Addon Spotlight: Bati's Healer Grid layouts
by Mathew McCurley 
Aug 26th 2010 at 7:00PM
Thursday is here! Thursday is here! Excitement abounds in my secret addon lair for many reasons. First, my original vanilla WoW character is back in action. Originally, as many of you have read in my past columns, priest was my class of choice. Healers tend to be my forte because of group desirability -- selfishly and selflessly, I always rolled healer to get invited to groups and be there to support the healerless masses back when this was a thing. After a stint in Warhammer Online, tanking became my new love and, after a quick respec and some forum threads, my Burning Crusade healadin became my Wrath tankadin. After almost three years in the freezer, my priest has emerged from cryo-stasis.
Boy, has the priest game changed since the original Naxxramas -- the world is so different now for a priest. After witnessing the second best discipline priest ever rule the school with healing and absorption, I was in love with the spec. Quickly, I rushed to the internets, pulled up a talent build and went to town. Upon loading up my priest, it dawned on me that the cardinal rule had been broken -- I wasn't addon-prepared. Sure, heals went off and shields went up, but that was the extent of the information. It's been years, and I needed a healer UI setup but wanted instant satisfaction. Let me introduce you to Bati's UI Grid Layout, a set of healer-specific grid layouts for every healing class. This, my friends, is exciting.
Bati has created something that I truly appreciate: easy-to-use, easy-to-set-up, pre-made Grid healer profiles that give you everything you could ask for. The profile set even includes a DPS setup for your off spec, if needed.
An interface for every healer
Oren.1 is the paladin interface, showing all of the pertinent buffs on the target at the bottom of the Grid frame, with built-in timers from the excellent addon OmniCC. Bati is the priest Grid setup, displaying shields, Weakened Soul, Prayer of Mending and other vital priest information right on the Grid frame. Paired with a PoM counter addon, this setup proves very powerful for priests.
Shaman is, obviously, the restoration shaman profile, sporting Earth Shield and Riptide trackers. Personally, as a resto shaman myself occasionally, I've found most healing user interfaces that are too complex become only hindrances. Less has always been better for me as a shaman healer, but your mileage may vary. Bati's shaman setup is still in a state of flux, however, so any capable shaman should hit up Bati with some tips!
Maiie is the druid interface, and while I don't have much druid healing experience, I asked my buddy and he said it looked great. So yay, druids!
Arena is a profile setting that surprised me, mostly because of how some simple changes to Grid can have such a dramatic effect on the PvP healing game. Bati's specific arena setup runs with paladins in mind, but easy tweaks should be enough to let any healer make use of the basic work done. Enabling the arena setting nets a bigger Grid layout, with larger debuff icons for quicker recognition of what needs to be removed -- an excellent choice for the beginner arena player. Speaking of arenas, all of you who have been begging for some PvP talk on Reader UI of the Week should definitely tune in next Tuesday (hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge).
Installation
Installation of Bati's Grid layouts is fairly simple. If you already have Grid, I would recommend making a copy of both your Grid addon folders and your grid.lua file from the Saved Variables folder in your WTF folder structure under your account. Just go to WTF > Account > Your Account > Saved Variables and copy out that file, just in case you want your old Grid layouts back. If you are a new Grid user, you have nothing to worry about. Just copy the new grid.lua file provided in the addon download into that folder, allowing you access to all of the pre-made content from Bati.
After all of the addons are installed successfully (use Bati's images as a guide if needed on the addon's WoWInterface page), type /grid config in game, select your profile and you're off to the races. It may seem a little bit complex, but I promise you, much like Sindragosa or Mimiron Firefighter, it's much easier in execution than the 30-minute explanation from your raid leader while everyone falls asleep.
Vuhdo, Healbot and the rest of the healer raid frame addons are also wonderful choices, no doubt about it. Bati's Grid layouts, however, are ready to go, and addition functionality can be added to the Grid layouts using a click-to-cast spell addon like Clique. If you aren't up to the somewhat daunting task of configuring up a perfect Grid setup, or just looking to see how other Grid setups work, Bati's configurations are excellent learning environments. Bati gets good marks for putting together many awesome setups for multiple healing classes.
