Questions about Macro Sets for WoW

Hello -

I stepped through the guide about setting up ISB as a Pro, and I got the Macro Sets working. I've verified that the /castsequence macros I setup work and each character is doing things based on the conditionals, however I'm not seeing some of the actions take place.

For example - this is part of one of the macros I created

!if (character is in "Warriors [Protection]") /startattack
!also /castsequence reset=target/10 Commanding Shout, Devastate, Taunt, Demoralizing Shout, Shield Slam, Rend, Disarm, Revenge, Devastate
!elseif (character is in "Warriors [Fury]") /startattack
!also /p hi
!also /castsequence reset=target/10 Battle Shout, Sunder Armor, Slam, Bloodthirst, Sunder Armor, Heroic Strike, Slam, Bloodthirst

Each of the characters in Protection/Fury ATG's respond correctly to their /castsequence commands, but the !also /p hi section doesn't take place, or at least I'm not seeing it pop up in the party chat. Am I doing something wrong, or are there only certain commands that get passed along? I don't imagine the latter is true, and the ISBoxer WoW wiki page for macros even shows some examples of /say and using dynamic macros for {CHARACTER} to do things.

If it matters, the way I set this up was another Macro Set called "Extras" where I am storing my own macro sets, and I've added this set to be activated on my character set. I also exported this macro and created an identical test macro in the Quick Setup 38 Macro Set, then changed the character so it would use this instead, and had the same result.

I am accessing this macro in game through the Virtual Combat/Combat Hotkeys/Virtual Mapped Keys setup as explained on http://isboxer.com/wiki/HOWTO:Configure ... like_a_pro

[lax]

First of all, this is what the Preview pane is for in the WoW Macro editor You can use the drop-down boxes to see exactly what the WoW Macro looks like when it is applied to any given Character. That means you can select a Protection warrior and ensure that the macro is what you intend it to be, and then select a Fury warrior and ensure that the macro is what you intend it to be for a Fury warrior. This is the answer to your question so please check out the preview pane if you need further help with this macro.

Secondly, let me try to change your mind on building your WoW Macros based on the ATGs. All you really wanted in this instance is 2 different WoW Macros. One is

Code:

/startattack
/castsequence reset=target/10 Commanding Shout, Devastate, Taunt, Demoralizing Shout, Shield Slam, Rend, Disarm, Revenge, Devastate

and the other is

Code:

/startattack
/p hi
/castsequence reset=target/10 Battle Shout, Sunder Armor, Slam, Bloodthirst, Sunder Armor, Heroic Strike, Slam, Bloodthirst

The best way to handle this is with 2 different macros instead of 1 wow macro (in the same WoW Macro Set for Warriors, but with different Hotkeys). It makes it easier for you to understand, it's easy to follow the macro, and by not tying the macro to your Character's Action Target Groups you can switch between the 2 different macros at runtime (on the fly). This is part of what the Pro Guide is all about, being able to easily use and access all of your potential abilities.

Here's what I mean... With your way, if you switch a Fury to a Protection or vice versa (and this applies to other classes, say you have a rogue and want to switch him to combat instead of subtlety, whatever), you'd have to Export to Inner Space and reload the WoW Addon just to switch specs! With the "right" way, you could instead just set up a Hotkey that reassisgn the virtualization for that Character to use the "Protection Warrior" key map instead of the "Fury Warrior" key map (this is done with a Mapped Key Virtualization Action).

Ok I just typed out a reply and either took too long or something, it didn't post. I guess you also answered it, the WoW addon needs to be reloaded to actually see changes to the Macro Sets.

I'll look at what you're talking about and see what else I can change the way things are setup. I have more than just those macros in that set, but only posted that section since it showed a few things I was trying to do.

If I understand you correctly, this is why the Pro guide was setting up individual key map templates for each type of class/spec? I was hoping to build just a single main template, then use the ATG filtering to determine what every character would do, that way if I ever make changes to the keymaps, update with new actions, etc - then I don't have to go through each separate one to make changes. But... from what you're saying then, is that internally the WoW ISB addon needs to be unloaded/reloaded in order to re-create the macros that are getting exported over?

So... in short, if I have a hotkey setup I can push a character from using something like keymap "Warrior [Protection]" to "Warrior [Fury]", and it will just switch the keymaps. Then, inside each keymap I'd build steps pointing to individual macro's I've created for each command, then setup the "do not advance the next step until...." settings for the steps/actions? Or would I create a single action, and just point to a /castsequence macro I create?

Hope I'm not confusing myself... or you... haha! Only had the software for a few days and trying to understand it still but I am getting there.

Thank you for your reply, all of them I see here are very informative and detailed, and full of respect, and I appreciate the patience with my noobness

Hmm ok some more thoughts - I was taking your response as me needing to setup a new macro for each individual command I'd be looking at, then making each step inside of the keymap template for that class/spec.

I am assuming this isn't what you were saying, but rather I create a macro with the full castsequence of commands, but the macro labeled as warrior fury DPS or something similar.

Keymap Warrior [Fury], Mapped Keys, DPS Rotation -> points to macro set Extras->Warrior-Fury-DPS-Rotation
Keymap Warrior [Prot], Mapped Keys, DPS Rotation -> points to macro set Extras->Warrior-Prot-DPS-Rotation

Then... setup a mapped key virtualization action to assign my character to the alternate keymap if I switch specs - and this in turn would allow me to do on the fly rather than reloading the addon/UI. Ok... think I got it... haha... just a little more work setting up the individual keymaps (which is what was the organization of actions being pushed from the Pro guide?).

Thanks

Btw, I did actually see the preview area for the macros, and looked like it was working but nothing was taking place. I had closed down to reboot for something else, and when it came back up it was starting to work, so I supposed starting back up was reloading the addon info so then I new something was happening, but then after that point my changes weren't taking place. Thanks though, you helped me understand WHY it was happening like this

Next question, somewhat related...

In the Macro Sets, it had complained about my macros not having a hotkey assigned, so I just made up a few that I wouldn't be using. I assume this MUST be done for any macros I will reference with the New Named WoW Macro Action? Does this hotkey do anything, or is this just like a virtual/shadow combination that gets handled internally by the addon to process whatever it taking place?

[lax]

In the Macro Sets, it had complained about my macros not having a hotkey assigned, so I just made up a few that I wouldn't be using. I assume this MUST be done for any macros I will reference with the New Named WoW Macro Action? Does this hotkey do anything, or is this just like a virtual/shadow combination that gets handled internally by the addon to process whatever it taking place?

There is a reason that a Named WoW Macro Action is under "Keystroke Actions"... ISBoxer needs to send a key combo to the game in order to activate anything (and as of a recent update to ISBoxer, the Named WoW Macro Action includes a grayed-out Key Combination box to make this more clear). The Macro is created based on it appearing in your config and being assigned to your Character, then it is bound to a Key Combination you specified. Without the Key Combination assigned, the only way to activate your WoW Macro would be via the in-game /click command, if you have configured the /click name for the macro. Which, in turn, would require hitting a Key Combination in order to initiate the /click command instead of this WoW Macro.

Btw, I did actually see the preview area for the macros, and looked like it was working but nothing was taking place. I had closed down to reboot for something else, and when it came back up it was starting to work, so I supposed starting back up was reloading the addon info so then I new something was happening, but then after that point my changes weren't taking place.

Since the macros are defined by the ISBoxer Addon, you must /console reloadui after changing any WoW macros through ISBoxer.