SnowfallRune

This is a rune frame replacement addon. The addon brings together the most critical information that you need to time your abilities into one location. Also, the addon emphasizes areas that need your immediate attention by using bright, fast-moving bars. Finally, the addon puts indicators of events that are happening soon on the same time scale so that you see the exact order in which the events will happen.

A primary feature of the addon is that it shows the 2.5-second grace period after a rune becomes available when it should be used in order to avoid wasting rune production. The addon also shows the global cooldown (GCD) on the same scale, so you can tell exactly when you can use your next abilities. Finally, the addon has optional target disease bars that can tell you exactly when your diseases will wear off relative to your runes and GCD.


Rune Display

In this addon, there are 6 colored vertical bars that grow upward. Each colored bar represents a rune, just like you've learned to expect from other similar addons. When the bar is completely filled to the top of the frame, the rune is ready for use. As a colored bar nears the top, you'll see a brighter bar appear, moving upward. This bright bar represents the 2.5 second grace period in which you should use the corresponding rune. If you use the rune before the bright bar completely slides off the top of the frame, then you are using your runes optimally and you are well on your way to maximizing your DPS or threat.

In case some folks considering this addon don't know what the rune grace period is, let me give a brief explanation. For every death knight, a particular rune becomes available for use at the time when both of these conditions are satisfied:

• 10 seconds after the rune last became available
• 7.5 seconds after the rune was last used

The net result of this is that you'll be able to use each rune on average once every 10 seconds, and even if you don't use your runes as soon as they're available, your rune throughput isn't harmed in any way as long as you use your runes within 2.5 seconds after they're available. This 2.5 seconds is called the rune grace period.


GCD Display

Global cooldown (GCD) is displayed as a set of thin white bars between each rune. When you are in the global cooldown, the GCD bars will be moving upward. When the GCD bars are at the top of the frame, the global cooldown has expired, and abilities affected by GCD can now be used. The length of the GCD bar indicates the anticipated duration of the GCD (1.0 seconds for Unholy Presence or 1.5 seconds otherwise), so you can use this as a prediction of when your next GCD will start. Note that the GCD bars and the bright bars are on the same time scale, so you can tell exactly how GCD and rune resources will line up for your next ability. The GCD display relies on you having at least one non-combat pet (not necessarily summoned). This may seem like a quirky requirement, but it's an offshoot of the fact that the Blizzard API doesn't provide a direct means to measure the GCD, so this addon uses non-combat pet cooldowns for that purpose.


Target Disease Display

Target diseases (Frost Fever and Blood Plague) are displayed as bars that shrink upwards as the disease gets closer to expiring. For each disease, there is also a bright disease bar that indicates the final 3 seconds of the disease duration. If you want to refresh your diseases before they expire but after that second-to-last disease tick, then you should refresh them when any part of the bright bar is touching the top of the frame.


Pestilence Display

A single bar similar to the other disease bars is used to display when you may want to refresh Pestilence. Whenever you use Icy Touch, Plague Strike, or Pestilence on an enemy target, that enemy is designated as your primary disease target. If you are currently targeting your primary disease target, then pestilence bar is a timer for the longest of your diseases not on your target. If you are not currently targeting your primary disease target, then the pestilence bar is a timer for your longest disease on your primary disease target.


Melee Range Display

The SnowfallRune frame is highlighted in gray when you are out of melee range of your target.


Configuration

There is no in-game configuration. In order to configure the addon, copy the "Interface\Addons\SnowfallRune\SnowfallRuneSettings" folder and paste it at the "Interface\Addons" level. Congratulations, you have just created your very own addon called "SnowfallRuneSettings". Now edit the settings in "Interface\Addons\SnowfallRuneSettings\SnowfallRuneSettings.lua" to your liking. There are details on what each setting does inside that file.