2D GUI HUD Creator - Work in progress #1
by Jules · 06/26/2011 (2:15 am) · 35 comments
2D GUI HUD Creator will help you to rapidly create artwork for your games. The finished product will contain a library of tools and resources that can be used on their own or combined with other elements.
This is a work in progress blog to get your initial feedback and ideas that you'd like to see in the 2D GUI HUD creator. There are many reasons why I decided to create the 2D GUI HUD creator, mainly to increase the productivity workflow by saving you valuable time and if you're no artist it will help you to create a basic or professional looking HUD in no time at all. You can even combine elements together and save your results into a PNG file, with the option to export to Torque, creating a .gui file ready for you to import into your game.
I'll be giving away 5 free copies of the 2D GUI HUD Creator, for those that show their interest. Launch date will be in July.
PS. There is also a 3D version in the works that will hook into Torque 3D with an API to create fully working GUIs instead of just the HUD artwork, but still very early in R&D and too early to blog about this yet, as other projects are taking priority first. 2D version will be out first at a very affordable price.
Anyway, keep an eye out for more WIP progress blogs.
Thanks!
#22
06/29/2011 (5:41 am)
great, S2P! 
#23
06/29/2011 (6:48 am)
Hi, Not possible to test anymore ??????
#24
@Christian - there will be an online limited demo soon. 2D GUI HUD creator is not available until the end of July.
06/29/2011 (8:03 am)
@Mquaker - thanks.@Christian - there will be an online limited demo soon. 2D GUI HUD creator is not available until the end of July.
#25
06/29/2011 (9:21 am)
looks great I look forward to testing it out 
#26
Another great idea and product I can't wait to get me hands on!
Keep up all the great work
07/01/2011 (11:45 am)
wow Julian, don't you ever sleep?Another great idea and product I can't wait to get me hands on!
Keep up all the great work
#27
@Greg - I get enough, although the bright light during the day plays havok with my eyes :)
07/01/2011 (12:50 pm)
@William - thanks!@Greg - I get enough, although the bright light during the day plays havok with my eyes :)
#28
Sounds interesting. Creating buttons is exactly what I am trying to do now for this game.
But, would you mind telling what are the differences between your program and GIMP for example?
07/01/2011 (12:59 pm)
@S2PSounds interesting. Creating buttons is exactly what I am trying to do now for this game.
But, would you mind telling what are the differences between your program and GIMP for example?
#29
In a later update (or at the time of launch) there will be tools that will enable you to create incrementing health bars, speedometers (and more) by generating sequence based snap-shots for each of the stages that can then be imported into the likes of Torque 2D/TGB etc and be used to animate them with your scripts. There will also be tools that you just input the on-screen requirements and click BUILD (yes, a BUILD button at last!) it then creates the artwork GUI HUD for you. (such as a set of boxes (2 x 4) with a specific border style (sci-fi). So you don't need to be a great artist, or with a bit of imagination you could combine a few of the artwork pieces together with some transparency or a frosted glass effect to make it look completely different.
2D GUI HUD creator will provide you with enough stock game GUI HUD artwork for a number of game genres, with the option to purchase art packs for specific game genres at a later date. Buttons and shapes are quite low on the features chart as these are commonly used in other packages like Gimp, but a requirement to keep things in one place, otherwise you'll end up using two pieces of software to do one job.
edit: you could even create your own artwork from software like gimp and import them into 2D GUI HUD creator, whilst using other artwork combined to create what you need. It's all surplus to requirement.
Hope that answers your question, but worth waiting for the demo/videos first to see what it can really do.
07/01/2011 (1:33 pm)
@Pedro - Besides the custom shapes so you can create your own polished looking buttons? All of the hard work has been done for you, giving you an easy set of tools to manipulate and enhance on the artwork that is made available, or import your own. It will also export the artwork with Torque based scripts, so all you then need to do is place them in your game. Just drag and drop what you wish to use and with a small amount of clicks or adjustment you can achieve what you need with ease.In a later update (or at the time of launch) there will be tools that will enable you to create incrementing health bars, speedometers (and more) by generating sequence based snap-shots for each of the stages that can then be imported into the likes of Torque 2D/TGB etc and be used to animate them with your scripts. There will also be tools that you just input the on-screen requirements and click BUILD (yes, a BUILD button at last!) it then creates the artwork GUI HUD for you. (such as a set of boxes (2 x 4) with a specific border style (sci-fi). So you don't need to be a great artist, or with a bit of imagination you could combine a few of the artwork pieces together with some transparency or a frosted glass effect to make it look completely different.
2D GUI HUD creator will provide you with enough stock game GUI HUD artwork for a number of game genres, with the option to purchase art packs for specific game genres at a later date. Buttons and shapes are quite low on the features chart as these are commonly used in other packages like Gimp, but a requirement to keep things in one place, otherwise you'll end up using two pieces of software to do one job.
edit: you could even create your own artwork from software like gimp and import them into 2D GUI HUD creator, whilst using other artwork combined to create what you need. It's all surplus to requirement.
Hope that answers your question, but worth waiting for the demo/videos first to see what it can really do.
#31
07/02/2011 (5:37 am)
Looks like it could come in very handy
#33
11/16/2011 (10:07 am)
2D GUI HUD creator will be launching in December.. stay tuned..
#35
04/01/2016 (9:28 am)
If anyone has v1.. you can pick up your free upgrade to v2 from our website www.2dguihud.com - this is only valid for the next few months. 
Torque Owner Jules
Something2Play