WoWInterface - News http://www.wowinterface.com/forums WoWInterface front page news. en Fri, 09 May 2008 20:52:21 GMT vBulletin 60 http://s.wowinterface.com/images/style_mmoi_wowi2/misc/rss.jpg WoWInterface - News http://www.wowinterface.com/forums World of Warcraft Programming http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16054&goto=newpost Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:25:41 GMT http://s.wowinterface.com/images/news/wow_programming_sm2.jpg Written by three of the WoW addon community’s superstars, *_ WORLD OF WARCRAFT PROGRAMMING: A GUIDE AND REFERENCE FOR CREATING WoW ADDONS _* (Wiley Publishing, Inc.; May 2008; $39.99) is an all-in-one guide to writing addons for World...
Written by three of the WoW addon community’s superstars, WORLD OF WARCRAFT PROGRAMMING: A GUIDE AND REFERENCE FOR CREATING WoW ADDONS (Wiley Publishing, Inc.; May 2008; $39.99) is an all-in-one guide to writing addons for World of Warcraft. Addons can take various forms, from simple changes to the functionality and appearance of toolbars and hotkeys to sophisticated suites that perform statistical analysis of in-game economies and trade.

This guide is geared towards using Lua, a popular programming language used in video game development. Specifically, Lua is used for in-game scripting and creating addons for World of Warcraft. The authors cover the most relevant material, as well as a number of pitfalls and common mistakes that the reader may experience in development. No prior programming experience is assumed, although familiarity with languages such as PHP or JavaScript may be useful to the reader in picking up the Lua language. WORLD OF WARCRAFT PROGRAMMING also includes complete instructions on how to implement a number of specific addon concepts such as:
  • Unit frames
  • Secure templates
  • Dynamic frames
  • Parsing tooltips
  • Dropdown menus
  • Scroll frames
The final section of WORLD OF WARCRAFT PROGRAMMING is a comprehensive reference guide to the World of Warcraft API. Having a fully indexed, consistent set of reference documentation makes finding the specific function developers need much easier.

 With comprehensive coverage, this book guides aspiring developers through learning Lua and XML, creating several example addons, and provides them with an indexed reference for the API. WORLD OF WARCRAFT PROGRAMMING is perfect for those users who are interested in learning how to script and write addons, and will appeal to established addon authors looking for definitive reference material for the World of Warcraft API.


You can pre-order the book at Amazon.com. They are offering an additional 5% discount on pre-orders, but that is only until they start shipping it. It is due to be available on shelves at your favourite book retailers May 5th (in the US).


About the Authors:

James Whitehead II is the author of LightHeaded, PerfectRaid, Clique, TomTom, and other addons available at WoWInterface. He is also coauthor of Hacking World of Warcraft.

Bryan McLemore joined the UI community in early 2005 and cofounded the Ace Project and WowAce.com. His "day job" is in Web development.

Matthew Orlando is the author of BuyEmAll, CogsBar, MacroTalk, and other popular WoW addons. He's a programmer and maintains Cogwheel's Complete Macro Guide.

The book’s cover art was created by Lar Desouza and it’s based on the characters of Looking for Group, a popular Word of Warcraft-based webcomic: LFGComic ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16054 PotW for 20 Apr 08 and sub-division of Compilations download category http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15987&goto=newpost Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:47:37 GMT This week Seerah has covered two updated mods, NinjaPoints (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8634-NinjaPoints.html#info) and BindingsReminder (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8691-BindingsReminder.html#info). You can read her overview of them here... This week Seerah has covered two updated mods, NinjaPoints and BindingsReminder. You can read her overview of them here.

Are you the author of a mod that you think belongs in this spotlight? Just upload/update it to our site, and it will automatically be considered for that week's Pick.


Also a note to both compilation creators and end-users: we are sub-dividing the Suites & Compilations category. As such, we're asking for suggestions from the entire community as to the sub-categories they would like to see added. For compilation creators, we're asking that if you'd like to have your compilation moved to a specific sub-category to please drop a PM to any of the site staff asking for it to be moved to that category. We're trying to sort through them on our own, but we never object to assistance. ;) ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15987 PotW for 13 Apr 08 http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15868&goto=newpost Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:23:44 GMT Seerah has overviewed Fishermans's Friend and GemQuota this week. You can read both of her overviews here.


