So I'm sure the story is a familar one...
When I first started playing EQ, I knew hardly anything about UIs and I fell in love with one particular UI. Mine was Caleal's 1.4. When he released a newer edition,
Caleal's 2.0, I immediately adopted it and the new screen resolution required to run it. For nearly two years, I've been a loyal fan of Caleal's UIs. His UIs are clean and functional, while also eye-pleasing, with little to no extra fluff. Everything is organized well and easy to use. I just <3 them!
But, like many great UIs, the author has stopped playing EQ, and so the UI has stopped being updated. And who can blame them really? In just trying to figure out where to start with this project, I've spent a lot of time and been very frustrated in the process. And so I come here, to ask for your suggestions, help, and guidance.
Since Caleal has moved on from EQ, I have not been able to bring myself to abandon his UI. Through several patches that have made EQ's interface more robust, I have resisted change and instead done what little changes I could muster. But now I know, it's time to fix it or abandon it. I want to give it a good college try at fixing, and releasing for other fans of Caleal's, before adopting a new UI.
So here's the things that have changed since Caleal moved on a year ago (that I can remember, and in no particular order):
+ new pet window, which includes pet buffs
+ target rings
+ combat disciplines
+ mana and endurance numbers
+ Leadership AA, most notably Health of Target's Target!
+ 9th spell gem, 20 buff slots
Now, I know what I want... more of the same. I want to include all of those features, and maintain the elegant simplicty of Caleal's 2.0. Then, if I've gotten a firm grasp of SIDL's UI modification, move on to Caleal 1.4 further "optional" upgrades for Caleal 2.0
My background is in a lot of HTML and Photoshop, so I've been able to put together a photoshop .jpeg of how I want the main part of the UI to be organized when I'm done. It's attached on the bottom.
So where to start? I've read the tutorials and the SIDL docs. Should I download a WYSIWYG, or will a lightbulb click for me for XML like it did for HTML? In the expert opinion of experienced EQUI developers, is Caleal's 2.0 original UI coded strongly enough that I won't be piecing things together as I go to update it? I've read about finding a UI that you like (check!) and figuring out how you want to fix it (check!) and fiddling with it until you get what you like. I've been starting with the spell gem window and running into some problems adding the 9th gem. Is this a good place to start, or would you recommend a different window to begin learning and experimenting on?
If you've read this far, I thank you! I am very excited to undertake this project, and I want it to go as smoothly as possible. I've already put a lot of thought and time into it, so any and all guidance is greatly appreciated! I hope that one day soon, this resurrected Caleal UI will be as useful to someone else as his have been to me for so long.