Download Bati's UI Grid layouts at [WoWInterface].
Download Bati UI at [WoWInterface].
Addons are what we do on Addon Spotlight. If you're new to mods, Addons 101 will walk you through the basics; see what other players are doing at Reader UI of the Week. If there's a mod you think Addon Spotlight should take a look at, email mat@wow.com.Filed under: Add-Ons, AddOn Spotlight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
vern Aug 26th 2010 7:20PM
A comment here:
If you display just the class color in background, you don't need to show the player's name.
Names are extra information you don't need. And I am surprised your UI doesn't show any health numbers. With Health numbers, you can spot in a blink who is missing a buff or if players are affected by some health debuff. I know its a matter of personal opinion, but personally I need the numbers.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/422/50145275.jpg
disdrgfreak Aug 26th 2010 7:33PM
The only reason why I'd have names is to make a quicker decision between letting a good dps and a bad dps die. :)
As for numbers, I agree. It gives you an idea of how much to heal, whether they're a dps by health pool so you can judge whether they need immediate attention, etc. I only do missing health cuz it's too many numbers to see current + Max together.
And IMO, numbers are a must, not personal preference.
dippymister Aug 26th 2010 11:13PM
I don't see why you wouldn't have names. As a druid, names are essential if you plan on keeping hots on tanks (or just keeping an eye on them in general). Like disd said, they could also be used to heal better dps. But in a raid that will almost certainly have more than 1 of a class, I feel that having names just to remind you who the tanks are is essential (at least for me).
Rockstaert Aug 27th 2010 3:40AM
Instead of the display of names, try placing the tanks on a fixed position. Healbot can do this automaticly when the tanks are marked in the raid screen (every raid leader that does this without asking get's bonus heals), not sure if Grid does this also, but can't imagine it doesn't. This way you don't have to know the name of the tank, because they are always at the 'tankslot' in your setup.
Using classcolors is usually enough to determine who are the good/bad dps although in 25m-raids I have to admit it is sometimes hard to determine which of the 3 mages was the good one again, but in 10m-raids this is usually not a problem.
Becs
PistolPeet Aug 27th 2010 7:12AM
I disagree, names are essential. "Incinerate Flesh on ", for example. OK great, if you have every single debuff set up with warning icons in advance but what about new content, or revisiting old content and you can't remember which icons mean which debuff?
mark Aug 27th 2010 9:36AM
or for other random things
i use grid a lot for my druid - but i leave it on on my main mage
lady DW - i sheep the 3rd MC listed by dbm on 25hc
lich king - if somone getting grabbed looks like being dropped i slow fall them (if theyre one that can escape) - gives more time to disengage/charge/etc
queen - i know who im suposed to be biting - but which of the 4 green squares are they?
etc etc
Ruana Aug 27th 2010 11:42AM
Spoken as someone who's obviously never played a druid. Need to battle rez someone? Innervate? You pretty much need the names.
I had one time where my names were hidden with Grid when the person was dead. it just said "Dead" and no name. I was asked (while tanking, during a pause in fighting Akil'zon) to battle rez the druid healer. He wasn't he only one who was dead, but if I rezzed him, he could rez the other dead person.
I need to innervate someone who asks for it on vent? In a 25-man raid? I need names, I'm not going to take the time to /tar name and figure out if they're within range of me, I'm just going to click on their name in Grid and see if I can cast it on them without moving.
jordanmcguigan Nov 12th 2010 4:47PM
Raid Leader: use special ability on !
The 4 letter abbreviations and class coloring is enough, but not knowing either one of those would leave me looking for group numbers and clicking through them all
Brett Porter Aug 26th 2010 7:37PM
Wow... being a Healbot fanboy myself, I've always found Grid to be a little complicated/complex/whatnot. I think I may have to give this a shot next time I run on my priest!
Alex Aug 26th 2010 7:55PM
@vern:
It really is a matter of personal opinian. My mains a disc/holy priest and i raid casually. I also use grid-like frames but I only let them show player names on top of the class-colloured backgrounds, and a little frame surounding each one that turns red for aggro and yellow when they have the weakened soul debuff, so I know who to shield when needed.
