Addon Spotlight: Automate your life with some automatic addons
by Mathew McCurley 
Jul 21st 2011 at 5:00PM
Face it -- we're lazy. Lazy, lazy, lazy. We've been living in a world of awesome addons, quality of life improvements, and a streamlined interface for so long that we might have forgotten how awful things really are in the outside world of user interfaces. While you read this edition of Addon Spotlight, remember how bad things were back in the day, with lack of options and the rigid UI schemes. After you're done with that, come back here for addons that will do a bunch of stuff for you, no questions asked.
This week's Addon Spotlight is all about addons with Auto in the title (or at least in concept), because I love addons that take care of menial tasks for me. Auto-addons also have some cool functionality that exists outside of the menial task range, but we'll get to that. Some of the auto stuff is pretty cool and might even do something (automatically, of course) that you never thought you needed before.
Multishot
Multishot is one of those automatic addons that scratched an itch I never knew I had. It's simplicity is in its function: Multishot automatically takes a screenshot when something cool happens. Now, we might have differing opinions on what constitutes "cool," but I'm sure that at one point or another you've been sad that you missed a screenshot of something cool happening. Multishot will automatically take a screenshot when you level up, kill a boss, your guild levels up, you hit a new reputation level with a faction, and more. That's it! I love it.
The most important automatic screenshot event for me is completing an achievement. Guild achievements also trigger the addon, but personal achievements are one of those events that I would love to have a growing collection of images about so that I could put them into an awesome coffee table book and make my friends jealous of my virtual exploits.
Download Multishot at [WoWInterface].This is the time my friends and I finally forged Ragnaros' hammer, Sulfuras.
Here's when my crazy buddies and I climbed to the top of a hill full of spiders.
This is Arathi Basin.
Why don't my friends come over anymore?
Auto Loot Master
How many times have you started a raid with your guild, punched Shannox in the face so hard that his loot pops out, someone clicks on the corpse -- and boom, tons of crap to pass on because your raid leader forgot to set his threshold or master looter. Been there, done that. Wouldn't it be nice to never worry about that again? It sure would.
Auto Loot Master is a simple automatic addon that sets your loot method to a preset type and threshold. When you form a raid or get promoted to raid leader, AutoLootMaster will swap around the settings for you. The default setting is master looter, epic item level threshold, and the raid leader is set as the loot master. The addon remembers your settings from the previous raid and will make changes accordingly to how you had them set up in the past. Seriously, it's that easy. You can disable aspects of the addon with slash commands, but it's easier to just pop into the interface window and do what you can from there.
This particular addon came to me in the best possible way -- an addon creator let me know about it. Otherwise, I would have had no idea that something like this existed. Instead, I would continue to let my raid leaders have all of the onus and responsibility in doing this themselves and setting loot correctly. Damn. So thank you, Blunta, for the recommendation of your excellent and care-free addon.
Download Auto Loot Master at [Curse].
I've already done an Addon Spotlight on AutoTabard, but I wanted to remind everyone about this fantastic addon, in case you haven't already heard of it. AutoTabard automatically equips a reputation tabard based on which reputation you are currently trying to gain influence with whenever you enter a dungeon that grants reputation points. You can select what faction the addon will follow, to slap that faction's tabard on you the moment you enter the instance.
When you reach exalted with a faction, the addon will prompt you to choose a different faction, so as to not waste any time or reputation points. It is invaluable for those of us who forget to put on out reputation tabards during the dungeon leveling process.
Check out my Addon Spotlight article on AutoTabard here.
My old friend Automaton
Automaton is dying. Well, not really. Sort of. I hope not. This little bugger has been in my UI folder for years at this point and still works for all of the features I need it to. Currently, I use Automaton to auto-repair my equipment at a vendor (it has an option for using guild repair funds first, if available), releasing my corpse in battlegrounds automatically when I die, and selling all of my grey items when I hit a vendor. Sure, there are other addons out there that can automate many of these functions, but until Automaton is lying dead at my feet, a shriveled and brittle corpse of its former self, I will continue to soldier on.
