Caleal2 UI feedback wanted.

[Caleal]

Its been more than a year since I created the Caleal2 UI and I have only had to do small updates as patches caused error messages to display. The UI hasn't failed to work in all that time.

I don't play anymore, havn't in about 10 months, but my account is still active.

I'm looking for feedback from past/present/future users of the UI about what enhancments, changes and new things people would like to have in it.

I won't be doing a huge facelift to it, but I will considder small format and functionality changes, as well as adding some optional items.

You can view and download it by clicking here. (http://www.eqinterface.com/sdownload/fileinfo.php?s=&id=2437)

Just post your replies here, please do not email me unless you feel you need to.


Thanks.

[Griven]

I have used your UI for about 4 months now and love it.

I did change a few things though. I prefer buffs along the top of my window so dl'ed a different buff window. I also prefer full side to side view so I got rid of the /viewport on the right side.

The thing I like the most about your UI is no extra graphic stuff. It is clean. TKing and others make nice looking UIs but all that scrollwork etc bugs me.

[kitsinu]

About the only thing that I would want if I used your UI would be a map window. I am currently running my own UI (not ready for release), with a map window always up. It works great with LDoN dungeons which you don't have much time to explore. I had to resize my UI from 1024x768 to 1280x1024, but was able to squeeze a couple more timers in as well as some small things.

If you decide to come back to EQ ever, LDoN adventures (or the GoD ones soon) will be a nice change of pace from camping and raiding. You actually "do" dungeons the way Verant was always whining we were supposed to in the early days of EQ. : )

[Caleal]

Originally posted by kitsinu
About the only thing that I would want if I used your UI would be a map window.

I won't be doing a custom map window, you can drop any custom one into it though.

I had to resize my UI from 1024x768 to 1280x1024, but was able to squeeze a couple more timers in as well as some small things.

errr...the Caleal2 UI is designed for 1280x1024. I have a UI for 1024x768, the Caleal1.4 UI, but it is very different.

If you decide to come back to EQ ever, LDoN adventures (or the GoD ones soon) will be a nice change of pace from camping and raiding. You actually "do" dungeons the way Verant was always whining we were supposed to in the early days of EQ. : )

I played EQ starting on day 1 of phase 1 of beta, and was in the first wave of people to level up at the start. I was fortunate enough to experience the game the way the designers intended it. I also came back and tried out LDoN for a couple of weeks when it came out.

To me, LDoN was only a little less stale than spawn camping, at least after running through each of the cut and paste "dungeons" a couple of times. It didn't help any that I recognized LDoN right off as the blatant time sink to keep us around that it was/is.

I doubt its possible for EQ to recapture the magic of the first few months. :(

[Caleal]

Originally posted by Griven
I did change a few things though. I prefer buffs along the top of my window so dl'ed a different buff window. I also prefer full side to side view so I got rid of the /viewport on the right side.

One of the things I want to do is some optional buff windows. Probably a left hand one for people that like it on the left of the screen, and a couple of transparrent background ones, including a top oriented window.

The thing I like the most about your UI is no extra graphic stuff. It is clean. TKing and others make nice looking UIs but all that scrollwork etc bugs me.

I actually got about 2/3 of the way through doing a complete UI with TKing graphics, color shifting guages, etc.

The more it progressed, the more I realized it distracted me and detracted from my performance as a raiding cleric. It also was giving me headachs.

I decided to go for a cleaner look, but wanted to get away from the pure bland functional look of my Caleal1.x UIs.

I actually did end up basing my guages off TKing tubes. The graphics for the borders are cut out of a larger TKing graphic also. As far as I know, I still have the only resizable windows that use a scrollwork style border that works properly. :)

[niteing gale]

Can you explain to my newbie self what are these timer things you speak of?

and anychance of a simple link for a simpleton like myself to use?=)

Bout the only thing i thought of possibly changing was removing 1 of the chats ( the top one with the /whos and zone emotes go into ) cause i use this alot for making chrotations etc and its kinda hard to read for me in the small box and with this gone , , moving the melee box to where u say the timers could go , and expanding main chat window to the edge of the screen (where chat 1 and 2 is)

i really like the spell list inbetween the group window and the hotbuttons thou=) is pretty nice

[kitsinu]

EQ Timers at :

http://www.horizonsoutpost.com/eq/timer.asp

Great for knowing when buffs or dots are coming off. They aren't perfectly accurate, but give a good general idea.


Here is what I meant by a map window. It is a persistent map that is always up, and resized to be a bit easier to handle than the one that takes up a third of the screen. :)

http://www.eqgui.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=64504

[Caleal]

Originally posted by niteing gale
Can you explain to my newbie self what are these timer things you speak of?

Clicky link to Arista's UI timer page. (http://www.horizonsoutpost.com/eq/timer.asp)

Bout the only thing i thought of possibly changing was removing 1 of the chats ( the top one with the /whos and zone emotes go into ) cause i use this alot for making chrotations etc and its kinda hard to read for me in the small box and with this gone , , moving the melee box to where u say the timers could go , and expanding main chat window to the edge of the screen (where chat 1 and 2 is)

You can reconfigure the chat windows yourself all you want. Just right click on the scroll bar area and click the "Lock" option off in the popup window. You can then drag the windows by the border to resize them to where you want them.
You can close chat windows, or add new ones, from that right click window also.
You can also control what goes to each window the same way.

[Caleal]

Originally posted by kitsinu
Here is what I meant by a map window. It is a persistent map that is always up, and resized to be a bit easier to handle than the one that takes up a third of the screen. :)

I'll look at what custom ones are already available. If there is nothing suitable, I'll look into making one.

I doubt its really possible to make one that fits in well with my UI though. That UI in that picture you linked to takes up MASSIVE screen space, heh.

