A comfortable User Interface, or UI, can't be beaten in a game like World of Warcraft as being able to see and understand the information presented to you on your screen is key to a smooth gameplay experience.
World of Warcraft's in-game UI does a pretty decent job at this, you have your bars, your frames, and all of your other sources of information you need.
However, sometimes you want to customize said UI, maybe making it a bit smaller, emphasizing a set of abilities, or moving some bars around. That's where an addon like ElvUI comes in.
Here's an explanation of what ElvUI is, as well as how to download and install it in WoW both for retail (Shadowlands), and Classic (WotLK).
What is ElvUI in World of Warcraft?
ElvUI is an addon—not multiple, contrary to popular belief—that completely replaces Blizzard's default UI.
It takes over essentially every aspect of information the player sees when they play the game. From Action Bars, Chat, and Name Plates, to the Map, Mini Map, and Bags, and puts them under a unique unified theme. It's a great way to have all of the game's information relevant to a player streamlined while adding numerous customization options.
Due to its nature in being a complete UI replacement, in order to utilize other UI adjacent addons such as Bartender or IceHUD, you'd have to disable ElvUI. However, addons such as Weak Auras, DeadlyBossMods, and others that don't alter or replace the UI work just fine.
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How to Download and Install ElvUI in World of Warcraft
Now that you know what ElvUI does in WoW, it's time to install and download it.
Normally, there are two ways to go about downloading addons in World of Warcraft. First, there's the tried and true method of a manual download and install and second, there's an automated download and install via a website or app such as CurseForge.
However, for ElvUI specifically, you can only download it manually or via the Tukui client. For a step-by-step on how manually download and install the addon visit here.
For a step-by-step on how to download it via the Tukui Client follow the steps below:
- Download the Tukui Client
- Right-click and extract the .zip file - click "Extract" (Windows only)
- Run the Client Install.msi file and follow the steps given
- Once the Tukui Client is downloaded, log in or create an account if you don't have one
- Click on "Browse" at the top bar of the Tukui Client
- Click on "Install ElvUI"
- That's it!
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What can be changed with ElvUI?
Beginning to use ElvUi can be quite intimidating as the addon in itself is a lot to take in. First and foremost, upon logging into World of Warcraft with the addon activated, a step-by-step installer will pop up, make sure to follow through on it. After that, you can begin to move things around and adjust your UI.
Here are some pointers on what can be changed with ElvUI:
- General
- Action Bars
- Bags
- Buffs and Debuffs
- Chat
- Cooldown Text
- Data Bars
- Maps
- Name Plates
- Skins
- Tooltip
All of these and much more can be altered with ElvUI.
When it comes to accessing them, the easiest way to make the ElvUI window pop up is by typing /ec. From there, you will be able to see the multitude of options the addon has.
For starters, you can alter the positioning of each piece of the UI. This can be done by pressing the "Toggle Anchors" button in the window's lower left corner. It'll present you with a grid, dimming down each of the movable parts—these parts can also be individually clicked to customize to your liking.
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