Reader UI of the Week: Zerene's UI
by Mathew McCurley 
Mar 30th 2010 at 2:00PM
Welcome, friends, to another exciting installment of Reader UI of the Week. I get more and more submissions each week from you guys, and that is super exciting. Thank you for all the great user interfaces you've been sending in, and keep them coming! This week, we learn a thing or two from reader Zerene -- gaze upon these screenshots, mortals, and feast your eyes on this week's Reader UI.
Zerene's user interface is interesting and gave me a new appreciation for more minimalist uses of panels and portraits. But first, as always, the floor is Zerene's:
Hey there,
Just thought I'd share my UI. It's a constant work in progress (as i'm sure most are) but I've reached one of those rare points where I'm happy with it for more than five minutes. I play a healer occasionally and I tanked through all of BC, though my main is currently my warlock. For all four of my raiding characters, I created a custom color scheme using skinner, eepanels (yup, it still works, and I'm too lazy to update it) Pitbull, and buttonfacade. I use a Nostromo N52te and a Naga mouse, so I have a rediculous number of buttons to bind everything to. I make heavy use of Opie, and Bartender's bar hiding, to reduce the amount of clutter.
I'm also slowing transitioning over to Skada from recount and omen. I use Elkano Buffbars to split long and short duration buffs - Long buffs are longer than 5 minutes and in the upper right hand corner of my screen, and short buffs come up right next to my character frame. Speaking of, my health and mana will change color when low - as will my character's name and title, turning from class colored to red at 50%, and black at 25% health remaining.
Other addons of note: WIM is awesome, Atlasloot and DBM (obviously), Mik's Scrolling Battle Text makes me happy, Clearfont (another "dead" addon that still works fine. And that I've added a few fonts to :/) I've got a Fubar, um, bar, running at the top of the screen set to autohide until I mouse over it, holding GuildFu, LocationFu, MoneyFu, MiniPrefsFu, HonorFu, FactionsFu, CraftTimersFu, and DuraTek. I run Baggins, which is great for me since I'm a huge packrat and keep all the tier gear that I've come across. I've got sections in my bank for all 10 tiers, as well as vintage and holiday or vanity gear. I use a very modified Grid. Basically it just shows names as classcolors, which tells me if they're alive or dead. Hey, I'm a warlock. The hell do i care how much health someone has?! Of course this is moved on my tank and healer to front and center...
The last two vital addons are Power Auras and ForteXorcist. I can't express how vital both of these are to raiding for me. I track all my procs through Power Auras, and all my affliction dot timing... and DK diseases... and basically everything else... through FX.
I run a ton and a half of addons, but lastly I want to toss some props at the simply awesome ZeldaLoot. Definitely the one addon that makes me the happiest - it plays sounds from Ocarina of Time whenever you loot something, from greens up to legendaries! It was awesome enough for Geddon to drop my warrior a binding - it was even better to loot it and hear the sound of pulling the Master Sword :).
Thanks!
-Zerene, Alliance, Haomarush-US
Thank you for the e-mail, Zerene! My first question, while not truly UI related, is how people love their Naga mice? Maybe that's a good question for the comments...
Alright, let's get to the meat of the matter. Zerene's UI is nice and compact, especially in regards to paneling. We can learn a few things from Zerene! There is a lot to like here.
Fontabulous
I have talked about fonts before, but I love hammering home this point -- fonts give character, personality and emotion to the words displayed in those fonts. Zerene's font usage was off-putting to me at first, and then the more I thought about it and poured over the screenshots, the more the font choices grew on me. Some fonts are there for fun, while others are there for ease of reading. Personally, I like to stick to one or two fonts the bring the whole user interface more consistency, but Zerene's fun fonts are definitely eye-catching. A font addon such as Fontain or Zerene's preferred Clearfont are awesome for getting some excellent, interesting fonts into your addon collection. I especially like the target and player name font -- the Diablo-esque lettering gives the frames a more movie-esque quality, something fun and cinematic amidst a sea of information vital to the Lich King's downfall.
One of the biggest lessons to remember about fonts are that they are a personal experience. No one sees your fonts but you, which is a huge advantage.