Are you the author of a mod that you think belongs in this spotlight? Just upload/update it to our site, and it will automatically be considered for that week's Pick. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15868 <![CDATA[WoWI's PotW for 6 Apr 08]]> http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15756&goto=newpost Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:21:48 GMT Seerah has done another lovely overview of a new mod on the scene, Panda. You can check out her review here.

Also, just a little note since it hasn't been fixed by Blizzard yet - if you're one of the people having problems with your chat settings not saving between sessions, Tekkub has put out a temporary fix you can use until Blizz comes up with a permanent solution. You can get his fix here. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15756 <![CDATA[IncGamers' UICentral discontinued]]> http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15674&goto=newpost Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:01:38 GMT Just passing the word along for anyone who uses their site as well as this one but may have missed it there.

As posted on IncGamers:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushster
A heads-up to UIC users. UICentral, as created by site member Amthea, has been pulled from the site as it has come to light that there was a copyright infringment inside the application code. An unlicensed key was utilised to create a part of the application, and so to act responsibly, and protect the party invovled, we have pulled the file from the website.

We are dissapointed that this has occured but at the same time pleased that this has been brought to our attention as we do not condone such practices.

With this in mind we are looking to create our own application in-house so that this can not occur in the future. Work will begin immediatly on the new application for mod updating. Thanks to everyone for being so patient while we investigated and checked through everything. We'll update you soon :)

Posted by Rushster 5 hours ago

According to follow up posts, this affects their IncGamers' Client as well:

Quote:
RagabashMoon 2 hours ago

Ok, just uninstalled UICentral, and now I've gotten that java applet thing, but I look forward to a new proper version of a program I can use to scan my mods and keep them up to date! :) Oh, the "IncGamers CLient" is included also? Ok, i'll get rid of it.

In addition, ChaosInc provided this information as to why they have taken this step:

Quote:
Site Admin ChaosInc 2 hours ago

ROFL, just thought about it. The problems with the trojans we had back in the day all makes sense now!
Quote:
Site Admin ChaosInc 2 hours ago

In a nutshell, he used a cracked version of a Java app and got caught. In turn, they threatened to take "legal action" against the site unless it was pulled. Needless to say, however, we would've pulled it anyways.

What does this mean? It means UIC is no longer available IN ANY FORM from this point forward. But as Rush has stated we plan to have another application designed from the ground up without the worry of some piss-ant lawyer breathing down our necks about "distributing applications without checking first that the program used was a legit copy. Ignorance of proper licensing is NO EXCUSE!". Honestly, how the hell are we supposed to check that crap anyways? Ask 'em? Psh....

So as per their "legal request", we'd also like to ask anyone who has dl'd UIC in ANY form to please remove it from their comp. Of course, we can't check this, but apparently they think we can. Next they'll be asking for everyone IP that's dl'd it. But no worries, that's what we call "invasion of privacy", so everyone who's gonna start fretting about that can relax.

Rush has sent a personal apology on the matter and we have met their requests on the matter to avoid "legal action". As of this point, we should be left alone and we can get back to work on important things, like deciding who's buying the next round of Poptarts!

Oh damn, I said a product name! Please don't sue us, Kellogg's!

So, if you use IncGamers' UICentral, it has been discontinued. You will need to update your mods manually from their site until they have their new updater written. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15674 Serial Killer* Still On The Loose – Case Baffles Authorities http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15632&goto=newpost Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:28:55 GMT Image: http://s.wowinterface.com/images/dtc/TERROR.png Ironforge, Loch Modan: Citizens here remain terrified in the wake of a recent string of tragedies, all connected, yet still shrouded in mystery. More than 12 Cogsgrove Counterclockwise Corkscrewing Contraptified Cogs have been found...

Ironforge, Loch Modan:

Citizens here remain terrified in the wake of a recent string of tragedies, all connected, yet still shrouded in mystery. More than 12 Cogsgrove Counterclockwise Corkscrewing Contraptified Cogs have been found eviscerated on the streets of Ironforge in the last week, in what can only be described as senseless violence.

What officials have described as a ‘depraved Gnomish individual of unknown origins’ has been glimpsed briefly stalking the streets by automatic gnomish reality impression capturing devices, and is thought to be behind the incidents. Please note that the attached image may not be suitable for night elves and young children. Reader discretion is advised.

