Leatrix Gfx : WoWInterface Downloads : Graphic UI Mods

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Leatrix Gfx

Category: Graphic UI Mods

Addon Information

Works with 3.2

Author:	Leatrix [more]
Version:	2.14
Date:	10-16-2009 07:44 AM
Size:	6.25 Kb
Downloads:	15,490
Favorites:	146
MD5:

Pictures

Options Panel

Wow Video Options

Leatrix Gfx Popular! (More than 5000 hits)

An Addon for World of Warcraft by Leatrix

What does it do?

The primary goal for Leatrix Gfx is to improve game performance by modifying some of the hidden settings in the game client. It's very easy to use.

Installation and Upgrade Instructions

Install Leatrix Gfx just like any other addon. The first time that you log into Wow with Leatrix Gfx enabled, you'll be told that your display needs to be refreshed. Just click ok and Leatrix Gfx will do that for you. Now you're ready to roll!

To remove Leatrix Gfx, simply delete the addon folder and also the Config.wtf file from your WTF folder.

Important:
If you're upgrading from Leatrix Gfx 1.xx, you should first delete the Config.wtf file from your WTF folder and the Gfx folder from your Addons folder. This ensures that the settings won't conflict.

Options

To access the options panel directly, simply type "/gfx", or you can get to it from the interface options menu as usual.

There are 8 options available in the Leatrix Gfx options panel (as shown here) and I'll go through them in more detail below.

Reduce colors
This will reduce the color mode from 24-bit to 16-bit, which will increase performance. Changing this option will refresh your display to use the new color mode. Reduced color mode applies to all parts of Wow, even the login screen.

Note that due to a Blizzard bug, when you change this setting, the video options panel will still show the old setting in the dropdown until your Wow client has been restarted. It's only a cosmetic bug though, so just ignore it, there's no need to restart Wow.

Disable shadows and footprints
This will disable both terrain and bob shadows (your character, mobs, etc), increasing performance. This is an enhancement over the default UI which only allows you to lower the quality of shadows, not disable them completely.

Disable shaders
This will disable pixel shaders and weather shaders, increasing performance.

Disable ground objects
This will disable ground objects (such as grass tufts), increasing performance. Again, this is an enhancement over the game UI which allows you to alter the radius that ground objects are visible, it doesn't allow you to disable them completely.

Throttle combat log output
This option will prevent the combat log window from being populated in realtime, increasing performance, especially in larger raids where there is a lot of combat activity by a large number of people. Damage meter addons will still work, however, for best performance you should consider not using them. Any addon which parses the combat log in real-time (such as Recount) is a huge drain on resources.

Limit framerate while playing
This option will cap your in-game framerate to the value set in the slider below the checkbox. The range is from 5 to 120. Just set the slider to whatever framerate you prefer, then check the frame limiter box above it when you want to run Wow at that framerate.

Running Wow at a reduced framerate will keep your computer running cooler. This will increase performance over a period of time as your computer is not having to constantly run flat-out in order to keep up with Wow, so it'll be in a better position to cope when things get hectic. It's recommended that you enable this setting on laptops especially to prevent them from overheating.

The framerate limiter is disabled by default so that new users aren't confused by the drop in framerates.

Limit framerate to 5 while Wow is not in the foreground
This will reduce the framerate of Wow to 5 frames per second when Wow isn't running in the foreground. This is a really nice option which makes it possible to alt/tab to your web browser, email, video player, etc, without your system feeling laggy. The framerate limiter slider has no effect on this setting.

Load user defined settings file
This is an advanced option designed for people who prefer to setup Wow using scripts. If you enable this option, the "Leatrix_Gfx_User.lua" file is parsed every time you login. Open the "Leatrix_Gfx_User.lua" file with Notepad for help with this option, but if you're not into scripts then ignore it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What settings do I use to get maximum performance from Wow on my computer?
Ensure all the checkboxes in Leatrix Gfx are checked.

