Beginner Questions

gamersjd2002 · 01-31-11, 09:36 PM

So I have a very simple, specific addon in mind but I'm having a hard time finding a full api document. I found this:

http://wowprogramming.com/docs/api_categories#party

But I don't know how up to date it is and it's incomplete. Does someone have a better api document?

I want to make a simple 3d arrow that points the direction of the wind on that one boss in vortex pinnacle. A lot of people have a hard time viewing the wind. I have no clue how to accomplish this in a decent way (mostly because I don't know what is possible due to a lack of documentation). I figure if I can't access some variable with the direction of the wind then I will find some way to scan party members for the positive buff you get when standing the correct direction and then point the arrow in the direction of that player. I saw GetPlayerFacing() but that's only for your own orientation right? How would one test another's orientation?

Just some questions. Any answers would be appreciated.

Akkorian · 01-31-11, 09:47 PM

Hi gamersjd2002,

That reference is fairly up to date. Wowpedia (formerly Wowwiki) is another good one. The main difference is that Wowprogramming is updated by just a few people, while Wowpedia is a wiki that anyone can edit. When in doubt, check both!

For your proposal, it sounds like you’d have an easier time of it if you just used TomTom. It has an API for telling it where to point the arrow. Addons like TomTomPing use it to point the arrow to specific places. There isn’t any WoW API to get the position of world effects like the Vortex Pinnacle winds, though, so you’d have to watch your group to detect when someone got the buff, and then tell TomTom to point the arrow at that person.

These events and API functions are probably related:

* UNIT_AURA event
* UnitAura API function

I can’t really help you with the TomTom API, though, since I’ve never used it.

gamersjd2002 · 01-31-11, 09:54 PM

Thank you this helps a lot. ^^ Any clue how to get the direction the member is facing when the event fires?

Torhal · 01-31-11, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Akkorian

Hi gamersjd2002,

That reference is fairly up to date. Wowpedia (formerly Wowwiki) is another good one. The main difference is that Wowprogramming is updated by just a few people, while Wowpedia is a wiki that anyone can edit. When in doubt, check both!

Just to clarify - anyone can edit WoWProgramming as well, as it's also very wiki-like in that respect.

gamersjd2002 · 01-31-11, 10:43 PM

Hmmm if I can't get the direction that someone is faceing... can I get a target's position? Assuming someone is facing the boss (as they should be) if they are both facing the boss and have the correct buff, the direction they are facing can be found with their position and the boss's position.

Akkorian · 02-01-11, 05:22 PM

You can find out which direction you’re facing with the GetPlayerFacing API, and you can find out where someone else in your group is standing with the GetPlayerMapPosition API.

After looking at things a little more, it looks like you’d also need to keep a list of map sizes for different zones. What you’re trying to do is pretty close to what TomTomTargetArrow does, so it might be easiest to just use that as a base.

gamersjd2002 · 02-02-11, 11:19 AM

Thanks for your response. The only problem with GetPlayerFacing is it returns YOUR orientation. Not that of a party member. And the problem with GetPlayerMapPosition is that I can't seem to find a GetTargetMapPosition to get the map position of the boss. : /

Rilgamon · 02-02-11, 12:21 PM

Blizz deactivated functions because we were able drawing in the 3d-space.
Working with triangulation and facings will get this functions deactivated,too ... so I'd not start using it at all

gamersjd2002 · 02-02-11, 02:24 PM

There's nothing that would go against the ToS with this addon : / It's not my fault Blizzard made an effect that people can't see and punish them with a slow effect for not being able to see it. I just want to make it so people can more easily see which way the wind is blowing.

Taryble · 02-02-11, 08:58 PM

Facing doesn't actually matter for the buff/debuff on that boss - just location in relation to the boss. Check to see if you have the debuff - if you do, look for a party member who has the buff, and just point the arrow at that party member.

gamersjd2002 · 02-02-11, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Taryble

Facing doesn't actually matter for the buff/debuff on that boss - just location in relation to the boss. Check to see if you have the debuff - if you do, look for a party member who has the buff, and just point the arrow at that party member.

Facing DOES matter because even if I was standing on the exact same spot as that member but facing the opposite direction, I'd have the debuff. And as I've stated, I can't find a way to get the position of the boss anyway. It's an either/or situation, not an and situation. EITHER I find the direction the member with the positive buff is facing OR I calculate it with the position of the member and the position of the

Pointing the arrow at that member only would say "Look at him, he's facing the correct direction." Which is sort of useful I guess but not exactly what I was hoping for.

Othgar · 02-03-11, 04:42 AM

Just a thought but couldn't you check to see if you have the buff, and if not then have the arrow point away from you? This way it would work exactly the same everytime it was called. The way the mechanic works you either have the buff or you don't so if you don't then you are facing the wrong way, checking everyone in the party seems a little overkill to me.

gamersjd2002 · 02-03-11, 11:53 AM

Nope. Say the wind was blowing North. The only way for your method to work would be if I was facing directly south. If I was facing east or west and turned around I'd STILL be facing the wrong direction. >.<