Tidy Plates ... enhances Blizzard's default nameplates with graphical and functional improvements, and provides a simple-yet-powerful API which can be used to create your own design. The standard package comes with two starter Themes, but many other choices are available.
NEW-ish! Threat Widget: What is it? This new feature is simply simply a statusbar, drawn from the center-line of the nameplates, which represents your relative threat to that unit...
What does the bar mean? When the bar extends right and becomes amber, you've got the attention/aggro of the unit; The length of that bar indicates your lead over the next highest threat-holder. If the bar extendeds left, the color will change to cyan, indicating that the unit isn't attacking you. The length of the bar will indicate how far your threat trails behind the top threat-holder. Additionally, if you are NOT the highest threat-holder, the threat widget will tell you who is.
Does it work for every mob? Yes-ish; The widget monitors two sources of threat data: Target unitid, and Mouseover. Your current target will update in real-time. For non-targets, you'll need to mouse-over the unit. When your cursor leaves the unit, the data collection is stopped (because the "mouseover" id changes). After a few seconds of no new data, the widget will hide itself. To make the most of the feature, it's helpful to wave your cursor over the group of mobs during combat, allowing the threat data to be constantly updated.
Does it work on every theme? It can, but the theme author must put the widget in their code. Four lines of text are all that's needed. Check out the LUA for Grey, or drop me a note for instructions.
Will it slow down my computer? I have no performance problems raiding with it using my ancient Pentium 4, with no stuttering. I've also improved the code from its previous releases, which may resolve earlier concerns.
Summary: Tanks will want to see a right-pointing amber bar, while DPS will want to see left-leaning cyan. Longer bars are safer. Wave your cursor over AoE'd mobs.
Tidy Plates Feature Highlights:
Programmable and Extendable
Dual Spec
Auto-Show\Hide
Resource Conservative
Shortcut: /tidyplates
Grey\Tank is the bundled Tank-oriented theme, which features:
Aggro-Controlled Scaling
Aggro-Controlled Colors
Threat Widget (Optional, See Below)
Adjustable Non-Target Transparency
Health Text (Percent, Actual, Deficit, and more)
Spell Name Text
Hides "Fanged Pit Viper" in Gundrak. (Killer feature, right?)
Shortcut: /tidygrey
Grey\DPS is the DPS-oriented theme, with the same features as Grey\Tank, plus:
Combo-Point Widget (Optional)
Shortcut: /tidydps
Grey\PVP and Grey\Heal are planned additions to the Grey family.
Customization/Themes:
Tidy Plates was designed to be a Nameplate API, allowing authors to create visually compelling designs, and adding clever new features. One of the best examples of this process has been Threat Plates, which started out with a simple concept and design, and evolved into an impressively expansive addon. A theme can also be much simpler, with no interface options panel; The format is pretty flexible.
There's no GUI for designing a nameplate for Tidy Plates; You'll need to delve into LUA if you want something different from the currently available themes. See the Sample Template for more information. (Yes, it's a bit out-of-date; I'm working on that) Feel free to drop me a note; I'd be happy to help you get started writing your own theme. :-)
Appreciation
My wife deserves so much credit, tolerating my excessive compulsion to work on this addon. If you really really love this addon, and would like to show your appreciation via donation, there's a Pledgie page which goes directly to her; I guarantee it'll make her smile :-) Special thanks to all of you who sent her a "Thank You" :-) You guys rock!
Change Log - Tidy Plates
5.9.5
* Critter/Neutral Filter on default theme, returned to Mode-level
* fix for hunter pets, grey threat widget
5.9.4
* Adjusted position of default theme data, to reduce targeting woes
* Added a cache reset to the Hide hook
* ForceUpdate now only operates on Shown plates
* CURSOR_UPDATE is now part of the default events
* Added alpha == 0 bypass
* Elite Borders now have a star on the artwork, making visual ID easier
* Simplified Scale and Alpha delegates of the default theme
* Critter Filter on default theme, now always on
5.9.3
* frame layering tweaks
* moved some skinning code around
* casting progress now forces single plate graphical updates (to eliminate casting icon oddities)
* painted my nails
5.9.2
* removed some old code related to the frame separation "feature" *shudder*
* frames faded too much (more than 50%); problem fixed
* level text will not show when skull icon is active
* TidyPlates:ForceUpdate() does not allow targetting a specific frame, anymore. Use: TidyPlates:ForceUpdateFrame(frame), instead
* added .secureframe pointer to .extended, pointing to the base frame
* added .flags to name, level, specialText, and specialText2 - used for adding outlines to your text... if you REALLY want them. *shudder*
5.9.1
* Changed default fonts from Arial to Liberation (halves the file size, woo!)
* Undo the frame separation (Allows Virtual Plates to run)
* '.hitbox' has been added, as a style category. This will alter the clickable region, out-of-combat
- .hitbox.height height of hitbox (default: 37)
- .hitbox.width width of hitbox (default: 149)
Tidy Plates 5.9 Release Notes
Release
* Clean Up Files - Check!
* Rename of "Beta Grey" to "Standard Grey" - Check!
* re-added health bar color function
Hi danltiger, I used Tidy Plates for a while, but, for now, I can't use anymore, since the bug with Classcolor and Castbar on nameplates always turn on when I log in in the game.
