Reader UI of the Week: Pondera
World of Warcraft allows all of us an unprecedented ability to modify our user interface to meet our needs. Each week WoW Insider will bring you a fresh and detailed look at reader submitted UIs. Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send it, along with your character name and server, to readerui@gmail.com.
Pondera of the Blackhand-US server sent in his UI, along with a short description of the major addons he's using. One of the major decisions in shaping this UI was to make it viable for each of his alts, something I strive towards with my own UI. Pondera is a 26 year-old Web Developer from Brazil, which shows in his UI. (Note the aesthetics and organization.)
As you can tell, his setup is similar to many UI's you'll find out there, with much of the game function happening at the bottom, and a compliment of information "gauges' at the top, courtesy of Fubar. I'm not sure what skin he's using for his "Fu-stuff", but I'm digging it myself. Note where Control Freak, his consumables and Decursive are. I like that he's found a home for those in the nooks and crannies of his UI, although I would imagine that Decursive could be problematic in that location when running Alterac Valley.
Check back after the break for his addons and description.
Let's have Pondera take the helm!
I was a big fan of MazzleUI interface but since october/2007 I've been studying making my interface somewhat different, less bugged and well, with some good images to put everything together, not just thrown in my screen. This is what I did then. It took me 1 week to build and I've been testing it for more than a month: it even survived after patch 2.4 without problems, thanks for Ace developers. By the way I'm a huge fan of Ace addons so I'm using mostly Ace ones.
Well that's it. It's not just for a specific class (I'm an altaholic!) but it fits for the goods :)
Ace Addons
Non-Ace
That's it folks, a whole lot of addon goodness. In your comments, please keep in mind that the author is a native Brazilian and that English is not his first language. Thanks to Pondera for sharing this with us, see you next week!
Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send it, along with your character name and server, to readerui@gmail.com.
Pondera of the Blackhand-US server sent in his UI, along with a short description of the major addons he's using. One of the major decisions in shaping this UI was to make it viable for each of his alts, something I strive towards with my own UI. Pondera is a 26 year-old Web Developer from Brazil, which shows in his UI. (Note the aesthetics and organization.)
As you can tell, his setup is similar to many UI's you'll find out there, with much of the game function happening at the bottom, and a compliment of information "gauges' at the top, courtesy of Fubar. I'm not sure what skin he's using for his "Fu-stuff", but I'm digging it myself. Note where Control Freak, his consumables and Decursive are. I like that he's found a home for those in the nooks and crannies of his UI, although I would imagine that Decursive could be problematic in that location when running Alterac Valley.
Check back after the break for his addons and description.
Let's have Pondera take the helm!
I was a big fan of MazzleUI interface but since october/2007 I've been studying making my interface somewhat different, less bugged and well, with some good images to put everything together, not just thrown in my screen. This is what I did then. It took me 1 week to build and I've been testing it for more than a month: it even survived after patch 2.4 without problems, thanks for Ace developers. By the way I'm a huge fan of Ace addons so I'm using mostly Ace ones.
Well that's it. It's not just for a specific class (I'm an altaholic!) but it fits for the goods :)
Ace Addons
- Ace - Some addons use Ace2 and some Ace3. I wish they could use only one.
- Pitbull - Ultimatelly needed to make the unitframes. It's good for even healers/be healed because you can see aproximatelly how much you'll heal / be healed (with Visual Heal enabled).
- Chatter - I used to use Prat for the chat window, but Chatter is lightweight and proven better.
- Decursive - The little squares by buttons' side that warns when you can heal status effects like poison/magic/disease/etc.
- Fubar and all "Fu-Stuff" - Can't live without it and its adds. Who doesn't know it? :)
- eePanels / SharedMedia - All images you see (fubar background, behind the whole botton, etc) are put by these amazing panels, with the help of SharedMedia and my own made/modified graphics.
- Chinchila - It was about time someone made a good addon for minimap configurations. Works like charm.
- Autobar - Well the less I have to think about putting buttons on my actionbars the better. Thanks autobar!