In the Wow video settings, ensure Vertical Sync, Reduced Input Lag and Windowed Mode are all disabled, but keep Hardware Cursor enabled. Lower the resolution if you can, maybe to 800 x 600 (for best performance). Under the Effects tab, move the Video Quality slider all the way to the left, you don't need to change any of the other settings as the Video Quality slider does it for you. Your video settings should look like this.

In the sound settings, ensure Music, Reverb, Headphone Mode and Death Knight Voices are all disabled. Move the Sound Quality and Sound Channels sliders all the way to the left.

Certain addons can be a drain on performance too. You should avoid addons which parse the combat log (such as Recount) and addons which run complex functions triggered from frequently occuring events (such as QuestBar).

Why the sudden change in design of Leatrix Gfx?
I wanted to take advantage of the interface options panel to provide a more user friendly approach to running Wow with improved performance. So many performance addons out there are complex to use or provide far too many options for the average user, I didn't like the fact that Leatrix Gfx 1.x was one of them.

Using Leatrix Gfx 2.xx is easy. Simply use the Wow video and sound options to setup your preferred settings, then use the Learix Gfx options panel to enable the performance settings. And that's all there is to it.

If you really want to do it with scripts in the same style as version 1.xx, you can still do that and the option is there in the options panel. For the majority of people, however, all the options you need to increase performance can now be configured without scripts.

Are there any command switches?
For the majority of people, the only switch you need is "/gfx" to bring up the options panel. Script users may find "/gfx reload" useful as it does a combined UI reload and graphics subsystem restart.

How do I see my current framerate?
Press CTRL/R, or hover your mouse over the system button (next to the LFG button in the UI).

Does the "Throttle combat log output" option prevent addons which parse the combat log from working (eg. damage meters)?
Addons which parse the combat log, such as damage meters, will still work fine even if the option to throttle the combat log is checked. That's because Leatrix Gfx doesn't disable the combat log completely, since that's impossible. Game mechanics dictate that everything you do in the game is logged, there's no way around that.

What Leatrix Gfx does is the next best thing, it prevents the combat log from being populated in realtime, which will improve performance in large raid environments. However, addons which parse the combat log in realtime (such as Recount) are big resource hoggers. Using Leatrix Gfx to throttle the combat log and then using an addon which parses the combat log is defeating the object somewhat.

If you want the best FPS in raids, check the option to throttle the combat log in Leatrix Gfx, and don't use damage meters or any other addon which parses the combat log in realtime.

Where are the settings stored for Leatrix Gfx?
The settings for Leatrix Gfx are stored for your whole account, so they're stored in the WTF folder under your account name and then the SavedVariables folder.

Leatrix Gfx also makes changes to Wow's built in preferences and these are stored in Config.wtf which is in the WTF folder. If you remove Leatrix Gfx, you'll need to delete Config.wtf too in order to set the video and sound options back to the game default.

Help! It Doesn't work!

The options that I'm selecting in the addon aren't being shown up in-game?
If you upgraded from Leatrix Gfx 1.xx, ensure that you deleted your Config.wtf file and the old Gfx folder from the Addons folder first (both with Wow not running).

One or more settings in the Leatrix Gfx options panel aren't being saved between sessions (eg. "Throttle combat log output").
Another addon is probably overriding the settings in Leatrix Gfx. Please disable all other addons, leaving only Leatrix Gfx enabled, then see if the settings are saved between sessions. If they are, enable your other addons one at a time until you find out which addon is causing the problem, and post your feedback in the comments.

I can't choose any other video refresh rate in-game except 60hz?
This is a bug in the game client which has been around for quite a while, and it affects certain graphics card users. To get around it, quit Wow then open up Config.wtf (it's in your WTF folder) with a text editor (such as Wordpad) and find this line "SET gxRefresh "60"". Simply change the value from 60 to whatever you would like your refresh rate to be. If you prefer to do it with scripts, you can enable this option in the Leatrix_Gfx_User.lua file.

After installing Leatrix Gfx, I'm seeing color banding. Why is that?
This is caused by using reduced color mode, so you need to decide whether you want performance or quality. Check your framerate with reduced color mode checked and unchecked and see which you prefer.

