'Best GUI Setup' Contest, post pics here!

Argito · 11-30-2004, 12:10 PM

POST A PIC OF YOUR GUI AND EXPLAIN WHY IT'S THE BEST!-------------------

-EQII Options button remains hidden until mouseover.-Backdrops on chatwindows disappear on mouseover.-Top Left chat is combat and miscellanous events.-Bottom Left chat is group, guild, say, auction, etc.-Bottom Right chat is traders and crafting channel.-Grouping box remains unlocked for quick adjustments.

Message Edited by Argitoth on 12-01-2004 06:07 AM

Forsfy · 11-30-2004, 03:54 PM

Not bad. However I do wish that SOE would implement a chat filter system for the chat windows. I hate the system they have.

Brunhil · 12-01-2004, 11:19 AM

What do you mean by chat filter?You can already filter out stuff you don't want to see in the chat window (like 'speels others cast' and whatnot), if that is not a chat filter, what is? I'm curious.

Argito · 12-01-2004, 11:26 AM

me too.

Forsfy · 12-01-2004, 02:27 PM

Brunhilde wrote:
What do you mean by chat filter?

You can already filter out stuff you don't want to see in the chat window (like 'speels others cast' and whatnot), if that is not a chat filter, what is? I'm curious.

By filter I mean a tab system like SWG for example. So you can have just 1 chat window with several tabs. A tab for combat, for group chat for guild chat etc.

Jowa · 12-01-2004, 02:38 PM

Muahaha, I honestly think this is about as organized as one can with the GUI :3

Organization of Chat Boxes:

-All nearby chatters, shouts, ooc chats, and NPC dialogues go into the upper left box (which has been named "Vicinity").

-All Group chat, Guild chat, Raid chat, and Private chat go into the upper right box (the "Community" box. You don't miss what is most important!)

-All combat messages, narratives, system broadcasts, spells, etc. go into the lower left box (called "Status"). This box is, of course, invisible unless moused-over, so during non-combat situations it remains hidden.

Organization of Colors:

-All player and NPC names that don't belong to my party, guild, raid group are YELLOW, and all players that are in my group or guild are VIOLET. This way I can easily identify messages from important people, even if I am not paying particular attention to the boxes. The colors are a good visual cue.

-All default chat colors has been changed to make identification of chat channels easier.

-All game colors have been changed to make identification of NPCs and Con difficulties easier. (I use red for tougher things, green for easier things; level of difficulty is decided by the depth of color, rather than variety; this keeps things simple. i.e., from easiest to toughest, Too Easy, Easy, Slightly Challenging, Even Match, Tough, Very Tough, Incredibly Tough)

Organization of Hotkey Windows:

-All Melee abilities go in window #1.

-All Ranged abilities go in window #2.

-All misc. abilities go in window #3 (call of Qeynos, activable slot, Tracking, etc.).

-All abilities related to Invisibility or Hate Reduction go in window #4 (this includes attacks that require stealth mode to initiate).

-All abilities/macros related to buffs or Heroic Opportunity go in window #5.

-All Crafting-related abilities go in window #8 (some extents into #9 and #0, but I can easily toggle them through in the upper right window, which is dedicated to crafting only)

Misc:

-Compass is relocated to the bottom, sitting next to the EXP bar; I find it easier to be looking down rather than up when I walk (you really should be staring at the ground, not the sky, when you travel, you know ;3)

Argito · 12-01-2004, 07:10 PM

Jowana, maybe you have an "organized" GUI, but my resolution is a lot lower than yours. I have a much more compact setup. What video card and resolution is that?

Message Edited by Argitoth on 12-01-2004 06:10 AM

Jowa · 12-01-2004, 07:30 PM

Yes, I do realize that this GUI setup is not possible with lower resolutions, but I didn't see a resolution restriction in your contest description! SMILEY

Radeon 9700 Pro on an Apple Cinema HD Display 23". This particular monitor does not work with my new Radeon X800 XT though (a known compatibility problem with the Apple monitor when used with some PC cards), so I've ordered an HP L2335 to replace it; it's the same size and resolution (23", 1920x1200) as the Apple, and from what I heard, they use the same panel and everything (manufactured by LG-Phillips), so pixel response time should be the same; should be no visible ghosting prevalent on most 19"+ LCDs (and I've tried quite a few).

