Pointer/Cursor showing GCD status (Quartz hack)

Pater · 03/03/08, 8:21 PM

I've been thinking for a while (since I started click casting in WOW about 2.5 years ago!) that I might want to have a slightly more visible way of seeing the GCD. This is especially so when I'm click casting for raid healing and keeping my eyes on the Grid frame. I don't like having to glance elsewhere to try to time my next click. (I do a lot of instant-casts as a resto druid.)

I really like Quartz and did not want to have to duplicate its functions, so I hacked it to replace the default pointer with a skeletal pointer while I'm in GCD. It's a really easy change and thought others might be interested in seeing it.

First, get the icon for the skeletal hand from here. Download Warcraft3 Cursors for WoW Undead | World of Warcraft @ Curse.com
Create a subfolder in your Quartz folder called /Pointer/ and put the Point.blp file in there.

Next, make the following edits to /Quartz/GCD/GCD.lua:

local function OnUpdate()
	gcdspark:ClearAllPoints()
	local perc = (GetTime() - starttime) / duration
	if perc > 1 then


-- GCDPointer
		SetCursor(nil)
-- GCDPointer end


		return gcdbar:Hide()
	else
		if db.profile.deplete then
			gcdspark:SetPoint('CENTER', gcdbar, 'LEFT', gcdbar_width * (1-perc), 0)
		else
			gcdspark:SetPoint('CENTER', gcdbar, 'LEFT', gcdbar_width * perc, 0)
		end
	end


-- GCDPointer
	if perc > 0.01 then
		SetCursor("Interface\\AddOns\\Quartz\\GCD\\Pointer\\Point.blp")
	else
		SetCursor(nil)
	end
-- GCDPointer end


end

I hope at least someone enjoys this!

Spazmo · 03/03/08, 10:33 PM

A great option for me has been to enable the quartz GCD timer bar and move it directly underneath my Grid frames. It's a little spark-like flash that I can keep an eye on while I'm healing and focusing on Grid frames. You can keep your cast bar and the GCD timer in separate areas of the screen.

Snowglow · 03/04/08, 5:08 AM

Can you specify where i can find to put on the GCD timer? in detail explained pls.

I have been having some problems installing quartz to my needs, though it works perfect on my lock without configuring anything. On my priest this wasn't the case...

So far I have only been using it on my priest to have my castbar and ms on it, 'cos that is lovely...
But it never shows my global cooldowns on shield, or pom. It does show for example the renew I have put on a target when I click on this target.

I got pom tracker to see the cooldown and hits on it, but its nicer to have it in one addon when i need to renew it.

thx in advance.

Dralmoo · 03/04/08, 11:49 AM

Sort of along the same lines - what would be really cool would be if could have a watchdial cooldown animation, on the cursor with the "shine" effect - basically the default blizzard cooldown animation, except on the cursor instead of a button

Is that something that would be possible, even?

Grincognito · 03/04/08, 1:32 PM

Great addition, I'll be sure to use it. A watchdial cooldown on a custom pointer would be really nice.

Pater · 03/04/08, 6:55 PM

As far as I can tell, the pointer can not be truly animated. You could, however, simulate the effect by using enough different pointers to give the appearance of animation. For example, you could have 10 pointer dials, with 100% remaining, 90% remaining, etc, and change the cursor to the appropriate one at the appropriate time.

Fulnir · 03/07/08, 9:34 AM

I really like the idea behind this hack. I have a problem with the .lua editing though, where to I insert your code? Do I erase some of the original? I found the line in the original:
local function OnUpdate()
gcdspark:ClearAllPoints()
local perc = (GetTime() - starttime) / duration
if perc > 1 then

What do I have to overwrite with your addition? In other words what's the first and last word I am to overwrite with your code?

Edit: How do I edit the code so it only shows the cursor and hides the original GCD bar? I find it obsolete to have both at the same time.

Pater · 03/07/08, 8:21 PM

Just insert

-- GCDPointer
SetCursor(nil)
-- GCDPointer end

and

-- GCDPointer
if perc > 0.01 then
SetCursor("Interface\\AddOns\\Quartz\\GCD\\Pointer\\Point.blp")
else
SetCursor(nil)
end
-- GCDPointer end

where shown. You don't need to delete anything.

It doesn't appear that you can hide the built-in GCD spark bar, but you can make it very small (height 1 pixel) and nearly invisible (alpha 0.05).

Fulnir · 03/09/08, 6:35 AM

Thank you

Eph · 03/14/08, 8:43 AM

You can also set the position to 'Free' and just move it to 0,0 or somewhere out of the way where you wont ever see it.

rawrz · 04/15/08, 7:15 PM

Great mod, thanks!

ppilatee · 04/22/08, 5:45 PM

Awesome idea. I made a few small changes to suit my likings I thought i would share.

First, I changed the cursor to the Blizzard "busy" pointing cursor. This is an internal cursor, and means you don't have to worry about downloading the Pointer. (This also has the "Spark" update code removed, as it's unnecessary if you want to hide the bar)

local function OnUpdate()
	local perc = (GetTime() - starttime) / duration
	if perc > 1 then

		SetCursor(nil)
		return gcdbar:Hide()
	end

	if perc > 0.01 then
		SetCursor("Interface\\CURSOR\\UnablePoint.blp")
	else
		SetCursor(nil)
	end

end

Second, I updated the width of the bar to zero, making it invisible.

Search GCD.lua for the following:

gcdbar_width = QuartzCastBar:GetWidth() - 8

and replace it with:

gcdbar_width = 0

Pagarth · 04/23/08, 2:04 AM

Ppilatee, you should post your code on the Quartz thread and maybe the author will add it to the GCD component. It's very impressive!