Targeted AoE...

Well uh, a quick search didn't yield much results so I figured no one must've utilized this method yet...

Basically, since we can't move the cursor, why not move the camera instead? We know where the cursor is through the API, so all that's left is to adjust the camera so that it points at something.

But how do we know where to point? Well, there's plenty of methods I suppose, some of which might require a higher understanding of mathematics, which I sadly do not possess. So I chose the simple method of comparing cursor coordinates with nameplate coordinates, and through some primitive algorithms, got it to barely work in optimal circumstances. Of course there are some interesting side effects when everything doesn't go as planned, but anyways...

Here's a little sample of what I was able to produce :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk4m1LxnXQ0

Currently it can only target through names (which are also case sensitive), but it could be possible to target raid target icons or the current selected target. I might introduce those features later if my patience with this project doesn't run out before that :P

The usage for the slash command seen in the video is /pnklook target lock
For example, if you want to point at Thrall, you type /pnklook Thrall
but if you want to lock your cursor on Thrall, you type /pnklook Thrall lock
If you need some lua functionalism in the name selecting, you can use the function lookAt( string name, bool lock )
/run lookAt( "Thrall", false ) and /run lookAt( "Thrall", true ) produce the above results.
Also - the parsing for the slash command doesn't handle special characters well so you might use the lua function in that case.

Third edit: the addon also utilizes SetView(2) in an attempt to get a wide view to search for the name plates. So you might want to set a wide view for the B camera (values used in video: 40 pitch 40 distance 0 yaw). If you use SetView(2) for something else, go ahead and edit it to use some other point or take it out altogether :P

Some known bugs (or unfeatures, rather) include earthquakism and cameraman suddenly flying into outer space. And if the camera is blocked by something, say a ceiling, it might yield unwanted results, since it currently relies on camera zoom to adjust the Y difference between cursor and nameplate (I tried to combine zoom and pitch together but that proved quite difficult :P)
Having your cursor in the upper region of the window is pretty much a requirement to get any reliable results as of now. I might improve the algorithms later but thought I'd put this piece of garbage out for you to enjoy for now.

Fourth edit: aaaalso... the nameplate finding function is quite modest, so nameplate addons might break it up.

You'll find the addon attached.

sick! and in 119 lines of lua at that. going to try it out now

Very nice, looks promising. :)

Nice and creative. Good find, good code. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Great job - I could see that being extremely useful if it could find raid target icons or something else that would uniquely identify a target on screen. I assume using nameplates would be problematic in a typical scenario where there a number of identically named targets on the screen...

Very clever, but .. I don't see any good coming of this to be honest.

It's got "bot" written all over it (if the game were an FPS, this would be called an aimbot). If you show someone that video without providing the code for the Addon, that's probably going to be their first thought. If I were in Blizzard's shoes, I would probably be working on disabling this.

Very nice potential here.

Have to point out, you can use Raid Targets on an npc, but cannot mark an opposing player.
The nameplate will be the stronger option for PvP, but Raid Targets will be a nice option for PvE for sure.

If you could lock onto the current target of the active window, rather then a slash command.
Possibly a hotkey to set the lock/target to the currently selected unit.
That would make this a lot stronger/easier to use, in actual play.

I have to agree, Blizzard won't really like something like this.
Thank you for developing this and sharing with the community.

I'd simply set this to keep the cursor on my main. Having Blizzard/Rain of Fire cast around my tank is pretty much ideal. If this was to work I could see mages becoming very dominant in boxing...

Flamestrike
Blizzard
PoM-Flamestrike
Blizzard

Loot.

It would be helpful if you could describe the code (ie pseudocode).

Great call Ghallo. Exactly right. Need consecrate to control aggro anyway. ;)

great addon if it works out, haven't tried yet, but I've got a question. Targeted AoE spells require you to leftclick on the ground where you want it. Would I still need to use a mouse broadcasting program, like ISBoxer, or use Keyclone's, or will there be an option to set a keybinding to cast? Reason I ask is cause Keyclone's mouse broadcaster is slow on my rig and I haven't invested time into trying ISBoxer, and would rather not have to worry about too many extra programs running in my background eating up what Ram/CPU usage I have left. Another thing, when I try to use the broadcaster through KC, it sometimes bogs my system down, and/or makes the camera angles on my toons jump around from where I have them set. Would this program cause those problems?

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Originally Posted by lans83

great addon if it works out, haven't tried yet, but I've got a question. Targeted AoE spells require you to leftclick on the ground where you want it. Would I still need to use a mouse broadcasting program, like ISBoxer, or use Keyclone's, or will there be an option to set a keybinding to cast? Reason I ask is cause Keyclone's mouse broadcaster is slow on my rig and I haven't invested time into trying ISBoxer, and would rather not have to worry about too many extra programs running in my background eating up what Ram/CPU usage I have left. Another thing, when I try to use the broadcaster through KC, it sometimes bogs my system down, and/or makes the camera angles on my toons jump around from where I have them set. Would this program cause those problems?