Download Fontain at [Curse].
Keen Frames
We begin with a confession -- I hate portraits. I never liked them. They take up a lot of space, distract me from other movement on my screen, and just felt completely unnecessary. I am happy to say that Zerene's stylized portraits as her player and target frames have significantly changed my opinions on portraits. Creating a slim, stylized portrait is an awesome addition to a user interface that wants to have a more game-y feel, which is something I don't see enough of. I'm part of that problem, I think. I choose function and style over the superfluous. Zerene's portraits are an awesome counterpoint to that philosophy. I love them, can't get enough of them, and want to include something fun and stylized in my own UI. Good show. Pitbull is an excellent choice in dealing with unit frames, target and player frames, and portraits -- just be ready to tinker with the options for awhile before getting it perfect. Definitely a plus.
Download Pitbull at [Curse] or [WoWInterface].
The Slim Bar
Not all framing has to be huge. Zerene's user interface is pared down out of combat to fit neatly into the small horizontal bar placed across the bottom of the screen, contrasting the buttons against the world around them. It's a beautiful setup and sets a defined location for where other pieces of the interface can cling to when in a raid or group. The user interface has a ground to grow from, so to speak. Creating a centralized point, or in Zerene's case, a line, allows the player to build off of a specific point and keep things clean. The slim bar philosophy is pretty neat, and definitely looks great in any situation. Zerene uses eepanels, but it is a little difficult to find these days, so I recommend kgPanels as usual.
Download kgPanels at [Curse].
The Raid Game
Zerene's Raid interface grows nicely upwards from the "at rest" interface. Key information is displayed above the main slim bar and the cooldown bar at the bottom of the screen monitors vital timers. Zerene is working with some pretty large real estate, so most raid addons are not going to be too invasive. Separating out buffs based on long and short duration is a great way to keep the screen clutter-free and to prevent one list of buffs from overtaking your screen. All in all, a decent raid setup for a DPS class.
That's it for this week's Reader UI. I hope you enjoyed pouring over fonts like I did. I guess, really, I'm too focused on the user interface as a tool and forget sometimes the fluffy stuff can add some real awesome character to the gameplay experience. See? My heart is not cold and minimalist. I can accept portraits and many fonts. Take Zerene's user interface and grab some awesome ideas!
Topic for the comments this week, as stated above -- Naga mouse? Yea? Nay? It has some pretty nifty interface options, but I don't know...
Interested in getting the most out of your user interface? Come back once a week for more examples of reader UIs. For more details on individual addons, check out Addon Spotlight, your source for everything addon-related.
Filed under: Add-Ons, Reader UI of the Week
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
drale Mar 30th 2010 2:24PM
re: naga mouse,
I tried one to see if I could get it tuned up to work with healbot on my healer ( I will save the the healbot vs grid vs vudu wars for another thread).
Anyway i was starting to think I could get it to work through lots of addons and bindings then it stopped working after about 3 days.
So I don't like mine as it taunts me from the corner of my desk, and makes me wish i didn't throw the receipt away.
cheers
Malkavos Mar 30th 2010 2:24PM
I don't have one of the mice, but I did like the UI design. Does a lot without intruding too much in your game space.
Cheese Mar 30th 2010 2:25PM
I had a Razer Naga MMO Gaming mouse since release. They're hard to get used to unless you're a spellcaster then they're easy. Unfortunalty they break easily and for some reason the bottom of the mouse gets really crusty with dust/dirt/goo and you constantly have to clean it or it will not function well at all as far as movement. The first one I had stopped working about 2 weeks into having it and my free replacement died by me touching it and having static discharge zap it. I gave up and got another Logitech G9 and feel it's a far better mouse ESP for gaming.
Just my two cents and thanks for the great UI ideas.
Alex Mar 30th 2010 2:25PM
blink blink.
That's me! Thanks for putting this up :) And thanks very much for the kind words - I've been incrementally working on my UI for years based in large part on this column and others around the web.
