hope I can learn from the reactions on it 
Your GUI setup
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Doom_Eater
- Giant Leet
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:13 pm
- Location: The Netherlands (Dutch taking AP!)
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Alphacenta
- Leetissimo!
- Posts: 3200
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:05 pm
First.. what a ridiculous person there on the background!
Second, I don't like the mess your scrollbar on the right is. Why don't you close a few windows and open them when you need them? And why do you have out-of-battle kits on your primary hotbar? You have plenty of time between battles to sit down n use em from inv
Second, I don't like the mess your scrollbar on the right is. Why don't you close a few windows and open them when you need them?
And why do you have out-of-battle kits on your primary hotbar? You have plenty of time between battles to sit down n use em from inv Lupusceleri L220/24 Agent.
Silversmith upcoming TL5 twink.
Wolfseye L110/12 Adventurer (towertwink).
Lysdexic L90/9 Agent (Mimic Enf towertwink).
Aesculapias L21/2 Doctor (ancient).
Aaaand various other alts.
Silversmith upcoming TL5 twink.
Wolfseye L110/12 Adventurer (towertwink).
Lysdexic L90/9 Agent (Mimic Enf towertwink).
Aesculapias L21/2 Doctor (ancient).
Aaaand various other alts.
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Doom_Eater
- Giant Leet
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:13 pm
- Location: The Netherlands (Dutch taking AP!)
1. that person isn't me so blame Neverin if you want ban lol hes head of BHs 
aka new Epo
2. all the windows you see on the right I need all the time :s so that doesnt really help
3. thanks knew I needed to clean the mess this tip is helpfull
hes head of BHs aka new Epo2. all the windows you see on the right I need all the time :s so that doesnt really help
3. thanks
knew I needed to clean the mess this tip is helpfull
?/
/?
/ \ help bob multiply himself so he can takeover the world easier
Re: Your GUI setup
My New AO UI ...
My normal play:
(click for 250KB full size shot)
With text labels (newb friendly):
(click for 250KB full size shot)
With all useful areas opened up (and yet still fairly playable):
(click for 250KB full size shot)
NOTE: I didn't really keep the text labels in all of the places I had them on the screen. I used those for you to see what things are where. I removed them to look like the 1st image for my normal play.
FIRST OFF ... I don't expect anyone else to take this amount of time setting up their own UI. But ... this might give you some pointers on ways to customize your GUI a bit.
SECOND ... this is a TON of work to set up, so who the hell wants to do it for every character they play? No one. You can copy the settings to each character once you set things up. Everything will copy EXCEPT your nano program locations on your shortcut bars. Needless to say, that can be a hassle, too, but less of one than setting it all up by hand for each character.
THIRD ... if you do ANYTHING I mention below, you do it at your OWN RISK. It isn't all that hard to screw up your prefs badly and if you do so I am NOT fixing it for you.
To copy your settings, find the directory of the toon you LIKE the setup for and copy these files from it to all of your other toons you want to have that layout. You'll need to know your CharacterID so you know which toon to copy from. You can find your toon's ID in the data in the output from shift+F9.
NOTE: You might want to delete all files named "log.txt" and "inputhistory.xml" from your Chat folder before copying the files. In my case, I clean the toon's prefs out first, then I copy the cleaned directory to a place called "template" so that I can play the toon again without needing to clean up the prefs again.
The files you want to copy from the GOOD toon layout to another toon (note: to be safe, BACKUP all data you are copying OVER first ... and DELETE the stuff below from the toon you are copying TO so that you don't have weird conflicts)
You will still need to move alot of your windows (NCU, Maps, etc) into the right position even after this, but the hardest part will be done. There IS a way to copy these settings via the DockAreas folder but it IS NOT WORTH IT, it will take you far longer to perform the needed XML surgery than to just drag them to the right places. Especially if you've played for long as you will have HUNDREDS of files to search.
UI setup:
This layout pretty much requires a high res display. I ALWAYS play in Windowed mode for purposes of dual logging, web browsing, etc. I have my window set to 1900x1080. My monitor is 1920x1200. For a 1920x1080 monitor I would shrink it to 1900x1000. This lets you still access the Windows launch bar.
