What is CustomUI ?
CustomUI is a database program (Microsoft Access) that allows you to select components
from multiple user interfaces (UI) to create your own unique UI. By selecting only the components that you
will be using, your CustomUI can be optimized to perform better than traditional UIs that include everything.
FAQ
Q: Is CustomUI a new UI?
A: CustomUI is not a new user interface. It is a tool that
allows you to build your own UI from a collection of components that have been created by other UI designers.
The program comes with the files from the latest versions of several popular UIs (Core, Drox, etc...). Some
files have been slightly modified to work in a 'mixed' environment, but visually each component should appear
exactly as it does with its original UI.
See
Credits for authors of UIs and UI components that are included
in this program.
Q: How does it work?
A: When Vanguard is loading it reads a file called 'Index.xml' to determine
which files to use for the user interface. Normally, this means that it loads every file created for the UI you
are using. What CustomUI does is re-build the Index.xml file from scratch, and only includes files that contain
the components you have selected. The SkinInfo.xml file is also created from scratch, using the textures of
your base UI.
Q: I am happy with my current UI, why would I want to use CustomUI?
A: Well, if you are truly happy with all of the features of your current UI, then
you probably would not have read this far. But, if you are like me, you can be happy with your current UI, but
still feel like it needs more. CustomUI makes it easy for you to add new features to your existing UI.
Q: How do I access the CustomUI Control panel in the game?
A: Click the CustomUI Control Panel Icon. The 'mouse-over' tooltip displays the Vanguard
Connection Monitor.
System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2
Microsoft Access: Microsoft Access 2007 or Microsoft Access 2007 Runtime (free download)
If you do not have Microsoft Access 2007 installed you can download the free 'Runtime'
module
here.
Download Instructions
Download the CustomUI program and UI modules from
VGInterface
and save the ZIP files to your hard drive.
For new installations you will need to click the big Download button to download the install program,
and you also need to download all of the individual UI modules.
If you are upgrading from a previous version, just download and install the individual modules.
Proceed to the
Installation Instructions below.
Installation Instructions
Note: These instructions assume you have installed Vanguard using the default installation path, which is
C:\Program Files\Sony\Vanguard (referred to below as '~\Vanguard'). If you have installed it elsewhere, change the
installation path accordingly.
First Time Installation:
1. If you do not have Microsoft Access 2007 installed you must download and install
the free 'Runtime' module found
here.
2.
Download the CustomUI Install program and all of the individual UI modules. See the
Download instructions for details.
3. Open the CustomUI zip file first, and extract the contents to a Temp folder (i.e. C:\Temp or C:\Windows\Temp).
4. Move the entire CustomUI folder to ~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells.
The resulting path should be ~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI.
5. Open each of the individual UI module zip files, one at a time,
and extract the contents to a Temp folder (i.e. C:\Temp or C:\Windows\Temp).
Then move them to the new CustomUI folder (from Step 4) and replace the empty folder that is currently there.
Repeat for each UI module.
6. Copy all of the files in ~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI\bin
to ~\Vanguard\bin, replacing any existing files.
7. Edit the VGClient.ini file in the ~\Vanguard\bin folder. In the [UI] section
change or add the line ShellName=CustomUI
8. If the UI you are going to be using as your 'base' UI has its own User.ini file
follow these steps. If it does not, you can skip this part.
1) Rename the file ~\Vanguard\bin\User.ini to
User.ini.BAK (to save a backup copy).
2) Then copy a new User.ini file from the appropriate
folder to ~\Vanguard\bin.
For example, if you are going to be using Drox as your base UI, copy the User.ini file from
~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI\Windows_Drox.
You can skip this step if you are using the Vanguard Default UI as your base UI, or any UI that does not
have a User.ini file in its '\CustomUI\Windows_???' folder.
9. Open the CustomUI_Install.zip file and extract the files to your Temp folder.
Run the Setup.exe program that is included in this ZIP file.
This will install the CustomUI database program and place an icon on your Desktop.
Windows XP users can select the Typical Installation, which will install the program in C:\Program Files\CustomUI.