Faith Trust Mar 30th 2010 2:25PM
I love the UI, unlike Mat, Im a big fan of artwork and portraits, and would like to see a UI with some WoW centric artwork.
I've seen some that deviate a lot and make the UI look too futuristic that i think breaks the mood of the game, i like the default interface, but i think there is probably some interesting approaches into making a mix of useful UI with art, and other things.
Kudos on the column, I eagerly wait for it each week.
Worcester Mar 30th 2010 2:27PM
I'm pretty satisfied with my Naga mouse, though it is so sensitive that it takes some practice. I use it extensively with Opie to keep my screen clear of bars and such. My n52te is actually taking me a little longer to get used to as I migrate from key-movements to mouse-move.
One of my biggest problems is how do I use something like Distract while mouse moving? With keys, I can continue moving, click distract and drop it where I need to with my mouse. This method often allows me to continue moving one way, while distracting mobs into a completely different direction. It's also "dead-on-balls accurate". Nothing comes close with the mouse-move method that I've found. I have to stop just to use distract, which is a real problem when you're already moving slowly in stealth.
Oh, one other comment about the Naga... the two secondary buttons on the top left are almost useless to me. I have to pull my index finger far to the left of the main button, and I'm only able to hit these buttons with the very edge of my finger. As such, they are bound to abilities I almost never use. Truly terrible placement, in my opinion. I would be better served with an extra two buttons on the thumb grid.
Elle Mar 30th 2010 2:44PM
I have the n52te as well and the easiest, most convenient way I have found to transition from key movement to the mouse is to not do it at all ;) Simply remap your direction pad buttons to be your wasd keys. That way you can move with the mouse, the n52 or your keyboard if for some reason you needed to. ( it happened to me, somehow my usb cable got pulled loose and stopped working mid-dungeon...1st-PANIC, 2nd-panic, 3rd-oh yeah! the keyboard!, 4th- remember what it is like to game with a keyboard again)
Anyway, I hope that helps :)
Grendalsh Mar 30th 2010 11:29PM
First, DON'T MOUSE MOVE. Use the Dpad on the N52te for movement (Fwd/Back/Strafe Left/Strafe Right). Use the mouse for fine steering using just the right click. This way the mouse is free for target selection, dropping distraction, etc while your left thumb controls your feet. With this I can drop Distract on one side of a target while circling around to where his back will be.
Just make sure to disable the diagonals on the Dpad and it will work fine whatever you have bound. Personally, I prefer leaving the default North/South, East/West values, as those translate to the cursor arrows. If for some reason you have a chat panel open, those aren't captured by the dpad and you won't send someone a "Wasssddsdsswwwss crap i'm dead" message. (Prat and Chatter have options for scrolling through past messages using the arrows.. disable those if you plan on using them for movement.. more chatfrag)
Now for my blatant plug - check out my youtube channel, The 2 Ring (www.youtube.com/user/grendalsh) for vids on setting up and configuring the N52te for WoW, with profiles for most classes (including rogue).
Robert_Hedges Mar 31st 2010 1:15AM
I use an n52te and I move with my mouse BUT, in addition to mouse movement I have the forward and back key bound to their respective keys on the d-pad but I also boud my strafe keys to the left and right, so I get all the possible movement combinations as well as the quick reaction and better control of moving with my mouse. For using spells like distract I hit the button and continue to move forward and strafe with my n52te and cast the spell with my mouse. I also use Opie and a Logitech 5 button mouse to reduce clutter and it works out amazingly. Reminds me of dialing an old phone lol.
Worcester Mar 31st 2010 1:19AM
To be honest, the n52 is just a little too big for my Hobbit hands. The 15 key is practically useless, and moving with the Dpad while trying to use any of the top buttons is not really possible either. Having said that, I did set it up that way to give it a try. Unfortunately I've already developed some muscle-memory for my old settings. If I don't decide on a strategy and stick with it, I'll be doomed to keep running into the fire instead of out of it.
I'll check out the video, though. Thanks!
Oh, and using the Naga with Opie is a real good setup, by the way.