The chat windows are set up to give me:
* Combat text in a disappearing borderless window top-left
* Status text disappear borderless top-right
* Tabs for raids/pvp/OOC/shopping/etc on left middle
* Tells in a click-through window below the tabbed window
* Org chat/etc in borderless window at bottom
Window Tweaks (not necessary but still tasty):
...
Beyond the UI ... on to Keyboard mappings
NOTE: COMPLETELY ignore this section unless you want to try and decipher what I meant for awhile ... I mostly wrote it stream-of-consciousness
NOTE: I documented an DIFFERENT way of programming macros that requires NO keyboard remapping in an old thread
So ... I use a Microsoft Sidewinder X6 nowadays (as opposed to the Logitech G15 or Razer Lycosa-piece-of-junk). It lets me physically place my numpad on the left. That means it is the size of a normal keyboard (as opposed to the G15) and still has up to 30 macro keys.
For any game EXCEPT AO this means I can program my game to use numpad keys for actions. That way I can step up to any other PC with a USB numpad and play quickly. I've been trying to get away from macros.
However, AO doesn't allow you to use numpad keys for anything besides the camera. So I flip my macro keypad on (this keyboad lets me either use the numpad as a numpad OR as programmable macro keys).
To make it all work, I remapped my keys significantly with F10 -> Key Bindings as follows:
... UNBIND (inactive) ... this makes SURE the bar I select is always selected:
* Shortcut Bars > Active Bar 01 through 10
* Shortcut Bars > Bar Select 01 through 10
... BIND ... this makes it so keys 1 through 0 ALWAYS fire off bar 1
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 01_01 = 1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 06_01 = ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 07_01 = CTRL+SHIFT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 08_01 = SHIFT+ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 09_01 = CTRL+ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 10_01 = CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
... program the mouse so that mouse5 = numpad5 so I can reset my camera view (since I can't LOCK the darned thing and pressing "control" while using RMB means camera switches ... easy fix would be for the character to "auto-face" to match the camera when forward movement starts).
At this point I can set my keyboard macro keys to match the hotkeys above. In my case I use the CENTER screen hotbar spots to match my numpad. So since I have my hotbars like this:
So my numpad is reprogrammed to fire off bar6/7/8/9/10 buttons 7/8/9/0 (alt+7/alt+8/alt+9/alt+0, etc).
For buttons that are double-size, like Insert, I use control+ that button to fire an alternate action. For instance, my ShadowBreed is on Control+Insert. This lets me have "oh crap" buttons at easy access but very hard to accidentally press.
Its more complicated that in the end, since I had to find keys that wouldn't clash with existing mappings that could also have "Control" modifiers for the fat keys on the numpad, but that's the general feel of it.
So in the end ... I can play AO and have it feel more like how I play most other games that let you remap the numpad for stuff. The difference is in those other games I can still use things like "ALT+1" to do stuff, too, but those keys are gone for AO. But not a big deal.
Macros I use
For perks I went ahead and recorded macros (though if you look here you'll see that you can do the same thing to a lesser extend without needing external programs/hardware). My macros:
1) "Power" ... fire off all of my Power Up keys (bar 7 keys 1 through 6)
2) "Perk" ... fire off all of my damage perks and odd attacks (bar 7 keys 1 through 6)
3) "Fire" ... all special attacks (lm,bnj.) EXCEPT dimach and aimed shot
4) "POW" ... spam button fires off all of the above
NOTE: This is going to be a problem if I start playing my shade again, or any other toon that has to chain more than 2 perks to get a big effect, but I will cross that when I get there. I may just put the shade's macros on a different keyboard shortcut that I don't use for anything else.
My normal play:
(click for 250KB full size shot)
With text labels (newb friendly):
(click for 250KB full size shot)
With all useful areas opened up (and yet still fairly playable):
(click for 250KB full size shot)
NOTE: I didn't really keep the text labels in all of the places I had them on the screen. I used those for you to see what things are where. I removed them to look like the 1st image for my normal play.
FIRST OFF ... I don't expect anyone else to take this amount of time setting up their own UI. But ... this might give you some pointers on ways to customize your GUI a bit.
SECOND ... this is a TON of work to set up, so who the hell wants to do it for every character they play? No one. You can copy the settings to each character once you set things up. Everything will copy EXCEPT your nano program locations on your shortcut bars. Needless to say, that can be a hassle, too, but less of one than setting it all up by hand for each character.
