OpenRDX Basic Guide

[unlimit]

What is OpenRDX?
Open Source Raid Data Exchange

OpenRDX is the continuation of RDX, an addon originally created by Venificus of US-Eredar-Horde, one of the original UnitFrame addons of World of Warcraft.

RDX is in the same category of large frameworks such as the Ace family of addons, but does not share the same point of view:

Ace is a framework for LUA developers. It provides common libraries and guides about how to develop addons.
RDX is a framework for designers. It provides powerful in game editors to create objects and run them.

In Ace, you think addons, and create & improve addons with new libraries.
In RDX, you think objects, which are also libraries you can reuse, and create packages.

So how do I use this thing?
Okay, okay! So you want to jump right into this, right? Well first let’s explain a few things:

This is a short guide (and by short, I mean disgustingly long) to help you get familiar with the current version of RDX, i.e. the SVN. In this guide, we will go over things such as basic RDX vocabulary, creating UnitFrames, Status Bars, Damage Meters, and building a desktop from scratch.
More specifically, we will replace your (in order):

UnitFrames
a) Player, Target, Target of Target, Focus
b) Castbars, Buffs, Debuffs
c) Party, Arena, Raid
ArtFrames
a) Minimap
b) ActionBars
Others
a) Damage Meters
b) Healing Meters
c) Threat Meter

You will find during this guide that I copy a lot of what I’ve already made and reuse it, and basic desktop configuration will be scattered randomly throughout this guide.

My target group of individuals reading this guide will be those with absolutely no prior knowledge to anything at all involving RDX, like myself when I learned!

I am NOT a RDX expert, I can’t teach you how to do anything complicated (I think?), but I can teach you how I created my UI by myself with no experience, by experimenting & asking questions.

For Maintankadin: This guide will be posted here before I even begin, so I can get some criticism as I post it (if people would be so kind). I’ll be updating it tentatively until it is finished.

a. Downloading
So, as I said, we’ll be downloading the current SVN version of OpenRDX. If you already have SVN, you can skip below to the information and download the latest trunk version. Now, I’m no subversion expert. Hell, I really don’t know anything about it besides basic usage, I don’t even know what subversion really is, but to download something from one is no hard task with the proper tools. For this, we’ll be using TortoiseSVN, downloadable here:

http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

It’s free and easy to use, so after installation say no to restarting, because in reality you can use it without having to do that.

Now, actually downloading the latest trunk version of RDX is easy from here, just right click on your desktop, or whatever folder you’d like to put it in, and choose the selection “SVN Checkout…”


Once that’s done, you’ll be asked for the URL of repository, which is pasted below:

Code: Select all

svn://svn.wowinterface.com/OpenRDX-488

And the checkout directory, which should be something like (assuming you used your desktop):
TIP: Usually the checkout directory automatically creates itself, so you’ll probably not even need to edit that unless you want to.

Code: Select all

C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\OpenRDX-488

Now, assuming you’ve been following my guide exactly as I set it up, the location of the actual addons are located:

Code: Select all

C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\ OpenRDX-488\trunk\

We’ll be moving everything in that folder, i.e.:

• RDX
• RDX_combatlogs
• RDX_filesystems
• RDX_localspelldb
• RDX_Recovery
• VFL
• VFL_Lifeguard
• VFL_Profiler

Into …

Code: Select all

C:\<path to the game>\World of Warcraft\Interface\AddOns\

Now that RDX is downloaded and ready to go, it’s time to download the Media Pack.

http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/i ... aPack.html

Just download and move it into your addon directory like above. To clarify, it’s similar to SharedMedia, and provides us with many textures, sounds, button skins, and fonts to use in our windows.

b. Basic Vocabulary
To be done tentatively; I will post as I go.

c. My Desktop
We’ll be recreating my personal interface for this guide, so it’s probably good if everyone gets to see it right now; included are both the normal and unlocked versions:

SOLO

Code: Select all

http://i36.tinypic.com/2vmijp4.jpg

Code: Select all

http://i35.tinypic.com/34zlxkm.jpg

PARTY

Code: Select all

http://i33.tinypic.com/b65994.jpg

Code: Select all

http://i36.tinypic.com/34g20rc.jpg

ARENA

Code: Select all

http://i33.tinypic.com/k1dik0.jpg

Code: Select all

http://i35.tinypic.com/6ntvg3.jpg

PVP

Code: Select all

http://i38.tinypic.com/15nuhz7.jpg

Code: Select all

http://i33.tinypic.com/2zr01v7.jpg

RAID

Code: Select all

http://i34.tinypic.com/344qbnb.jpg

Code: Select all

http://i38.tinypic.com/23kq0ia.jpg

d. RDX Explorer
Now, that we’re all squared away, it’s time to finally get going: Disable all of your other addons besides those which we just downloaded (I recommend moving them to a new folder for the time being)!

