Design Approach
Primal UI is designed to be as minimal as possible, while being comprehensive. Concretely, the idea is to show all information that may reasonably affect a player's decisions in combat, and nothing above that. I don't believe a general interface created for different classes, specializations and roles can follow this approach, so I decided to only support one.
UI elements are generally designed and positioned for maximum symmetry and consistence. Asymmetry is used deliberately to distinguish them or indicate deviations from the most natural, inconsequential situation a player could be in (i.e. out of combat, everyone at full health, etc.).
Disclaimer
- If you're planning to use this UI for a class and specialization other than Feral: don't bother unless you are prepared to spend significant effort adapting it.
- I don't PvE. Requirements for a PvE UI might not be fully met out of the box. Missing features shouldn't be too hard to add, though.
- I did not try to make this interface intuitive, but rather to make it as efficient as possible once a user is familiar with it. For example, there are no action bars for clicking abilities: you should create and memorize keybindings for all of them.
- I have not tested Primal UI with resolutions other than 1920x1080; some things will probably break.
Installation
Backup your current UI.
- Download the Primal UI archive.
- REPLACE these folders in your game directory with the ones from the archive: Fonts\, Interface\ and WTF\.
- Rename WTF\Account\YOURACCOUNT\YOURREALM\YOURCHAR (that's 3 folders you need to rename). You can find the names you need in the backup of your current UI. If you don't want to use TidyPlates, renaming WTF\Account\YOURACCOUNT is enough (not recommended).
- Launch World of Warcraft, make sure that at least the PrimalCore AddOn is enabled, and log in.
- Open the Game Menu, click on "Primal UI" and follow the instructions. Reload your UI after clicking "Enable AddOns".
- You may need to switch the profile for MikScrollingBattleText manually. Type /msbt.
- Reload your UI.
Notes
- The installer (PrimalControl, accessed from the Game Menu) is pretty incomplete, but you can use it to reset some stuff (CVars, the chat configuration, some AddOns) if you mess something up.
- Right click the minimap to toggle its backdrop. Middle click it to toggle the Zone Map.
- The Micro Menu is at the left edge of the screen and hidden until you mouseover it.
- There's a Bartender Bar at the right edge of the screen. It's only shown on mouseover.
- There's another Bartender Bar above the Combo Point Monitor. You should place a macro that says "/click ORLOpen Master" on it. It's also shown on mouseover.
- Primal UI uses the default Blizzard Raid Frames. The frame to control them (left edge of the screen) is hidden until mouseover.
- Primal UI's party frames are hidden while the Blizzard Raid Frames are shown and you can toggle between them (see above note).
- Stuff I didn't think of right now.
- ...