Help with custom UI

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Risiko, Jun 4, 2018.

  1. Risiko Augur

    Anybody have a guide, youtube video, etc they can point me to for learning how to customize the UI?

    I don't want to use a custom UI that I download from somewhere. I just want to be able to muck with my own a little here and there. For the most part, I like the base UI (after I add a bunch of chat windows, apply filters, add and resize a bunch of hotbars, and arrange everything the way I want it.

    What I am wanting to do first is modify the player bar (the one that has your HP, STA, Mana):
    • Add Experience bar
    • Add Alternate Advancement bar
    • Add percent to all bars
    • Add level and AA count next to name
    I've altered it before to change the Mana bar to an Experience bar, but it was more of a hack than a real edit. I want to understand how it works better.
  2. Horyuken Augur

  3. Risiko Augur

    I know XML. I guess I will download a few that have some things I like, and try to reverse engineer them.
  4. Gidono https://everquest.allakhazam.com

    I don't think there is any youtube video covering the actual editing of UI elements, at least I wasn't able to find one. I've edited a bunch of windows over the years but I would say I'm a novice at it.

    You can find a bunch of the info you are seeking on the forums at eqinterface.com. Some of the info is old and outdated but it will at least give you an idea on what to do. Maybe Drakah or the other UI authors can chime in and point you to a guide or offer some help.

    The eqtypes thread on eqinterface.com is especially helpful to know what label/gauge does what.

    My suggestion is to just tinker around with an existing window and see how it interacts with your edits.
    Veteran_BetaTester, moogs and Risiko like this.
  5. Winnowyl Suffering is optional.

    The AYA compass window has a lot of what you're looking for - I suggest looking at it, and seeing how things are set up.
    Felicite and Risiko like this.
  6. Risiko Augur

    I looked at the AYA compass window, and that immensely helps. After looking through that xml file, I get it. I can't wait to get home from work tonight, and start working on my new ui.
  7. Tiggold Augur

    I would like to see it when you're done.
    Risiko likes this.
  8. Risiko Augur

    Sure thing.
  9. Danladil Elder

    Risiko likes this.
  10. Risiko Augur

    I ran through a bunch of "OMG why does this suck so much" moments last night, but ultimately figured it out in the end. I was able to add an experience bar to the player window right under the stamina bar.

    I haven't figured out just yet how to make the experience percentage pop up when the mouse cursor hovers over it. It automatically does this for the HP/MANA/STA above it, but it doesn't do it for the experience bar I added. If anybody knows what I need to add to make this work, please let me know.

    I'm going to add the AA bar tonight, and then work on adding a few other things to it.

    My goal is to have a slightly advanced version of the simple default player window.

    When I get it done, I will post screen shots here and make it available for anyone that wants to use and/or extend it.
  11. Risiko Augur

    Oh. I just remembered something odd I saw when I was working on this last night.

    The experience percentage was showing 1% different than it would show in the default Inventory window.

    For instance, if you hovered over the experience bar in the Inventory window, it would show 62%, but the experience percentage shown on the experience bar I added to the Player window would show 61%.

    Is there a known bug with this UI feature, or am I using the wrong EQTYPE on the Player window?
  12. Horyuken Augur

    It's an error with rounding IRC. I'm pretty sure its off by a fraction of a %. Not your mistake and not game breaking.
    Risiko likes this.
  13. Risiko Augur

    Here is what I made so far...

