Interface Design Desperation.. Help needed!

[jgpaiva]

I'm desperatelly needing help with school stuff. This particular class is taking loads of my time so i need your help on this one.

I just need to know if anybody knows a simple way to make a user interface. It can be anything, from an executable to a flash animation or even a web page. I just need to keep it simple and fast.

The interface is for a DVD renting machine with no database, just some static stuff. This means there's almost no need for variables and such, almost like a web page. Truth is that there are like 40 static screens (all of them follow a template), and i only have a few days to do it. (no, i didn't leave it to the last moment, that's the time they gave us)

So, i ask for your help. Can you tell me a good way to do it?


Here's the ones i've thought about:

• Flash (although i know nothing about it and it looks like there's too much to learn and too litle time)
• Html + Php (looks like the best option right no)
• Cpp (using some kind of easy gui maker. Don't know anything about it, though)
• Other programing languages, using easy gui makers. But i know of none like that.

I hope you can help me... Thanks! 

[mouser]

jgp since you are having to learn php and html forms and stuff, i agree that sounds like your best way.

i find flash HORRIBLE for gui stuff.

you could use delphi or c++ builder if you want to make a standalone application.

[jgpaiva]

I have just found one better way to describe what i'm looking for:
"dynamic Powerpoint". Something that will allow me to create a bunch of screens, and link them easily, but keeping some states at the same time.

I'm learning php, but i still don't know much about it, and i really was looking for a sort of mouse-directed solution.

Nevertheless, php+html looks like my best solution up to the moment.

[mouser]

well there are tools for doing this for like presentations, designed for minimal interactivity and mainly linking back and forth between screens.

But is the main aim to make the screens look really nice, or does that not matter?  That will have a big effect on what you need to use i think.

[NeilS]

How about EasyPrototype?

It's not free, but there's a 30 day eval which is apparently fully functional, although sometimes people say "fully functional" when they mean "doesn't allow saves", so might be worth checking that before you do too much with it.

[Renegade]

There's an IDE for Flash that looked really cool. Let's you build real applications with Flash.

http://www.multidmedia.com/software/zinc/

It might help out, but it's not free. You could just use the trial though.

[Renegade]

Then again, I still like Visual Studio, and very much deserve to win the Team System

[mouser]

those easy prototype things are nice ideas, but you know with the new Borland releases of Turbo editions, i think you are better off "prototyping" your interface in delphi or c++ builder, where you can make it into something real if the urge strikes you.  the visual designer is quite powerful.  might be a little bit harder but the payoffs of having a real language and compiler are significant.

[Lashiec]

HTML + PHP. It's the combination they use in my university to teach GUI design. You could also try Visual Basic or Delphi as suggested by mouser

[jgpaiva]

How about EasyPrototype?

-NeilS (November 02, 2006, 01:34 PM)

Thanks for the suggestion, NeilS. It does look good and work well, but it's for low-fidelity prototypes.

I have decided that flash is a bit beyond my needs, as there are way too many commands and such.
My current best option is html+php, but i'm now going to take a good look at borland turbo.
Thank you so much for your help so far, i hope i'll find the perfect solution asap!