When I change the option for "Reduced Color" in the Leatrix Gfx options panel, the dropdown in the Wow video options still shows the old color mode. Why is that?
It's a Blizzard bug. The color mode will change correctly as soon as you check the "Reduced Color" box, but the dropdown will show the old color mode until you restart the game client. There's no need to restart just for that though, it's only a cosmetic bug.

Scripting Support

Most users can safely ignore the scripting support in Leatrix Gfx. I've just provided it for people who want it.

Can I set everything to performance mode using script instead of using the options panel, like I could in Leatrix Gfx 1.xx?
There is no need to do this anymore. The only settings which are not in the Leatrix GFX options panel are the ones you can find in the normal Wow video and sound options. So everything is available from the Wow UI. However, if you prefer, you can use the code to automate setting up Wow video and sound options. Open "Leatrix_Gfx_User.lua" with Notepad for more help with that.

Leatrix Addons

For more addons by Leatrix, click here.

Change Log - Leatrix Gfx

2.14
* Increased the range of the frame limiter from 50 to 120, just to give a bit more scope for people that need it.
* Renamed the "Disable combat log" option to "Throttle combat log output". This is just to clarify that Leatrix Gfx doesn't disable the combat log completely, it only throttles it to increase performance.

2.12
* Fixed some bugs with the relationship between the Wow video settings window and the Leatrix Gfx options panel which may have caused the Leatrix Gfx options to be ignored. Changing certain options in the Wow video settings will now deselect corresponding options in the Leatrix Gfx options panel if they conflict (example, changing color depth dropdown while in reduced color mode, or changing the shadow quality slider while shadows are disabled).
* You should restart Wow when you login for the first time after after installing this update.

2.10
* You no longer need to restart your game client when changing the color mode in the Leatrix Gfx options panel. The change will be instant.
* The user defined settings now have their own file called "Leatrix_Gfx_User.lua". If you prefer to use scripts, you can put your settings into that. It's entirely optional but there if you need it.
* Added an option in the Leatrix Gfx options panel to load the user defined settings file. It's just for script users so most people can ignore it.

2.07
* Changed the loading event for the combat log to fix an incompatibility with Basic Chat Mods.

2.06
* Added a slider control to the framerate limiter so that you can choose your own value.
* Added a new performance option to disable the combat log. This will have more benefit with larger raids.

2.02
* Just a slight modification to the options panel. Options are now invoked immediately after checking an option box, which makes it more inline with the way other addons work.

2.01
* Rewrote the addon. Vastly simplified the configuration options, but retained script support for advanced users if needed.
* Type /gfx to see the options window. If you prefer scripts, read the FAQ.
* Removed the zone text option as it's available here.

1.42
* Added the option to hide zone text (this is the large text that displays your location when you change zones). This isn't really a performance boost, but I find it annoying. Zone text is enabled by default in Leatrix Gfx. If you want to disable it, you'll find the setting in Settings.lua as usual.

1.41
* Updated for Wow 3.2.0.
* Removed the horizon view distance setting as it's no longer available.

1.37
* Updated for Wow 3.1.2.
* Death Knight voice modulation effects disabled by default to increase performance.
* GfxSettings function in Settings.lua has been renamed to LeaGfxSettings. If you have your own Settings.lua file, you'll need to update it accordingly.
* Tidied up the code in Gfx.lua.

1.35
* The user defined settings for Gfx are now stored in a separate file called Settings.lua. This was done to make it easier for other people to create their own settings files and be able to import them easily into Gfx. You may also like to have multiple settings files for your own use.
* All of the settings changed by Gfx are copied to the SavedVariables folder for your account. This is a backup reference only, this file is not read by Gfx at all. Gfx updates the file when you reload your UI or log off your character.
* When Gfx detects a change at startup (or after a /reloadui), it will report the change in the chat frame along with the new value.
* The setting for maximum frames per second (maxfps) is now 0 by default. This instructs Wow to use the maximum framerate available. This will help new Gfx users to see the benefits which Gfx offers as soon as it's installed. If you want the best performance for your computer, you should keep this setting at 0. If you prefer a cooler graphics card, you should change it to 30 or 40.

