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Import/export of settings! - How do you want it to work?

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Author
CCP Fear
C C P
C C P Alliance
#1 - 2013-06-11 09:45:07 UTC  |  Edited by: CCP Fozzie
Hello all!

Something that comes up again and again is making how you import/export and share settings better. In some cases it's non-existant. In others it's a overly complex to do. (I'm looking at you Overview.. Especially on a Mac!)

So I've been pondering over it, look around and trying to get a better picture on how it should function within EVE. So here I am and I want your input on it!

Here are a couple of thing I would like your input on, but don't let that discourage you to give general input and feedback on the topic.

1) What settings would you like to have stored?

2) How would you expect the synchronization (import/export) to function? What would the interaction be?

3) How would you go about sharing settings with other players? (directly or in-directly)

These are just some basic questions to get the discussion going. Feel free to add any more within the realm of sharing/import/export of settings.

Best
CCP Fear
Hosedna
FumbleFamily Corp
#2 - 2013-06-11 10:10:16 UTC  |  Edited by: Hosedna
1) Every single bit of setting :) I hate having to spend time to redo some configuration stuff when I reinstall or play on another computer. Excepted of course graphics settings since they change per machine, not per user.

2) The ideal would be automated synchronization with storage on CCP server. You login, configuration is loaded, you are happy. You log off, configuration is saved. Done.
A cheaper solution would be a button in the launcher to generate an archive with a manifest of some sort, and another button to import said archive. And don't save it in an obscure folder, give user the choice via a dialog window (overview export, I'm looking at you !) !

3) Sharing settings is very useful , particularly overviews, since they are a PITA to do ... So both online backuping and archive export could be complementary.
Aemonn Ikari
State War Academy
Caldari State
#3 - 2013-06-11 10:42:59 UTC
The first thing that would make import/export of settings a lot more convenient would be to remove the need to ever do that in the first place for situations where this is possible. When there is no reason for a setting to be intentionally set to different values on different computers, it should just be stored on CCP servers and be synchronized automatically. I have EVE installed on three different computers, manually syncing the overview settings is rather annoying.

If the setting is stored on the server, this would also allow additional methods of exchanging those settings ingame. For example, a permalink to a specific set of settings that you could paste into an Evemail. When clicking on such a link, a player would get a dialog with the option to import this set of settings. This might be especially useful e.g. for FW corps and RvB where fixing the overview of new players has to be always done, then this could just be sent in the welcome mail to new corp members.

Being able to have several profiles that contain separate sets of settings is always nice.
Bubanni
Corus Aerospace
#4 - 2013-06-11 10:52:27 UTC  |  Edited by: Bubanni
1) What settings would you like to have stored?
All window locations and overview settings, including tab names and brackets settings. also all settings under the ESC menu, like shortcuts, graphics settings, target back settings... everything...
neocom shortcut locations and such also. basicly being able to copy the client as is...

2) How would you expect the synchronization (import/export) to function? What would the interaction be?
File that can be importet from anywhere on the computer... when you import the settings, you can deselect/select what settings you want importet, like "all menu settings" "all overview settings" "all personalization" "everything" "wtfbbq"

3) How would you go about sharing settings with other players? (directly or in-directly)
share a file. that you can even backup on your own usb for when you reinstall your computer or game.

Addition of things to not forget.

Tracking camra location
Combat log information and location on screen (scrolling text)
Drone setting (focus fire, attack and follow, passive/aggressive)
Auto pilot settings? like fastest or low sec only... so on.
size of windows, and how far boarders are expanded/retracted.
don't forget columns settings from the overview settings either...

Supercap nerf - change ewar immunity https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=194759 Module activation delay! https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=1180934

Sentient Blade
Crisis Atmosphere
Coalition of the Unfortunate
#5 - 2013-06-11 10:52:39 UTC
The main things for me would be to ensure that certain things do not cross over between different machines, for example the settings I use on my GTX580 at 2550x1600 are of no use at all on my 1080p laptop which doesn't have a great GPU in it, which would melt.

Overview settings for sure, but I think if it's being done, it's worth doing properly and the overview settings editor itself is in drastic need of some work. The underlying problem is that the overview setup is so complex in the first place that sharing overviews becomes a matter of necessity... configurations which get lost if you change a single field, no auto saving, things like that.

Now personally, if I were going about the problem of saving settings, I'd probably consider something like a primitive web API which the client would just upload the configuration to, with a label, character ID, and MD5 of the configuration. Let people download / share the configuration and have it loaded directly into their clients by pasting in the MD5 code in a similar manner to how you paste in an ETC... "This configuration was provided by... XYZ Name. Proceed?"