One day, it won't be my best friend. It hasn't been updated in a good, long while. So, my question to you, dear readers, is what other addons for automating all of the things Automaton does in such a no-frills and simple way are out there? I am intensely curious and would love the community to provide their own input. Poor Automaton. You are still my best friend.
Addon mailbag tiiiiiime.
Hi Mat,
Something that's been troubling me lately:
Everyone wants to track stuff. Dots, Hots, buff durations, cooldowns. While most implement this as a "bunch of bars" (I use Need To Know) this can quickly take up a lot a screen real estate.
Now a couple of weeks ago I saw a screenshot of some guy's UI (I think it was a Warlock, PROBABLY on an Reader's UI Addon Spotlight) and he had a single bar where the icons of abilities and dots were continually moving left. Then once they reached the end they fell off. No animation involved though. Imagine the hilarity if the icons would actually FALL out of the bar. Screams and everything ("I regret nothiiiiiiing!!").
Anyway!
The addon was largely passed over while I, at the time (as well as today), thought it's awesome. Unfortunately, I was unable to record or find the addon's name. Thus, inevitable as the dawn, comes my Golden Question: What addon was that? And can you feature it some time?
Wintrawr
Thanks for the email, Wintrawr. The addon that you describe is most likely ForteXorcist or Sexycooldown, both fantastic timer and tracking addons that do exactly what you want. Icons of the abilities, debuffs, and buffs travel down a horizontal or vertical line that get progressively faster and larger as the ability, buff, or debuff is wearing off. The final leap off of the bar is a crescendo of sight and sound, with the icon leaping into the blackness of space, its opacity dimming in the nothingness of existence, growing to unimaginable scale before disappearing forever. Well, until you hit the button again.
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@wowinsider.com.
Filed under: Add-Ons, AddOn Spotlight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
The Dewd Jul 21st 2011 5:05PM
I was hoping you' were going to mention Autobar, something a friend on mine turned me onto a while back. I've actually rearranged my bars a bit because of it - but every time I roll a new toon on another server, it resets to the default and I have to move buttons from one bar to another and drag them into the order I want.
Anyone know how to avoid this or if there's a better alternative to autobar that'll give me slide-out access to my mounts, pets, food, water, pots, flasks, professions, etc, all in one place?
Blagaah Jul 22nd 2011 10:38AM
There are options in both the bar and button tab that you can set a 'sharing' profile at either the class, server, or account level. I have the extra and basic bars shared at the account level and my class bar is shared at the..... Drum roll.... Class level. If that fails for some reason, just go copy the saved variables file from the character it's properly set up on to the character it isn't and you'll be golden.
kvanje Jul 21st 2011 5:35PM
Another addon which does the Forte-style cooldowns is CoolLine.
Jack Mynock Jul 23rd 2011 7:46AM
There's also Aura Frames which can not only do the logrithmic style cooldown bars, but can also create banks of icons or bars to display buffs, debuffs or whatever. It's basically sexycooldown and satrina buff frames in one addon.
loop_not_defined Jul 21st 2011 5:36PM
Are there any addons that let you speak in a secondary language without having to click any buttons? I was thinking of writing one up myself, but I've already got a huge list of things on my "To Do" list.
I'm thinking of something that let's you speak an alt language in one shot without actually changing your "default" language. Like, typing "/say:2 Random text." would result in "Dorf says: [Dwarven] Random text." But typing "/say Random text." would still speak in Common.
Reanne Sep 21st 2011 2:59PM
I recommend Language cycle. Its not exactly what your looking for but....
Anyway, you just type in /lc and it changes your language like say from Common to Dwarf.
Astoreth Jul 21st 2011 5:47PM
I don't know of any one addon that does what Automaton does. But I use CrapAway! and AutoRepair for those respective functions and have been very happy with them.
Ben Jul 21st 2011 5:47PM
I use crapaway to sell all my greys, and i think repair_fu (a fubar addon) to autorepair (it also lets you repair with guild money). I don't have anything for auto-releasing when i die.
Brett Porter Jul 21st 2011 5:56PM
Not that you actually asked, but the General settings of the PvP module in DBM has an auto-release option in BGs, I use that all the time.
