Coding a new UI - XML basics (a few questions)

Greetings Monks!



I'm looking into coding a new UI, but dont really know anything about XML. I know what you're probably thinking, but you have to start somewhere, right?



Anyway. My main question about all of this is, do you have some sort of WYSIWYG editor, or do you have to put it all together, save it, and then load up EQ every time you want to test your UI?



Other questions...

It looks simple enough, really. Its just a matter of playing around with it. Are there any good places to go learn more about XML and how it relates to the new EQ interface?



And could the use of XML for hp updates and other information like that be the reason that I see HP go down in spurts? Its frustrating as a healer (my druid or my cleric) to watch the health bars not move and not move and not move... and then drop like a whole red bubble in a second. Used to be that you could watch the hp drain away slowly and then time heals appropriately. I dont really like seeing the warrior at 20%, knowing that there is the possibility that he's really at 10% and my UI just hasnt updated yet. So I heal early. Its just a small issue, but I was thinking that it might be related to this, since it appears we're running with an interpreted UI instead of a compiled one. /shrug



Thats it for me, for now.

Thanks for the info in advance!


-X


<u>-= EverQuest =-</u>

Xaos - Level 56 Iksar Monk - Master Baker - Drunken Master of the Celestial Fists (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=44336)

Excelsius Spiritchaser - Level 27 High Elf Enchanter

http://home.san.rr.com/brotherxaos/sigs/xaos-sig-4w.jpg


[/i]</font></p>

[Lenardo]

i heard some people were working on a wyswyg editor but have not seen it out yet.



seriously that is it unless you can force eq to play in a window somehow and then you can make changes, save, /loadskin...edit again /loadskin,. etc etc etc



and the hp thing---you are in group or out of group? in group you SHOULD see hp drop slowly...



OUT of group you should see hp drop in 6 second increments.....


Brother Lenardo Draconis

GrandMaster of the Celestial Fists

The First Seal

The Nameless

Magelo ('Http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=329805')
</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub35.ezboard.com/ulenardo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>lenardo</A> at: 8/8/02 5:04:19 am

If you have 2 computers and a home network, you can edit on one machine and then test on the other. That's what I'm doing.



Load EQ on the desktop and do a /loadskin, then edit away on the laptop, just /loadskinning every time I want to see the changes in game. Much better than restarting EQ over and over.




<center><font size=-2>Brienna Starrfyre (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=52964), level 55 human monk -
Khieran Shadowbane (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=55569), level 55 human druid
Akasri Na'Mhoram (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=252322), level 25 high elf enchanter


Legacy of Darkness - Cazic Thule</font></center></p>