Reselling my Apple 23" is gonna be quite a hassle though, but if the HP works with the Radeon X800 XT then it'll be well worth the trouble.

xphil3 · 12-01-2004, 07:44 PM

http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=setandget&tp=178434&poll_id=0&category_id=19&warned=y

I like a more old school non transparent (mostly) look. I like the widescreen black bars as they help performance and give me somewhere to stick things such as open backpacks for easy swapping of gear. The chat boxes are just big enough to cover the bottom black bar so as not to waiste space, and maximize performance of not rendering what I can't see anyway (except for the main chat window, which I like having a tick bigger to set it apart as the main window). The top black area will get filled up a bit more once I get bigger backpacks. Once I get more stuff that needs swapping, I'll add another pack on the other side of my hotkey bars to stick with the overall symmetry. I like having my health and the mobs health in the very center of the screen as opposed to a corner so I don't have to dart my eyes all over. I have my HO wheel slightly down and to the right of my target box for the same reason. Throwing it in the corner just encourages people to not use it, I think.

Joe · 12-01-2004, 08:40 PM

I actually like the default setup of windows, though I wasn't too keen on the lack of customization of some of the windows. I installed several UI (visual) changes to better suit my playing style. Now I have all the information i need on screen and neatly tucked away.

Joe · 12-01-2004, 08:44 PM

By the way, UI changes include:-Smaller power hotkey bars (3/4ths the size)-Character stats display (bottom)-Money Display (Below EQ2 button)-XP bar % (Displays XP percentage to right of bar)-Health and Power figures (Top left window)I also now have a more detailed target box (below the top left box) which displays enemy health, percentage and such.

Starman · 12-01-2004, 09:32 PM

EDIT: Where did you get those additions? What are they called?

Mike

Message Edited by Starman on 12-01-2004 11:33 AM

Jowa · 12-01-2004, 11:27 PM

do a search for EQ2 UI on Yahoo and you'll get a bunch of sites dedicated to custom UI makers. :3

Ne · 12-02-2004, 01:58 AM

I think mine is pretty organized. I am very picky on window widths and heights lining up perfectly. I like my windows also mostly transparent. Even my EQ2 button, because I don't really need to know what that looks like anymore, so it is almost completly transparent.

Petsro · 12-02-2004, 02:49 AM

Clean and organizedSpaces out spell slots, easy to findonly thing I could go againest is compass and pet health location is a little sloppy.

Argito · 12-02-2004, 02:59 AM

xphil3, I'm really liking that setup. I gotta copy you in some way.Petsrock, you gotta do better than that.GoeMG, please post a link for the smaller hotkey bars!

Joe · 12-02-2004, 03:45 AM

http://www.eq2interface.comThere you go. Sign-up at their forums and go to the 'Released Mods' section. Enjoy.

Message Edited by JoeMG on 12-01-2004 10:45 PM

Forsfy · 12-02-2004, 05:02 AM

Shady · 12-02-2004, 06:33 AM

Ok, I'm lost, where's the option to turn off the stupid cinematic black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, permently =P

Jowa · 12-02-2004, 11:45 AM

in letterbox, push the slider all the way to the left. :3

Starman · 12-02-2004, 06:15 PM

I don't want a bunch of sites to sift through, just the one.

EDIT: Thanks, Joe.

Mike

Message Edited by Starman on 12-02-2004 08:16 AM

vi · 12-02-2004, 08:51 PM

I think my UI looks pretty good:

Top left shows mob I'm targeting, then my stats, then group in top middle.Top right is quests.Bottom are my chat windows.Bottom most chat is everything but guildchat and combat/spells. It expands all the way to the edge of the hotkey icons.Above that is guild chat and guild chat channels.And finally above that is combat and spell messages.Bottom right are hotkeys, exp, and EQ2 button.

Flash2A · 12-03-2004, 03:53 AM

Image:

dont mind that skill window :smileyhappy: the UI is just nice ( for me at least ) small and practical. the group bar is in the top left of the screen also modded with a

smaller space between the names of the players

Solini · 12-04-2004, 03:55 PM

Ok here is my interface, looks a bit like the first one.

Message Edited by Solini on 12-04-2004 02:56 AM

Wandat · 12-05-2004, 12:16 AM

Solini

Here is my UI. I have to give some credit to Solini. Their UI was the inspiration for my setup.

I am running at 1280x1024. I decided to leave the widescreen bars for few reasons. First of all, I am already using that space for the

the UI and I might as well save a few FPS by having it not render the area behind it. Second, I have a difficult time reading the text on

same enviroments such as grass and it is much easier on my eyes with a full black background. Finally, for some reason on my

system when I change the size of or remove the widescreen bars my graphics become noticeably lighter and more washed out.

I'm not sure why this is but I've tried adjusting it many, many times and the result is the same each time. I'm running an X800XT card.