In general though, I'd rather have some kind of interactive sync process than fully automated. While I want my left hand toolbar to stay the same, I might not want my window positioning to same (especially when dealing with multiple resolutions).
Maximus Aerelius
PROPHET OF ENIGMA
#6 - 2013-06-11 11:13:43 UTC  |  Edited by: Maximus Aerelius
Inventory Filter settings in addition to the others already mentioned:

Fittings - Personal and Corp
HUD Layout
Windows - Location, Size, Placement
Nested Windows
Neocom
Bookmarks ( as a backup)
All Overview Settings\Tabs\Saved Profiles for Overview

A great sticky idea...well done CCP Fear!

I also think these used to be stored server-side back in the day but it took quite a while to synch to the client so they changed it to be stored locally.
Nicen Jehr
Subsidy H.R.S.
Xagenic Freymvork
#7 - 2013-06-11 11:14:39 UTC  |  Edited by: Nicen Jehr
1) What settings would you like to have stored?
Super Important
Keyboard Shortcuts
Overview Settings
Not as important
Chat channels
Window Layouts and stacking
Ship module grouping and button layout
Suppressed dialog messages
Saved fittings
Inventory filters

2) How would you expect the synchronization (import/export) to function? What would the interaction be?
Use XML, JSON, etc to build a single config file that contains the configuration of some or all of the configurable items.

In the ESC menu, have 'Save Configuration' and 'Load Configuration'.
'Save Configuration' pops up a window with a set of checkboxes, allowing you to choose what things you want to save in your config file.
'Load Configuration' opens a config file from disk. It pops up a window with a set of checkboxes, allowing you to uncheck components of the config that you don't want to import. (So maybe I export my overview and chat channels, but you choose to only load my overview.)

Guess it's a whole different animal, but if you define API key permissions "Configuration - Overview; Configuration - Shortcuts" etc, and allow read and/or write access through CREST, my friend and I might not even need to share files. I could just give you an appropriately permissioned API key, and you could click 'Load Configuration from API' and paste my info.

3) How would you go about sharing settings with other players? (directly or in-directly)
see above
Jureth22
State War Academy
Caldari State
#8 - 2013-06-11 11:42:52 UTC
wish drone group were to be saved somewhere.its such a pain to have a lot of carriers and drone boats in general and keep making new group/to
Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#9 - 2013-06-11 11:58:02 UTC
Sentient Blade wrote:
The main things for me would be to ensure that certain things do not cross over between different machines, for example the settings I use on my GTX580 at 2550x1600 are of no use at all on my 1080p laptop which doesn't have a great GPU in it, which would melt.

QFT.

So while automatic service sync often is nice, there must be an option to switch it off.

Being able so save all settings (including UI settings, windows etc) and being able to import the ones I want would be gold.

Being able to export just part of the setting for sharing with friends would be nice bonus.

Sticking to established standard and use xml for import/export would also be good.

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Tiber Ibis
The Paratwa Ka
#10 - 2013-06-11 12:34:36 UTC
Awesome. This is a much appreciated feature. The main thing that jumps to mind is obviously hotkeys, overview settings, window layout, and many more which I can't think of right now.
Ione Hawke
Darkness Industries
#11 - 2013-06-11 12:41:59 UTC  |  Edited by: Ione Hawke
What:
* overview settings
* channels and channel settings
* neocom - (please put contracts there by default)
* hotkeys

* other UI element settings
* fittings ?
* filters for inventories.
* suppressed dialogs
* tutorial state (disabled)
* ...

How:
Let players in the launcher create a template based on account they are currently authenticated with. Perhaps with some drag/dropping/clicking checkboxes.
* add export/import to xml/yaml function to launcher


For each new character that logs in;
* allow a player to apply entire template, or select certain categories from template (checkboxes) to that character

=> make it easy to add more settings for more areas in future
=> Optionally allow players to store settings on server
=> While you are at it; allow launcher to maintain authentication tokens for multiple accounts.
Mike Voidstar
Voidstar Free Flight Foundation
#12 - 2013-06-11 12:50:35 UTC
I think it should come in 3 flavors:

1. Overview
----Allow the overview settings to become a data file in game that can be linked in chat, EVE mailed, etc. If there is a way to store such things on a corporate level that would be handy, but just being able to invite a new friend to the game and link him my overview would be a huge help. This is perhaps the biggest help for introducing new people to the game I can think of.

2 Adjustable UI elements
----Everything from HUD position to window placement to hotkey setups should be saved in another file. This should at least be EVE mailable. If an interface to set up to allow switching between a few different settings depending on task could be created, that would be a nice help.

3. Background client settings
----Volume, resolution, etc... All the things that you set and then generally forget unless new hardware or changing conditions require an adjustement. This could be saved to a simple file on the PC, though again the ability to store and use EVE mail to access it would be helpful.
Maximus Andendare
Stimulus
Rote Kapelle
#13 - 2013-06-11 14:52:02 UTC
CCP Fear wrote:
Hello all!

