[Feature] Stretch 4:3 statusbars to fit screen

[NightFright2k19]

In widescreen, offer an option to stretch standard size statusbars to cover the gaps on both sides. Useful for pwads which don't have a widescreen replacement available and user still wants to make the background image disappear.

Possible behavior if a widescreen statusbar is loaded:

• Ignore/override the setting (dynamically) or
• Stretch it anyway (in which case port must take actual STBAR width and properly cut it down to 320p again).

Feature is already implemented in DSDA-Doom.

Note: Could theoretically be expanded to be applied to menu lumps (TITLEPIC, INTERPIC, BOSSBACK etc) as well.

[ak-988]

It's not stretching, but have you tried the "solid statusbar background" option in general settings?

[NightFright2k19]

I am aware of it. It's a different effect and works for most bars, but it's not exactly what I'm aiming for. Rather what is described in this Doomworld post.

[rfomin]

I don't like this kind of stretching, and we currently have no support for it in the patch drawing system. Perhaps it's more interesting to improve the "solid statusbar background" feature. Which status bars look bad?

[NightFright2k19]

Alternate ideas: 1) Let the user choose the background tile from patches of the current iwad/pwad loaded. STBAR lumps are often made from those patches, so chances are there is one which fits. 2) Determine the predominant color in the STBAR lump and automatically adjust the background color to it.

[rfomin]

An alternate idea would be to let the user choose the background tile from patches of the current iwad/pwad loaded.

I like the idea, but there are a lot of 64x64 tiles in Doom. Should this be a config-only option?

[rfomin]

2. Determine the predominant color in the STBAR lump and automatically adjust the background color to it.

We are already trying to do this, but perhaps failing in some cases.

[NightFright2k19]

Well, you could let it tile by default. Often it works. (Anyway, a 64px-wide patch should be enough to cover one side in usual scenarios. 53-54px would already cover HD resolutions.)

Config only could be ok, but without being able to see the patch via menu, one would have to browse through the patches in SLADE, which isn't too user-friendly.

[rfomin]

Config only could be ok, but without being able to see the patch via menu, one would have to browse through the patches in SLADE, which isn't too user-friendly.

According to SLADE there are 147 flats in DOOM2.WAD. Still it could be an interesting "widget", I will at least try it.

[NightFright2k19]

Maybe for the pro user one could consider adding a lump that, if added, predetermines which patch should be used for such purposes. However, since that would be a very specific feature, it's doubtful it would really be used unless more ports pick it up.

A solid default for the standard STBAR would be STONE (which is, however, a composite texture). Here's a mockup, using the top left of the texture as origin for the right side and the top right for the left. It's almost as good as any of the hand-made widescreen replacements out there.

[fabiangreffrath]

Not sure, guys. Vanilla Doom already makes pretty clear which flat is meant to get drawn around the view port. For those who don't like it, we have the solid status bar background feature - and I'd be fine to improve on it if there's still potential. But for everything else, you could still load custom widescreen status bar background patches and be done with it.

[rfomin]

Another idea is a special tile name that the port would check first. This would allow users to autoload it. E.g. STBGTILE.lmp

[ceski-1]

When I saw this I immediately thought of Strife which has a config option to change the border, or a WOOFBDR lump that can be prioritized if found.

However, some people actually prefer the default one, there are also wads that replace it with something that may look nice which would be missed if it was overridden, and for current alternatives it's easy enough to use widescreen replacements or the solid color option. There's also multiple fullscreen hud options as a last resort.

I don't like the stretched status bar appearance and I'm not sure if adding another replacement option is worthwhile considering the above.

[fabiangreffrath]

However, some people actually prefer the default one, there are also wads that replace it with something that may look nice which would be missed if it was overridden, and for current alternatives it's easy enough to use widescreen replacements or the solid color option. There's also multiple fullscreen hud options as a last resort.

Agreed to everything that was said here.

I don't like the stretched status bar appearance and I'm not sure if adding another replacement option is worthwhile considering the above.

Agreed again.

[NightFright2k19]

Well, it was worth a try. Back to the 600p+ res fixes then, I guess. :)