For a little background, I leveled (quite painfully) to 70 on a PvP server, and grew a serious distaste for the stuff. Since my transfer Gnomeregan, I've really been able to shine -- if an evil, maniacal, shadow-obsessed demon-summoner can really "shine".I enjoy working up my own custom UI, and I build macros to make my game easier. I try to keep abreast of the UI, Addons and Macros subforum. If you have any related questions, I should see them there.
Build a better mousetrap
Posted November 20, 2011 at 06:04 AM by Cormanthor
So last week, I debated on whether or not to start coding my own addons.
Initially, my reaction was "No, it's a complete waste of time". Why should I add my two cents into a massive pile of other people's addons? There's addons out there to do whatever your evil heart desires. Shouldn't it just be a matter of going out there and downloading the right ones?
Now, in all fairness, I think I should warn you: I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are arranged alphabetically like they are supposed to be.
I started looking for these addons, but I am really picky about my UI. So I started down the list:
Unit Frames: StUF -- hands down my favorite unit frame mod. If you can't make it look right with StUF, pick another game. That simple.
Action Bars: Dominos -- sweet, simple, hard to break. Others would do, but this is what I choose.
Once you get those two out of the way, everything else really gets subjective.
Minimap: I started with pMinimap, but it seems broken. I'm currently on Pocket Plot, but I'm thinking of changing that too.
Chat: I started with wChat, since I was already using wIn1 as a 'tweaker' addon. I switched both to Leatrix Plus and haven't looked back.
Misc: I chose LitePanels because I like to add custom code to my UI, as well as a few bits of art. Speaking of art, I chose Ferous Media for my status bars and the like. But then I wasn't really satisfied, so I started modding that addon as well.
Things were going pretty decent at this point, and I felt my UI was 'playable', but I really wasn't satisfied with my Minimap. So I started to code my own. The basic premise here is to make the typical square minimap, cut out most (or all) of the icons, and replace them with text or other indicators as needed. Who needs a big flag to tell them they are in heroic mode, when a simple "H" would do? And "TDDDH" would be more informative at a glance than a green eyeball. And of course, as with all of my previous UI releases, the minimap must move from the bottom-center when I'm solo to the top-right when I have a group of any size. That's when I found out about animations. I'm not planning on getting this crazy, but I am going to animate the movement of the minimap. Someday.
Initially, my reaction was "No, it's a complete waste of time". Why should I add my two cents into a massive pile of other people's addons? There's addons out there to do whatever your evil heart desires. Shouldn't it just be a matter of going out there and downloading the right ones?
Now, in all fairness, I think I should warn you: I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are arranged alphabetically like they are supposed to be.
I started looking for these addons, but I am really picky about my UI. So I started down the list:Unit Frames: StUF -- hands down my favorite unit frame mod. If you can't make it look right with StUF, pick another game. That simple.
Action Bars: Dominos -- sweet, simple, hard to break. Others would do, but this is what I choose.
Once you get those two out of the way, everything else really gets subjective.
Minimap: I started with pMinimap, but it seems broken. I'm currently on Pocket Plot, but I'm thinking of changing that too.
Chat: I started with wChat, since I was already using wIn1 as a 'tweaker' addon. I switched both to Leatrix Plus and haven't looked back.
Misc: I chose LitePanels because I like to add custom code to my UI, as well as a few bits of art. Speaking of art, I chose Ferous Media for my status bars and the like. But then I wasn't really satisfied, so I started modding that addon as well.
Things were going pretty decent at this point, and I felt my UI was 'playable', but I really wasn't satisfied with my Minimap. So I started to code my own. The basic premise here is to make the typical square minimap, cut out most (or all) of the icons, and replace them with text or other indicators as needed. Who needs a big flag to tell them they are in heroic mode, when a simple "H" would do? And "TDDDH" would be more informative at a glance than a green eyeball. And of course, as with all of my previous UI releases, the minimap must move from the bottom-center when I'm solo to the top-right when I have a group of any size. That's when I found out about animations. I'm not planning on getting this crazy, but I am going to animate the movement of the minimap. Someday.
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Comments
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Just curious, what's your opinion on Shadow Unit Frames as opposed to StUF? Also, how do you prefer keeping track of your dots, and is the ability to monitor dots on multiple targets a concern for you when designing your UI or is it enough to keep track of them on your primary target?Posted November 20, 2011 at 11:34 AM by D1RE
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I tried Shadowed Unit Frames when I started playing again. As I recall, while they are pretty robust, the options in StUF are an OCD dream. StUF allows me to adjust each bar, text object, and icon pixel by pixel. And if the options for text aren't enough, it has the ability to use custom lua. That's just crazy cool, especially for an altoholic.
As for tracking DoTs, I have two (technically three) systems in place. Step 1 is Power Auras. This is for critical information , such as missing debuffs on my primary target or procs available. Step 2 is StUF again. It has the ability to show debuff icons, of course, but it also shows aura timers on target and focus. And Step 3 is on the nameplates. It shows debuffs above target heads, which I think is the only really good way to visualize which mobs need more debuffs. I haven't had a chance to test shNameplates fully, but previously I used Tidy Plates, which performed this function admirably.Posted November 20, 2011 at 03:26 PM by Cormanthor 
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