- ButtonFacade - Replaced CyCircled, to make my actionbuttons (and any button addon like autobar) looks better :P
- Elk Buff Bars - My buffs and debuffs above the minimap. Can grow a lot in raids so I needed the space. Nothing on my unitframes so I can pay attention at more important things there.
- Capping - Battlegrounds are not the same without it.
- Cowtip - So I can setup my tooltip in an imense array of possibilities.
- Baggins - It's about time Blizzard think about making the bag open as a whole. Baggins even have categories - my organization is precious.
- Omen - Even just with the pet, why not have it? Threat matters.
- EeavesDrop (by omen's side) - Combatlog with what matters and some other stuff that matters as well. I wish Blizzard could see it.
- Aloft - Looks good, foe's HP is never too much information.
- Quartz - To make sure my (cast) bars show my lag and well, make it prettier. The more you know the more you do!
- Violation - Not only a dps meter, a pug matter.
- nQuestLog / Lightheaded - Tracking quests and comments from wowhead. No alt-tabbing! - Lightheaded is not Ace thou.
- ClearFont2 - Needed because my interface is set to the minimum UIScale (near 0.64) and so I can setup my own font and size in addons.
- Bongos 3 - Very good action button addon, very customizable.
- Dettached Mini ButtonS (DMBS) - Dettaches all map mini buttons so I could put then where you see at my screenshots. It's the only addon I found that does it even for addons he never knew before (unlike this option at Chinchila). The only problem is with the profile thing: you need to reload a profile everytime you load a new character. After that you don't need to look at it anymore.
- DoTimer - The only addon that puts all dots / hots / anything-over-time (even totems!) in a very very good way. You want to warn when people can hit after a long and boring Banish? Just click the banish icon and it'll tell /party how much time until Banish fades. Good for polymorph, hibernate, CoS, Searing Totem and many more.
- CCFocus / ControlFreak - CCFocus does macros for CC - one for focus and the rest for the CC on focus (so you don't need to change targets). Works pretty well on all classes (polymorph, seduction, cyclone, so on). ControlFreak works almost the same. Select a mob, click the button once (it'll focus it) then you're good to CC it whenever you want (just click again). It'll warn on breaks (and who breaks!) and runs too. I am currently using both to test.
- Sanity / Altaholic - All for my alts, i love them all. It'll mark how many items I have with what characters, I can search for items and so on. I'm using both right now but it seems Altaholic will replace Sanity in short.
- Smartbuff - So no one needs to tell me when I should buff. It is not stupid safe but it's good enough.
- WIM - Wow Instant Messenger: sometimes the chat pannel is not good enough - even mine with 4 tabs. WIM is awesome and you'll not ever loose a whisper. And looks awesome.
- Mapster - Map addon. My Cartographer (in plan) replacement.
- GatherMate - Nodes to gather on my map. My Cartographer (in plan) replacement. It's updated frequently. And it has a HUD! (GatherHUD)
- Routes - Better routes for my gather nodes. Works with GatherMate/Mapster. It is just amazing. Another Cartographer (in plan) replacement.
- QuestHelper - My quest informant - where to go and what to kill/collect. My Cartographer (in plan) replacement.
- Cartographer - After all I said about replacing cartographer (it was using too much uneeded memory) I still use 3 modules of it: Waypoint (for QuestHelper), Guild Position and Zone Info.
- Atlas / AtlasLoot / Atlas Quest - Maps for dungeons, its loots and its quests.
- RecipeBook - It was used to know what my alts can do with their tradeskills but now I use to share it with my guild as well. Everyone who has it can know what everyone can do.
- RecipeRadar - So I know where all recipes are where I am :)
- Skillet - The regular interface for tradeskills is just too short - this is what is needed. Together is Ackis Recipe List so I don't miss needed recipes along the way :)
- Big Wigs / Little Wigs / XXX Wigs - Important for Raid enconters and now with some info about lower level instances as well.
- Auctioneer Full - For my mule mostly, but important to see the world economic.
- BulkMail - With all my alts I need to have a good Mail interface for my attached stuff. BulkMail pretty much own it.
