Dynamic Data

[Genen]

I'm trying like hell to understand dynamic data. I am looking at different UI Pieces. Groupmembers, guild, etc. I know that the eq2ui_gamedata.xml file provides a list of all available dynamic data. I get that.

I was able to toss a FPS label on a window and use the "FRAMESPERSECOND" dynamic data to populate that text object and it worked.

However, look at this code. This is a line straight from the default guild window. This is in the memberRow page where it places the guild rank of the character. This appears to be assigning a specific guildrank image 'Rank0Style'. If I double click the style I can see it follow back to the source image. How does this magically show up as the correct rank in the guild window? I don't see any dynamic assignment going on in that memberRow object. The raid window is the same way - the group members have a hard coded image style (priest, fighter) and yet magically the correct image shows up when in game.

 <Image BackgroundColor="#FFFFFF" GetsInput="true" Location="3,3" Name="GuildRank" PackLocation="fixed,fixed" PackSize="fixed,fixed" ScrollExtent="18,18" Size="18,18" Stretch="false" Style="rankstyles.rank0style" />

Where or how does it know to assign the guildrank of the person in the memberRow to the correct image? Why isn't the style pointing to some dynamically assigned value?

Whan I set the DynamicData field in an object, where does the client stick that data? What field in the current object that requests the Dynamic data gets populated with the result?

If I can ever grasp this I think the 'doors' will open. I'm just pouring over the forum and UI code but I'm missing something.

I am using both the UIbuilder and just the XML file itself to figure this out.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to read these forums and assisting us noobs that are new to the UI field. I have some great GUI ideas but damn it's slow going at first.

Genen

[gm9]

The answer to the issue you quoted is simple: That is not using dynamic data at all, the everquest2.exe modifies that element during runtime. There are many instances of that in the UI, although admittedly it has gotten much better over the years. If you see us refer to hardcoded behaviour on the forums that's what we mean.

As to your second question: That depends, it is different for every dynamic data object. For a select few it is actually documented in eq2ui_gamedata.xml, for all others it is trial and error.

[RickF7666]

Another problem your going to run into using gamedata is that the gamedata information is populated after the ui piece is drawn. Which means that when you call some gamedata it doesn't appear in the ui piece. Now a lot of ui creators have several techniques to get around this particular problem. Mostly this consists of using HoverIn to call the gamedata, although OnShow works sometimes to.

[Genen]

Thanks for the info.

I think that because of 'hard-coding' of the guild window's member rows this will be impossible, but I'll ask anyway.

To your knowledge, is there any way to get each persons's archetype as it populates that guild window? If I wanted to increment a counter for each archetype currently online, how would I do that?

As each member row is populated is it possible to have it return any kind of information about the character in that specific row?

I've tried different events (Onshow, onhide, onhover, etc) in different parts of that whole member-row area but i can't get any kind of meaningful dynamic data between rows.

All my wonderful ideas up in flames!!

Genen

[gm9]

No, can't be done for a number of reasons, that information is not available.