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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsAddon Spotlight: Vuhdo
by Matt Low 
Jan 30th 2010 at 4:00PM
We've received many tips about Vuhdo and it was only a matter of time before it would be featured here. Vuhdo is one of the most popular raid healing addons available. It offers enough features and customization options to keep even the pickiest of UI enthusiasts happy. At the same time, if your entire UI is fried and the raid is about to start, Vuhdo works great out of the box.
What's so great about it? I thought you'd never ask. Let me show you.
Like most healing frames, Vuhdo will show all information that's relevant to you.
- Health remaining
- Mana or energy remaining (Rage, runic power, etc)
- Dispellable debuffs (or non-dispellable ones)
- Rangefinder (If they're out of range, the player becomes transparent)
- Players who have pulled threat
- HoT effects
- Tags (AFK, disconnected, dead, etc.)
Debuff management
One very important feature that healers need is the ability to enter and detect customized debuffs. As you can see above, I entered debuffs that normally wouldn't appear as dispellable abilities for a priest. Having Rune of Blood show up alerts me to which players will be taking more damage than others. Inoculated allows me to see who managed to get the buff and who missed out on it (and thus, giving them a defensive cool down of sorts allowing them to live).
Here's what it looks like on the raid frames. It'll even show things like Weakened Soul so I don't end up wasting my time dropping a shield on someone who can't receive it. The number on the icon shows how many seconds left before it expires. It only shows up when the debuffs are close to wearing off.
Here's what it looks like on the raid frames. It'll even show things like Weakened Soul so I don't end up wasting my time dropping a shield on someone who can't receive it. The number on the icon shows how many seconds left before it expires. It only shows up when the debuffs are close to wearing off.
Key bindings
Click the spell tab on the bottom and this screen will be the first thing you see. This is just one example of how I would set my keys. This is the Mouse screen where you can assign spells, macros items, or commands. Its very easy to set up. Look up the specific key combination you want to use, and then select it and type in the name of what you want it to do. As you can see, in this example, there is no modifier key set. Target is the left mouse button and Prayer of Mending is the right mouse button. If I wanted to cast Flash Heal by using Ctrl + left mouse, I'd just change the panel to Ctrl on the left pane and type in Flash Heal in the same spot.
Easy right?
In the event you're out in the world and you need to blow up some stuff, there is a hostile tab on the right. You can toss in your damage spells instead of healing ones in the same areas. If your target is friendly, it will use the spells and commands that correspond with the healing binds. If your target is hostile, it'll detect and switch over to your hostile configuration as needed.
For those who feel more at ease with a keyboard, the process takes a touch longer. Easy right?
In the event you're out in the world and you need to blow up some stuff, there is a hostile tab on the right. You can toss in your damage spells instead of healing ones in the same areas. If your target is friendly, it will use the spells and commands that correspond with the healing binds. If your target is hostile, it'll detect and switch over to your hostile configuration as needed.
In the first window, type in the different names of the spells you want to use. You can enter in 16 of them. Once you're finished there, you'll need to load up the in game keyboard controls. Scroll all the way down to the bottom and you can then map in your keys individually. Remember, macros and commands work as well.
Voila! Was that so difficult? Now your keyboard abilities have been mapped. Granted, its not as elegant as other bar or binding mods, but it does do the job. It even shows you what spell is in each slot.
Healing over time spells
Vuhdo has an incredibly diverse way of setting up your displays. Grid users may recognize that Vuhdo also uses a small icon display to show various HoTs. Again, you can customize it as you see fit. Healers will have their HoTs preset. I've got Renew, Protection of Ancient Kings, and so forth listed below. I can tell which player has which effect based on where the icon appears on the player's frame. If I see a square on the far left side at some point, then I know they already have a Renew on them and can move on to the next player. A square on the far right of the frame tells me that I've already cast Pain Suppression on the player (and when it wears off).
Bar configuration
You can configure display options like text, health and position below. Vuhdo is extremely flexible when it comes to displays. As a healer though, you need to figure out what you really need. I've configured my frames so that the health bars of the player match their class (for example, the health bar of a mage is blue while a priest would be white). This way, I don't need a text indicator that shows me what their class is. Health percentage is nice to know but I need to know absolute health numbers. 10% health for a warrior tank is different than 10% health for a squishy warlock. I need those hard numbers so I can make a snap decision.
