Reader UI of the Week: Stympa's UI
by Mathew McCurley 
Apr 13th 2010 at 8:00PM
Each week, WoW.com brings you a fresh look at reader submitted UIs. Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send your screenshots, along with info on what mods you're using, to readerui@wow.com.
Greetings, loyal RUIotW readers. We have much business to attend to. First, I wanted to thank you all so much for the comments, suggestions and discussions we have in the comments after each article. It is sometimes an arduous task to hit every aspect of a reader-submitted user interface, and you guys always give awesome advice. The greatest aspect of this column and the comments is, to me, finding out new things by happenstance. You guys make that happen every column, and I thank you for it.
It's Reader UI of the Week time, ladies and gents. This week, we are taking a look at Stympa's UI, which uses as its base the wonderful Tukui, along with some tweaks. Kick the tires, light the fires, switch all addons into the "locked" position and get ready for some minimalist fun. The actual fun isn't minimalist ... the user interface ... whatever, just click.
Stympa's email was short and sweet:
Thank you for the email, Stympa. Truth be told, I saved Stympa's email and submission for awhile because I was not yet ready to talk about tukui. Now, I am ready and raring to go. Stympa's user interface builds off of the core package of the aforementioned tukui, a very simple, thin-bordered compilation that aims to take a lot of the fuss out of minimalist user interface creation. Tukui comes with a plethora of addons already in package and configures the style of your UI with an excellent bottom-focused motif.Here's a screen of my new UI. I think it's pretty clean.
http://www.tukui.org/home/ - The source for Tukui
curse.com - Has the rest!
Stympa's contribution to tukui comes in a few forms. First, as tukui is a basic compilation that replaces unit frames, some bar elements and moves around a good deal of the interface. It is by no means a one-stop shop compilation. Adding essential addons such as Recount, DBM and others still needs to be done, but the basic re-skin puts your user interface in the right mood, so to speak. Stympa has added Omen, Recount, Sexycooldown, DBM and others to complete his own package. I appreciate Stympa keeping the number of addons low, making his user interface light and clean.
Adding on to tukui is not always a simple task -- keeping with the layout and the organization is tough but doable. Frankly, it is rewarding to me to be able to fit everything I want to in to a UI replacement like this, because it has my own little tweaks and changes that make it my own creation, in a way. It's like adding flaps to a really cool paper airplane someone folded for you -- the basic shape is there, but you get to tinker with the accessories. Stympa does this great with the addition of a solid Sexycooldown bar underneath the main action bars, and a re-skinned Recount over near his minimap. Excellent work.
Most of all, I wanted to thank Stympa for writing in about tukui. I've been meaning to talk about this user interface replacement for awhile, forgot about it, remembered, saw something shiny, wrote it down, checked it off, did something else and finally came back around to it while cleaning up my inbox. Stympa did what you should do with tukui, and that's add the extra essentials and keep them skinned and configured to fit the motif. Now, if you'll excuse me, Stympa, I need to talk a little bit about tukui.
Tukui comes with DPS and healing layouts, is simple to download and install and has a fairly large community behind the compilation. Tukz, the creator, is extremely active on his own forum and pushes out a quality product. The real magic of tukui, though, is that once you are part of the family, so to speak, you get to hit the forums and learn all about skinning other addons, mods and addon elements to get that same tukui look. This thread, for instance, makes available some great skins for Quartz, Omen, Recount, Sexycooldown and Skada -- all addons essential to your user interface. Tukz is fortunate to not only make a great compilation but have some really talented people working on elements as well. Good show!
I recommend tukui to players with wide-screen monitors who really haven't been able to nail down that right minimalist look that they know they can achieve but just can't hammer down. Tukui is a great starting point to learn about border control and skinning in addons. The community that revolves around tukui seems like a really helpful and innovative bunch, not to mention Tukz's own commitment to the project. You really cannot go wrong with the setup, and it helps that it looks great, the fonts are clean and the art is pretty. Please, take some time to check out the tukui gallery over at Tukz's website to see just how awesome the interface can look (not to mention the snazzy site design, of which I am a fan.) And, like Tukz says -- it's pixel perfect.
Download Tukui at Tukz's own website [here]
Fun time!
Here's a fun little dealio -- have you ever been to the bookstore or movie rental place (when people did this sort of thing) and seen a Staff Picks section? Of course you remember! I sent out a request for the WoW.com editors to give me a little bit of information on their favorite addons, so I will occasionally be posting their responses here for you to add to your addon life.
Let's hear from esteemed editor and the place place for World of Warcraft news and views from around the web, Mike Sacco:
Sacco says: AtlasLoot -- because if a boss doesn't have something I want, I can just sit out the fight, to "make sure an app gets his turn."
Very nice, Mr. Sacco. One more tool in Captain Lazy's toolbelt. I can understand not wanting to fight Marrowgar for the 900th time, believe me -- but badges, Sacco! Badges! So many precious badges! The app probably won't last a week.
Atlasloot is definitely a favorite of mine. The interface is fairly easy to navigate and there is no real configuration needed. Plus, as Sacco attests, it's very handy to have on demand knowledge of what bosses drop, so you can begin your prayers/hymns/chants/ritual sacrifices early, before the fight, while eating a Fish Feast or sleeping through trash pulls.
That's all for this week, folks. Remember, when you submit your user interface for Reader UI of the Week, give me some awesome chatter to work with. I love it when I can get into a dialogue with the readers over all sorts of issues with people's UIs. Also, it seems like the "help me with my UI" thing went over pretty well, so if you think it would be cool, lobby for an Addon Makeover type column, and we'll see what we can do. Addon Guy for the Messy UI, perhaps? Hmm ...