1.32
* Gfx will no longer restart the graphics subsystem if no changes have been made to the settings since the last time Wow was launched. If any changes have been made, Gfx will restart the graphics subsystem the next time you login, but it'll warn you first, and it'll do it in the player environment, not during the loading process. If any of the changes requires a full Wow restart, Gfx will prompt you to do so when you login.

1.20
* Added a couple of new commands to the settings.

1.10
* Fully updated for Wow 3.1.

1.02
* Added lots more explanatory remarks to the settings.

1.01
* Added explanatory remarks to Gfx.lua.

1.00
* First release.

Archived Versions - Leatrix Gfx

File Name	Version	Size	Author	Date
Leatrix Gfx	2.12	6kB	Leatrix	10-13-2009 01:38 AM
Leatrix Gfx	2.11	6kB	Leatrix	10-13-2009 12:54 AM
Leatrix Gfx	1.42	30kB	Leatrix	09-21-2009 08:52 PM
Leatrix Gfx	1.41	29kB	Leatrix	08-05-2009 12:15 PM

Comments - Leatrix Gfx

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11-09-2009, 10:49 PM
Leatrix A Kobold Labourer Forum posts: 0 File comments: 94 Uploads: 8	Feedback If there's any particular features that you like (or dislike) about Leatrix Gfx or you'd like to post feedback, please do so. All constructive feedback is most welcome. I use Leatrix Gfx myself on my own computer, so I know what bits I like (reduced color mode, combat log throttling, framerate limiter and script support) but it's nice to know what others think too. Last edited by Leatrix : 11-09-2009 at 10:51 PM.

10-16-2009, 07:35 AM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Quote:

When I limit maxfps to say 40, I experience some unpleasant screen tearing. Something to do with monitor refresh rate?

Yes, screen tearing is actively linked to the monitors refresh rate. If the frame limiter causes screen-tearing in your case, that's just too bad. I've increased the framerate cap in Leatrix Gfx 2.14 from 50 to 120, so you could try to play around with that.

Keep in mind though that the higher you set the framerate cap, the harder it is for the Wow client to match it, so expect some fluctuation in the framerate with the higher settings.

Naturally, the vertical sync option will eliminate screen tearing as that forces your framerate to match your refresh rate, but you'll suffer a framerate drop if you enable it. Besides, if your graphics card can't normally produce a high enough framerate to match your refresh rate there's not a lot of point.

Quote:

Also, my problem might be a little more complex. When I turn RIL off, I can play lagless most of the time. There are times (not really computation extensive) when the camera just enters the lagged mode and it's making me sick. Note: the graphics aren't choppy at all, it's literally laggy

I know exactly what you mean. If i turn the graphics up on my (old) computer, and I don't use RIL, I get exactly the same thing and it's horrible. Using the low quality settings in Wow and using Leatrix Gfx means that I don't need to use RIL, but if you need to use it then that's what it's there for.

Last edited by Leatrix : 10-16-2009 at 07:44 AM.

10-13-2009, 07:19 PM
goliath0 A Murloc Raider Forum posts: 4 File comments: 117 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the addon. When I limit maxfps to say 40, I experience some unpleasant screen tearing. Something to do with monitor refresh rate? Also, my problem might be a little more complex. When I turn RIL off, I can play lagless most of the time. There are times (not really computation extensive) when the camera just enters the lagged mode and it's making me sick. Note: the graphics aren't choppy at all, it's literally laggy Guess I just have to stick to RIL :-/ Last edited by goliath0 : 10-15-2009 at 12:26 PM.

10-13-2009, 06:13 PM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Quote:

Originally posted by goliath0
I use Reduce Input Lag.
I cannot play without it (the camera spins with like a 1 sec lag).

Do you have any information regarding this particular option? The sources are very vague about it. Anything one could do to have it turned off but not actually have this weird drunk-feeling lag?

The game is divided into two parts - there's the actual game world which features your character, background, mobs and so forth, and it's all presented to you as a player.