Forensic experts retained by this publication have postulated that the individual pictured bears a striking resemblance to noted Gnomish Engineer Zootfizzle, also a self-proclaimed sprocket supporter, who was reported missing last week as well. When questioned further, Lieutenant Roghtlivar of the Ironforge Brigade had this to say: “Findin’ Engineer Zootfizzle is, o’ course, important, but it seems a wee bit o’ a stretch t’ suggest he be behind this sort of a thing while missin’, isn’ it?”

*victims not actually killed ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15632 Additional Picks of the Week! http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15626&goto=newpost Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:34:20 GMT Update: Happy April Fools' Day everyone. Hope you got as much of a chuckle out of this as we did!

Okay guys, I know that we normally only do our Pick of the Week once, but there are two new projects that we feel are just too good to wait an entire week before telling you about them.

(Sorry for pre-empting you Seerah, but these need to be shared.)

The first is a newly released mod called High Roller. From the file description:

Quote:
This AddOn uses an advanced algorithm to time your roll requests to the server in order to increase your average roll value.

Note that the addon is rather large due to the advanced algorithm. It must take into account things such as Name, Race, Class, guild name, and position. I have done everything I can to make the addon as fast an efficient as possible (I use both Ace2 and Rock so that its twice as fast!)
Here's a screenshot of it in action:



Read the full description of it and download it here.

The second is a new project that is still in closed Beta testing called ChoreGlider. While I’m not allowed to show you any pics of it yet, I have gotten permission to share some of the beta testers’ comments with you:

Quote:
Originally Posted by militlepwny
There's this new life bot called "ChoreGlider" and once I've set up the profile, it takes care of the pesky real life obligations I have, so I can play more WoW!
Quote:
Originally Posted by imbeterthenu
I leveled a warlock to 70 in two days, since my ChoreGlider even slept for me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Legomyegolas
I’ve never been happier! Now that ChoreGlider takes out the trash for me, my wife has stopped b!tching all the time so now I can play WoW whenever I want! Thanks ChoreGlider!
Quote:
Originally Posted by l4zorp3wpew!
I use my ChoreGlider to go to work for me. It works so well, I even got a raise, all while I'm busy playing on my 15th alt!
Be sure to keep checking back here to find out how the ChoreGlider project is progressing! ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15626 Pick for 3/30: Toons-v2 (new) and ChatIcons (updated) http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15595&goto=newpost Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:00:12 GMT Seerah has written up her overview of two mods this week, Toons (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8529-Toons-v2.html#info) and ChatIcons (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/fileinfo.php?id=8287). Check out her overview of them here (http://www.wowinterface.com/pickofweek.php). Are... Seerah has written up her overview of two mods this week, Toons and ChatIcons.

Check out her overview of them here.


Are you the author of a mod that you think belongs in this spotlight? Just upload/update it to our site, and it will automatically be considered for that week's Pick. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15595 WoW Patch 2.4.0, Fury of the Sunwell, now Live http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15451&goto=newpost Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:54:15 GMT Fury of the Sunwell
  • The glorious fount of arcane energy known as the Sunwell empowered the high elves for millennia, until the death knight Arthas laid siege to the elven kingdom and corrupted its sacred energies. Seeing no other alternative, a band of survivors led by Prince Kael’thas destroyed the ancient fount. Over time the surviving elves fell pray to a crippling magical withdrawal. Now, promising salvation for his people, Kael’thas has returned. Soon the Sunwell will shine once again, but whether the sacred fount will usher in deliverance or destruction remains to be seen.
In Memoriam: Gary Gygax
  • Blizzard Entertainment would like to dedicate the patch in memory of Gary Gygax. His work on D&D was an inspiration to us in many ways and helped spark our passion for creating games of our own. As avid D&D players and fellow game developers, we were all saddened by the news of his passing; we feel we’ve lost a true adventuring companion. Thanks for everything and farewell, Gary. You will be missed.
Combat Log Improvements
  • The combat log has undergone improvements that allow more robust combat text filtering including the ability to define custom colors for enemies and friends, as well as combat text filtering for self and others.
Global Arena Tournament
  • Players will be able to create level-70 characters with epic equipment and compete on special tournament realms in a new global arena tournament. For more information, details and entry requirements, please visit the official tournament pages.
General
  • The Sunwell Isle is now available for play. This area includes a new quest hub and 5 and 25-player instances.
  • The combined forces of Shattrath have launched an attack on the Isle of Quel’Danas, to confront Kael’thas and the Legion at the Sunwell and surrounding areas. Players will now be able to gain reputation with the Shattered Sun Offensive and participate in a new set of daily quests.
  • A representative of the Keepers of Time has been spotted at the World’s End Tavern in Shattrath. Players in good standing with the faction will be granted ease of passage to the Caverns of Time.
  • Characters will now retain talented spell ranks so when they retalent they do not have to relearn the spells from trainers.
  • Spell Haste: Spell haste now reduces the global cooldown on spells, down to a minimum of 1 second. This change does not apply to melee and ranged abilities.
  • Item Cast Spells: Many spells cast by items were being cast as if the caster were the same level as the item. Most of those will now be cast at the player’s level, giving them a reasonable chance to miss, be dispelled, or be resisted.
  • Resilience: Now reduces the magnitude of mana draining effects by the same amount that it reduces critical strike damage. The Tooltip has been revised to reflect this.
  • Spirit-Based Mana Regeneration: This system has been adjusted so that as your intellect rises, you will regenerate more mana per point of spirit.
  • Weapon Skill: Points will be gained faster in weapon skills for levels 1 through 59.
  • The Daily Quest limit has been increased to 25.
  • Non-self % based haste spells will no longer stack with each other.

