[Guide] How to create a good looking UI.

[[mtn]]

WALL OF TEXT

I saw another UI guide, but I felt like I needed some more information.. So I decided to "upload" my own guide, which I posted on my blog a while ago (before I saw the other post) So you might call this a repost, I personally don't see this as a repost. Here goes:



Step 1: Brainstorm.

I normally start out by making a brainstorm in Word, notepad or something - a piece of paper. Writing down your ideas can be very useful. It does sometime give me more ideas for, how the UI should look. It could look something like this:

"Minimalistic. Few bars; 2-3. Dmg meter. Threat. Combat Log. Chat. Low memory usage. GOOOOD LOOKING. Player frame centered. Small casting bar. Bla... Bla... Bla..."

I hope you understand what I mean.


Step 2: Drawing your vision.

So you just made a brainstorm. I prefer drawing my vision down, because it will give a pre-impression (Don't know if thats the right word to use) of how the its going to look. That could look something like this: I SUCK AT DRAWING.

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/1414118.jpg

That's a basic template of how a UI could be looking.


Step 3: Addon Research

I spend alot of time doing this. Looking at sites like ElitistJerks.com and WoWInterface.com. Check out other UIs and check what addons they have been using, if you like the look of the addon, download it and try it out!

ElitistJerks.com
WoWInterface.com


Step 4: Where to download addons.

I prefer using WoWInterface.com or WoWace.com because those addons are kept updated and most of them is pretty painfree to configure. But you can also use Curse.com, I haven't used that in a long time, so I don't know how updated it is :-)


Step 5: A must-have.

There is only one must have addon, and that is Align. This is one of the best addon, ever! It makes a grid on the screen that allows you to put unitframes in the same X or Y position on the screen, so your player frame / target frame isn't placed randomly. It will make your UI so much better looking if things is placed with the same space to the center of the screen etc.

http://s.wowinterface.com/preview/pvw5288.jpg


Step 6: You dont need to follow this. Addons that I recommend.

Action bar: I prefer using Dominos for changing the bars. Some people use Bartender4, but I just think Dominos is so much easier to use.
A great addon that goes along with Dominos (almost all action bar addons) is ButtonFacade. This let's you change the look of the icons.

Unitframe: Pitbull is the best addon in my opinion. You can change anything on the unitframe. Layout, bar size, and add your own custom text for missing buffs. Pitbull can be pretty hard to use the first few times, but if you keep practising you'll better quickly.

Combat text: Mik's Scrolling Battle Text. This is simply the best! :-) Very easy to customize, and it just looks great. MSBT (short for Mik's Scrolling Battle Text) will not get spammed when, for example a shadow priest has the healing thingy up, it will show it in small "groups" so it would look like: "Priest Healing thingy: +250 - 10 Hits." Instead of: "+25 healing" 10 times right after eachother.

I hope you understand what I mean.

Casting bar: Quartz is a great addon. Very easy to setup, and let's you change texture, font, font size, icon, size of the bar ofc., border texture and more. Doesn't need a long explanation.

Chat / Combat log: For the chat I mostly use Chatter, which is basically let's you move the edit box, and remove the arrow keys for scrolling, and enable scrolling in the chat with your mouse. You can also use Prat.
When I make a UI with the combat log shown I am using YurrCombatLog.

Textures: If possible get eePanels2 since I think it's alot easier to use. If you can't find it, download kgPanels, this takes alittle longer to learn, how to use, but in the end it will give you pretty much the same result.
Download SharedMedia, this will give you alot of extra textures, border textures, fonts etc.

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This is my first guide ever, so tell me what you think :-) This is probably common sense to most people, but I am really trying to contribute, and raise my reputation.

Regards,
MteeN.

[[mtn]]

FAIL! WRONG SECTION >_< ****... Could a mod move it? Sorry -.-

[Black Gull]

I like it Nice job

[JDKHEXMAASTER]

Nice guide, might use it later