THIRD ... if you do ANYTHING I mention below, you do it at your OWN RISK. It isn't all that hard to screw up your prefs badly and if you do so I am NOT fixing it for you.
To copy your settings, find the directory of the toon you LIKE the setup for and copy these files from it to all of your other toons you want to have that layout. You'll need to know your CharacterID so you know which toon to copy from. You can find your toon's ID in the data in the output from shift+F9.
NOTE: You might want to delete all files named "log.txt" and "inputhistory.xml" from your Chat folder before copying the files. In my case, I clean the toon's prefs out first, then I copy the cleaned directory to a place called "template" so that I can play the toon again without needing to clean up the prefs again.
The files you want to copy from the GOOD toon layout to another toon (note: to be safe, BACKUP all data you are copying OVER first ... and DELETE the stuff below from the toon you are copying TO so that you don't have weird conflicts)
- /prefs/[CharacterID]/Prefs.xml
- /prefs/[CharacterID]/Chat (copy the entire directory)
- /prefs/[CharacterID]/Containers/ShortcutBar*.xml (ie, ShortcutBar.xml, ShortcutBar_0.xml, etc)
(NOTE: this will put ALL of the shortcutbar icons from your first toon on your second ... I bet your Doc can't cast Soldier nanos ... you'll have to fix this manually, so only do this with care ... or you can perform surgery on the .xml files to copy the "item_id" and "item_pos" stuff ... for me I just bite the bullet and set up my shortcuts again after I set up the UI positions)
You will still need to move alot of your windows (NCU, Maps, etc) into the right position even after this, but the hardest part will be done. There IS a way to copy these settings via the DockAreas folder but it IS NOT WORTH IT, it will take you far longer to perform the needed XML surgery than to just drag them to the right places. Especially if you've played for long as you will have HUNDREDS of files to search.
UI setup:
- Notum Dovvetech Edge skin (ndGUI)
- ndGUI option Menu = Bottom Left (I -think-, tbh I am not sure, but its easy to play with if you follow ndGUI directions)
- Control Panel transparency Slider = 100%
This layout pretty much requires a high res display. I ALWAYS play in Windowed mode for purposes of dual logging, web browsing, etc. I have my window set to 1900x1080. My monitor is 1920x1200. For a 1920x1080 monitor I would shrink it to 1900x1000. This lets you still access the Windows launch bar.
The chat windows are set up to give me:
* Combat text in a disappearing borderless window top-left
* Status text disappear borderless top-right
* Tabs for raids/pvp/OOC/shopping/etc on left middle
* Tells in a click-through window below the tabbed window
* Org chat/etc in borderless window at bottom
- The hot bars are set up so that the 20 icons in the center of my screen are mapped to my numpad/macro keys. See next post for those details.
- The rest is set so that even with nearly every window active on the screen I can still see most of the game. This includes Target NCU windows. When you hide stuff like "Missions" that you don't need, you really get alot of visibility.
Window Tweaks (not necessary but still tasty):
- FYI: Chat window configurations are stored in "/Prefs/[CharacterID]/Chat/Windows/Window#"
- To create background chat windows, directly edit their Config.xml file to set <Bool name="is_backmost" value="false" /> to be true instead of false. That way this window will never cover up your other chat windows.
- To create a foreground chat window (like the one I use to subdivide my hotbar layout), change <Bool name="is_frontmost" value="false" /> to true.
- To let a window float around between Z layers with other windows, leave both of the above false.
- For the area in the top-left next to where the attack/recharge bars are (something that SHOULD be moveable), I have the Nano and Fight Target NCU windows. However I edited the "Prefs/[CharacterID]/Prefs.xml" file to change <Bool name="borderless" value="false" /> to <Bool name="borderless" value="true" /> for those 2 windows. This makes them essentially disappear except when they have data (they don't auto-fade like other windows, which meant they were VERY visible at all times). To remind of which area is which, there are 2 empty chat windows for labels, set to click-through.
...
