# New vehicle interaction menu
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035
**Category:** The Drawing Board
**Created:** [November 16, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035 "2013-11-16T15:20:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@illi-kun](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/illi-kun)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/1 "2013-11-16T15:20:37Z")
I’m not a fan of current vehicle interaction menu, so I’m thinking of some changes.
How it looks now:
New menu:
Why I want to do that? I’ve prepared a picture with notes about changes:
I want to make another one annoying interface option, something like “vehicle menu: vertical (old), horizontal (new)”, so you will be able to choose the view which fits better for you.
I’m still not sure anyone except me will use this option, so, folks, I’m asking your opinions about that.
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### Author:  [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/2 "2013-11-16T15:22:11Z")
…If this is real you have my support.
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### Author:  [@Pthalocy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Pthalocy)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/3 "2013-11-16T18:29:20Z")
I find having the stats on the right listed vertically …surprisingly more legible. A lot of items have been moved to spaces where I anticipate such information being displayed, and… yeah. More legible for my trained brain.
I like it quite a bit.
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### Author:  [@Anonymous1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Anonymous1)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/4 "2013-11-16T18:36:32Z")
[size=8pt]Agreed with what has been said far. You have my support on this as well.[/size]
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### Author:  [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/5 "2013-11-16T18:38:21Z")
My only gripe is that the vehicle being displayed “on it’s side” makes the parts look weird, but it’s not exactly worth complaining about.
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### Author:  [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/6 "2013-11-16T18:42:32Z")
How did you…?
Whatever. I like the new placing of the stuff.
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### Author:  [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/7 "2013-11-16T18:46:00Z")
[quote=“FunsizeNinja123, post:6, topic:4035”]How did you…?
Whatever. I like the new placing of the stuff.[/quote]
If I had to guess it’s photo-shopped, look at the windshield.
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### Author:  [@Rivet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Rivet)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/8 "2013-11-16T18:46:08Z")
Might want to put a mark or note on one end of the vehicle display to remind the player which end is the front.
Other than that minor bit, it’s awesome.
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### Author:  [@illi-kun](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/illi-kun)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/9 "2013-11-16T20:12:02Z")
EkarusRyndren, you’re right, it’s just draft from photoshop, and I’m sorry for possible confusion.
Rivet, yeah, it’s kind of tricky: in json blueprints as well as in my sketch above, right direction is from rear-to-forward, but in standard engineering practice left side view is used; here is some random example of blueprint from google (arrow is mine):
So, current state of blueprints in Cata is weird, but I’m not ready for reversing all existing json blueprints. Conclusion: your idea is great! Check this out the updated version:
Another option is just an arrow showing fwd direction, something like this: “-\>”; will test the both cases and show for comparison.
Okay, I didn’t hear any objections yet, so let’s try to do it in code.
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### Author:  [@moist\_zombie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/moist_zombie)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/10 "2013-11-16T20:22:44Z")
illi-kun can do it. illi-kun has the powah!! 🙂
I’m all for this and enjoy all the other fine tuning you’ve done as well 😃 Thanks for the hard work and contributions! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Pthalocy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Pthalocy)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/11 "2013-11-16T20:45:06Z")
Arrows help my derpy head greatly, especially as I already have to convert vehicle appearances in my head as they turn anyhow. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A FUNCTIONING DRAFT PLEASE 😃 all of the happyfaces.
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### Author:  [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/12 "2013-11-16T20:48:01Z")
Maybe with this we can have a side view for cars.
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### Author:  [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/13 "2013-11-16T20:50:00Z")
> [@FunsizeNinja123](#):
>
> Maybe with this we can have a side view for cars.
I don’t see a point for that XD Maybe later a way to differentiate Z levels in vehicles but I don’t see a point to side views.
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### Author:  [@Ian\_Strachan](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ian_Strachan)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/14 "2013-11-16T21:16:42Z")
There is a reason why vehicles are sideways in the JSON and vertical in the interaction pane. It’s not a GOOD reason, because it’s a legacy hold-over, but it is a reason:
For some insane, nonsensical reason, the JSON assumes that the vehicle is facing to the right. Hence all vehicles and blueprints face that way. But vehicles themselves assume they face north, and so the co-ordinates get reversed in many, many places. It’s hideous and needs to go away but would take a lot of work to fix.
Note that the blueprints in JSON are not used by the game, and are purely there for the reader to see what a vehicle looks like. You can edit the blueprint field as much as you want, or even remove it entirely, and it won’t affect a thing. You’ll have to actually change the coordinates of every vehicle part if you want to flip them around. (should be a matter of just flipping the minus sign on every x-coordinate)
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### Author:  [@illi-kun](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/illi-kun)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2013, 9:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/15 "2013-11-17T09:38:44Z")
Ian Strachan, someone on git, maybe you, told me about blueprints purpose in json earlier. Your idea about inverting of X axis sounds really interesting.
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### Author:  [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/16 "2013-11-17T16:37:58Z")
I also love your profile pic, illli-kun.
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### Author:  [@illi-kun](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/illi-kun)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/17 "2013-11-17T21:23:29Z")
FunsizeNinja123, thank you, it’s just my photo, but maybe this photoshoped background makes everything better 🙂
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### Author:  [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/18 "2013-11-17T22:48:15Z")
+9001
Great idea, it looks so much more legible and easier to make out what is what. DO IT!
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### Author:  [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2013, 8:36am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/19 "2013-11-18T08:36:07Z")
[quote=“Ian Strachan, post:14, topic:4035”]There is a reason why vehicles are sideways in the JSON and vertical in the interaction pane. It’s not a GOOD reason, because it’s a legacy hold-over, but it is a reason:
For some insane, nonsensical reason, the JSON assumes that the vehicle is facing to the right. Hence all vehicles and blueprints face that way. But vehicles themselves assume they face north, and so the co-ordinates get reversed in many, many places. It’s hideous and needs to go away but would take a lot of work to fix.
Note that the blueprints in JSON are not used by the game, and are purely there for the reader to see what a vehicle looks like. You can edit the blueprint field as much as you want, or even remove it entirely, and it won’t affect a thing. You’ll have to actually change the coordinates of every vehicle part if you want to flip them around. (should be a matter of just flipping the minus sign on every x-coordinate)[/quote]
Can’t the JSON and the vehicles themselves be made to assume the same facing?
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### Author:  [@StopSignal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/StopSignal)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2013, 9:43am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035/20 "2013-11-18T09:43:45Z")
I really like it! So much more legible.
[Next page](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/new-vehicle-interaction-menu/4035.md?page=2)