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== Welcome AIE ==
== Welcome AIE ==


Hello AIE and welcome to this edition of the UI Clinic.  I am your host Bouvi.
Hello AIE and welcome to this edition of the UI Clinic.  For this segment lets talk addon maintenance.


A few people have asked how I set up a UI so this segment I will talk about how I usually go about it.
Grab those patient charts, pull up your sleeves and dive in.


Grab that patient chart and lets get started.
== Backups ==
Backing up your UI is important.  You never know when a crash might happen or if you want to try out something new but hate it and want to go back to your old one.


== Sketch It ==
There are two folders you need to backup in your WoW directory, interface and wtf.  No WTF does not mean what you think.  It stands for Warcraft Text File.  The Interface folder contains your addons while the WTF contains all of your settings for your characters and addons.  Keeping backups of these two files are extremely important.  Otherwise you could find yourself spending hours recreating your UI.


I find when designing a new UI I go to the forums, web or wherever I might find UI pics.  As I go through them I make note of items I like and if need be track down addons that do the job or very similarThis stage is very important otherwise you could end up with a mess. A little preplanning goes a long way.  I might even do a photoshop sketch (I cannot draw but I can use Photoshop) and copy in pieces that I like and arrange it in a pleasing way for my eyesI take into account usability at this time as wellWill I have enough buttons, will everything be easy to get too, do I have to look all over the screen or have I consolidated the info into a couple of key spots.  Once this is done it is time to make our masterpiece.
== Up-to-date ==
Next up lets talk about keeping your addons up-to-dateNow let me give you a piece of advice my grandfather told me. If it ain't broke, don't fix itTo keep it simple the only time I do an upgrade is if something does not work or if there is something new and exciting.  There are times when addon authors make mistakes and release flawed code.  You auto download it and boom errors all over the place.  (see now where the backups come in handy?)Now if this happens to you don't go screaming at the addon author.  Remember they do this as a public serviceBe nice and they will probably get you fixed up right.  Be a jerk and they will probably hardcode your characters name into the code so it always messes up for you (I am joking but if it were possible you get the idea.)


== Step 1 - Barmods ==
== How to update ==
OK so now I do have a few addons I want to update what do I do?  You have a few choices here.  Curse.com has their curse client that makes installing addons a breeze, wowinterface.com has MMOUI Minion that does the same thing for their site. Another one is WoWMatrix that used to be king but did so by leaching bandwidth.  Bad boy.  It still works for a lot of addons though.  Any of these are excellent solutions to updating your addons.  There is one other method and that is manually updating.  Now if you have just a couple of addons this is what I recommend but if you are like me you have a ton and manually updating will take forever.


I usually start with a barmod like Bartender 4.  I want to start putting it together one piece at a time to help prevent overlapping windows and tons of clutter.  I decide now how many buttons I want and where I want them, getting them lined up in a way that not only looks good but increases my functionality.  At this time BT4 also lets me work on my XP Bar, Bag Bar and a couple of others.  By using my photoshop sketch as a guide I get things moved where I want them.
== Time's up ==
 
Well that is all the time we have for this episode of the UI Clinic. You can always contact me in-game by doing a /who Bouv (that gets all my toons if I am on) or e-mail me at bouvi@uiclinic.com.  Until next time back it up or suffer the pain of loss.
== Step 2 - Unit Frames ==
 
Next up I work on the Unit Frames.  This includes Player, Target, Target of Target, Focus, Focus Target, Pet, Pet Target, Party and Raid frames.  Depending on the character I play this can be one or two addons.  For most I use X-Perl but for my healers I use X-Perl for most and use Grid for Party and Raid.  Just makes it easier for me as a healer by using grid.  I like having all my unit frames mostly at the bottom with the exception of party and raid.  This keeps my eye on the action without having to wander all over the screen looking for my health or whatever.
 
== Step 3 - Buff Frames ==
 
Buff Frames come up next.  I like using a bar buff so I can read what buffs I have without having to remember what each icon means.  I can size it up and put it where I have it in my sketch.  There are a few out there but I am still in love with Elkbuffbars.
 
== Step 4 - Minimap ==
 
Minimap is usually my next stop.  Knowing where to put this thing can be tough at times but going from a sketch (you did make a sketch right?) throwing it into your design should be cake.  Chinchilla is my new minimap addon and I love it.
 
== Step 5 - Chat Frames ==
 
Prat for chat.  Whether you have one chatbox or two or multiple you need to design with this in mind.  Font size can make or break a chat panel.  Find the right mix of size and visibility is key here.
 
== Step 6 - Leftovers ==
 
After this I just take and start throwing in the leftovers.  Broker Bar, Omen, Recount and Quartz are just a few of the must haves for me.  Then of course there are about a hundred others I can't seem to do without.
 
Once again I cannot state enough how pre-planning is the key to a fantastic UI.
 
== Time's Up ==
 
Well that is all the time we have today. You can always contact me in-game by doing a /who Bouv (that gets all my toons if I am on) or e-mail me at bouvi@uiclinic.com.  One thing I would like to point out.  I love tinkering with UIs and love helping others that do.  Never worry about contacting me about your UI.  I am glad to help.  Until next time plan plan plan and Happy New Year!!!


[[Category:AIE Podcast]]
[[Category:AIE Podcast]]

Revision as of 16:41, 26 January 2010

Uiclinicheader.jpg

The UI Clinic is a series of segments created by Bouvi for The AIE Podcast which help you turn your back on the default UI and create a UI to be proud of.


Welcome AIE

Hello AIE and welcome to this edition of the UI Clinic. For this segment lets talk addon maintenance.

Grab those patient charts, pull up your sleeves and dive in.

Backups

Backing up your UI is important. You never know when a crash might happen or if you want to try out something new but hate it and want to go back to your old one.

There are two folders you need to backup in your WoW directory, interface and wtf. No WTF does not mean what you think. It stands for Warcraft Text File. The Interface folder contains your addons while the WTF contains all of your settings for your characters and addons. Keeping backups of these two files are extremely important. Otherwise you could find yourself spending hours recreating your UI.

Up-to-date

Next up lets talk about keeping your addons up-to-date. Now let me give you a piece of advice my grandfather told me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. To keep it simple the only time I do an upgrade is if something does not work or if there is something new and exciting. There are times when addon authors make mistakes and release flawed code. You auto download it and boom errors all over the place. (see now where the backups come in handy?). Now if this happens to you don't go screaming at the addon author. Remember they do this as a public service. Be nice and they will probably get you fixed up right. Be a jerk and they will probably hardcode your characters name into the code so it always messes up for you (I am joking but if it were possible you get the idea.)

How to update

OK so now I do have a few addons I want to update what do I do? You have a few choices here. Curse.com has their curse client that makes installing addons a breeze, wowinterface.com has MMOUI Minion that does the same thing for their site. Another one is WoWMatrix that used to be king but did so by leaching bandwidth. Bad boy. It still works for a lot of addons though. Any of these are excellent solutions to updating your addons. There is one other method and that is manually updating. Now if you have just a couple of addons this is what I recommend but if you are like me you have a ton and manually updating will take forever.

Time's up

Well that is all the time we have for this episode of the UI Clinic. You can always contact me in-game by doing a /who Bouv (that gets all my toons if I am on) or e-mail me at bouvi@uiclinic.com. Until next time back it up or suffer the pain of loss.