Of immediate interest for our community:

User Interface
  • The Interface Options screen has been completely redesigned. AddOns that interact with the Interface Options screen will need to be updated.
  • Combat Log Improvements
    • New tabs are available for sorting combat messages.
    • ctrl-right clicking functionality has been added for individual information sorting
    • Colors may now be assigned for friends and enemies
    • The WoWCombatLog.txt file format has been changed to make it easier for programs to read.
    • The ability to chat-link player spells and talents.
  • Cast sequences work with slot numbers again.
  • GM messages now appear with a Blizzard icon near their name.
  • You can now declare war on a faction in the reputation UI while you are in combat.
  • Spell haste and Armor Penetration will now display on the character sheet. (Armor Penetration displays in the hit rating section). Spell Penetration now displays under the spell hit section.
  • Weapon enchants are now shown at the character selection screen.
  • The friends list now has a notes field per friend. Click on the note icon to add a note for a particular friend.
  • There is now a UI option to display free bag space. When turned on, your backpack will display the total number of free spaces available in all your bags.
  • You can now link quests into the chat log by Shift-Clicking on the quest name in the quest log.
  • Merchants now display how many pages of merchandise they sell (Page 1 of 2).
  • Guild Bank Changes
    • Ranks can now be set to allow withdraw of funds or allow repair with funds or both.
    • When purchasing a bank tab, it takes money out of the guild bank before it takes your personal money. This is logged as well.
    • Each Tab now has an info pane. This pane can be used for requests or for rules about the tab or anything at all really.
  • When looting Bind on Pickup items, the confirmation dialogue now lists the name of the item in the dialogue. You can now verify that you are picking up the correct bind on pickup item.
  • Bind on Pickup items that only you can pick up (Heroic Badges for instance) will no longer bring up a confirmation dialogue.
  • Players can now opt out of looting for group loot, round robin and need before greed looting styles. If a player turns this on, they will not get a looting turn in the loot cycle. This can be turned on from the right-click menu on your own portrait.
  • In Master Loot mode, all players in the group will see sparkles on corpses that have loot above the master loot threshold. This lets everyone see what the master loot items are, though they cannot interact with them. Only the master looter can loot those items still.
  • Searching for an item in the tradeskill search box should now hide empty categories.
  • The names over the heads of nearby players who are on your friends list will appear in a different color now so you can tell when they are nearby.
  • Stacked items for sale at the auction house now display the per unit price and per unit buyout price in the item mouseover.
  • The profession UI search field has been improved and now allows for searching of more types of things. For instance you can search for items by socket color, by effect ("Critical Strike" for instance) or search gems by their effect ("Strength" for instance). In addition, the searching of items by level has been made more intuitive. You can now search for items by level with "15-20" to search for items that you can make that have a minimum level required of 15 to 20.
  • The Tooltip for player Dodge/Block/Parry in the character sheet has been changed slightly.
  • Optimized particle system rendering for improved frame rates.
  • The casting bar will now display properly when casting Blizzard (mage) or Rain of Fire (warlock) with spell haste.
  • For additional notes on Lua and XML changes please visit the UI & Macros Forum.
You can get the full details on the exact UI changes in Iriel's concise list.

