Mobile camera console

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EvilJackCarver
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2016 2:07 am
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Mobile camera console

Post by EvilJackCarver » #406453

Looking for feedback on an idea:

What if there was a mobile version of the camera console, like the normal ones but on the modular computers? You'd get similar functionality but the way I have it thought up it'd take more clicks to get to each camera, but you can't move while the camera feed's being looked at. In addition, you wouldn't be able to get it on tablet computers (mumble mumble terrible GPU) and it'd require at the very least, generic security clearance to view.
  • If I end up starting on this, I plan to make it take at least 3 clicks to get to each camera (assuming if you're on the main menu, 4 if you're on another camera feed - [main menu] > camera list > camera details > view feed > main menu ...) versus the 2 of the camera consoles.
  • I plan to achieve the motion checks by comparing the xyz location of the program's host computer to the xyz location where the user initially started looking at the feed, so if the user is bumped it'll kick them out so they can deal with whatever's going on (or get really pissed off at the assistants running into them in the hall).
  • I plan on making it available for laptops/computers only (sorry, no stealing a tablet and getting a camera feed!) so you'd have to put in a little bit of work to get a mobile camera console. Assuming you did go through all that, I also plan to have it have a large filesize so you've got a useless laptop while it takes its sweet time to download at 0,5 GQ/sec.
  • I also plan to have a version in the SyndieNet without the security restriction but has a larger filesize to try to discourage emagging a laptop for a free camera omnibug (this entire bullet subject to change)
  • It'd be reliant on NTNet's system, so if the relay goes down from an ionospheric bubble or gets DDoS'd, the camera feed's useless.
As I don't play security much, I don't know the balancing implications of this very well, so someone please tell me why this is a terrible idea.
R. Andreas Spitzer or SpitzOS (or a random-named human) ingame. Usually somewhere in engineering, or pAI.
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Mickyan
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by Mickyan » #406690

Considering that using the cameras is already extra finicky and to get any use out of them you need someone sitting at the console at all times, allowing officers to take a quick peek while on the move doesn't sound unreasonable

Cameras really should be a big deal but currently the chance that someone will be watching is so slim people forget they're even there until the AI goes rogue
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kevinz000
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by kevinz000 » #407363

relying on how many clicks/clutter interface to balance it is a bad move.
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EvilJackCarver
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by EvilJackCarver » #407384

kevinz000 wrote:relying on how many clicks/clutter interface to balance it is a bad move.
Do you have any ideas on how to better balance it? Or do you think it'd be balanced as is, minus the interface?
R. Andreas Spitzer or SpitzOS (or a random-named human) ingame. Usually somewhere in engineering, or pAI.
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EvilJackCarver
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by EvilJackCarver » #408703

An update on this: I've gotten a functional, rudimentary prototype together. It needs a good bit of work still (specifically in the 'snap user to feed' bit, one of the checks is runtiming - might remove it though since it's a redundancy check) and I don't like the way the camera list is presented to the end user (it's clunky, and for some reason camera_sort() isn't working).


Home page
Spoiler:
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Camera list
Spoiler:
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Again, I don't like the way this is presented to the user. I might have the 'details' button say 'Online¦Offline - Details' and coloured appropriately, then on the same line have the camera name. It'd neaten it all up.
Details page
Spoiler:
Image
Viewing the feed
Spoiler:
Image
Something has gone horribly wrong in testing...
Spoiler:
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Not shown: Feed disconnect screen (if you move/camera breaks)

Obviously I still have a bit of work to do, but hey. It functions.

Edit: Todo:

- Fix runtiming when exiting camera feed
- Change TGUI for camera list
- Fix camera list not sorting
- Fix runtiming when exiting out of a camera feed while laptop is not actively in the user's possession
- Create syndinet version without job restrictions on download, but larger filesize
- Add a proper UI icon
- Fix an issue where a camera with a blank c_tag would end up in the list
- Add in code to allow someone to filter cameras by network (private camera networks, anyone?)
- Make "Close Feed" button take you back to the camera list instead of the home menu
- (In reference to above bullet) Hell while I'm at it remove checks for if you're viewing camera outside 'viewing camera' screen since it's pretty much useless anyway it's not useless, it doesn't exclude from checks what i thought it did
- Add a note to the UI that cameras can be quickly searched by using Ctrl-F



I closed the Github PR for now because 2 AM + melatonin + exhaustion from changing reel strips + getting my ass handed to me by two Bally uprights do not mix very well.

Edit number whatever: Try 2 on the PR is out
Last edited by EvilJackCarver on Mon May 14, 2018 6:29 am, edited 3 times in total.
R. Andreas Spitzer or SpitzOS (or a random-named human) ingame. Usually somewhere in engineering, or pAI.
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Lumbermancer
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by Lumbermancer » #409239

I can't even get photos in pda security records, and you want portable cameras.
aka Schlomo Gaskin aka Guru Meditation aka Copyright Alright aka Topkek McHonk aka Le Rouge
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EvilJackCarver
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Re: Mobile camera console

Post by EvilJackCarver » #409269

PDAs don't use TGUI.
R. Andreas Spitzer or SpitzOS (or a random-named human) ingame. Usually somewhere in engineering, or pAI.
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