Why is every modder working with the original EQUI_Animations.xml? This way it is harder to 'mix' different mods and you have to 'fix' it every time VI patches the original xml file.

The animations do not have to be declared in EQUI_Animations.xml, they can stand in any xml file you want.

So modders should create a new xml file. Call it like the mod it is for.. for example mybuff_animation.xml. Add one line to your EQUI.xml file before any file that uses the new animations:

<Include>mybuff_animation.xml</Include>

In this file, define everything you need for your mod (textures usw), give them new names if you want to change existing definitions. Instead of A_DividerVertical call it A_NewDividerVertical (or whatever you want). Then in every file where you want to use that new definition, change that reference to the new name.

So if VI patches anything, all the user have to look for is the EQUI.xml file... and if that changes, only small corrections are neccessary, as every skin still uses the original EQUI_Animations.xml and should be less vulnerable to patches

So i hope every modder out there will rethink their mods and redo them to be more user friendly.

I thought (actually since last patch to be precise) of trying this but have yet to get around to testing if it would work. When I first started changing the graphics I used to keep them in the original file until I found it easier to update and change if I made it in it's own. I think it would make it alot easier.

But there are some problems with the idea.

One thing I do know is that adding a file to the EQUI.xml file doesn't automatically mean it will load it properly if at all. Eg. you can not add your own window this way, but it doesn't mean you can't do your own animations file, will need testing.

The other thing is that the game looks for certain names which are harded-coded into the window. Example of this would be the icon decals used in the Spellbook and Buff Icons. It always looks for Animations called BlueBookBackground and RedBookbackground (or something close to that). You can not change what animations the game is looking for so you can approach it 2 ways. Modify the Animations file to what and where you want. Or make another animations file (if possible) with those names in it and tell the user to remove that section out of the original animation file before using the UI.

In alot of cases, providing a seperate Animations file works, this would be a cleaner system, but becuase it will not work with every mod it may just add confusion with some mods containing themselves and others not and causing conflicts in this way.

P.S. I also modify the original animation file becuase some of my mods have cause some animations to become redundant and I remove them as to save a little bit of system resource when loading.

You are right..

There are some 'hardcoded' pieces in the original files VI made. Hope they will find other ways to do this, to give us more freedom when we are modding around those things.

Would be great to do mods that are not effected by UI-updates VI will do in the future...