Read the full patch notes.
 ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15451 PotW 3/23 http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15425&goto=newpost Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:47:10 GMT Check out Seerah's overview of IHML (I Have Macro Lol!) here. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15425 2.4 AddOn Survival Guide http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15390&goto=newpost Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:27:33 GMT http://s.wowinterface.com/images/news/newsbug-2.4sg.png (http://www.wowinterface.com/survivalguide.php)Given how much this patch is going to affect addons and understanding how frustrating it is for users having to check site after site trying to find updates of their favourite addons, we’ve added... Given how much this patch is going to affect addons and understanding how frustrating it is for users having to check site after site trying to find updates of their favourite addons, we’ve added a new feature to try to help everyone out. We’ve made a list of the top 75 addons across all the major sites (WoWI, Curse, incgamers' and Ace) and put together a page to help. From this one page you can see whether any of these top 75 addons have had an update, a beta update or no update yet for 2.4. If an addon has an update or beta update available, there will be an icon (or icons) that provide a link to the download page for the addon on whichever sites it is available. We will continue to monitor these addons for a few days after 2.4 goes live and revise the page as more get updated, until the rush is over.

If you know of an addon on the list that has been updated and we haven’t refreshed it on the list, please feel free to get in touch with us. You can send a PM to a staff member on the site, join us in irc (irc://irc.freenode.net/WoWUIDev) or by sending me an email: cairenn@wowinterface.com. Please be sure to include the link for the updated version.

Hopefully users will find this page helpful. Check it out here (or by clicking the icon above) and check back often to see if your favourite addons have been updated yet. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15390 <![CDATA[WoWI's PotW for 3/16]]> http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15356&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:05:50 GMT Seerah covered three new mods this week: GroupOMatic (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8369-GroupOMatic.html#info), FlashFind (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8409-FlashFind.html#info) and Chinchilla (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8394-Chinchilla.html). You can see... Seerah covered three new mods this week: GroupOMatic, FlashFind and Chinchilla. You can see her overviews for all three of these mods here.

Are you the author of a mod that you think belongs in this spotlight? Just upload/update it to our site, and it will automatically be considered for that week's Pick. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15356 <![CDATA[WoWI's PotW for 2 Mar and 9 Mar 08]]> http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15243&goto=newpost Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:16:59 GMT Seerah was on vacation last week, so this post covers both weeks, with MobNotes (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info8314-MobNotes.html) being uploaded to WoWI for the first time on 3/1, and OnScreenHealth (http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info7470-OnScreenHealth.html) having a couple of... Seerah was on vacation last week, so this post covers both weeks, with MobNotes being uploaded to WoWI for the first time on 3/1, and OnScreenHealth having a couple of updates this week.

You can see Seerah's overviews for both of these mods here.

Are you the author of a mod that you think belongs in this spotlight? Just upload/update it to our site, and it will automatically be considered for that week's Pick. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15243 <![CDATA[Art of Blizzard Benefit Show for Child's Play]]> http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15187&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:21:11 GMT From March 8 to March 23, Nucleus gallery will be hosting an exhibition showcasing rarely-seen concept art for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II. Some of our artists and developers will be in attendance to greet players and answer questions about the... From March 8 to March 23, Nucleus gallery will be hosting an exhibition showcasing rarely-seen concept art for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II. Some of our artists and developers will be in attendance to greet players and answer questions about the artwork, and you will be able to buy any of the pieces on display or bid on them in the show's silent auction. All proceeds of the show will benefit the Child's Play charity created by Penny Arcade . Child's Play is a Seattle-based game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children in over 40 hospitals worldwide with toys and games.

Stop by Nucleus gallery, check out some of the amazing artwork on display, and seize your chance to own a piece of original Blizzard Entertainment artwork. Visit the Nucleus gallery website to learn more about exhibition dates, directions, auction instructions, and more. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15187 Our Deepest Sympathies http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15159&goto=newpost Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:06:46 GMT The folks at Blizzard sum it up quite well for all of us:

Many of us here at Blizzard got our start in gaming with Dungeons & Dragons or one of its computer adaptations and have fond memories of rolling dice, poring over rulebooks, braving dark caverns and castle keeps, battling kobolds and hill giants. Gary Gygax's work on D&D was an inspiration to us and in many ways helped spark our passion for creating games of our own. As avid D&D players and fellow game developers, we were all saddened by the news of his passing; we feel we've lost a true adventuring companion. Thanks for everything and farewell, Gary. You will be missed. ]]> News Cairenn http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15159