- X-Loot - Better looks on loot and prints on my screen what I looted. Even show greed/need in parties and who won.
- Talented - I have some lv70 so I need to make lots of talent profiles. I keep respecing uh?
- Healbot - Good but pretty personal.
- Character Info - Good but Sanity and Altaholic can replace it.
- ShaderMod - Prints whenever you crit and makes sounds customizable. It's good and fun but pretty personal.
That's it folks, a whole lot of addon goodness. In your comments, please keep in mind that the author is a native Brazilian and that English is not his first language. Thanks to Pondera for sharing this with us, see you next week!
Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send it, along with your character name and server, to readerui@gmail.com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Add-Ons, Reader UI of the Week, Features










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Manatank May 25th 2008 3:22PM
In the first image, the shot is of a mage toon, and some one is calling out for a table. Please, for the love of god, drop one.
Sean Forsgren May 25th 2008 3:34PM
I lol'd in RL
Curve May 25th 2008 4:29PM
Hi res needs to be higher, i cant see what the author is on about :'(
kaoskongo May 25th 2008 4:54PM
looking forward to a UI for a shaman...never really figured out a good configuration placement for the totem mod...
Aaron May 25th 2008 5:26PM
why are the screenshots scaled down to a smaller res all the time? can barely see anything on it
Pent May 25th 2008 5:28PM
too small screenshots, cant even make it out really
Sliker_Hawk May 25th 2008 6:04PM
On Firefox: in the gallery, right click the images and select 'view image'. I'm pretty sure every other browser has a similar function.
Regardless there should really be a link like 'view original' or something.
Sliker_Hawk May 25th 2008 6:06PM
Failing that you could right click the image, go to properties and copy the address of course.
dan May 25th 2008 6:18PM
how bout some way to facilitate sharing the UI in its entirety? Has this guy uploaded this set to any of the major sites? it's very nice looking, especially that fubar skin.
Sean Forsgren May 25th 2008 6:52PM
Alright folks, the screenshots should be fixed. Forgive the troubles, my first gallery. Just goes to show that if you follow directions precisely, like a good little worker monkey, it may not work out. They are big and beautiful in the Hi Res setting now.
@ 9 (Dan) :: Pondera mentioned the possibility of uploading it to WoWInterface, I will update the article if/when he lets me know it's up.
Marguerite May 25th 2008 7:06PM
I want it! Is there a posibility that we can download a compilation of those addons? please!!!
Liitz May 25th 2008 9:29PM
ya, it would be rly nice if you could share that fu-bar skin, it looks sweet
RottGutt May 25th 2008 11:08PM
Seconded!!
Taeo May 25th 2008 11:51PM
Very nice. I like your Pitbull frames. Very clean!
Pretoriaan May 26th 2008 2:02AM
Is it possible to get a download link for the whole UI package?
artsycho May 26th 2008 2:23AM
I don't like the UI. It's far too random, littered with irrelevant details, buttons and surfaces. Just the fact that there's so many visible minimap buttons up and FuBar ain't managing them (for hidden usability) and the minimap is placed such a traditional spot, makes me believe that the creator modified another package and made it his own.
Vesuuvius May 26th 2008 12:12PM
On replacing Cartographer: TomTom will now perform the "Crazy Taxi" arrow function and worls with both Questhelper _and_ Lightheaded. Also HandyNotes (in the ACE file repository) has a guild position module. That's 2 out of 3. Cartographer is almost gone!
http://draeneihelpdesk.com
overneathe May 26th 2008 2:52PM
150MB of addons? Is this your idea of a good UI?
Pondera May 26th 2008 3:39PM
@overneathe: For someone that has a 22" monitor (1680x1050 resolution), it's not that hard to have a better computer to have 150MB out of your 2GB+ ram (I have 4GB). Either that or just turn off some of them. I did it to get 85MB-100MB now, I hope it's good for all.
overneathe May 31st 2008 9:29AM
I hage 3.5GB of memory. But using 150MB of addons is simply TOO MUCH addons. If you go over 50MB you probably have a lot of addons that are of no use or can be compiled in one and have 100% been already comiled.