look and act of a extension of it and of the basic OS3 interface. This way it can look too like the GUIs of FPGA firmwares and make the PC look like another computer itself. I am speaking of something like a very simple GadTools look, not a fully skinnable WinUAE. WinUAE could then start directly at Windows startup, turn the Windows GUI into another computer by toggling fullscreen on and even turn off the PC for you.

Another idea, is to make a GUI that works like the Spectaculator GUI, a commercial ZX Spectrum emulator. This have the advantage that it conforms to the Windows guidelines. And it can be made to look like a computer abstraction with buttons and selection of CDs/ADFs, without the need to create a skinnable WinUAE. There is the need to put a few most used control panel options of WinUAE on the toolbar and statusbar. This way it is a lot less work. There is no need to destroy the WinUAE control panel, it can coexist as well, or else, each of the control panel "pages" can be adapted into a separate dialog. Internally, WinUAE even stores each of these pages separately, so its easier.

[Vot]

Nothing is stopping you guys from writing a launcher that creates a config and launches winuae or downloading the source and writing it yourself..,

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Windows programs (that run on desktop, fullscreen-only of course does not count) with non-Windows look are stupid and functionality should always come first.

Agreed.
WinUAE's interface is really great.