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CensusPlus Options changes

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:12 pm
by bringoutyourdead
I'm not happy with the current options window setup.

What I'm thinking of doing is replacing what we currently have with a client integrated addon options window.
You probably have seen this.. where you go to the Interface button in the WoW client and besides the client options there is another tab for Addon options.

Since this will give lots more space and not live within the CensusPlus xml schema, I will be able to offer users more options on what they see with the addon.
Nothing that changes the basic purpose of the program, just UI changes.

But what Options would you like to have?

I've already had one suggestion... a user who wants to suppress ALL CensusPlus messages in the chat window. i.e. complete stealth mode.

Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 2:48 am
by Balgair
More customisation sounds good to me, especially having the options easily findable where everyone else puts them (can always keep the old button and have it lead there to avoid confusion).

Some clarification on autostarting would be good, particularly making the census timer a visual UI, and giving an indicator of at which point it'll auto-start on login (or make that a check-box option, probably checked by default). As right now, it's unintuitive for a new user; it doesn't autostart upon login (it starts 5 mins after login), unless you manually change the timer interval (who'd know to do that? Only experienced users, and most of us learned it by accident!) So I'd say a couple of UI elements:

Census timer interval (either slider or dropdown box)
Auto-start on login option (on by default, the 5 mins after login as an option for those who don't want it)

Or can have autostart off by default, but please, make it remain accountwide when you turn it on, as it currently is - it's hassle enough turning verbose mode on for every server without having to do autostart too ;)


A feature that may be a hassle but would interest me, at least, is a filesize info; I have no idea if it can accurately tell how large the file in SavedVariablse is, probably not tbh, but if it can see that, then a segment saying "your file is XMB" with some pruning options next to it would be cool. Even without the filesize having the pruning in a visible UI and clearly explained would be great: "Prune THIS server only (X days dropdown menu or type in box)". "Prune every server EXCEPT this server". And "Prune ALL servers" - I actually liked it when serverprune did them all, even if it wasn't intended ;) Oh and with clarity regarding connected realms too; does it affect all the group or only the one you're on (maybe extra options for all/one, else just make it affect whole group by default, since ingame they're treated as one realm)

An interesting option could be an autoprune to X days that could be programmed in; would need some warnings about remembering to upload data regularly before enabling it, but could be of use to those who never remember to prune and end up with giant files (won't aid mass server censusers much but the average person who plays 1-2 servers and never prunes), could even be enabled by default for 30 days (with an option to disable for people who like their historical data), optional to bring it down to as little as 2-3 days.


I bet half of my suggestions are really complicated to add, sorry! :P

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:07 pm
by bringoutyourdead
The whole auto start timer stuff needs better understanding... or at least better options so users can pick what is best for them.

Unfortunately (or maybe not so) Blizzard rightly put in blocks on any type of file system access for addons.
This means that it is impossible to know disk space usage, besides any addon data doesn't get written to disk until after leaving the game world and any possible activity of the addon.
I can do a memory size estimate or just use Blizzards own addon memory size numbers (hover your mouse over the computer icon on the main action bar). But the in game numbers don't match at all the disk storage requirements. I'm looking at numbers now on one of my accounts, game says 17.35MB for CensusPlus but disk storage as I logged in was only 6.46MB.

Prune all is doable. But I won't be allowing pruning single member of connected realm, as that would lead to false impression of which member realms are more active in the connected realm superset.

Account wide Verbose mode? Yes it is a pain for me also... I'm thinking change that switch to the account wide file, and then have an over ride switch for individual logins.

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:19 pm
by Balgair
Understandable about the files, about what I was expecting tbh. And yeah, the ingame filesize info is miles out so no help at all; regularly tells me I'm using 20MB+ which ofc is way over the upload limit, yet reality is more like 5-6MB. An estimate may be nice if it can be done, but I understand if not, sounds a pain to figure out!

Didn't think of suggesting accountwide verbose with individual override, that sounds great if it can be done in a way (defaulted off, I guess) that doesn't irritate the majority of folk who don't census tens/hundreds of servers! It'd be a huge thing for me, absolutely fantastic improvement, but I appreciate there's about four of us who do this lol, so understand if it's not workable easily, when 99% of Censusplus users will play just a handful of servers and no more ;)