Modding Discussion Tabula Rasa - Coming changes you should know about!

So some changes are coming down the pipe for Tabula Rasa.

On Tabula Rasa:
Let me start by saying that Tabula Rasa's initial goal was to simply make modding more convenient. At early release, SnoopJedi's initial concept was for Tabula Rasa to act as a conduit and workaround to simply make modding easier to do, circumventing overwriting base files (which led to compatibility issues between mods) and simply giving modders a place for their mod items to just get into the game. Patches later, our initial goal has not changed.

What has changed, however, is that with the __merge modding changes, implementing mods is now more intuitive than it was in early release. While Tabula Rasa is still widely used from what I can see, be it as an anchor for mod content or simply a mod testing tool, it's not strictly "the easier" way to mod. This is a good thing! We would, however, still like to keep Tabula Rasa as a useful tool for everyone. What SnoopJedi and I have been working on, is tackling what we feel is going to become the next problem with modding: mod crowding and "clutter".

The Clutter Problem:
Starbound modding, as with most modding, is running quickly into what I'm calling "The Clutter Problem". As people download more and more mods, one of two things are happening:

1) As your mod count increases, so does the amount of custom mod crafting benches to make these mod items. This results in having to free up physical space for either the benches themselves, or chests to store the benches if they aren't being set out all the time. As cool as mods are, I doubt anyone wants to dedicate space in their home/ship just to house a ton of crafting benches. This is what I call spatial clutter.

2) As your mod count increases, so does the amount of items being added either to Tabula Rasa, or to base game crafting benches (metalworking station, etc.). This results in having an ever-increasing list to scroll through. Even with base game filters, this list can quickly become too much, especially when some mod packs are adding dozens of items at a time. This is what I call menu clutter.

What we want to do about it:
Shortly after this next update, we're going to be adding an array of Custom Filter Buttons to Tabula Rasa, to help combat these clutter problems. These buttons will appear just to the right of the normal Tabula Rasa crafting interface, and when setup properly, will allow users to filter content in the Tabula Rasa by Mod.


Since I've talked this long, I guess you guys deserve some pictures!

This is an example of a Custom Filter Button:

Each button is simply two frames. An "unpressed" and "pressed" variant, in this example, used for a Xextredge filter button. I can tie my Xextredge items implemented through Tabula Rasa to this filter, so when I click it, only those items show in the list.

Keep in mind these buttons are completely optional. You can still use Tabula Rasa as you always have. Hey, maybe you like scrolling! We don't know!
You may also opt to use the new custom button system, but not provide artwork for one, for which we have provided this flashy, awesome button for use:

We're providing the following template for you modders to create a small, 60x18 pixel banner to use as a custom button banner for your mod. Simply fill the inside area of the button border template (shown below) with either text, artwork, mod author name, gratuitous lens flare....whatever you want basically. This will represent "your" mod, and after the Tabula Rasa changes, will be able to be easily implemented into the new button array and tied to your mod. This simple process will be detailed in the update.

HERE IS YOUR TEMPLATE BUTTON:

"Unpressed" on the left, "Pressed" on the right.
Remember, as with all Starbound sprites, save as a transparent PNG file!

Seeing as how some people might want to start on artwork for their mod banners in advance of the coming Tabula Rasa changes, I've made this post to offer the button template to people to work with now instead of later.

Thank you for reading and/or using Tabula Rasa!

-SnoopJedi and LowestFormOfWit.