Then there's the user interface (UI) which is the side that you control with buttons and... mm, more buttons actually.

Obtaining a balance between the two - great graphics in the game portion and great responses in the UI portion - is a tentative process.

Sometimes, simply creating the game world and processing all the graphics takes so much out of your system that the UI side suffers. That's where "Reduce input lag" can help by giving the UI side a higher priority in relation to the game side. As a result, your responses should be as good as they could ever be, but the game side will obviously suffer in framerates, as your computer is spending less time processing the graphics.

You can normally play without "Reduce input lag" enabled if you tone down the graphics settings to a level which your computer can easily cope with. Using Leatrix Gfx can help here, both with disabling graphical features but also forcefully lowering your framerate. However, if even that isn't enough, then you'll have to use the "Reduce input lag" option.

Last edited by Leatrix : 10-15-2009 at 04:09 AM.

10-13-2009, 05:42 PM
goliath0 A Murloc Raider Forum posts: 4 File comments: 117 Uploads: 0	I use Reduce Input Lag. I cannot play without it (the camera spins with like a 1 sec lag). Do you have any information regarding this particular option? The sources are very vague about it. Anything one could do to have it turned off but not actually have this weird drunk-feeling lag? Last edited by goliath0 : 10-13-2009 at 05:44 PM.

10-13-2009, 02:02 PM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Quote:

Originally posted by goliath0
When I unregister combat log stuff at start up, play some and /reload, the entries appear in the log (although new ones aren't produced). Is combat log caching them anyway? Maybe one could block that as well.

Yes, that's intended.

From the front page:

Quote:

This option will prevent the combat log window from being populated in realtime, increasing performance, especially in larger raids where there is a lot of combat activity by a large number of people. This doesn't disable the combat log completely so damage meter addons will still work.

It's impossible to disable the combat log completely, so Leatrix Gfx simply prevents the combat log from being populated in realtime, it's better than nothing.

Combat entries shouldn't appear in the combat log while it's visible, but if you click any buttons in the log (eg. Everything or Self), or you reload your UI, or anything which refreshes the combat log, then the entries will show up.

The combat log is a major contributor to fps bottlenecks in large raids (and this was made worse when Blizzard changed it from a text-based system to a database system). Not running any addons which parse the combat log (eg. damage meters) will help quite a bit. Sadly, it's not possible to disable the combat log completely (game mechanics require it) so the option in Leatrix Gfx is better than nothing.

The only way to test it though is in a 25 player raid, during a hectic boss fight where there's lots of combat activity.

10-13-2009, 12:44 PM
goliath0 A Murloc Raider Forum posts: 4 File comments: 117 Uploads: 0	When I unregister combat log stuff at start up, play some and /reload, the entries appear in the log (although new ones aren't produced). Is combat log caching them anyway? Maybe one could block that as well. Last edited by goliath0 : 10-13-2009 at 12:45 PM.

10-11-2009, 09:17 PM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Quote:

Originally posted by Jackalantern
I am assuming that if you used the combat log tweak then Damage meter mods such as Recount and Skada would not work correctly, right?

Recount works fine because the option in Leatrix Gfx doesn't disable the combat log completely, since that's impossible. It just prevents the combat log from being updated in the chat window in realtime, giving a performance boost in raids, etc.

If you don't need to see realtime output in the combat log window, I advise you to have the combat log disabled as every little helps in a raid environment. Recount and the like will still work fine.

The improved fps you will see from checking the "Disable combat log" option will be most evident in 25 player raids and battlegrounds, or any location where there is a lot of combat activity by a large number of people.

However, addons that parse the combat log on a line by line basis, such as Recount, are big resource hoggers and can easily cause game freezing and drastically reduced fps in large raids. If you check the option in Leatrix Gfx to disable the combat log but then you run Recount to parse it, you're defeating the object somewhat.

Last edited by Leatrix : 10-11-2009 at 09:18 PM.

10-11-2009, 01:50 PM
Jackalantern A Kobold Labourer Forum posts: 1 File comments: 54 Uploads: 0	I am assuming that if you used the combat log tweak then Damage meter mods such as Recount and Skada would not work correctly, right?