Sa · 12-05-2004, 12:26 AM

Wow those all look nice...wish i had a bigger monitor...

Kokic · 12-05-2004, 01:52 AM

http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=179513

It's concise and to the point SMILEY

It has:

Easy to see personal name and group
Quest journal in top right corner since you don't have to look at it that much
Buff bars on both sides (for the two different types) - doubled on the right hand side for when you have a ton of buffs
EQII button in an easy to reach place that's out of the way
Two chat boxes doesn't cluster up the screen and are efficient - one on the left for chatting, one on the right for combat, simple and effiicent
Two hotkey bars on the bottom provide plenty of use - a simple Shift+# changes the bar, so there's no real need for more than two hotkey bars
Everything is transparent and the two chat boxes are invisible unless I move my cursor over them (same w/ the buff bars), allowing for better viewing when I'm running to someplace or just goofing off
Raid box on the left hand side, completely invisble unless I move my cursor over it, that way the huge raid box never gets in the way of anything and I can easily use it when I need to
Lowest resoultion, makes everything nice and big and beautiful (yes I could max out the resolution, but I prefer to have it how I have it, since there's no need for me to make everything smaller when everything fits perfectly right now)
Kokichi tested, squirrelonga approved

Message Edited by Kokichi on 12-04-2004 12:54 PM

Andac · 12-05-2004, 03:34 AM

Message Edited by Andacin on 12-04-2004 02:38 PM

KnoxExplosi · 12-05-2004, 03:44 PM

http://img57.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img57&image=l7feq2000012.jpg

Couple mods from www.eq2interface.com

Fit a lot of stuff on there without cluttering my visual space and kept it smooth looking (except for the ugly raid window, might find a mod for it).

knauf · 12-05-2004, 10:20 PM

this seems to work for me. Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

12-01-2004, 02:38 PM	#6
Jowa Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 119	Muahaha, I honestly think this is about as organized as one can with the GUI :3 Organization of Chat Boxes: -All nearby chatters, shouts, ooc chats, and NPC dialogues go into the upper left box (which has been named "Vicinity"). -All Group chat, Guild chat, Raid chat, and Private chat go into the upper right box (the "Community" box. You don't miss what is most important!) -All combat messages, narratives, system broadcasts, spells, etc. go into the lower left box (called "Status"). This box is, of course, invisible unless moused-over, so during non-combat situations it remains hidden. Organization of Colors: -All player and NPC names that don't belong to my party, guild, raid group are YELLOW, and all players that are in my group or guild are VIOLET. This way I can easily identify messages from important people, even if I am not paying particular attention to the boxes. The colors are a good visual cue. -All default chat colors has been changed to make identification of chat channels easier. -All game colors have been changed to make identification of NPCs and Con difficulties easier. (I use red for tougher things, green for easier things; level of difficulty is decided by the depth of color, rather than variety; this keeps things simple. i.e., from easiest to toughest, Too Easy, Easy, Slightly Challenging, Even Match, Tough, Very Tough, Incredibly Tough) Organization of Hotkey Windows: -All Melee abilities go in window #1. -All Ranged abilities go in window #2. -All misc. abilities go in window #3 (call of Qeynos, activable slot, Tracking, etc.). -All abilities related to Invisibility or Hate Reduction go in window #4 (this includes attacks that require stealth mode to initiate). -All abilities/macros related to buffs or Heroic Opportunity go in window #5. -All Crafting-related abilities go in window #8 (some extents into #9 and #0, but I can easily toggle them through in the upper right window, which is dedicated to crafting only) Misc: -Compass is relocated to the bottom, sitting next to the EXP bar; I find it easier to be looking down rather than up when I walk (you really should be staring at the ground, not the sky, when you travel, you know ;3) __________________ Let knowledge and intellect guide our wisdom, so long as dreams and imagination guide our hearts.

12-01-2004, 09:32 PM	#12
Starman Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 105	EDIT: Where did you get those additions? What are they called? Mike Message Edited by Starman on 12-01-2004 11:33 AM __________________ The Nexicon

12-01-2004, 11:27 PM	#13
Jowa Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 119	do a search for EQ2 UI on Yahoo and you'll get a bunch of sites dedicated to custom UI makers. :3 __________________ Let knowledge and intellect guide our wisdom, so long as dreams and imagination guide our hearts.

12-02-2004, 02:49 AM	#15
Petsro Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 60	Clean and organizedSpaces out spell slots, easy to findonly thing I could go againest is compass and pet health location is a little sloppy. __________________ As I have said, about a hundred times, the entire team is on vacation. -Faarwolf

12-02-2004, 11:45 AM	#20
Jowa Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 119	in letterbox, push the slider all the way to the left. :3 __________________ Let knowledge and intellect guide our wisdom, so long as dreams and imagination guide our hearts.