Beyond the UI ... on to Keyboard mappings
NOTE: COMPLETELY ignore this section unless you want to try and decipher what I meant for awhile ... I mostly wrote it stream-of-consciousness
NOTE: I documented an DIFFERENT way of programming macros that requires NO keyboard remapping in an old thread
So ... I use a Microsoft Sidewinder X6 nowadays (as opposed to the Logitech G15 or Razer Lycosa-piece-of-junk). It lets me physically place my numpad on the left. That means it is the size of a normal keyboard (as opposed to the G15) and still has up to 30 macro keys.
For any game EXCEPT AO this means I can program my game to use numpad keys for actions. That way I can step up to any other PC with a USB numpad and play quickly. I've been trying to get away from macros.
However, AO doesn't allow you to use numpad keys for anything besides the camera. So I flip my macro keypad on (this keyboad lets me either use the numpad as a numpad OR as programmable macro keys).
To make it all work, I remapped my keys significantly with F10 -> Key Bindings as follows:
... UNBIND (inactive) ... this makes SURE the bar I select is always selected:
* Shortcut Bars > Active Bar 01 through 10
* Shortcut Bars > Bar Select 01 through 10
... BIND ... this makes it so keys 1 through 0 ALWAYS fire off bar 1
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 01_01 = 1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 06_01 = ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 07_01 = CTRL+SHIFT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 08_01 = SHIFT+ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 09_01 = CTRL+ALT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
* Shortcut Bars > Bar 10_01 = CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+1 (do same for bars 2 through 0)
... program the mouse so that mouse5 = numpad5 so I can reset my camera view (since I can't LOCK the darned thing and pressing "control" while using RMB means camera switches ... easy fix would be for the character to "auto-face" to match the camera when forward movement starts).
At this point I can set my keyboard macro keys to match the hotkeys above. In my case I use the CENTER screen hotbar spots to match my numpad. So since I have my hotbars like this:
Code: Select all
[bar6 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0] (map) [bar1 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]
[bar7 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0] (map) [bar2 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]
[bar8 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0] (map) [bar3 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]
[bar9 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0] (map) [bar4 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]
[bar10 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0] (map) [bar5 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]
For buttons that are double-size, like Insert, I use control+ that button to fire an alternate action. For instance, my ShadowBreed is on Control+Insert. This lets me have "oh crap" buttons at easy access but very hard to accidentally press.
Its more complicated that in the end, since I had to find keys that wouldn't clash with existing mappings that could also have "Control" modifiers for the fat keys on the numpad, but that's the general feel of it.
So in the end ... I can play AO and have it feel more like how I play most other games that let you remap the numpad for stuff. The difference is in those other games I can still use things like "ALT+1" to do stuff, too, but those keys are gone for AO. But not a big deal.
Macros I use
For perks I went ahead and recorded macros (though if you look here you'll see that you can do the same thing to a lesser extend without needing external programs/hardware). My macros:
1) "Power" ... fire off all of my Power Up keys (bar 7 keys 1 through 6)
2) "Perk" ... fire off all of my damage perks and odd attacks (bar 7 keys 1 through 6)
3) "Fire" ... all special attacks (lm,bnj.) EXCEPT dimach and aimed shot
4) "POW" ... spam button fires off all of the above
NOTE: This is going to be a problem if I start playing my shade again, or any other toon that has to chain more than 2 perks to get a big effect, but I will cross that when I get there. I may just put the shade's macros on a different keyboard shortcut that I don't use for anything else.
Last edited by Hyde on Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Your GUI setup
Very cool.
" I Don't Like That Man. I Must Get To Know Him Better." -Abraham Lincoln
Re: Your GUI setup
Looks impressive 
but clicking on the pictures doen'st work for me.
Very nice job!!! "Nice demonstration og force [for your return], Commander."
but clicking on the pictures doen'st work for me.Very nice job!!! "Nice demonstration og force [for your return], Commander."
Re: Your GUI setup
It should download the high res shot like a binary file, rather than opening the image or a new tab. Look in your download folders. If that fails, it is likely an issue with your browser not accepting the unknown download.Chrisax wrote:Looks impressive
It is a Google Docs link, but it isn't a Google Doc, so it works like a hosted file.
I've been using that to distribute files because, well, Google makes it pretty darned easy and free
Let me know if you don't get it figured out ... since I'm also hosting my Twinksheets that way.
Re: Your GUI setup
Also, I'm still fine tuning some stuff like chat windows ... when I'm done I'll post my chat and shortcut bar configs. It will want to be at 1900x1080 resolution, but if you run at 1920x1080 fullscreen I'm betting it will work pretty well, too.