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 2)
BIacked Out Apr 13th 2010 8:10PM
Wow, Ive suspended my wow account till the end of the month but that tukui is going to be on my list of things to install when I get back. This column is always so helpful.
Camo Apr 14th 2010 2:58AM
Yeah tukUI looks cool and all but I'm not a fan of prepackaged UIs. I think it lacks the fun of creating an own style. With a readymade UI you're bound to the core UI and you'll try to fit every new addon into that.
So this RUIotW was a bit boring for me because there wasn't something individual and it read like: "Hey, look I'm using xUI and added a bit stuff but that's hidden in my ooc shot." (wtb raid action shot *hint hint*).
tl;dr: I prefer custom UIs over generic ones and "moar action shots plx".
Remial Apr 13th 2010 8:14PM
Come on RUIotW....this is guy just ripped off LUI 2.0...which as been around 12-16-2009. He is using most of the kgpanels from it and basic layout. Original UI is Original.
Dusto Apr 13th 2010 8:24PM
TukUI is more than just for looks. Straight from the site "Tukui is an extreme light-weight user interface for World of Warcraft dedicated to replace the one provided by Blizzard. A single addon, complete package, minimalistic look, pixel perfect, good looking, fit automatically to your resolution and uses less than 700 KB memory."
It is about customization and being a light weight addon. Please don't jump to conclusions. :D
Remial Apr 13th 2010 8:28PM
speaking of jumping to conclusions...running lui2.0 and am currently sitting at 684 kb mem. So.........whats the difference?
Nazgûl Apr 13th 2010 8:29PM
Apparently you can't even read the article to realize the person gave credit to the total replacement UI they used, which, by the way, is not the one you think it is.
Dusto Apr 13th 2010 8:33PM
Proper widescreen support, easy customization, and a single addon.
Many UIs are bound to have similar layouts. There's only so much you can do with the screen space Blizzard has given us in game. I don't see how your accusations of this being a ripoff make any sense. Both are respectable UIs made in different ways.
frozndevl Apr 13th 2010 11:28PM
I've used both Lui v2.0 and now I am using Tukui, and while they share similar elements, they are distinctly different.
Tukui was around before Lui was, but with the more recent versions has eliminated a lot of the other addons that made things up since he is usiung oUF. However, I find it hard to believe that you are using Lui 2.0 at less than 1mb since Lui uses Pitbull, Bartender, Omen, Recount, and kgpanels as a base. At its leanest Lui isn't that small.
If you check out the Tukui .lua files, you will see that he gives credit where credit is due. He specifically calls out Caith for one and many others.
Tukz Apr 14th 2010 3:07PM
Fail. Tukui was written BEFORE LUI package.
Necrosniper Apr 13th 2010 8:19PM
not very often I see a nice clean ui, I like it.
Remial Apr 13th 2010 8:21PM
If you like that one you would like the Original one...LUI 2.0....look it up on wowinterface...and give credit to the person it really deserves.
Darasen Apr 13th 2010 9:35PM
Dear Lord is this getting oral time he types in LUI?
Dusto Apr 13th 2010 8:19PM
TukUI is my current UI of choice and has been for a while. Once you learn how to configure the LUA files correctly it's a beauty to customize.
If you can manage to skin Recount, DBM, Quartz, SexyCooldown and a few other essential addons and figure out how to move things in TukUI around you can basically make your perfect UI.
The only thing I would recommend doing is deleting the name plates from TukUI and using Tidy Plates. It still fits in well with TukUI but makes things a little easier in PvE situations.
Oh and priests using TukUI. The annoying noise and the icon in the middle of your screen is indeed an Inner Fire alert. You can turn it off through the configuration. Does get a little annoying sometimes. ;D
Zarkov Apr 13th 2010 8:23PM
Looks like a very good UI. But the Action button Frame does look very very close to Caith UI, which has been around since the dawn of time. But this is definitely better than Caith UI, it's managed to get all the crap you need on it without oversaturating your screen with text and data.
Eyhk Apr 13th 2010 8:59PM
Did anybody notice the shaman's UI from the Paragon video of Heroic Lich King?
It seemed pretty well thought out, I was wondering if anybody knew which addons were used.
Dusto Apr 13th 2010 9:21PM
Healbot, Satrina Buff Frames, Quartz, and some sort of actionbar mod (assuming Bartender).
Rajinnu Apr 13th 2010 9:18PM
Very nice
Taeo Apr 14th 2010 12:08AM
^^^^^ did the site home page design ;-)
Infamado Apr 14th 2010 8:13AM
"Tukui comes with a plethora of addons already in package and configures the style of your UI with an excellent bottom-focused motif."
That doesn't sound like the kind of motif I want. Just sayin'.
BoomingEchoes Apr 14th 2010 11:01AM
On a much lighter note then the usual novels I write as UI of the week comments I have to say that this suite is beautiful and functional all at the same time.. And I applaud Stympa's additions not only for their functionality but for how he fit them in without mucking up the core package.
I also greatly appreciate the addition of a short list of the addons involved being directly on the picture, though I'm sure that most readers meant they'd like to see the specifics marked, not just listed.. Not really my qualm, but I'm sure someone will bring it up.. Its more for the submitter to worry about then you Mathew, I wouldn't worry about..
Finally I have to say I like the "staff recommendations" idea.. And while I'm usually pretty critical of Mike I have to say that while Atlas Loot is sort of a classic no brainer for a lot of people, his reasoning for using it are warmbloodedly noble compared to those who just passively use it because they want to link or look at loot that it brings a non-sarcastic tear to my eye. I do similar things for apps myself and its nice to see others go out of their way to do it also. So kudos to him too.