When developing Paleon Reinvented, I decided to completely rewrite the user interface system to make working with it significantly easier and more efficient.

Problems with the Old System

In the original Paleon, each UI element was difficult to add and configure. I had to hardcode positions for many elements, which is an extremely poor development practice. This led to violations of the DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principle you shouldn't duplicate code it's better to create a universal solution that can be reused.

Additionally, the old version completely lacked the ability to scale the UI, which created problems for players with different screen resolutions.

1. Test Scene for UI Elements

For more efficient testing and debugging, I created a separate scene containing all the game's UI elements. This allows for quick verification of changes without needing to run the entire game.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/40199210/77804c00380eb064f1803c5a0c8bbb33c1a41f1e.png"][/img]

2. Anchor Positioning

Implemented an anchor positioning system for all UI elements. Thanks to this innovation, when the game window is resized, all interface elements automatically maintain correct positions relative to the screen.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/40199210/2b5c04f6b0e9631a37a5bb26155b95c5d8fb0ad5.gif"][/img]

3. Debug Overlay for UI Elements

Added a special debug display mode that shows bounds and pivot points of all UI elements. This significantly simplifies the process of configuring and debugging the interface.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/40199210/d894d8fd4cca5b33bdc7ffd59c47ff852ef59660.png"][/img]

4. Improved Lists scrolling

Completely reworked the lists scrolling in the game. The new system provides smooth and responsive scrolling, significantly improving the user experience. Future enhancements are planned for even better UX. [img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/40199210/5794d71758ce91e48e753253ade509835b80ad21.gif"][/img]

5. Scalable UI

Implemented the ability to resize all UI elements. You'll be able to adjust the interface scale to your preferences and monitor characteristics.

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/40199210/b40d7f28c964ed032890e43c877dc989be92b9c5.gif"][/img]

Overhauling the UI system in Paleon Reinvented took considerable time, but the result was worth it. The new system not only simplifies development and addition of new interface elements but also provides a better user experience. The code has become cleaner, more unified, and easier to maintain.