I have been crafting in STO for a bit and I am not overly fond of the crafting UI. So here is an idea for a better UI that would be more useful.

Updated Interface Screens

This is just something I threw together tonight. With time and refinements I think it would be quite useful in game.

Some changes:

• Instead of waiting for description popup it is displayed instantly on the right under description
• Required research skill and item value is displayed together along with your current research skill level
• If you are missing the required schematic you can create it from the same screen instead of leaving the item you chose and navigating back and forth between schematics and your desired item screens
• Missing requirements are listed under the description (schematics can be made without leaving screen)
• Added ability to filter by "Rank" and "Quality", thereby making finding your items faster and easier
• Added "Item Sets" to tabs for Aegis and possible future crafted sets (*hint* *hint* Cryptic!!)
• Added "Compare" to allow for comparing selected item to current items that are in use (general comparisons. Ideally "real world" impact like when you view your stats in non-sector space)
• Added "Stock" to allow you to see all crafting materials you have access to in bank and inventory (Do I need one more, five more, or twenty more of that material?)

Just an idea... I'll tweak it more as the idea forms better in my mind. Granted all just a suggestion unless Cryptic gives us the ability to create add-ons and UI customizations like other MMO's someday. Then I would just make it myself!

*** UPDATE May 25, 2012 ***

Beta 2.0

Well I modified and tweaked my design a bit more. I took various suggestions into the design like making it more LCARS like and adding the images for the missing crafting items. I also put up pic of what I imagine the bank (Stock) screen would look like. Next will be comparison screen.

Updated Interface Screens

Ignore the starship parts on bank screen as those wouldn't show in a real crafting bank screen. Just forgot to edit them out completely. lol

A work in progress while I wait for them to fix foundry slots... Who knows maybe a Dev will like some of the refinements. lol

Thanks everyone for the great comments so far!

For what it's worth, I'd like those additions. I don't craft all that often, but the current interface can be a little dull.

What you did with the right side-bar, for lack of a better term, is nice. Normally, I find myself hovering over things to confirm what the materials are (and what I am missing), so what you put there is certainly attractive.

I really like the idea behind the "stock" section to let us know the quantity we have vs. what we still need to collect or purchase.

Being able to make the relevant schematic for an item right there would improve speed, for sure.

Thanks for the comments.

I agree I hate hovering over things too...

Especially when half the time, they don;t load.

or the wrong one loads. It's annoying to hover over the lower right where the needed materials are and get the description to pop up. Or the reversed.

Heh.
The UI in this game is one of the pickiest I've encountered when it comes to actually responding to mouse-overs and rendering tooltips/info windows.

Like I said many time ,I don't know why http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYGxPRsZ5ZA/TtUuElpiltI/AAAAAAAAAXk/tlcbqPjbKBo/s1600/screenshot_2011-11-29-18-26-36.jpgThis is not even close to http://i29.tinypic.com/ipxue0.png .They shoudl have the same feel ...I don't know ,the UI needs a trek feeling to it.I'd pay real money to have a cool Trek UI

don't get your hopes up, but for what its worth it would be a very neat addition.

Would be nice to see a more LCARS like interface, but issue with LCARS is it was never very efficient at showing data. Lots of used space that was unneeded. Still some more advanced streamlined version would be nice. I think that is what they were trying for... LCARS feel, but streamlines. Just ended up too streamlined. Need a middle ground...

Have no desire to be forced into using LCARS. It is one of those interfaces that is meant to look cool, not be functional.

Agreed.
The actual used portions of the screens, i.e. not the stuff that was meant to look like a neat part of the interface or a lot of buttons, was pretty poor compared to the overall space.