problem with ui builder and puzzling out xml coding for player and target windows

kez717 · #1 02-06-2009, 12:34 PM

The last 4 years I've played WoW and gotten used to the highly graphical ui set up I have on it. I just started playing EQ2 for a bit of a change and am greatly disapointed in the ui and none of the ones iI'e found come all that close to what I'm after. I can easily get the graphics together and such, but the xml and UIBuilder are turning out to be roadblocks for me. I can code HTML just fine yet I have been trying to puzzle out xml for about a year with little to no luck so any help would be greatly appreciated.

What I am looking to do to at least make EQ2 more playable for me is fix up the player and target displays. Hoping to do something like a cross between WoW's default, X-Perl (a WoW mod), and the normal EQ2 displays. A portrait depicting the character being played is a must. I have the character creation ones ready to use although if at all possible I would prefer portraits that are of the real character (animated or not) that update as gear or form is changed, even if its just the pics i have ready it still needs to be able to determine race and gender and display the right one. From what I have read on the forums here that is beyond what is possible, but then the few posts I found reguarding it are at least a year or 2 old. Also if possible, I would love a way to get class icons on the displays as well.

Could also use some help with the UIBuilder. I can navigate the tree view just fine, but when I go to the graphics window it always puts the center of the entire ui file in the top left corner so I can't edit or even see 3/4 of the stuff. I can't find any mention of a similar problem or even any real documentation on it, the file included for it isn't much help at all and the only other info I found was a doc file that I keep getting a "file is corrupt" message when i try to open it.

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. I have been searching both google and the forums here for answers the last weeks with no more then hints that what im after is possible, but not how to do it.

**gm9** · #2 02-06-2009, 01:12 PM

That portrait graphic is fairly simple, you could either use a static file that you would need to create yourself, or you could use the so called paperdoll image that is also shown in the inventory window. The first option would of course be less of a performance hit.

Also if you go the static image route while selection via race and gender are possible, it would be better to simply select by character name since your portrait will be character specific.

A class icon on the player window is also easily done.

I recommend for all of the above to start looking at other mods that already do what you want to do and take it from there (the paperdoll you can copy from the default inventory window, the class icon is almost certainly available on some mods here). If I was going to explain exactly how to do it I could just as well do the mod for you.

The UIbuilder bug you describe I have never encountered. To start out modding the best thing to do is to make a custom UI folder and copy the eq2ui.xml from the Default folder there, then open that up in UIbuilder.

**SOE-Rothgar** · #3 02-06-2009, 01:12 PM

As far as the UI Builder problem, I have not seen or heard of that issue before. What is the file date on your version of UI Builder? Make sure you're using the latest version that should be patched down with the game. We've updated it a few times in the last year or so and made quite a few improvements on it.

kez717 · #4 02-06-2009, 01:25 PM

The ui builder I have is dated april '08, its the one that shipped with the shadow odyssey compliation pack. I've tried loading different files from varios places starting with the base eq2ui.xml and half the time it doesnt load anything, but the tabs in the graphics window.

The paperdoll for the portrait would be great, I'll see if I can figure out what I would need to pull from that file for it. While I understand your comment about it being faster and easier to just do it then it would to explain it (I'm normally on the explaining end with my friends and family), I would appreciate even just a quick over view of how I would put it together once I get the parts rounded up. You learn from doing, not having it done for you and I'm trying to learn.

**gm9** · #5 02-06-2009, 01:28 PM

Only ever load the eq2ui.xml or you'll break dependencies. And the graphic window is always empty until you select a tab (and if necessary toggle individual windows visible via the eye icon on the left).

Copying the paperdoll is trivial, simply find the <paperdoll> element in the inventory, copy it and paste it into your window. Then you'll go through a lot of trial and error getting it to a size and placement where only the head shows (you may need to adjust its vertical position via script for the smaller races). have fun!

kez717 · #6 02-07-2009, 11:52 PM

Ok, got the bars and frame graphics showing in the UIBuilder. Been trying to get the class icons to work, but I haven't the faintest how to do that. I have tried copying from several mods, from scratch by reading posts on this site, and everything I can think of inbetween. I guess I just don't understand how to get the ui to detect what class is being played and display the right image.

I also got the paperdoll part copied into the player section, but I can get it to display either. I do have it on visable, and the settings are the same as for the inventory one yet its not showing.

Is there a way to test the ui in uibuilder or do I need to do it in EQ2? If I can do it in uibuilder how would I do it? And does EQ2 have to be restarted if changes are made to the ui while its up or can the ui itself be reloaded without closing and restarting the game?

**gm9** · #7 02-08-2009, 05:28 AM

You need to test in game. You can use /loadui <uiname> to reload the UI, but this breaks some UI elements (and sometimes crashes the client). You can /quit <charname> to quickly reload your char, which fixes most things but not all. Then there is /refreshuidata which fixes yet some other things but still not all. So it's always good to double check once in a while or when you hit a roadblock by exiting the client completely.

The class name can be taken e.g. from a text element to which you apply the respective data element: DynamicData="/GameData.Self.Class"

Then you can take that and apply it to an image style. E.g. to quote from my persona window:

OnShow="MainPage.ClassBackdrop.Style="/ProfitUI_Styles.ClassBackdrops." ## (Parent.Parent.Custom.ProfitUI_SubclassDetector.Subclass)"

Regarding the paperdoll I don't know, probably something else is covering it up in your window? It should work fine.