So how does it all look in the end? I took a few shots of myself in action during an Utgarde Keep run, but here's one that shows what it can do. I've cast Renew on the warrior and the rogue. The green bar on them visually shows how much time is left. Its hard to see, but there is also a blue bar above the rogue. You'll notice he has the Weakened Soul debuff. The blue bar indicates how much time is left before it wears off. After hitting the warrior with Prayer of Mending, I can see that its bounced on to the warlock and its going to wear off in 4 seconds. Its safe to say hes probably not going to get hit again so I can refresh it on the warrior.
I don't have rage, runic power, or energy bars displaying. As a healer, its not really necessary nor is it relevant to what I need.
Those customized debuffs I mentioned at the beginning of the post? They'll usually show up where the Weakened Soul debuff is here. If there are different debuffs, they'll show up side by side.
If you want, you can have it display specific group configurations like:
- Tanks only
- Healers
- Ranged or melee DPS
- Pets
- Vehicles
- Group number
Resources
Curse.comWoW Interface
Plus Heal Vuhdo forums (Note: Iza is incredibly active in the community and if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to post them there as well)
If you're a new healer who is looking for a healing addon to use, I strongly urge that you give Vuhdo a try. There are other setups and addons of course, and I'll be writing a post comparing them all at some point in the future.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Add-Ons, Raiding, AddOn Spotlight
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 6)
Me Feb 1st 2010 2:36AM
I currently use grid. I have never liked the idea of click. I just bind things to mouseover macros for the same effect (it's just the way I like to do things).
That will effect my bias here:
Healbot: easiest to use by far out of the box, it sounds like. Least customizable.
Vudho: Probably almost as customizable as grid, a single addon out of the box. Looks harder to mess up the basic stuff. However, can you just ignore all that keybinding stuff? I Play all my alts actively, and I want information from my grid, I don't want it messing with my buttons :-p.
Grid: by itself? not as customizable. With additional stuff? even more customizable.
I use grid + raidstatusbuffs(I probably have the name wrong) + a gridhot tracker or two.
It took me hours and hours to get everything how I liked it.
I think if grid *breaks* I'll try vudho. But Grid still sounds more customizable, ultimately.
But probably harder to configure :-p
So:
Healbot: Easiest straight out of the box. Might not do some stuff you'll eventually want it to do. The way it looks is probably the least customizable of the lot.
Vuhdo: probably does everything you want it to, but may not be exactly how you want it to do it. If the d/c problem is true, though, that needs to be fixed. Grid used to have that problem but doesn't anymore.
Grid(+clique if you want it): can do anything, any way you want it . . . if you have 3-4 different grid addons and are willing to put a lot of time into learning it :-p.
I'd probably recommend healbot for the casual player who's aiming for good enough.
I'd at least try vudho as long as it remains supported for those who are really serious about their healing UI. As long as that d/c problem gets dealt with :-). Provided you aren't currently using and happy with grid.
So, Healbot users: consider trying vudho
Grid and vudho users: stick with what you've got if you're happy with it :-p.
Sed Feb 2nd 2010 2:20PM
The d/c feature was addressed recently. The frames redraw themselves upon relogging in vuhdo.
I heal with mouseover macros too and use it only to show information. There is nothing at all in vuhdo preventing you from doing that. You can use built in keybind and mouse click features if you'd like for those who prefer it but you absolutely don't have to do this. Read the features people, I'm serious, they change weekly drastically.
FoxOfWar Feb 1st 2010 3:27AM
I'd probably give VuhDo a try... if I wasn't already so conformed to what a well set up Grid + mouse-over macros are. Been using Grid so long time already... I used XPerl until I started healing and found that XPerl just doesn't cut it right for me when it comes to keeping people alive.
But indeed, a comparison between all the raid frame addons would be interesting. Granted, I guess one fact that we all know is that Grid is the one that takes the most setup before it looks nice and gives all the necessary information... but after you've set it up once, you're set for - I'd say "life", but that kinda feels wrong. Hmm.
