Modular UI

[Killarny]

Submitted for discussion:

I've noticed tons of different UIs, each with their own style and visual appearance. I haven't actually tried Zonx's UI, but his sounds like the closest to what I'm suggesting here - a modular UI.

What I'd like to see is a basic UI set that consolidates all aspects of the UI into two major areas: Function and Appearance.

Appearance: This UI could have plugins made for it that change the entire visual aspect of the UI - if someone wants to make Vert style graphics, boom they can do it - if someone else wants a nature style with leaves around the windows, they can make that style.

Function: This aspect would describe the actual function of each window in the UI. For example, one function plugin might look like Humudce's XP bar, while another might look like FetishXPTurbo.

There would have to be somewhat strict guidelines set up for the construction of the base UI - I imagine lots of <include>'s and interdependancy. And then, each UI window would need a default style as a base for other authors to make plugins to modify them.

Basically, I'm thinking about a system that would be able to provide both a full UI visual change for users, without altering their UI function - or vice-versa. A mix-and-match of function and style.

What does everyone think? Am I being too optimistic? Has this already pretty much been done somewhere that I don't know about?

I don't have a lot of experience with modding EQ2 - all I've done is played with the chat windows a little bit, and modded the maintained spells window a couple of times - but I have TONS of experience making modularized interfaces for lots of different things. I helped on a project called Litestep that was a modular UI for Windows; worked on IceSphere, which was another UI for Windows; made an instant messenger client; fully developed a modular bot for IRC...

That is not to toot my horn, but to demonstrate that while I don't have much EQ2 modding experience, I am good at making modular interfaces