Vista users should select the Custom Installation option and change the folder to one that isn't read-only (Desktop or Documents).
8. Installation is now complete. See
Getting Started below to run the program and build your CustomUI.
Upgrade From Previous Version:
1. Open your current version of the CustomUI program, and use
the Save/Load utility to save your current UI.
2. Rename your current ~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI folder to
~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI_OLD
3. Perform Steps 2-6 in the First Time Installation section above.
4. Copy the CUI_SharedUI.mdb file from ~\CustomUI_OLD\DB to ~\CustomUI\DB and
replace the one that is in the folder. This file contains the UI you saved in Step 1.
5. Copy the Index.xml and SkinInfo.xml files from ~\CustomUI_OLD to ~\CustomUI and
replace the existing files. These files also contain info for the UI you saved in Step 1.
6. Replace your existing CustomUI.accdr file with the one that is included in the
CustomUI.zip file.
The existing file should be in C:\Program Files\CustomUI (XP users).
Vista users will find it wherever they placed it during the initial installation.
7. Your current UI that you saved in step 1 should still be in place when you run Vanguard.
However, in order to reload it into the CustomUI database you need to do the following:
- Run the CustomUI program.
- Click the Relink button on the Utilities tab. This should create a link to your saved UI database.
- Use the Load feature on the Utilities tab and select your saved UI.
- Click the red 'Save UI Changes' button on the first tab.
Update & Patch Installation:
1.
Download only the UI modules that have changed since your last update.
2. For the CustomUI_Patch.zip file extract the contents to C:\Temp and read the
'CustomUI Patch Instructions.txt' file for detailed instructions.
3. For the individual UI modules, open each zip file, one at a time,
and extract the contents to C:\Temp.
4. Delete the UI folder you are replacing (CustomUI\Windows_Core for example)
5. Move the new UI folder into ~\CustomUI to replace the one you just deleted.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each individual UI module.
Getting Started
WARNING: Switching to a different UI may cause your hotbar icon and macro
settings to be reset on some, or all of your characters. For this reason, I suggest making a new alt, and do all of
your UI testing on that alt. If you decide to switch back to your current UI, your hotbar settings on your other
characters might not be affected. This is not a CustomUI issue, it is one of the normal side effects of
changing your UI.
You might also want to consider testing different UIs by logging onto the TEST SERVER.
If you do this, and you are currently using a UI created by CustomUI, save your current UI using the Save/Load
tool on the Utilities tab. That way you can reload it again if you decide to keep using it. Whether you are using a
CustomUI or not, you should make backup copies of your Index.xml and SkinInfo.xml files as well.
Quick Start: To try out the CorePlus UI mod that I use, which is
included in the program, do the following:
1) Start Vanguard
2) Click the CustomUI icon
3) Select the CorePlus tab
4) Select from one of the pre-saved layouts.
Normal Start:
Now that you have installed the program, you are ready to start building your CustomUI.
Just follow the steps below, and you'll be back in the game in no time!
Run the Program: You will find the Vanguard CustomUI icon on your Desktop.
1. Set Path to Vanguard. If you are using the program for the first time, click the
magnifying glass icon and navigate to the Vanguard folder. If you have used the default installation path, or if you
have set this previously, you can skip this step.
2. Select a 'Base' UI. Select a 'base' UI from the dropdown list. This is necessary to
ensure that all required files are included in your CustomUI. When you select a UI, all of the files that are used in
the default setup of that UI are pre-selected for your CustomUI. Changing this is an easy way to try out different UIs.
If you are modifying a CustomUI that you created previously, you can skip this step.
3. Select Your Favorites (optional). This is the part where you actually get to build
your CustomUI. You can skip this part, and just try out the UI you selected in step 2 with all of its features enabled,
or you can add and remove different features found on the different 'tabs' at the top of the form.
See
Selecting Components below for detailed instructions.
4. Save Your New UI. Once you are ready to try out your new CustomUI, click the red
"Save UI Changes' button.
See
Saving Your UI below for a detailed explanation of the process.