11-30-2004, 12:10 PM	#1
Argito Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	POST A PIC OF YOUR GUI AND EXPLAIN WHY IT'S THE BEST!--------------------EQII Options button remains hidden until mouseover.-Backdrops on chatwindows disappear on mouseover.-Top Left chat is combat and miscellanous events.-Bottom Left chat is group, guild, say, auction, etc.-Bottom Right chat is traders and crafting channel.-Grouping box remains unlocked for quick adjustments. Message Edited by Argitoth on 12-01-2004 06:07 AM

11-30-2004, 03:54 PM	#2
Forsfy General Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 15	Not bad. However I do wish that SOE would implement a chat filter system for the chat windows. I hate the system they have.

12-01-2004, 11:19 AM	#3
Brunhil Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3	What do you mean by chat filter?You can already filter out stuff you don't want to see in the chat window (like 'speels others cast' and whatnot), if that is not a chat filter, what is? I'm curious. __________________ ------------------------------ http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/pplayer_alts.vm?characterId=201967102

12-01-2004, 11:26 AM	#4
Argito Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	me too.

12-01-2004, 02:27 PM	#5
Forsfy General Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 15	Brunhilde wrote: What do you mean by chat filter? You can already filter out stuff you don't want to see in the chat window (like 'speels others cast' and whatnot), if that is not a chat filter, what is? I'm curious. By filter I mean a tab system like SWG for example. So you can have just 1 chat window with several tabs. A tab for combat, for group chat for guild chat etc.

12-01-2004, 07:10 PM	#7
Argito Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	Jowana, maybe you have an "organized" GUI, but my resolution is a lot lower than yours. I have a much more compact setup. What video card and resolution is that? Message Edited by Argitoth on 12-01-2004 06:10 AM

12-01-2004, 07:30 PM	#8
Jowa Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 119	Yes, I do realize that this GUI setup is not possible with lower resolutions, but I didn't see a resolution restriction in your contest description! Radeon 9700 Pro on an Apple Cinema HD Display 23". This particular monitor does not work with my new Radeon X800 XT though (a known compatibility problem with the Apple monitor when used with some PC cards), so I've ordered an HP L2335 to replace it; it's the same size and resolution (23", 1920x1200) as the Apple, and from what I heard, they use the same panel and everything (manufactured by LG-Phillips), so pixel response time should be the same; should be no visible ghosting prevalent on most 19"+ LCDs (and I've tried quite a few). Reselling my Apple 23" is gonna be quite a hassle though, but if the HP works with the Radeon X800 XT then it'll be well worth the trouble. __________________ Let knowledge and intellect guide our wisdom, so long as dreams and imagination guide our hearts.

12-01-2004, 07:44 PM	#9
xphil3 Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 21	http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=setandget&tp=178434&poll_id=0&category_id=19&warned=y I like a more old school non transparent (mostly) look. I like the widescreen black bars as they help performance and give me somewhere to stick things such as open backpacks for easy swapping of gear. The chat boxes are just big enough to cover the bottom black bar so as not to waiste space, and maximize performance of not rendering what I can't see anyway (except for the main chat window, which I like having a tick bigger to set it apart as the main window). The top black area will get filled up a bit more once I get bigger backpacks. Once I get more stuff that needs swapping, I'll add another pack on the other side of my hotkey bars to stick with the overall symmetry. I like having my health and the mobs health in the very center of the screen as opposed to a corner so I don't have to dart my eyes all over. I have my HO wheel slightly down and to the right of my target box for the same reason. Throwing it in the corner just encourages people to not use it, I think.

12-01-2004, 08:40 PM	#10
Joe Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 31	I actually like the default setup of windows, though I wasn't too keen on the lack of customization of some of the windows. I installed several UI (visual) changes to better suit my playing style. Now I have all the information i need on screen and neatly tucked away.

12-01-2004, 08:44 PM	#11
Joe Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 31	By the way, UI changes include:-Smaller power hotkey bars (3/4ths the size)-Character stats display (bottom)-Money Display (Below EQ2 button)-XP bar % (Displays XP percentage to right of bar)-Health and Power figures (Top left window)I also now have a more detailed target box (below the top left box) which displays enemy health, percentage and such.

12-02-2004, 01:58 AM	#14
Ne Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 60	I think mine is pretty organized. I am very picky on window widths and heights lining up perfectly. I like my windows also mostly transparent. Even my EQ2 button, because I don't really need to know what that looks like anymore, so it is almost completly transparent.