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There is a macro command you can use to keybind a mouse click at your mouse's current location.
Previously this has not been much used since the mouse is usually at the side of the window where ever you moved it off to your other windows (when software boxing, since hardware boxers can just click manually anyway, or broadcast).

But with this addon, I would just dust off that macro again and use that for it.
Can't remember the exact macro, but I know it exists.

EDIT: After thinking about it some more, I realized this addon doesn't actually move the mouse, so you would still have to first somehow preplace where the mouse position would be remembered as, just like in the past for using the macro mentioned. But still, the addon makes it far more versatile.

The addon puts your target under the mouse by moving the camera, so the clickmouse binding would work. The mouse coordinate is always on the screen somewhere whether or not you can actually see the pointer, so it works pretty well to get the target under the mouse.

The addon needs quite a bit of refinement but it's actually quite a nice proof of concept. Fairly interesting idea I might pursue learning a bit more lua to mess with it a little.

Ok, I had no idea there was a macro command already, and the fact this doesn't violate the ToS is sweet. Please anyone that knows this macro, post it or something. I'll keep my cursor dead center-bottom screen right at my slave's feet and use this for my DK team. The enemies would be right up on them anyway, so casting DnD at their own feet won't be a problem now. :D

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Originally Posted by Bettysue

The addon puts your target under the mouse by moving the camera, so the clickmouse binding would work. The mouse coordinate is always on the screen somewhere whether or not you can actually see the pointer, so it works pretty well to get the target under the mouse.

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Except that I currently have a viewport addon set up that puts frames around all sides of my screen, so unless i put extra effort into placing the mouse for each one, they are generally outside the clickable area.
My own fault, I know.

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Originally Posted by lans83

Ok, I had no idea there was a macro command already, and the fact this doesn't violate the ToS is sweet. Please anyone that knows this macro, post it or something. I'll keep my cursor dead center-bottom screen right at my slave's feet and use this for my DK team. The enemies would be right up on them anyway, so casting DnD at their own feet won't be a problem now. :D

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Should be on these forums somewhere, I'll try a search.

Edit: Well, a quick search came up with this recently resurrected old thread, so I'm not sure if it works anymore. But I'm pretty sure a similar macro is still possible.
http://www.dual-boxing.com/showthread.php?t=17015

havent been able to get it to work. /pnklook snaps the camera infront of my face.
I am on a Mac so i dont have mouse boadcasting. I was hoping this would help with
/click options ButtonObj MouseButton DownbuttonName = GetMouseButtonClicked();so how.

Thought I'd post my results along with some thoughts.

The better this starts to work, the more likely I'd suggest that blizz finds a way to limit this functionality. Just a conjecture.

That said, I like it a lot and hope you or others figure out a way to improve this so that it works a bit better and less buggy. I ended up getting stuck with my camera oriented 180 degrees in the wrong direction and had to relog to fix the issue. Some sort of /pnklook configure command would be good that set the camera to some sort of "safe" default position prior to executing the algorithm might be helpful.

Secondly, there still is the issue of a good keybind option. I searched around and found a few things about binding mouse-clicks to keys but didn't follow through to really try it. Maybe tonight. all in all, cool work and keep it up.

I love the concept.

Really doubt Blizzard would consider this a bot. Their main definition of a bot is a program that doesn't require any outside assistance to run. IE: It can walk, kill, loot, etc without anyone being at the keyboard. This addon would require you to be at the keyboard and isn't that automatic or precise in my humble opinion to be considered a bot.

Unlike an aimbot WOW already has built in a /target function. As long as you're facing the right way then simply /target accomplishes what an aimbot does. If this automatically faces you in the right direction )which I didn't see it doing in the video) then you may have an issue but otherwise it's a solution to an age old problem.

ISBoxer makes it quite easy to mousebroadcast for AOE just by holding down 1 key. You don't even need a mouse repeater region to do AOE in ISBoxer you can have just have mousebroadcast for that 1 spell.

Here's how you set it up-it's around halfway through the tutorial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIqLM...eature=related

OK well how about this, instead of targeting a specific mob, can it either be set up to target your "focus" or whoever your focus is targeting?

Going to say... INNERSPACE FTW same concept less work on everyone's end minus Lax's :P

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Originally Posted by Toned

Going to say... INNERSPACE FTW same concept less work on everyone's end minus Lax's :P

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This addon, if proven legal, would actually be more versatile than just mouse/click broadcasting, and combined they could be even better.

Much like the ping the minimap cast addons that used to exist, it's "legal," though blizz may consider it an undesirable behavior of LUA and kill it as well. I feel fine using it because it doesn't do anything not allowed in game, but I for one will avoid becoming reliant upon this feature. I just don't see it lasting too long should it become a bit more mainstream.