Everytime I need to disable those options. It's very annoying. And, I never used Cleanplates to get the same problem reported here:
Hey, which theme are you using? Grey\Tank, or DPS?
Quote:
Originally posted by Toran Blah had it wrong, sorry. The errors spawned in 5.10.1 - I rolled back to 5.10 and all is good. When I have a chance tomorrow or Monday I'll try to grab the errors that 5.10.1 threw - all the same threat error and they piled up as I was in the instance - about 300 at the end. o_o
Originally posted by danltiger Hey there; I'd appreciate seeing those errors. Could you PM or email them to me?
You mention 5.9.5.. were you having the error with 5.10? What theme?
Blah had it wrong, sorry. The errors spawned in 5.10.1 - I rolled back to 5.10 and all is good. When I have a chance tomorrow or Monday I'll try to grab the errors that 5.10.1 threw - all the same threat error and they piled up as I was in the instance - about 300 at the end. o_o
Hey there; I'd appreciate seeing those errors. Could you PM or email them to me?
You mention 5.9.5.. were you having the error with 5.10? What theme?
Quote:
Originally posted by Toran I had to drop back to the prev release. The 5.9.5 release threw tons of errors related to the threat module (sorry didn't grab them but can if you need). Nameplates were "frozen" on the screen too - very bizarre. I went back to prev release and it is fine now.
I had to drop back to the prev release. The 5.9.5 release threw tons of errors related to the threat module (sorry didn't grab them but can if you need). Nameplates were "frozen" on the screen too - very bizarre. I went back to prev release and it is fine now.
Originally posted by Julith Since 5.10 my plates are very wide spread. Meaning a lot wider spread then they would have to considering their size.
I use my own skin which produces very small square like plates (like grid unit frames) together with non-overlapping-setting.
Before 5.10 they where nicely placed either direct above the unit they belong to or packed together when crowded. Now they seem to be aranged in rows with very big distance between plates in the same row. Which results in plates which are anywhere but not over the mob they belong to (although there would be more than enough space to position them right).
Do you know what could cause this? (probably some setting in my skin but don't know which).
If needed I can also upload my skin to WoWInterface.
Thanks.
I noticed the same thing since the prev release. I run the DPS Grey theme. To help, I checked the option to allow overlapping nameplates, but now they are all on top of each other. With that unchecked, they are all spread out and don't match up well with the mobs at all.
I haven't seen or observed that error, yet. :-o It sounds like a .hitbox adjustment gone awry.
I'd like to take a look at the theme, if possible. Could you also get a screenshot? If you prefer, you could send the theme to my email. I think it's listed on my profile.
Quote:
Originally posted by Julith Since 5.10 my plates are very wide spread. Meaning a lot wider spread then they would have to considering their size.
I use my own skin which produces very small square like plates (like grid unit frames) together with non-overlapping-setting.
Before 5.10 they where nicely placed either direct above the unit they belong to or packed together when crowded. Now they seem to be aranged in rows with very big distance between plates in the same row. Which results in plates which are anywhere but not over the mob they belong to (although there would be more than enough space to position them right).
Do you know what could cause this? (probably some setting in my skin but don't know which).
If needed I can also upload my skin to WoWInterface.
Since 5.10 my plates are very wide spread. Meaning a lot wider spread then they would have to considering their size.
I use my own skin which produces very small square like plates (like grid unit frames) together with non-overlapping-setting.
Before 5.10 they where nicely placed either direct above the unit they belong to or packed together when crowded. Now they seem to be aranged in rows with very big distance between plates in the same row. Which results in plates which are anywhere but not over the mob they belong to (although there would be more than enough space to position them right).
Do you know what could cause this? (probably some setting in my skin but don't know which).
If needed I can also upload my skin to WoWInterface.
Originally posted by Artazoth As a complete addon/LUA newbie, I want to do 2 things:
#1: Add the new threat widget to existing themes like Cleanplates/Threatplates. Would appreciate a detailed instruction.
#2: Add the old threat circle to existing themes. As someone not updated on Tidyplates I have no idea what this old widget code is and how to apply it.
Thanks
Edit:
Ok, nice.
Would still appreciate info on how to add that and the new threat bar to other themes.
I'm working on it for Threat Plates, although I'm having trouble using both "UpdateThreat(unit)" and "Update(unit)" but if you'd like a small screenshot of my testing so far:
Originally posted by danltiger The old widget code is still around, but it hasn't been updated for the newest version. Still, it should work if you wanted to add it to your theme. I expect to get around to updating the widget, and including it in the Grey theme options.
As a complete addon/LUA newbie, I want to do 2 things:
#1: Add the new threat widget to existing themes like Cleanplates/Threatplates. Would appreciate a detailed instruction.
#2: Add the old threat circle to existing themes. As someone not updated on Tidyplates I have no idea what this old widget code is and how to apply it.
Thanks
Edit:
Quote:
Originally posted by danltiger Ok ok ok! ;-) lol - I'll be putting that on the top of the list..
Ok, nice.
Would still appreciate info on how to add that and the new threat bar to other themes.
If you’d like to buy Binny/Danltiger a drink, here’s the place to do it! He’s worked many hours on his World, and is quite thirsty. If you’d like to send his wife a little something to say, “Thanks for putting up with his hobbies”, that’d be great, too...