5. Start Vanguard.
6. Load a Saved UI Layout (optional). If your base UI is one that comes with pre-saved UI
layouts, like Core or Drox, you can load a sample layout from the appropriate menu. Or you can just start modifying
the default layout.
7. Arrange Your UI. Click the CustomUI Control Panel Icon to open the options menu.
From here you can open option menus for other UIs, and toggle on/off all of the components you have selected for
your CustomUI. You will need to toggle Layout Mode on to be able to move most objects.
CustomUI Control Panel Icon
Note: The option menus for other UIs will still contain all of
their toggle buttons, but you can only toggle the components you have selected.
8. Save Your Layout (optional). I highly recommend saving your layout using the Save/Load
buttons on either the Drox or Core settings menus. As someone who plays a lot of alts, I prefer Core's ability to Save/Load
layouts for every class, both solo and group.
Selecting Components
Now for the fun part !!!
You will notice there are a lot of tabs across the top of the program form. The first tab,
'All', lists all of the component files that are available for selection. All of the files for the UI you selected
as your base UI will be checked. You could make your changes here, but it will easier to do it by category, and that's
where the other tabs come in.
As you browse through each category, you may see some features of other UIs that you want to
add to your CustomUI. Let's say you selected Drox as your base UI, but you want to add a HUD (Heads Up Display) from
the Core UI. Just go to the 'Combat' tab and check the checkbox for one of the HUD components (Kinked is my favorite).
And suppose you want to compare the Compass from Core with the Compass/Clock from Drox. Just go to the 'Other' tab
and select both. Yes, in many cases you can select the same object from multiple UIs and compare them side-by-side
in the game. This is fine for testing, but could affect game-play performance, so it is not recommended for your final UI.
To optimize performance, you will also want to de-select those items from your base UI that
you will not be using. Sometimes this is not possible, because UI authors often combine several related components
into the same file. A lot of this will be trial-and-error. You can de-select something and then see if it affected
any of the things you wanted to keep in your UI.
See
Tips & Tricks for instructions on the UI selector in each category section,
and for tips on sorting and filtering.
Once you have completed your selections, you are ready to
Save your UI and start Vanguard !
Saving Your UI
When you click the red 'Save UI Changes' button on the first tab of the program several things
happen. First, backup copies of several key files are saved. See
Backup Files
for the details. Next, the program organizes the components you have selected and groups them by their original UI.
Finally, new Index.xml and SkinInfo.xml files are created. These files direct Vanguard to use the features you have
selected for your CustomUI.
Saving Multiple UI Configurations
Suppose you have your UI configured just the way you like it, but you want to try out some new
things and you're afraid you will mess things up. Well, with the handy Save/Load utility in CustomUI you can save your
favorite configurations and re-load them whenever you want.
When you want to save a configuration, just give it a name and click the Save button. If a
previously saved configuration with that name already exists you will be asked if you want to overwrite it. You can save
as many as you like !
Note: This 'Save' is not the same as 'Save UI Changes'. This just saves a copy of your
current selections and does not create a new Index.xml file.
To reload a previously saved configuration, just select the name from the list and click 'Load'.
If you wish you use this as your new UI click the 'Save UI Changes' button. A sample configuration named 'CorePlus' has
been pre-loaded.
Backup Files
Before the program creates the new Index and SkinInfo files, it makes a copy of them and
several other important Vanguard files.
These backups are stored in the ~\Vanguard\VGUIAssets\Shells\CustomUI\Backup folder. In order to
allow saving of multiple copies, each backup file is given a unique name that includes a timestamp.
For example, a backup of Index.xml made on May 5, 2008 at 11:34:50 will be named
Index.xml.200855113450. The User.ini backup will be named User.ini.200855113450, and so on, with all
backups made at the same time having identical timestamps.
This makes locating and restoring all files from the same backup easier. The current version of the program does
not have a 'Restore' utility. You will need to do that manually, if necessary.
Tips & Tricks
TIP: You have probably noticed that every category section has a dropdown box to select a UI.