This video views a couple of the features we'll be going over, such as dynamic desktops and the RDX Explorer/Repository.

YOUTUBE

Code: Select all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcOC-K7i_6M

VIMEO

Code: Select all

http://vimeo.com/7632495

[unlimit]

a. Player
We'll be creating a Player UnitFrameType, Window, and set mousebindings.

Player Frame Creation Video

Code: Select all

http://vimeo.com/7658624

b. Multiple Frames
This video turned out horribly, when I started, my microphone was loose against my chest, and is constantly rubbing against my shirt. I'll re-dub this one first when I find the time, or at least replace the sound in it.

Creating Multiple Frames Video

Code: Select all

http://vimeo.com/7680494

c. Party and Arena
To do.

[unlimit]

Reserved

[unlimit]

Last reserved spot, will put the other guides here.

Like damage meters, threat meter, etc.

[_Chloe]

Expand on this a bit more an ill put it into the UI guides section.

[unlimit]

Expand on this a bit more an ill put it into the UI guides section.

Will do, Captain!

[guillex]

And I had always thought Fafhrd would've been the one to write a guide on OpenRDX.

I'm watching this thread ... cloooosssseeeely. So get movin' on it!

[fafhrd]

And I had always thought Fafhrd would've been the one to write a guide on OpenRDX.

I'm watching this thread ... cloooosssseeeely. So get movin' on it!

Fafhrd's drive to do anything creative or productive pretty much died when he started playing WoW

Also, Unlimit is much more familiar with RDX currently I think than I am - like I said I stopped using it in late ulduar for crappy computer reasons :/

[unlimit]

I'm currently compressing another video I made; this one is about 20 minutes long, and takes us step by step on how I made my player frame. Tomorrow I'll be using that playerframe and showing us show to make a target, targettarget, focus, party, and arena frame with it.

The video should be uploaded tonight, and it's around 380 megs. I'll try and put it on vimeo and google tonight, if not tonight, then tomorrow morning.

Also at being more familiar with RDX than Fafhrd! >:D

[unlimit]

Player Unit Creation is up: http://vimeo.com/7658624

Sloppily made, but I'm no video editor, so sorry.

[isiz]

Ace is a framework for LUA developers. It provides common libraries and guides about how to develop addons.
RDX is a framework for designers. It provides powerful in game editors to create objects and run them.

Cannot open videos atm (horrible school connection). So this is like Dreamweaver for WoW mods? Instead of coding you design visually?

[unlimit]

Ace is a framework for LUA developers. It provides common libraries and guides about how to develop addons.
RDX is a framework for designers. It provides powerful in game editors to create objects and run them.

Cannot open videos atm (horrible school connection). So this is like Dreamweaver for WoW mods? Instead of coding you design visually?

Dreamweaver is probably a very good example, so I'd say kind of, mostly yes.

[isiz]

Is there a way to get this to work on a Mac? I have a PC so could I use RDX to design something and then port it to my Mac or would I have to have RDX installed on my machine to use the mods I design with it? Basicly, I want to avoid having to both install Wrath and update all my mods on my PC...

[Fridmarr]

Is there a way to get this to work on a Mac? I have a PC so could I use RDX to design something and then port it to my Mac or would I have to have RDX installed on my machine to use the mods I design with it? Basicly, I want to avoid having to both install Wrath and update all my mods on my PC...

It's a mod in wow, it could care less about your operating system. You will need to have RDX installed, but RDX is a mod not an external application.

[isiz]

Is there a way to get this to work on a Mac? I have a PC so could I use RDX to design something and then port it to my Mac or would I have to have RDX installed on my machine to use the mods I design with it? Basicly, I want to avoid having to both install Wrath and update all my mods on my PC...

It's a mod in wow, it could care less about your operating system. You will need to have RDX installed, but RDX is a mod not an external application.

So then what is this whole thing here? Is it just a fancy way to DL/Install the mod?

a. Downloading
So, as I said, we’ll be downloading the current SVN version of OpenRDX. If you already have SVN, you can skip below to the information and download the latest trunk version. Now, I’m no subversion expert. Hell, I really don’t know anything about it besides basic usage, I don’t even know what subversion really is, but to download something from one is no hard task with the proper tools. For this, we’ll be using TortoiseSVN, downloadable here:

http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

It made it look like I needed a bunch of outside stuff to assist the mod or w/e.


edit: Found it

edit2: In the introductory video, there is someone talking in the background about being horny, this made me lol quite hard because I thought it was one of my neighbors at first.