Quick Source Loading Page

The current source loading page is difficult for new users to understand ands is lacking in general guidance on what to do next. As this is the first thing a user sees it is a significant barrier to usage.

This specification describes a simplified source selection user interface that allows use by both new and advanced users.

User Interface

The Quick Source Loading page should pop up when PCGen is first started. It should have large (200x200 pixel-ish) buttons showing the common sets of sources to be loaded. Out of the box it should cater for both PC only and game master versions of "SRD", "RSRD", and "MSRD". Obviously other major game modes should be available here too, however we need to be careful not to overload the screen and make it too complex again. When clicked each sets the game mode and loads those entire sets (e.g. RSRD Complete). This would be single shot, no additional questions for the user.

Other buttons on the screen:

• Define Sources for this Button. This brings up the old sources selection screen that would set the sources for just that button, returning the user to the "quick sources" after "OK" is clicked.

• Define Source Buttons This is a small button (vertical size similar to traditional buttons like "OK", and "Cancel"), which allows creation, hiding, and deletion of the shortcut buttons. The screen can probably reasonably handle 8 large shortcut buttons before it's overloaded visually.

One important thing to add to this concept - what happens when you are finished? I'd suggest that either:

1. You click on a source button and it opens a new character
2. You select a source button (so radio button style as in the PowerPoint example below) and then click on New character, load character or new NPC.
3. It sits in the background like the current source materials tab and lists what sources are loaded. Possibly with the New/Open/New NPC buttons on that page.

Tom's mockup:

Connor's mockup:

Source Definition

Yea, I like this idea. Display 8 buttons, with: SRD for Players (PC races & classes) SRD for Game Masters (SRD including Monsters) RSRD for Players (PC races & classes) RSRD for Game Masters (SRD including Monsters) MSRD...

leaving at least one button (preferably more) that users get to "define sources"

Adding New Sources to the Page

You'd need to poll for the game mode first, but otherwise, yes this would work.nicely.