Neyssa Mar 30th 2010 2:29PM
What is the minimap mode? Sexymap? I like sexy but I always have problems with it (like coordinates moving always from where I place them). Just asking, recommend me something better :)
Alex Mar 30th 2010 2:30PM
It is sexymap. I took the "sun" or whatever it is preset and turned it warlocky.
Lemons Mar 30th 2010 2:32PM
Most of these UIs just scare me, when sitting out of combat they seem orderly enough but once in combat they explode into a million different mods that seem to be randomly placed about the screen. I think the placement of UI elements while in combat is probably as important if not more important than their placement out of combat.
Delerius Mar 30th 2010 2:39PM
I received the Razer Naga for Christmas and I have never been happier.
They are very right when they say that it takes *hours* to get used to it, and I still have the tendency to move my hands back to my keyboard if I suddenly find myself in PvP.
I raid as a Resto Druid most of the time, and mouseover macros + grid with this mouse is amazing. I still move with WASD, but all my heals are right on my mouse, the hand I want to mouseover with in the first place. It is very intuitive to me, and I really enjoy my setup.
I use the Naga for every character, and I am a bit of an altoholic. Resto druid, PvP Arcane Mage, Ret Pally (all at 80) along with a bazillion alts all use the mouse exclusively.
The one concern that many of us had before getting the Naga was that it did not create "new" buttons like the N52te or whatever it is (I have never used one), but rather puts your "1234567890-=" row of keys on your mouse. Or your numberpad. Razer has said that they are working on manual button assignments in the next driver update, I haven't checked to see if it's out yet.
TL:DR It takes awhile to get used to but it's worth it.
Alex Mar 30th 2010 2:43PM
I agree 100%, except that the Nostromo doesn't create it's own - it mirrors the 1 through = keys on my keyboard. The naga gets the numpad keys.
I've heard that the Nost can do it's own buttons, but I've certainly never found a use for that.
Kyrro Mar 30th 2010 6:40PM
The patch is out there, though I still use 123... buttons. I'm also play a resto druid, and found that it took about a month to get used too, but now idk if I can live without it.
only problem is I only use 123456 and 8, the rest of the buttons is only assigned to things I rarely use in combat, they are simply too far away to feel comfortable. But with shift, ctrl and alt modifiers and opie on the two buttons to the left of leftclick, I got more buttons than I would ever need.
Minidrake Mar 30th 2010 7:02PM
Loving the Naga. Best thing I bought since my Logitech G13 (which replaced a dying Nostromo N52). I believe on a full hands-on control scheme that requires absolutely minimal keyboard contact (the HOTAS/Cougar spoiled me, what can I say).
I had a different experience to most people with the Naga, I picked up the thumpad almost immediately and have had no problems. I'm playing a Rogue and a Feral Druid (Switching between cat and bear very regularly). Here's the keys I use:
1. Vent PTT
2. Jump (I love having jump bound on the mouse. It seems 'right')
3. Cat/Flight toggle
4. Opie Quest Item Ring
5. Autorun (this key will wear out faster than every other, I promise you).
6. Bear/Flight toggle (can you tell I don't like caster form?)
7, 8, 9. Three more Opie Rings
I don't use the bottom row at all, nor the two extra 'face' buttons.
The Logitech's thumbstick is my movement, and the keys are bound to all sorts of ability macros. My UI has only a small segment of buttons visible, mainly so I can see their cooldown counters. Almost nothing on my UI is 'clicked'.
Athgar Mar 30th 2010 2:43PM
I got a Naga and a G13 pad for x-mas, and while it took a while to get used to, I completely rely on them now. I don't use the Naga addon, instead opting to tweak Bartender to have a similar layout.
The only difficulty I ran into was healing, and with a combination of mouseover macros and a heavily-tweaked VuhDo, that works great as well.
abashima Mar 30th 2010 2:47PM
I use the Naga mouse on my Mac and love it to death. Works like a charm, is keen, and I have nothing bad to say about it a'tall. :) Very happy with it. :)
Pyromelter Mar 30th 2010 2:48PM
How do yo modify the border settings on sexymap? I've been searching for ages, I have not found how to configure the borders other than just selecting the border I'm looking for