12-02-2004, 02:59 AM	#16
Argito Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	xphil3, I'm really liking that setup. I gotta copy you in some way.Petsrock, you gotta do better than that.GoeMG, please post a link for the smaller hotkey bars!

12-02-2004, 03:45 AM	#17
Joe Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 31	http://www.eq2interface.comThere you go. Sign-up at their forums and go to the 'Released Mods' section. Enjoy. Message Edited by JoeMG on 12-01-2004 10:45 PM

12-02-2004, 05:02 AM	#18
Forsfy General Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 15

12-02-2004, 06:33 AM	#19
Shady Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 14	Ok, I'm lost, where's the option to turn off the stupid cinematic black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, permently =P

12-02-2004, 06:15 PM	#21
Starman Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 105	I don't want a bunch of sites to sift through, just the one. EDIT: Thanks, Joe. Mike Message Edited by Starman on 12-02-2004 08:16 AM __________________ The Nexicon

12-02-2004, 08:51 PM	#22
vi Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	I think my UI looks pretty good:Top left shows mob I'm targeting, then my stats, then group in top middle.Top right is quests.Bottom are my chat windows.Bottom most chat is everything but guildchat and combat/spells. It expands all the way to the edge of the hotkey icons.Above that is guild chat and guild chat channels.And finally above that is combat and spell messages.Bottom right are hotkeys, exp, and EQ2 button.

12-03-2004, 03:53 AM	#23
Flash2A Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 13	Image: dont mind that skill window :smileyhappy: the UI is just nice ( for me at least ) small and practical. the group bar is in the top left of the screen also modded with a smaller space between the names of the players

12-04-2004, 03:55 PM	#24
Solini Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4	Ok here is my interface, looks a bit like the first one. Message Edited by Solini on 12-04-2004 02:56 AM

12-05-2004, 12:16 AM	#25
Wandat Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 39	Solini Here is my UI. I have to give some credit to Solini. Their UI was the inspiration for my setup. I am running at 1280x1024. I decided to leave the widescreen bars for few reasons. First of all, I am already using that space for the the UI and I might as well save a few FPS by having it not render the area behind it. Second, I have a difficult time reading the text on same enviroments such as grass and it is much easier on my eyes with a full black background. Finally, for some reason on my system when I change the size of or remove the widescreen bars my graphics become noticeably lighter and more washed out. I'm not sure why this is but I've tried adjusting it many, many times and the result is the same each time. I'm running an X800XT card.

12-05-2004, 12:26 AM	#26
Sa Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 15	Wow those all look nice...wish i had a bigger monitor... __________________ _______________________________________ *Sake & Woobs* ~Sorcerer & Cleric~ Forum Troll Master

12-05-2004, 01:52 AM	#27
Kokic Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 23	http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=179513 It's concise and to the point It has: Easy to see personal name and group Quest journal in top right corner since you don't have to look at it that much Buff bars on both sides (for the two different types) - doubled on the right hand side for when you have a ton of buffs EQII button in an easy to reach place that's out of the way Two chat boxes doesn't cluster up the screen and are efficient - one on the left for chatting, one on the right for combat, simple and effiicent Two hotkey bars on the bottom provide plenty of use - a simple Shift+# changes the bar, so there's no real need for more than two hotkey bars Everything is transparent and the two chat boxes are invisible unless I move my cursor over them (same w/ the buff bars), allowing for better viewing when I'm running to someplace or just goofing off Raid box on the left hand side, completely invisble unless I move my cursor over it, that way the huge raid box never gets in the way of anything and I can easily use it when I need to Lowest resoultion, makes everything nice and big and beautiful (yes I could max out the resolution, but I prefer to have it how I have it, since there's no need for me to make everything smaller when everything fits perfectly right now) Kokichi tested, squirrelonga approved Message Edited by Kokichi on 12-04-2004 12:54 PM __________________ Server: Unrest

12-05-2004, 03:34 AM	#28
Andac Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 19	Message Edited by Andacin on 12-04-2004 02:38 PM __________________ Blackguard wrote: We aren't sleeping until the servers are up.

12-05-2004, 03:44 PM	#29
KnoxExplosi General Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 13	http://img57.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img57&image=l7feq2000012.jpg Couple mods from www.eq2interface.com Fit a lot of stuff on there without cluttering my visual space and kept it smooth looking (except for the ugly raid window, might find a mod for it). __________________ Knox - 70 Inquisitor Vindicate Everfrost

12-05-2004, 10:20 PM	#30
knauf Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6	this seems to work for me.