In part I prefer Grid because I don't really have that much screen estate to spare, I need the information in pretty compact form. ;)
Ben Feb 1st 2010 10:35AM
I recently switched to this Addon and really like it. I have a two button mouse, but with the modifier keys, I can cast all my different heals and dispels with the click of a button (or two).
Jeff Feb 1st 2010 1:19PM
Vuhdo,
I've recently installed vuhdo onto my wow, and i've typically played dps or a tank for most of my leveling, only recently have i tried the world of healing. I will say that vuhdo is nice, i've tried healbot, and grid with clik just to manage how to heal the best, while i've not attempted to raid heal yet, i can say comfortably made my expierence healing in 5man random dungeons alot easier. It really helps when the left click, middle click and right click are pre programed for 3 different heal types. So if i have plate wearers i know which click to use, or if i have a clothie in the groups i know i can use a different click. i know they can be changed, but from my opnion click was easier to use than the other 2, but i have heared the vuhdo essentially is a mesh between the 2. And i read 1 post earlier, good anology for shoes vs add ons. Not every addon will please someone, that's why they make different ones...
Cv Feb 1st 2010 4:30PM
love vuhdo to bits- will never use grid or healbot again. just my personal opinion :P
Chrissie Feb 5th 2010 9:21AM
I have actually never tried Grid, I have always worked with Healbot and have been pretty happy with it (and seeing how I apparently need to get a second addon in order to get Grid to let me click heal like I am used to, I never saw a reason to try it). But based on all the nifty features described here, I will give Vuhdo a try. :)
Phocas Mar 19th 2010 12:37PM
I concur though not as fact, I just prefer the look and customizable aspects of Grid. It took me a moment to get it set up the way I like but it was so worth the effort. I'll post a screenie of my UI to demonstrate. I just feel Grid fits better into my UI as my focus was to keep it clean and effective.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/Methodhack/WoWScrnShot_031710_192722.jpg
Cathy Apr 7th 2010 3:30AM
I was a healbot user until WotLK, about the time we got to KT in Naxx, read about Vuhdo on Plusheals, and decided to give it ago, was sold from the start, when the incoming icon warning seemed to give you a split second pre warn before the random hit freeze debuff thingy (lol, can't remember what it was called) would hit the most inconvenient players and you had what felt like a second to get a heal off on them before they died, none of the players within my range died and damage and heal seemed to hit at the same time. Previous night on KT we had wipe after wipe (first time in) largely due to players dying from that debuff.
I've used Vuhdo since, and overtime have gotten more confident with it enough to use more and more of it's inbuilt features. A guy called Ihato (I think) did a setup walkthrough early on after it's inception, you can goggle it, but alot of my mates more computer literate than I have found it real easy to set up and work. The walkthrough has not been updated and Vuhdo has gone through quite some changes as the Author responds to suggestions and fixes bugs with satisfying regularity, but it is still a useful walkthrough for a start.
I have also for a brief time used grid/clique, but went back to healbot. Then Vuhdo.
It's a healers addon, written for and by a healer and with the healing masses input and suggestions put to effective use. Same day replies, and fixes to problems that have arisen for users you can't get better than that IMO that is lol.
star.sight Apr 10th 2010 11:21AM
Having tried both grid + clique+ GridStatusRaidDebuff and vuhdo.
I really can't say there is anything particularly wrong with it. The features are there and it will cover the basic requirements for most people. Personally I've been using grid for a long while primarly on my resto druid and nowadays on my disc.
The real feature that made vuhdo a bit appealing is the clustering healing, where it allows you to view where players are and being able to direct wildgrowth to that patch of players. but recently I've found out that grid has a similar addon GridStatusCloseUp.
Its probably just me being used to grid's layout but for some reason I feel I can focus better on sharp txt and sharp colours that grid comes along with rather than flashy icons and lots more colour codes etc that vuhdo comes with. There are probably more settings/skins that allow some extra customisation.
I think if I have to be fair my final comment would be if you never used grid and want a straight out of the box ready made addon vuhdo is probably best. If you want an addon that at first might seem a bit overwhelming but allows even further customization I reckon grid still has a lot more to offer.