Jack Spicer Jul 21st 2011 5:52PM
I don't know about you but for me those 999 points of reputation you can earn after exalted are the main reason why, if ever, I am wearing a rep tabard way past the point where I stopped earning reputation.
Brett Porter Jul 21st 2011 5:52PM
For some reason, AutoTabard never seems to work for me. I'm going to have to take a look at the settings and see if I'm missing something, because it never equips the tabard for me. :(
Geoffrey M. Jul 21st 2011 6:06PM
If you miss Automaton, look at Minutiae which has been updated for Cataclysm at least !
Ben Jul 21st 2011 6:06PM
ah good to know :)
niko Jul 21st 2011 6:11PM
TekJunkSeller for autoselling greys at any vendor, prolly one of my faves. No config, it just works. I prefer the option to click on what method to repair, so this one has every option I need.
JPack for autosorting my bags when i feel like typing "/jp" Works with it's own button in Combuctor, but as I now use Bagnon exclusively, JPack handles my cleanup operation with no fuss.
VendorBait for auto-highlighting the best quest reward that will inevitably be vendored. Gotta get as much from that stuff as you can; VendorBait ensures you don't have to even mouseover each one to do the math yourself.
Suggybear Jul 22nd 2011 2:19PM
Nothing @ Niko exactly, but I saw a couple posts about this on my way down. For selling all greays with one click I just use the following macro. Other usefull dumb macros like this can be found out on the "interweb"
/run local c,i,n,v=0;for b=0,4 do for s=1,GetContainerNumSlots(b)do i={GetContainerItemInfo(b,s)}n=i[7]if n and string.find(n,"9d9d9d")then v={GetItemInfo(n)}q=i[2]c=c+v[11]*q;UseContainerItem(b,s)print(n,q)end;end;end;print(GetCoinText(c))
brain314 Jul 25th 2011 3:19AM
I use a gray sell macro. However, there's one thing to be careful of. Running many sell macro just "uses" the item. If you have a vendor window up, then "using" the gray item sells it. But if not, then using an item like a gray sword will equip it without you realizing it. Even worst, you may wind up selling your primary equipment thinking it's a loot. So in my macro, I put in a vendor check such as:
if GetMerchantNumItems()>0 then... end
It checks the number of items the vendor has for sale if you have a vendor window up, which will typically be at least one. Otherwise, a zero means no vendor window is up, and the macro is halted. It's not perfect, but it does the job 99.9% of the time. The other 0.1% of the time, you'll run across a vendor that has NO items for sale, and you'll wonder what's going on.
Tala Jul 21st 2011 6:29PM
LunarSphere can auto-repair (with an option to use guild repair first, if you want), auto-sell junk, auto-restock items and a bunch more things.
It might cover what The Dewd is looking for, too. You can set buttons as menus, and one click expands them. I have all my professions on one menu button. Click to open, pick profession, click to close and it takes hardly any space.
Snuzzle Jul 22nd 2011 12:16AM
I was going to post about LS if no one else did. LS is as much a staple in my UI folder as Automaton is for the author. You will pry my Lunar Sphere out of my cold, dead, bear paws.
It's not so relevant anymore, what with glyphs removing the reagent requirement on most major spells, but it does also auto purchase specified items at vendors. I used to use it to auto buy ammo on my hunter, auto buy drinks for my casters, and I still use it to auto buy portal reagents for my mage.
Plus, it does rez macros. And automatically randomly chooses between them. Or you can use chat macros for any spells (mounts, portals, cooldowns, etc).
Okay, someone stop me now, because you'd think I was selling this dang addon. :)
Hiwa Jul 21st 2011 6:40PM
I wish there was an add-on that allowed you to show/not show your guild tabard. I love my guild and all, but our tabard is...well, let's just say it doesn't match anything I own. I'd like to keep gaining rep with them (almost revered) without having my eyes blinded by its colors on a daily basis.
Revynn Jul 21st 2011 7:46PM
I use a LDB module called (Gasp!) broker_repair. It displays my current durability as a percentage, auto sells my grays and auto repairs. Configuration is as simple clicking the broker (right click to toggle auto repair, left click to toggle auto sell, shift right click to toggle guild repairs when available).
It's as simple as it gets.