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06-10-09, 11:41 AM   #21
Grimsin
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It just hit me that this is a totally bad idea in the first place. Changing the .toc on EVERY addon or at lest the almost 400 you are using would be a complete waste of time. Most people are using auto updaters of one sort or another and most of those will overwrite the .toc's when people update thus undoing all the changes you have made. Samsan had the best idea IMO make your mod pull mod names rather then trying to modify every mod. Its certainly more feasible.
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06-10-09, 11:42 AM   #22
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oh yea it also wouldn't require permissions
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06-10-09, 11:43 AM   #23
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Though he'd still need permission to redistribute/repackage any mod with a restrictive license.
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06-10-09, 11:48 AM   #24
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yea but thats most likely only a fraction of the 400, a more handle able number of PM's and emails.
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06-10-09, 12:07 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by tinyu View Post
i think most author dont like compilations for the simple reason that it takes users away from their download pages, i mean if your gonna upload a compilation of almost 400 mods then why would people want to goto 30+ mod pages when they can get them all in the one download?

Im not saying all users are like this, i myself do not download compilations i download the individual mods them selves so the author gets the credit.

Edit: also in regards to modifying mods, im pretty sure if its going to be for your own personal use then i dont think thats a problem just dont release it
No most authors hate compilations because people who make them download version C of your addon, then when you release version B or A which fixes bugs, you get users complaining about C because they use a compilation that either never updated or updated slowly. So you ultimately waste time trying to fix an issue just to realize it's due to an old version.
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06-10-09, 12:20 PM   #26
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Yea but on the flip side of that coin.... 100's of authors owe their popularity to a compilation. For that mater many of them would never be known about if it wasn't for the more popular compilation they came with.
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06-10-09, 01:08 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by Grimsin View Post
Yea but on the flip side of that coin.... 100's of authors owe their popularity to a compilation. For that mater many of them would never be known about if it wasn't for the more popular compilation they came with.
I agree, maybe not 100% but a good fair amount, which is how I found alot of the addon I use, I looked around other compilations saw what a majority were using, looked for those rare ones I would see in a credit list that I wasn't familiar with and check out it's page before I would download it.

The mods I'm asking about in bulk are the ones that I have not made any changes to at all. If I have 380 mods and I've changed 10 of them in the code because they didn't have a configure interface and their bars went horizontal and I wanted to add in verticle, those mods I will contact directly.

My concern for Colorizing the groups would be on a "First Install" only . . . just so when you see an addon in the list who's name is HumHumDinger and you've never heard of it, have no clue what it does, but you see that it's title is green, you also see an addon by the name DingDongBell which you are familiar with and you know that it is an auto dinger! It's title is also green . . . so according to the compilation description . . . green can be assumed to be auto dingers and if you like DingDongBell then you would uncheck HumHumDinger . . . after the first instal, hopefully you'll be a little more familiar with what group each addon is in, and you'll have a working UI with all the settings for each mod intact, if you want to change settings you can for the mods that have a config. Make your updates and those that are not colored are now your updated addons. If it stays the same color for long periods of time, then you might check the addons page to see if it's a dead project or just not being updated due to good functionality.

This idea would also introduce alot of new people to some new addons, if they see they work and how they look and how well they integrate, could create some new fans.

Another idea for the colorizing the title is some addons are "Class Specific" and if a user plays a Hunter, I want them to see which addons are specific for a priest, no sense having an addon running you don't need for that character.

So the colorization would be a "suggested" configuration and I would have to do it in the .toc because they load before anything else that I would be able to make to colorize them.

If I've made any changes to your addon, I will contact you directly with specific explanations and descriptons and screenshot of exactlly what has been changed and ask permission to release the compilation with said changes, if permission is denied with changes, I will revert my changes if that will grant the permission, but I'm looking for ideal co-operative situation here.

For instance. I added a button to one addon because it worked hand in hand with another, but there was no button to toggle the second addon, so I put a button in the first addon to "facilitate" ease of use for the common user. nothing big, just a button that onClick called an onshow function of another addon, but those addons I will contact directly. This post is about the coloring of the title line.

Then again another addon I use has a LOT of chat spam upon load. That addon I took out all the onload chat spam, Or I might have just added a texture that wasn't in the code by default and no response to pm about adding it in but once again, I will contact those authors directly

I can't believe that such a big issue is being made out of asking permission to take a large group of addons that would have a line in the .toc like this

Code:
## Title: Mini-Targ
and make it something like this

Code:
## Title: Mini-Targ |cffcc00cc HUD|r
or

Code:
## Title: cffcc00cc Mini-Targ | cffccff00 Priest
That is all I'm asking to do in this post. I'm not asking permission to approve any changes other than that.

and with WoWI policy on compilations each addon will be given credit on the compilation page, with links to each addon's page.

If you don't want to post permission you could always pm me permission.