PS. That's another reason to confirm you can use the Google Docs links, since I'll post those from there if possible.
PS. That's another reason to confirm you can use the Google Docs links, since I'll post those from there if possible.
Re: Your GUI setup
I could finally use the clickable images.
The issue was the "complex" nature of the link apparently confused my Firefox "Open with" which didn't select the right program to open the file: it was trying to open it with XnView (great image browser / viewer / manager) and this failed. By selection Firefox itself to open the links, the image displays correctly.
The issue was the "complex" nature of the link apparently confused my Firefox "Open with" which didn't select the right program to open the file: it was trying to open it with XnView (great image browser / viewer / manager) and this failed. By selection Firefox itself to open the links, the image displays correctly.
Re: Your GUI setup
Figures. I was trying to be handy and bypass the preview screen that Google Docs uses. Oh well ... I'll just let Google Docs preview stuff and you can click the "download" link for it from now onChrisax wrote:I could finally use the clickable images.
The issue was the "complex" nature of the link apparently confused my Firefox "Open with" which didn't select the right program to open the file: it was trying to open it with XnView (great image browser / viewer / manager) and this failed. By selection Firefox itself to open the links, the image displays correctly.
Speaking of which, final post on my UI coming in.
Re: Your GUI setup
Ok, so, if you've seen my UI above and want to play with it, but don't want to deal with setting it all up, this is for you.
First: your resolution will need to be 1900x1080 in windowed mode for this to plug-in without much editing.
Second: Download this file
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Fourth: Take a screenshot of your shortcuts as you have them set up now (to speed up getting your new bars configured)
Fifth: Unzip the file above to your Prefs/[CharacterID]
Sixth: Log in and drag your windows (see note below) to the right place.
Last: If you don't want the labels on the screen (I remove them for my stuff), you can use the Friends/Chat Config menus to hide the "Gamepad", "Attacks/Macroed" and "Hotbars/Buffs/Misc" chat windows. You can also hide "Black1" if you want to show the hidden column on your left hand shortcut bars.
NOTE: Windows like NCU/Team/Map/Friends/Missions/etc will NOT be in the right place, but they are VERY easy to position, just look at the screenshots I posted above.
NOTE: This will WIPE OUT your shortcut bar icons. You'll have shortcut bars in the right place on screen, but you will have no programs in them. If that does not work for you, then don't unzip the "Containers" folder ... manually copy the other items and skip Containers.
PS. Yeah, I COULD have told you how to integrate your windows and shortcut bars ... but it is not worth it. It takes a LOT longer to do that (since we have them in different file names on different toons) than it does to just drag stuff into the right place.
PPS. Updated screenshots above to link to Google Docs previews instead of directly to downloads ... for people like Chrisax
First: your resolution will need to be 1900x1080 in windowed mode for this to plug-in without much editing.
Second: Download this file
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Third: BACK UP your AO Prefs folder, under your Anarchy Online installation
Fourth: Take a screenshot of your shortcuts as you have them set up now (to speed up getting your new bars configured)
Fifth: Unzip the file above to your Prefs/[CharacterID]
Sixth: Log in and drag your windows (see note below) to the right place.
Last: If you don't want the labels on the screen (I remove them for my stuff), you can use the Friends/Chat Config menus to hide the "Gamepad", "Attacks/Macroed" and "Hotbars/Buffs/Misc" chat windows. You can also hide "Black1" if you want to show the hidden column on your left hand shortcut bars.
NOTE: Windows like NCU/Team/Map/Friends/Missions/etc will NOT be in the right place, but they are VERY easy to position, just look at the screenshots I posted above.
NOTE: This will WIPE OUT your shortcut bar icons. You'll have shortcut bars in the right place on screen, but you will have no programs in them. If that does not work for you, then don't unzip the "Containers" folder ... manually copy the other items and skip Containers.
PS. Yeah, I COULD have told you how to integrate your windows and shortcut bars ... but it is not worth it. It takes a LOT longer to do that (since we have them in different file names on different toons) than it does to just drag stuff into the right place.
PPS. Updated screenshots above to link to Google Docs previews instead of directly to downloads ... for people like Chrisax