I like having the names there cause in any givin raid you could have lets say 5 druids, of whom 2 are healing. That way I can decide who should get healed first and who can manage without.
The unit frames on my ui also wont show health numbers as this would be to distracting for me personaly. As far as spotting buffs and debuffs, I cant check if everyone is buffed right, certainly not from looking at their total health. (this is just me though). Debuffs show up on a differen bar created with satrinas buff bars, witch is a great little addon imo.
As you mentioned already, this is all pretty much personal preference though.
vern Aug 26th 2010 8:25PM
I did try GRID and I didn't like it because it only can show a DELTA of the health as a number, and only if some health is missing. Whereas PITBULL 4.0 (the screenshot I attached above) shows virtually anything you want, a %, the max health, the delta, anything.
Another important point (for me, again its an opinion) is to treat a UI as a Head Up Display (HUD) as much as possible. So I don't need to know about who is not in my range because I can not do anything at all for them, those folks just overload my UI and take my attention away from Folks I can act on right now. I think GRID can do that too from my test.
Really consider this: put the 'range' transparency to 100% if someone is not in your healing range.
Your UI is going to clear up so fast and you can focus better, and this without changing anything at all at your setup (and its easily reversible if you don't like it, its just a % on frame transparency).
Archliche Aug 26th 2010 7:56PM
I never really could get into using the non stock UI but it looks like I am going to have to in order to keep up. I used healbot for a while and enjoyed some of the features but never took the time to learn and customize it more.
Resto Dr00d
http://rlgamer.com/ViewGamer.aspx?View=Rune
pagin Aug 26th 2010 8:01PM
I am a new healer and I have been using healbot and except for some issues with my settings getting reset I love it, I looked at grids and couldn't figure it out. grids may be great but its way too complicated
elstor Aug 26th 2010 8:01PM
This just made my life so much easier, tracking weakened soul is amazing, changing colors when you can cleanse/cure is amazing, showing how much absorbtion left on bubbles is amazing, this is incredible. I've been meaning to set up my grid better (It isnt default or anything, but its pretty basic stuff) and this is such a time saver.
A note on the font, I cant stand it so I did change that.
Jay Aug 26th 2010 9:28PM
It's very much a personal preference and I think I will personally stick to Vuhdo, it displays more information in a clearer manner for my healing and tanking needs.
DMacD Aug 26th 2010 9:54PM
"If you display just the class color in background, you don't need to show the player's name. Names are extra information you don't need. "
Not displaying names for your own personal tastes is one thing (each to their own)but stating it is something you do not need is quite another.
Personally i feel showing player names especially in PVE healing is important. If you need to
use a certain ability just for example battle ress on a person how are you going to find that person in 10 or 25 people with no names displayed ? especially when there is more than 1 of that class in the raid.
I use class color backgrounds with my grid but I'd never in a million years step into a raid without names displayed as well. It may be an insignificant detail to some but to other healers including myself it's not. I for one don't want to be in a situation should it ever arise (it has for me) that I've been asked to switch to heal a certain person in the middle of a raid and have to say "eh sorry i can't find them as i don't know which raid frame is theirs" and before you know it the person is already dead when it could have been avoided.
As i said each to their own if people don't want to use names that's their business but please when there are new healers reading these topics for tips.. state something like names on raid frames are not needed just because you think it is so.
molive524 Aug 26th 2010 10:08PM
VuhDo or bust.
Saeadame Aug 27th 2010 2:32AM
This.
CodeMunki Aug 27th 2010 8:13AM
^^ Definitely. The only thing that could get me into add-on development would be if the guy that maintains Vuhdo quits. That add-on is so good that I'd find the time to keep it going.
Ninerva Aug 26th 2010 10:25PM
One thing I love about Grid is GridStatusRole. It shows everyone's role (Tank, Melee, Ranged, Healer) based solely on their spec. It's dead accurate for everyone but DKs, and that will surely change in Cataclysm. It's absolutely invaluable for raid leading, and good for healing as well. For example, if I'm in a random heroic and the tank is showing up as Melee, something's wrong.