Originally Posted by Hirsute View Post
That said, if you *do* happen to be planning to distribute any of my addons as part of your compilation, consider this notice of declining permission for you to do so, modified or not.
I can accept your choice and honor it, thank you for declining permission openly. I would like to handle it openly that way there is public record that I had permission to do so but as I said, I can honor and accept your opt-out. But your profile doesn't show you as being an author so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about unless it's on another site like Curse, but either way noted that you opt-out.

I also want to respond to a comment made about Authors and bug reports on UI compilations

I'm not sure how other compilation designers do support on their compilations but I am the type, if it's a problem with my UI, I should support it, if it's a bad addon I will forward the comment and bug report. No need to bother the author of ThisAddon if it's something like the user toggled on ThatAddon at the same time.
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06-10-09, 02:34 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by Grimsin View Post
Yea but on the flip side of that coin.... 100's of authors owe their popularity to a compilation. For that mater many of them would never be known about if it wasn't for the more popular compilation they came with.
On the flip side of your flip side many authors don't really care about popularity either. It's nice to know that people appreciate your work, but beyond that it doesn't really matter much for me. I mostly aim to please myself with my add-ons, but I do release them when asked or when I feel that other people might find them useful. Then again... I'm usually not referred to as the most normal of person :p

Edit: Notice how our vinyl now has a C side!
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06-10-09, 02:45 PM   #29
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would be alot easier if I could just create a few of my own folders in the Addons folder, name them things like

Priest
Hunter
DK
Maps
Quests
UnitFrames

drop in a few of my own .toc files in those folders, have the addons in the right category folder

then expanding that you get a list of the addons included in that suggested setup and the ability to check or uncheck the addons there in the list.

I know that addons have subfolder (dependent plug-ins) which have similar functionality, my problem is they all show up in the addon list individually and I can't make a heiarchy menu before loggin in, so I figured color-coding them would be the simplist and most effective way of catagorizing the list of 300+ addons.

But when I choose my character for login I could just click Priest if my character is a priest, expand maps, toggle on Cartographer, toggle off SimpleMiniMap, toggle on SexyMap


I think you see where that was going, would be a good idea and the best way to do it, then I wouldn't need any permissions, but I see no way to do that . . . So I came up with a viable co-operative alternative to try to help satisfy everyone with staying with as many "as-is" addons as I can
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06-10-09, 02:51 PM   #30
Hirsute
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Just to be clear: You still might need permission. Distributing an addon that has a restrictive license, even if it is unmodified, requires permission. It's a side point, but one that people seem to be skipping here. You need permission from authors whose license of choice restricts distribution simply to include the addon with your UI package.
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06-10-09, 10:30 PM   #31
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If you're only planning on changing the color to group them, why not just add a text string with the assigned color per group linking the name of the mod to that color coded group, that way you don't have to change the mods. just a thought.

I meant in a lua file or something, obviously my opinion and trying to offer a suggestion when un-noticed.

categorize in lua with the mod title wrapped in color code tags would be easier than all this arguing and you wouldn't have to alter anything at all, thus no debate.

eg:

Quest Mods
|cff4169e1QuestGuru|r"
etc.

It would save all this debating over policies etc.
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06-10-09, 10:34 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by Tearstar View Post
would be alot easier if I could just create a few of my own folders in the Addons folder, name them things like

Priest
Hunter
DK
Maps
Quests
UnitFrames

drop in a few of my own .toc files in those folders, have the addons in the right category folder

then expanding that you get a list of the addons included in that suggested setup and the ability to check or uncheck the addons there in the list.

I know that addons have subfolder (dependent plug-ins) which have similar functionality, my problem is they all show up in the addon list individually and I can't make a heiarchy menu before loggin in, so I figured color-coding them would be the simplist and most effective way of catagorizing the list of 300+ addons.

But when I choose my character for login I could just click Priest if my character is a priest, expand maps, toggle on Cartographer, toggle off SimpleMiniMap, toggle on SexyMap


I think you see where that was going, would be a good idea and the best way to do it, then I wouldn't need any permissions, but I see no way to do that . . . So I came up with a viable co-operative alternative to try to help satisfy everyone with staying with as many "as-is" addons as I can
Check out titan panel...it uses several folders like you're talking about here...may help.
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06-10-09, 11:13 PM   #33
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Sam i noted your comment actually. I agree with you to that making an .lua with all the addon names and a color tag on each to correspond with its group is the best way.
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06-11-09, 12:30 AM   #34
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Originally Posted by Grimsin View Post
Sam i noted your comment actually. I agree with you to that making an .lua with all the addon names and a color tag on each to correspond with its group is the best way.
I noticed it too but how am I supposed to do that, I mean a person logs in, they are at their chatacter selection screen, they click the little addon button on the lower left, and what your talking about could change this list? But no custom lua loads until you enter the world. Once in game I have a screen for when you escape and click addons . . . Everyone is aware that I'm talking the addon menu before you ever enter the world, right?