This tool is used to quickly select every option in that category for the selected UI. For example, if Core
is your base UI, but you want to use all of the Hotkey features of Drox, just select Drox from the list to the right of
the Hotkeys section, and click the green Select button. Note: this action will also de-select everything in this category that is not Drox.
TIP: The red Clear button can be used to un-select everything in a category.
TIP: Try all of the UI's individually, and make notes of what you like and dislike
about each one. Then select the one you like best as your 'Base UI' and add the features you liked better in the
others. Don't forget to un-select those components from your base UI, or you will see them in the game too.
TIP: For some of the larger lists, like the 'All' and 'Combat' tabs, you might want to
sort and/or filter them for better viewing. To sort a section, just click the arrow above the column you want to
sort, and then select A-Z or Z-A. To filter a section, click the arrow and the select which values you want to filter by.
To remove a filter, select the Remove Filter option.
TRICK: Many UI changes can be made without leaving the game !!!
Yes, you can create your CustomUI, enter the game, and then alt-tab back to the CustomUI
program, add or remove items, and then see the changes in the game !!!
All you have to do is make the changes, click the red 'Save UI Changes' button, alt-tab back
into the game, and then type /reloadui. For frequent testing, create a hotkey macro with the /reloadui command.
Credits
First off, I have to say that I got the idea for this program from the Core Offline utility
by Nadger and Stryke. That program allows you to select certain options and then it modifies the Index.xml and other
files. I decided I wanted to try to do something similar, but on a larger scale.
Next, I want to thank all of the UI authors/designers for making these great user interfaces.
One of my reasons for creating this program is that I like different components in many of these UIs (even the Default).
For the past year I have been using enhanced versions of Drox (first one by Hellfist, then
one by DeeZaster). These Drox mods introduced me to some great stand-alone components. Recently, I decided to try and
customize my own Drox mod. In the process, I tried several other UIs and discovered that CoreUI3 had the most of what
I was looking for. So, instead of a Drox mod, I made myself a Core mod, and I also learned a lot about how all these
components work together.
I came real close to uploading my Core mod to VGInterface, but then I decided to pursue
this instead. You can now find my mod, CorePlus as a UI option in the CustomUI program. This is what I use,
and it was 'created' using the CustomUI program.
Anyway, below is a list of the UI components that are currently available in CustomUI,
and those planned for later versions. All files are from the latest version found on
VGInterface.com
Complete User Interfaces:
Vanguard Default - The Vanguard Default UI and Map files are
not included in this download, but they are available for use in the CustomUI program.
CoreUI by Nadger
- CoreUI is a very popular and comprehensive UI, with many unique features.
Darker UI by Serrene
- Darker is a very nice UI that is completely modular, easy to see, small and simple.
Drox UI by Drox
- Drox is a very popular and comprehensive UI, with many unique features.
ManicUI by ManicMat
- ManicUI is also a very nice UI that retains a lot of the 'flavor' of the Default UI, but also has some very nice enhancments.
myUI by Xndyr
- myUI is a popular and comprehensive UI, with a nice look and many features.
CorePlus - This is a UI mod that I put together using the CustomUI
program, and it is available as a 'Base UI' option in the program. It is 98% Core UI, with the Compass/Clock and Background
Panels from Drox, the Default UI horizontal buff bar, and my Shortcut Panel and Quick Emotes (see below).
Add-On Utilities:
InfoMap by Soresha
- InfoMap is clearly the best Vanguard map add-on available.
Shortcut Panel by Slyde - This is a modification of the Shortcut Panel originally
created by Tarod, and later modified by Hellfist. New features include shortcut buttons to hide/show your cloak, helm,
and hood. Group & Raid shortcuts, all 3 Recalls, and more. Two formats are available, the original 2x10, and a new 4x5 (20 shortcuts).
Quick Emotes by Slyde - This is a modification of the Emotes Button window created
by Hellfist. The original was linked to the Shortcut Panel and hard-wired to display in a fixed position. It also
closed after clicking an emote button. The new version is a stand-alone window that remembers its last position.
It is still activated by the Shortcut Panel, but remains open for multiple Emotes.