[kitsinu]

That UI in that picture you linked to takes up MASSIVE screen space, heh.

Yeah, it does. : / It helps make 1280x1024 more feasible with no lag, and it was as small as I could get it before it gets hard to see the entire map. Mainly, I wanted to get all the information available on the screen at a glance, and have all my clickables available quickly. I suppose I am a bit of an interface control freak.

[Miele]

I use your UI since you created it, rearranged the windows to my liking and also I use a custom spell bar (thanks T.King) and a custom map window, can see my layout here (http://80.61.92.74/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=69).

I edited the right clicks on the hotkey window to fit my character, but basically that's all I changed.

I find this UI to be simply great, I just can't play without it :D and EQ is not EQ without it, but just some random game.

I don't play my cleric as a main since a bunch of months, now being a bard, but I also have few twinks I like to log on for a bit and noticed few things that could probably be changed or modified:

- pet window: being togheter with the stats window (and exp window) is a good idea in terms of saving space, and for occasional charmed pets (as bard's ones) it works fine, but it's not the best thing for pet classes, as sometimes I'd want to be able seeing my stats and commanding my pet without having to press the switch button. Maybe leaving pet window separated and just using the feature "pet window popup" could be a better idea. Adding the /pet report health hotkey or the pet buff window in the new created window would be useful too.

- Would be possible to include the breath meter in the group window? Somewhere below the endurance bar maybe. It just looks so uncool when it pops up as a normal window in the middle of the screen :rolleyes:

/bow for the excellent work, Caleal.

[Caleal]

Miele,
The last update of my UI moved the stats and exp stuff out of the pet window. If you install it you can use any custom pet window you want. Be sure you delete my old custom one though.

Some of the optional items I'll be doing for the UI will help clean things up a bit the way you have my UI arranged.

As for the breath bar, I'll probably do something like that. I always liked having the popup breath bar though. I even thought of moding it so it has bright red flashing text "If you can see this, something is WRONG!". ;)

[Dannel]

I saw this post the first day you put it up, but didn't reply because I couldn't think of anything. I thought it reflected poorly on my, no imagination and whatnot, until I realized that it's probably because I've used your UI for as long as it's been around (as long as I've known it's been around anyway). What you have is what I'm used to. However, I did manage to finally think of something !

How about either resizing a window or two or adding something to take up the extra space in the upper right corner for those folks who choose to not employ a timer ? My layout is (I'd have to look at your screenshot again to be certain) exactly as you have it shown, but I use stop-watches to time things rather than an ingame tool, so there's room for something else in that corner. I tried re-sizing windows, but just couldn't figure out a way to get rid of the extra space (also tried not viewporting out the right side but didn't like that as much). Perhaps I can't find something to put there myself again due to lack of imagination, and this is only a very minor complaint, however it's the only suggestion I've yet been able to come up with. =)

[Dannel]

UI looks completely functional with the release of GoD, including the new windows like aa, tradeskill, leaderhip abilities. =)

[Miele]

Mmm, it didn't work completely for me, but also I didn't have much time to look into it.

The window showing stats/exp wasn't working, nor was the background for buffs (due to changes in animations.xml I think).

Gotta check again tonight

[Martinusiv]

Its work perfect for me, been using it for a long time now.

BUT when i logon i always get a red XML error, but it doesn't seems to make any difference.

THX again for this great UI

[Dsade Rumblebelly]

I love the UI. have been using it for about 4 monhts and even use it for my melee. the one thing i wish it had was a spot with disciplines to replace the spell gems when playing a pure melee.

otherwise i love it.

[Candien]

Been using the UI forever, just cant play without it :)

One thing i'd like added tho, is the HoTT window, to be intergrated in the normal Target bar in someway, so you dont have to hit the hotkey and reposition the HoTT window everytime

Thanks for a great UI Caleal :)

[Griven]

I kind of like the HoTT window like it is. It is a default window so I can easily tell the two apart.

To prevent having to reposition it everytime you open it, just close it after you get it where you want it. That will save the location for you. Then whenever you use it it will open in that spot.

[Uliadyen]

Only thing I'd like changed is the Numerical Mana values, are you going to be putting it with our hp? Because when i DLed a addon it took up my target bar.
The patch for it is coming Tomorrow (thursday)

[Griven]

Anyone who could possibly put the mana numbers into this UI? FYI, mana numbers are LIVE right now, no need to wait for a patch. Just need to add the EQTypes 124 (mana) and 125 (max mana) somewhere. I don't know how to get the spacing correct or I would do it myself.

Uliadyen - the reason is changed your target bar is that the windows in Caleal2 are different. The targetbar file in Caleal2 is actually the playerinfo/stat window. To check which window is which, close specific windows and watch which ones they actually are.

[Serenya]

My husband changed mine a bit -- the mana numbers are now in the player window where hitpoints had been, with hitpoints still showing in the group window. Good compromise for me. I can post the relevent lines if anyone wants it.

[Griven]

Yeah, I managed to rig mine the same way. Well, I have the 'current mana' there which is good enough. After the patch I will use the new eqtype for current/max mana.

[Balanar]

Its work perfect for me, been using it for a long time now.

BUT when i logon i always get a red XML error, but it doesn't seems to make any difference.

THX again for this great UI

That means one(or more) of your windows is not showing all the correct information. You just don't notice this because A) You don't use this window/information or B) You don't know that it is supposed to be there.

[Dulcinea]

Please post the relevant changes you made to this UI to shown the mana number. I would love to see the mana numbers.

[Miele]

I added the mana numbers, you can get the group window file at this url:

http://www.eqinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9956&highlight=Caleal2

It doesn't have a great look, but it's functional enough for now ;)

[Tinyhealer]

mnh those timer sites aint up anymore, could any1 update on this matter by any chance ? ):)