So if it's possible I guess I'll have to pass cause my lua scope is no where near that
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06-11-09, 01:00 AM   #35
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Originally Posted by Tearstar View Post
so you want me to send out approximately 300 pms . . . to ask them all for one thing? Let me correct my speaking because your not telling me to do it this way, your just letting me know that not all that many authors read these. Thank you for that, but aren't you an author?
Yes, you should send out approximately 300 PMs, each one tailored and specific to what you want to modify in each addon. It is your responsibility to do so, not an author's one to check this thread which contains no details of what is changed for each of 300 addons.

I would not give permission unless I know exactly how, what and why something is changed.
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06-11-09, 01:16 AM   #36
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Originally Posted by Xinhuan View Post
Yes, you should send out approximately 300 PMs, each one tailored and specific to what you want to modify in each addon. It is your responsibility to do so, not an author's one to check this thread which contains no details of what is changed for each of 300 addons.

I would not give permission unless I know exactly how, what and why something is changed.
/agreed

Not all authors spend time on WoWInterface. They may release here as a courtesy however their main web home maybe elsewhere. Thus they are not going to see threads of this nature. PM them. If that is too daunting, then perhaps you need to rethink your idea.

To be quite frank, uploading a compilation with 300+ AddOns in it is overkill. You are better off either going with a general compilation and users can add the class specific AddOns themselves or you can can create "bolt on" packs that add the class specific AddOns (including any settings you wish to include). Aka something like this:
  • MyUI
  • MyUI_Druid (contains any Druid specific AddOns)
  • MyUI_Rogue (likewise as for Druid except for Rogue specific AddOns
  • so on and so forth...
One issue with your "Title Recolor" idea is some "class specific" AddOns are useful for more than just one class. A good example is many combo point AddOns are useful for both Druids (Cats) and Rogues, while many Tanking oriented AddOns can be used by all four Tank classes. How would you plan in dealing with those AddOns? At least with the class pack idea you can include those AddOns without the "need" to modify.
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06-11-09, 02:44 AM   #37
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One small issue is the addons in question are unknown. So even if there were authors that are willing to say yes they wouldnt know if it was their addons you want to modify. I know you covered this briefly in your original post. Asking for blanket approval (from what i got out of it) from essentially all authors is not likely going to go far. And if by chance the compilation is posted (ill admit i havent looked) your basically asking every author to look it up and see if they have addons in it and then decide if they want to allow you to do this.

Might be worth listing the addons in question if you still plan to continue to pursue this through a thread. I would imagine that authors are loathe to give a blanket approval especially if they arent even sure your request refers to them.

Personally as much as it sucks i think pm's are your best route for what your after even though its certainly a daunting prospect to say the least.
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06-11-09, 11:00 AM   #38
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Originally Posted by Tearstar View Post
I noticed it too but how am I supposed to do that, I mean a person logs in, they are at their chatacter selection screen, they click the little addon button on the lower left, and what your talking about could change this list? But no custom lua loads until you enter the world. Once in game I have a screen for when you escape and click addons . . . Everyone is aware that I'm talking the addon menu before you ever enter the world, right?

So if it's possible I guess I'll have to pass cause my lua scope is no where near that
Actually i thought you were talking one in game that allowed you to turn on/off addons in game. But now that you mention it.... one on the log in screen... hmmm well that does present a problem.
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06-11-09, 01:16 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by Hirsute View Post
This is also incorrect. All files included in an addon are copyright to the addon author, and permission must be sought for any modification, distribution, or reproduction that is not explicitly permitted by the license of the addon. This includes the toc, the lua and any other files included with the addon.
toc file is just an addon description (much like .lnk file in windows), lacking in "originality" to qualify for copyright protection. You can consider it WoW config file.

Even if you would argue it is still a copyrighted work, you can leave it intact, unpack addon into /foo/foo/ and make your own foo.toc file loading proper lua files from /foo/.
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06-11-09, 01:22 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by Lykofos View Post
One issue with your "Title Recolor" idea is some "class specific" AddOns are useful for more than just one class. A good example is many combo point AddOns are useful for both Druids (Cats) and Rogues, while many Tanking oriented AddOns can be used by all four Tank classes. How would you plan in dealing with those AddOns? At least with the class pack idea you can include those AddOns without the "need" to modify.
I had considered all of these issues and had considered something to this effect

## Title: HUD

## Title: UnitFrame

## Title: HunterMod

## Title Healz+ | Priest/Druid
But to be honest I like the idea of the "Bolt on Packs" or Plug-in Idea.

Now doing it this way, it should still keep the saved variables and layout design I set it up with with my WTF included correct?

Even doing it with the bolt on packs, I'd still like to colorize the Core addons by type, but this will cut the list down to where I maybe able to pm those authors.

I'll look into that, any other ideas and suggestions are welcome.
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