10-11-2009, 11:20 AM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Re: Re: Re: Combat log.

Quote:

Originally posted by Enkidu
Thanks for the quick reply, the addon causing Combat Log to turn itself back on was BasicChatMods (timestamps module), disabling it (or editing it) suppresses the combat log correctly on every log in.

Thanks for your feedback.

Please install Leatrix Gfx 2.07 which will hopefully resolve this issue. In this new version, Leatrix Gfx will configure the combat log after Basic Chat Mods has finished loading.

10-11-2009, 08:20 AM
Enkidu A Kobold Labourer Forum posts: 0 File comments: 19 Uploads: 0	Re: Re: Combat log. Thanks for the quick reply, the addon causing Combat Log to turn itself back on was BasicChatMods (timestamps module), disabling it (or editing it) suppresses the combat log correctly on every log in. Last edited by Enkidu : 10-11-2009 at 08:29 AM.

10-11-2009, 03:37 AM
vlakarados A Deviate Faerie Dragon Forum posts: 16 File comments: 41 Uploads: 0	some time ago I found out that checking hardware acceleration in sound options increased my fps by ~5 (from 15 to 20), now, using your addon I have 40. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

10-10-2009, 09:05 PM

Leatrix

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 0

File comments: 94

Uploads: 8

Re: Combat log.

Quote:

Originally posted by Enkidu
Hey Leatrix, firstly thanks a lot for these awesome small addons, the tweaks are well needed.

I'm having issues with the combat log, it keeps returning after every log in (going into Leatrix Gfx options and disabling it again there usually works and suppresses it for that session).
Am I doing anything wrong?

Thanks for your feedback.

It may be that another addon is switching the combat log back on. Please try the following to isolate the cause:

Log into Wow and ensure only the Leatrix Gfx addon is enabled. All other addons should be disabled.
Bring up the Leatrix Gfx options panel (/gfx) and ensure "Disable combat log" is checked.
Click the combat log chat window to show it, then push a spell button or buff. It shouldn't show in the log, is that right?
Quit Wow (don't alt/f4, close Wow properly) and log back in again.
Again, click the combat log chat window to show it, then push a spell button or buff. It shouldn't show in the log, is that right? If it does show in the log, check the Leatrix Gfx options panel setting for "Disable Combat Log" and ensure it's still checked.

If these steps show that the combat log window stays silent between relogs, then Leatrix Gfx is working fine as intended and another addon is enabling the combat log. Please enable your addons in batches of 2 or 3 at a time to find out which addon is causing the problem, then post back here.

Basically, once you check the option in Leatrix Gfx to disable the combat log, then the combat log event will be unregistered every time Wow starts up to ensure that combat log events aren't shown in realtime. If that isn't happening, another addon must be re-registering the event.

Remember that the "Disable combat log" option doesn't completely disable the combat log (since that's impossible), it simply unregisters the event which causes the combat log to be updated in real-time. Clicking another tab in the combat log (such as "Self" or "What Happened To Me" will always cause the combat log window to be refreshed whether the event is unregistered or not.

Last edited by Leatrix : 10-10-2009 at 10:29 PM.

10-10-2009, 01:01 PM
Enkidu A Kobold Labourer Forum posts: 0 File comments: 19 Uploads: 0	Combat log. Hey Leatrix, firstly thanks a lot for these awesome small addons, the tweaks are well needed. I'm having issues with the combat log, it keeps returning after every log in (going into Leatrix Gfx options and disabling it again there usually works and suppresses it for that session). Am I doing anything wrong?

10-10-2009, 09:08 AM

Valcry

A Kobold Labourer

Forum posts: 1

File comments: 10

Uploads: 0

Quote:

Originally posted by Leatrix
Yes, the /combatlog command will still work in the same way regardless of the option in Leatrix Gfx.

This sound pretty cool. Thank you very much indeed for this addon.
Acutally I'm having round about 12 FPS in Raids, causing some timing-problems while casting (sometimes). Will report you the new FPS after the next raid.

/target Leatrix
/cheer

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