MFClip - All-in-one shadow priest addon

As of patch 6.0, I finally decided to stop updating MFClip. Current gameplay does not fit MFClip. For an alternative, please consider my other addon, Gnosis (Castbars and Timers)

MFClip originally started as a mere Mind Flay clipping warner (hence its name) telling the user when unintentional clips of Mind Flay were ocurring. Clipping Mind Flays as such isn't as important as it had been in earlier and perhaps easier times. Still, to min/max it is important to know if unintentional clipping happens.

In its current state, MFClip features a full blown single target dot timer with cooldown bars for Mind Blast and Shadow Word:Death and an additional castbar (which shows spell ticks). The dot timer bars show the user when it's best to recast any of the three dots (Cataclysm: recast before dots actually fall of to guarantee 100% uptime).

At the end of the fight (and also shown on the bars during the fight if not deactivated) MFClip presents the user with information about dot uptime, spell casting efficiency and how well cooldowns of MB and SW:D had been used.

Original Idea

MFClip warns about unintentional Mind Flay clips (clipping shortly before next Mind Flay tick). MFClip warns by playing a configurable Sound and/or displaying Mind Flay damage data via common combat text addons (currently supported: SCT/MSBT/Parrot/Blizzard Floating Combat Text).

Clipping Mind Flay shortly after the second tick to cast Mind Blast/DP/VT increases your damage output. Unintentional clips shortly before a tick decrease your damage output, including the third and final tick. MFClip's goal is to help you to learn when to cast while channeling Mind Flay and to ensure you are doing it right. As a side note, zero unintentional clips (to much idle time between tick and new cast) decrease your dps as well as regular unintentional clips do, playing somewhat aggressive helps your dps. Also, it is recommended to filter out Mind Flay with your combat text (if available) and use MFClip combat text output (if available for your combat text addon). If you are using [nochanneling] macros there is no need to use MFClip ([nochanneling] leads to less dps).

Installing a cast bar addon with a customized cast bar skin that shows when Mind Flay ticks is strongly recommended. I recommend my castbar addon Gnosis which features tick displaying and clipping detection: http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/gnosis.aspx

From Version 1.0 onwards MFClip features its own Castbar. This is integrated into MFClip's LiveBars. LiveBars consist of a castbar with latency support für Mind Flay & Mind Sear ticks, a cooldown bar for Mind Blast and dot timers for VT, DP, SW:P. Those bars also display efficiency data for casting/dot uptime/cooldown usage and show the DPS of the different damage sources.

Version 1.2 introduces focus target cast buttons called LiveButtons. Those are part of LiveBars and can be configured in the LiveBars tab.

Remark: MFClip's dot uptime calculations begin the moment the dot is cast onto the unit the first time. Uptime calculations end when a unit dies (not when the fight ends). Uptime calculations take dot clipping into account.

Shadow Orb and Empowered Shadow tracking

MFClip v2.10 offers full support for Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow. Tracking is integrated into the Mind Blast cooldown bar, which will change its background color depending on following states (all colors can be edited in the configuration menu):

Light green: Cast Mind Blast asap (three Orbs active, but no Emp. Shadow)
Bright White: Three Orbs waiting to be consumed
Green: Cast Mind Blast asap (one or more Orbs active, no Emp. Shadow)
Yellow: Cast Mind Blast soon (Empowered Shadow buff gone in 3s or less)
Red: Don't cast Mind Blast or dots now (no Orbs or Emp. Shadow)
Default: Stick to your default "rotation"

These states offer basic information about Shadow Orbs and Emp. Shadow. Make sure you understand current theorycraft behind Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow to choose the best action depending on your current situation.

Video: MFClip v1.0 Intro Video

Basic introduction video showing MFClip's basic features and the newly revamped LiveBars.

If the above video is blocked in your country try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlDxm9lrk0E

Video: MFClip vs. the Mistery of Nochanneling

Video: casting & statistic output

Video showing MFClip's statistics output (v0.6+). Audio featuring the typical MFClip clipping sound. Addons: MSBT, Quartz+Quartz_LatencyMF2 and a single Macaroon bar. See Video: Live Bars for bars displaying statistics during combat.

Slash Commands

The slash command for MFClip is /mfclip.

/mfclip enable: enables/disables MFClip

/mfclip config: calls configuration gui (using Blizzards addon config interface)

/mfclip configlb: calls configuration gui for LiveBars (using Blizzards addon config interface)

/mfclip reset: resets configuration data

Configuration Options (GUI)

Main tab

Enable Addon: enable/disable MFClip

Show combat data: toggles showing Mind Flay damage, casting and clipping statistics at the end of the current fight (30s fights minimum)

Clipping warning [ms]: if the caster clips Mind Flay the given time (in ms) before a tick should occur an unintentional clip is recorded (lag dependent, play around with that setting)

Wait for Combat Log [ms]: time (in ms) MFClip waits for combat log data after the Mind Flay tick should have occured (lag dependent, play around with that setting); after given time has elapsed without a tick Mind Flay cast data is generated and output if selected

Auto Adjust Wait for Combat Log: adjusts wait for combat log on high haste situations

Play Sound: play sound (Sound File) when unintentional clip is recorded

Generate Combat Text: generate combat text output for selected combat text (Select Combat Text), combines Mind Flay ticks into Mind Flay cast, also showing unintentional clips

LiveBars tab

Out of/In combat config: LiveBars configuration string executed when leaving/entering combat. Following commands are accepted.

on/off
- enables/disables LiveBars
hidecb/showcb
- hides/shows castbar while not casting
cast/mb/vt/dp/swp/swd
- creates castbar/MB cooldown bar/dottimer; command order gives order how LiveBars will be shown from top to bottom
buttons
- enables LiveButtons

LiveButtons configuration string

combat
- shows LiveButtons in combat only
mf/ms/mb/vt/dp/swp/swd/su
- creates buttons for focus target casting of Mind Flay/Mind Sear/Mind Blast/VT/DP/SW:P/SW:D/Shackle Undead
row
- creates LiveButton bar as one row, if not specified as one column

Remark: Anchors of both LiveBars and LiveButtons are only shown when LiveBars are enabled with on command (or omitted on/off command).

Localization

Configuration in english only, but works for all languages.

FAQ

Q: Sometimes MFClip reports an unintentional clip even though I'm sure I didn't clip Mind Flay at all.

A: MFClip depends on combat log information about Mind Flay ticks. Usually combat log events are delayed by several hundred millisecond, in bad cases even more than one second. Mind Flay ticks occur regularly on server side usually much less than a second apart (denpending on gear). If the expected time a tick should occur and the time the tick is reported are too far apart MFClip will report an unintentional clip even though that might not the case.

This is where the values Clipping warning [ms] and Wait for Combat Log [ms] come in.

Clipping warning [ms]: If you start a new action x ms (default is 300ms) before a tick should occur, and no tick actually does in time, MFClip will detect unintentional clipping (even though that might not be the case with extreme combat log delay)

Wait for Combat Log [ms] is the time MFClip will wait for the combat log to return tick information after Mind Flay should have ticked and no new Mind Flay cast was started. 1000ms is the default value and this should be ok in every situation. Still, the combat log screws up sometimes and there is not really much anyone can do about it. If you channel one Mind Flay after another MFClip will wait less time than specified by this value depending on your current haste value.

From my own tests combat log delay will not vary much between MF2 and MF3, therefore unintentional clipping should be detected well for both (or not well for both if your combat log delays are too high).

Q: MFClip shows a castbar and I don't want that!

A: Remove the "cast" command from the LiveBars configuration strings (on the LiveBars gui page).