Something that comes up again and again is making how you import/export and share settings better. In some cases it's non-existant. In others it's a overly complex to do. (I'm looking at you Overview.. Especially on a Mac!)

So I've been pondering over it, look around and trying to get a better picture on how it should function within EVE. So here I am and I want your input on it!

Here are a couple of thing I would like your input on, but don't let that discourage you to give general input and feedback on the topic.

1) What settings would you like to have stored?

2) How would you expect the synchronization (import/export) to function? What would the interaction be?

3) How would you go about sharing settings with other players? (directly or in-directly)

These are just some basic questions to get the discussion going. Feel free to add any more within the realm of sharing/import/export of settings.

Best
CCP Fear
Yes please! Optimally, I'd love if I could export *all* the settings, so that if I'm running two clients, say, I could set one up, export the settings and have an identical overview on each (spacing, tabs, overview details+order, window positions, neocom icons, etc.). I'd love if this would extend to bookmarks, too, but they are somewhat easily transferrable, so it's not so bad as the overview and other settings are.

It's just really difficult to get identical clients, which I'm sure what many people like who run multiple "mains."

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mynnna
State War Academy
Caldari State
#14 - 2013-06-11 16:10:47 UTC
It'd be nice to have market quickbar settings be something that you can import/export without the whole "go to local/eve folder, copy/paste and rename" thing that's necessary to do that now.

Member of the Goonswarm Economic Warfare Cabal

Luc Chastot
#15 - 2013-06-11 17:07:00 UTC  |  Edited by: Luc Chastot
1. All settings, especially UI and workflow related settings. This means window sizes, positions etc.
2. Import/export buttons in the Esc menu, with a pop-up window that contains checkboxes for all the settings that you can import/export.
3. Emailing the exported file?

Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot.

Lau Torik
Tribal Liberation Force
Minmatar Republic
#16 - 2013-06-11 17:19:16 UTC
Overview Settings, Client Settings, Bookmarks, Window Settings, Chat Settings
- Save and load from server
- Named Configs, limit to 5 of each for resource conservation
- Shared Configs via API
Chris Winter
Bene Gesserit ChapterHouse
The Curatores Veritatis Auxiliary
#17 - 2013-06-11 18:47:34 UTC
Settings which will be relevant to all computers (overview settings, scan filters, market quickbar, etc) should be stored on the server and available whenever I log in, regardless of what computer I'm logging in from. Possibly also shortcut key mappings.

Settings which won't be relevant to all computers (resolution & other graphics settings) should not be stored on the server, as I may want different settings on different computers.

Where it gets sketchy is things like window positions, which will sometimes be useful across different computers and sometimes not. Maybe have an option for that sort of thing?
Lloyd Roses
Artificial Memories
#18 - 2013-06-11 22:06:59 UTC  |  Edited by: Lloyd Roses
CCP Fear wrote:

2) How would you expect the synchronization (import/export) to function? What would the interaction be?


go to some sub-menu in the overview's rightclick menu, and have a rather comfortably sized window popping up letting me select one of those thingies from a drop-down-menu, showing me a preview and letting me confirm. Overview is free to reload together with the scanning overlay-cycling-thingy. So instead of selecting a file, have it look more integrated.

(that window should contain a small simulation of things (a cyno, a pos with forcefield, a moon, an IBIS, a pod, a couple ships appearing to be from corp/alliance/at-war and in hostile militia), so one could immediatly see the impact ones checkboxes do)

CCP Fear wrote:

3) How would you go about sharing settings with other players? (directly or in-directly)


It should clearly work like sharing fits! Dropping a link, pops up a passwordbox, everyone can clcik and add that overview settings to his own overview settings by entering the same password. Free to grab from corp-overview-settings.
Gorgoth24
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#19 - 2013-06-12 03:19:49 UTC
General Feedback: CCP Marry me. This is one of those little things that I would LOVE to see fixed

Aside from what was posted in the third response to the sticky about saving our stuff server-side (which is spot on), I think that the sharing of overview setting should be focused on something linked (like a fitting).

This way it can be linked in corp/alliance bulletins and be shared en masse.

This should probably also include a screenshot of the screen configuration when you click the link or show info, so you know what you're getting.
Swiftstrike1
Swiftstrike Incorporated
#20 - 2013-06-12 08:50:16 UTC
Have a section on the website for shared settings configurations. A few stock screenshots and a description with each one and an up/down voting system so the popular ones get the most attention. Maybe even make them officially supported, built into the client things that you can load from the ESC menu. Somewhat similar to how Steam Greenlight works, but for custom settings instead of games.

Casual Incursion runner & Faction Warfare grunt, ex-Wormholer, ex-Nullbear.

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