[Feature]: Update Text Labels to make them easier to read.

[cwisniew]

Describe the Problem

Text Labels can be hard to read due to the colour scheme and 3d "bubble" effect.

The Solution you'd like

Colours for text labels should be configurable, making them easier to read. This should apply to map text labels and token labels.

Alternatives that you've considered.

No response

Additional Context

No response

[Baaaaaz]

Are map visibility/view labels also in scope of this feature as they seem to have the same bubble format as PC token labels? e.g.

"Map not visible to players"

"Player view"

[Baaaaaz]

Also as the Initiative window uses the same bubble token label formats (i.e. PC/NPC/Visible), are these in scope as well?

[bubblobill]

Please don't throw out the 3D with any changes.

[cwisniew]

Also as the Initiative window uses the same bubble token label formats (i.e. PC/NPC/Visible), are these in scope as well?

Not in this change, in a future change

[cwisniew]

Please don't throw out the 3D with any changes.

The problem is the 3D versions are not suitable for these types of changes and I think being able to support people who have trouble reading the text trumps the bad 3d effect

[FullBleed]

Please don't throw out the 3D with any changes.

You're probably one of those round-earthers.

[bubblobill]

The problem is the 3D versions are not suitable for these types of changes and I think being able to support people who have trouble reading the text trumps the bad 3d effect

Or, you could increase the font size by a couple of points. Or, you could increase the inset values by 1 Or, you could increase the contrast Or, you could decrease the border radius Or, you could increaae the font weight Or, you could increase the font kerning Or, you could render it in small caps Or, you could add a drop shadow to the text Or, you could alter the opacity of the specular highlights

You know, just a few possibilities to increae readability that maintain the 3D effect

You could even render them as buttons so that Aaah users get 3D and everyone else gets flat

[cwisniew]

The problem is the 3D versions are not suitable for these types of changes and I think being able to support people who have trouble reading the text trumps the bad 3d effect

Or, you could increase the font size by a couple of points.

Tried this, then the background no longer looks like a 3d bubble as the image stretches

Or, you could increase the inset values by 1 Or,

This wouldn't help much and would run into the same problem as above

you could increase the contrast Or, you could decrease the border radius

This would require recreating the image, in the border-radius case it will have no benefit

Or, you could increaae the font weight Or, you could increase the font kerning Or, you could render it in small caps Or, you could add a drop shadow to the text

Or we could allow people to control the colours and font size they want to use

Or, you could alter the opacity of the specular highlights

What hilights?

You know, just a few possibilities to increae readability that maintain the 3D effect

You could even render them as buttons so that Aaah users get 3D and everyone else gets flat

Rendering them as buttons its not really a good option as they are not buttons, then you have things that look like they should be buttons but they are not.

I could add the ability to display them as is but then I will be inundated with requests to apply all the new configurable options to them. This will happen if they are rendered as buttons as well, which also couldn't be done.

[bubblobill]

Or you could use my answer to everything. SVG. Styled with themes everyone could be happy.

[cwisniew]

Or you could use my answer to everything. SVG. Styled with themes everyone could be happy.

That would be a good solution if we were running in a browser, swing not so much as the library reads the SVG into a bit map with size specified at time of reading

[bubblobill]

To be honest, I actually prefer that approach. If I can't read the label I can zoom in.

[FullBleed]

I think this can be closed. The text labels are easier to read and are more customizable with this update. A nice improvement.

There are some other areas where the new method could be applied like in the init window and for "map status" messages (as mentioned by Baaaaaz above). Those would probably be two additional "categories" (i.e. PC, NPC, Not Visible, Initiative, Map Status) for the purposes of settings though.

And there are ways that this could have more customization: Maybe give each type (PC/NPC/Invisible) their own font/border settings and, perhaps, some per-token options to subtype the labels (bold, italic).

But anything beyond what we have right now can be a new FR.