Guild Wars 2 style action camera
 

I found a couple threads requesting this functionality on various forums as I was interested in this myself. All of the responses claimed it wasn't possible, and while they're correct in the context of the native WoW API, it is certainly possible using AutoHotkey, and took me about 20 minutes to create. I don't know if AutoHotkey scripts are allowed on WoWInterface or if they violate WoW's TOS, which is really why I'm making this thread. Am I allowed to advertise/distribute AutoHotkey scripts on this forum?

The script works surprisingly well and makes leveling a lot more fun (for me, at least). If anyone wants it I could post the necessary files somewhere and make a readme on how to use it. Here is a video of the tool in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HZFxdLslVY

AutoHotKey usage may violate ToS/EULA.

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/20043366617#4

AutoHotkey scripts, and generally other things like keyboard macro scripts and whatnot, aren't against the TOS so long as they don't automate things. So providing everything the setup does requires user input, it's not really running afoul of anything at all.

Worst case scenario, just do it all as part of the addon. I'm assuming here that what the AutoHotkey part does is that, by the press of a button, it locks down the cursor to a set position on screen, fakes the right mouse button held down, and reroutes the mouse buttons to certain keys? Short of the part where you reposition the mouse, there have been other addons in the past that have done this!

This whole thingy is a bit tricky, blizz never said anything about AHK in particular, but they said this
and this
So..
This part may actually be an issue.

Thanks a lot for the replies so far. The script doesn't actually hold the right mouse button down to enable mouselook. How it works is the alt key is rerouted to one of two macros in-game that call MouselookStart() and MouselookStop() depending on a flag set in the AHK script. If mouselook is enabled, the cursor position is locked to wherever the crosshair is positioned. Left clicking while mouselook is enabled disables mouselook, clicks the left mouse button, and then re-enables mouselook as fast as possible (which is just a couple frames as far as I can tell). The only keystrokes that are really being automated are letting go and pressing the right mouse button to target things. So yeah, I guess there is technically automation going on, even though it doesn't provide any unfair advantage to the player... Is it just me or is their stance on this a little draconian?

P.S. lightspark: I had not seen oUF before as I'm returning to the game after a long hiatus. Your layout is sexy as hell and I'm definitely going to use it.

It sounds like you are trying to do something similar to Move Pad Plus

I don't think you'll get in trouble for this. WoWmapper does something similar which involves a teeny tiny bit (literally one bit) of memory reading (also not allowed) to figure out when to re-center the cursor, and nobody has gotten an infraction for using it. They don't allow automated behaviour, but none of this is automated anyway. You're still actively deciding when to do something and it only does a single thing anyway. The fact that several inputs are involved is only considered automation if you read the terms of use word by word, but instead consider the behaviour they are trying to prevent with these rules.

Automation or scripting would call for an infraction if you're doing things like chaining your entire rotation to a single button, but multi-boxing is allowed because you're still in control of your characters. I'm just talking out of my ass since I'm not affiliated with Blizzard, but as long as you're not trying to "hack" the game or the experience it wants to be, you should be fine.

Blizzard are adding a bunch of new camera stuff to Legion, and it may very well be possible to handle this entirely via addon come 7.0. There's a guy on Reddit who's been working on a really interesting action cam for a while, and it's turning out fairly nicely.


https://gfycat.com/MeatySelfishCapeghostfrog
https://gfycat.com/CriminalLiveGlowworm

That second video looks interesting. It looks like he's using a controller? I really hope what I'm trying to achieve is possible with just the WoW API in 7.0.

This is pretty much what I was thinking. Thanks for the info.

I'm curious. Well aware of the action cam, but isn't he just using SetView(id) and restoring pre-determined camera positions, or is he actually able to accurately create camera angles from code?

Haha, thanks :D

And sorry for off-topic.