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Originally Posted by Toned

Going to say... INNERSPACE FTW same concept less work on everyone's end minus Lax's :P

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I love IS and couldn't live without it. What this is doing is putting your AOE right on the mob without having to do it manually like in IS.

Also in IS when I use my AOE from my druids/hurricane their mouses don't sync 100% so the AOE is in 3 different places. One of my only gripes but I believe it's caused more by latency than anything else. Plus like I said before manually position the AOE can be a bitch in the heat of battle. Especially from my main window who's a paladin and have to position their AOE a bit blindly.

It is camera angles and such, for the lack of sync when broadcasting the mouse.
The mouse pointer is at the same point in each screen, but the screen is not necessarily oriented so the point is the same area on the ground.

If you use a SetView(x);SetView(x) command, in the macro which casts your AoE, this is alleviated to a large degree.

anyone able to get this to work?

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Originally Posted by jinkobi

Really doubt Blizzard would consider this a bot. Their main definition of a bot is a program that doesn't require any outside assistance to run. IE: It can walk, kill, loot, etc without anyone being at the keyboard. This addon would require you to be at the keyboard and isn't that automatic or precise in my humble opinion to be considered a bot.

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They wouldn't consider it "a bot" no. But someone brought up the minimap click thing, where the game used to let you click on the minimap to cast the spell perfectly each time. They didn't like that, so they removed the capability from the client. The difference between this and that is that the minimap way was dead simple. This method is just more clever. If the minimap thing was a problem, I don't see how this wouldn't be, since it allows you to precisely aim targeted AoEs.

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Unlike an aimbot WOW already has built in a /target function. As long as you're facing the right way then simply /target accomplishes what an aimbot does. If this automatically faces you in the right direction )which I didn't see it doing in the video) then you may have an issue but otherwise it's a solution to an age old problem.

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The purpose of an aimbot is to keep an enemy in your crosshairs so all you have to do, if anything, is click to directly hit them each time. Which is what this code does. /target is nothing like this or an aimbot and doesn't work for the same things -- only abilities which can already be locked on a target work with /target...

Obviously this method is quite convenient to have, but again, I think it's only a matter of time.

When i use /pnklook Magn lock it just flips the camera backwards.
-Magn is short for my masters name.
-my flip camera is bound to middle mouse button. should i unbind that maybe to troubleshoot ?
-I modified my setviewB to 40,40,0 as per the instuctions

I have all my computers controled by one trackball. I make sure all the movements are the same speed/scale. I just move the mouse to the upper left or right to set all at 0,0 then move all to the same point, as I play only in full screen. If my views are all the same (easy enough to do) I get the same target . This only works for 6 of my guys (one per computer and actaully only 5 cause my tank is on my main all the time) but hey 5 blizzards is nice. I can then flip to another 5 characters and do again in a few seconds or so though.

Humm im going to give this a try

I played with this one day but without click broadcasting I wasn't able to make good use of it. It looked to have a lot of potential, but very rough in it's current state. I did end up with that 180 degree's reversed camera view as someone mentioned once, along with just other crazy view nonsense going on. Mostly cool addon though.

Im having trouble getting it to work correctly. Can anyone share some troubleshooting tips?

*I have changed viewset 2 to 40,40,0 as directed
*I use the /pnklook [targetnamehere] lock command as directed in the instructions
*I have friendly nameplates turned on

When i do the command it seems to center on the target for a split second but then the camera jerks away to some arbitrary view angle that does not look at the target and does not lock. It actualy makes the testing toons head flip 180.

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If you need some lua functionalism in the name selecting, you can use the function lookAt( string name, bool lock )

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I'm not a coder can someone provide examples?

I'm trying to do the /run lookAt( "Magnüs", true )

thing but the locky part

Are people still using this? If not, what other solutions are people using? Have a mage and a lock coming up so starting to think about it.

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Redbeard

Are people still using this? If not, what other solutions are people using? Have a mage and a lock coming up so starting to think about it.

Thanks.

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ISBoxer ftw

Care to elaborate Lyon? I have ISboxer.

If I am reading the thread correctly theyre advertising behavior which ISboxer cannot reproduce... but I could be wrong.

Are people still using this? If not, what are they using?



I'm assuming IS Boxer, is in reply to the "if not" portion.
As in, IS Boxer is being used instead of this option.

nevermind.

Did not mean it to be unhelpful.
Sorry if it came across that way.


The IS Boxer thing is basically generic mouse broadcasting.
Or possibly the send next click option.

I like to use Action Target Groups.
I have three of them, for ground target effects.
Ground Click 4, Ground Click 5, and Ground Click Shift A.
Or similar names to those.

On my FTL DPS 4 key, I have the box checked, Send Next Click.
Also have KVM mode checked, so the click does not affect the active window.
And set the target to Ground Click 4, so anyone in that group will receive the click.
Ditto for 5 and Shift A.

Not everyone on all teams (particularly mixed teams) has AoE effects on the same key.
Or even if they do, something like Holy Nova does not require targeting, so no need for Send Next Click.