    [IMG]

    Add the following below the Fatigue entries:
    Code:
    <Gauge item="Player_Exp">
            <ScreenID>PlayerExp</ScreenID>
            <RelativePosition>true</RelativePosition>
            <GaugeOffsetY>0</GaugeOffsetY>
            <FillTint>
                <R>220</R>
                <G>150</G>
                <B>0</B>
            </FillTint>
            <LinesFillTint>
                <R>0</R>
                <G>80</G>
                <B>220</B>
            </LinesFillTint>
            <DrawLinesFill>true</DrawLinesFill>
            <EQType>4</EQType>
            <GaugeDrawTemplate>
                <Background>A_GaugeBackground</Background>
                <Fill>A_GaugeFill</Fill>
                <Lines>A_GaugeLines</Lines>
                <EndCapLeft>A_GaugeEndCapLeft</EndCapLeft>
                <EndCapRight>A_GaugeEndCapRight</EndCapRight>
            </GaugeDrawTemplate>
            <AutoStretch>true</AutoStretch>
            <TopAnchorOffset>65</TopAnchorOffset>
            <BottomAnchorOffset>75</BottomAnchorOffset>
            <LeftAnchorOffset>2</LeftAnchorOffset>
            <RightAnchorOffset>1</RightAnchorOffset>
            <RightAnchorToLeft>false</RightAnchorToLeft>
        </Gauge>
        <Label item="Player_ExpLabel">
            <ScreenID>ExpLabel</ScreenID>
            <EQType>26</EQType>
            <Font>1</Font>
            <RelativePosition>true</RelativePosition>
            <Text>100</Text>
            <NoWrap>true</NoWrap>
            <AlignCenter>true</AlignCenter>
            <AutoStretch>true</AutoStretch>
            <TopAnchorOffset>65</TopAnchorOffset>
            <BottomAnchorOffset>75</BottomAnchorOffset>
            <LeftAnchorOffset>2</LeftAnchorOffset>
            <RightAnchorToLeft>false</RightAnchorToLeft>
            <Style_Tooltip>false</Style_Tooltip>
        </Label>
        <Label item="Player_ExpPercLabel">
            <ScreenID>ExpPercLabel</ScreenID>
            <Font>1</Font>
            <Text>%</Text>
            <AlignCenter>true</AlignCenter>
            <AutoStretch>true</AutoStretch>
            <TopAnchorOffset>65</TopAnchorOffset>
            <BottomAnchorOffset>75</BottomAnchorOffset>
            <LeftAnchorOffset>24</LeftAnchorOffset>
            <RightAnchorToLeft>false</RightAnchorToLeft>
            <Style_Tooltip>false</Style_Tooltip>
        </Label>
    Add the following to the Screen section:
    Code:
    <Pieces>Player_Exp</Pieces>
    <Pieces>Player_ExpLabel</Pieces>
    <Pieces>Player_ExpPercLabel</Pieces>
  14. Whitehawk Lorekeeper

  15. Winnowyl Suffering is optional.

    Holy necro, batman.
    Svann2 and Thunderkiks like this.
  16. Risiko Augur

    Honestly though, people are always asked if they searched the forums first before posting, so it kind of feels odd to discourage them from replying to a post they searched for in the first place.

    I don't get why people have such an issue with necroing posts when the reply is relevant. Someone might find this reply helpful if they are trying to get information on how to add the experience bar to their character window.
    Tatanka likes this.
  17. The real Sandaormo Augur

    You may want to do all this UI stuff after the change over to 64 bit. We had a few guildies who tracked down logging issues and crashing due to UI issues with the change.
  18. Winnowyl Suffering is optional.

    When looking for a solution, yes. Not generally when *providing* a solution.
  19. Veteran_BetaTester PIZZA!

    The requested UI the OP seeks have been done years ago over at EQInterface. The problem is, these were in the group windows that now split/divorced the 'player window'.
    We used to have 6 player group window including you. During that time, soo many changes in UI in EQ were being introduced that UI Authors there at EQInterface would get fed up, hold off, and lose interest.
    I believe wow was also just comming out, so great UI's were being ignored. I myself used to be a UI tweaker, but anchors kicked in, life kicked in. I lost interest.
    I wouldn't mind the 6 player/group window back.
    OP look for old group windows for things you may seek as a template to start with.
    GL
    Risiko likes this.
  20. Risiko Augur

    When someone in the future has this same question, they might find this thread, and end up finding the "necro'd" reply helpful. I think that's a good thing personally.
    Winnowyl likes this.