Version: 0.6 Author: Mark Sheldahl AI-Assisted Development: This addon was created with assistance from Claude (Anthropic). While AI helped with code generation and problem-solving, all design decisions, testing, and creative direction came from human input and assisted in code creation.
DynamicBar is a role-first, context-aware consumable action bar for WoW TBC Classic that reduces cognitive load during combat while remaining predictable and fully ToS-compliant.
- Role-First Ordering - Emergency items (Healthstone) → Health/Mana potions → Elixirs → Food/Drink → Hearthstone
- Battle/Prep Modes - Automatically switches between combat (essential items only) and out-of-combat (full suite) layouts
- Dynamic Footprint - Only shows buttons for items you actually have
- Flyout Menus - Right-click buttons to access alternative items
- Smart Positioning - Drag-to-move with visual feedback, per-character profiles
- Auto-Skinning - Automatically matches ElvUI, Masque, Dominos, or Bartender4 styling
Player Intent First: Buttons represent capabilities, not fixed items. The addon assists decision-making but never automates gameplay.
Combat Safety: No layout changes during combat. Your muscle memory is protected.
WoW ToS Compliance: All actions require hardware events. No automation, no scripting, no AI decision-making.
/dbaror/dbar help- Show all commands/dbar config- Open configuration panel/dbar profiles- Manage character profiles/dbar debug- Toggle debug logging/dbar profileinfo- Show current profile status
- Extract to
World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns\ - Ensure the folder is named
DynamicBar - Restart WoW or type
/reload - On first login, you'll see a welcome popup to position the bar
Access via /dbar config or ESC → Interface → AddOns → DynamicBar
Bar Layout:
- Layout Modes:
- Horizontal (default) - Single row of buttons
- Vertical - Single column of buttons
- Grid - Customizable rows × columns (e.g., 2×5, 3×4, 5×2)
- Button count (1-12)
- Scale adjustments
- Horizontal and vertical spacing (grid mode supports both independently)
- Edge padding (basic unified padding or advanced per-edge control)
- ElvUI spacing inheritance (horizontal mode only)
Bar Position:
- Presets: Bottom Center, Top Center, Screen Center, Custom
- Manual positioning with anchor points and offsets
- Lock/unlock toggle with visual "DRAG ME" overlay
Visibility Mode:
- Fade Out (Recommended) - Prep items fade during combat
- Hide Completely - Prep items disappear in combat
- Grey Out - Prep items shown but disabled
- Always Show All - All items visible always
Button Display Modes:
- Smart (Recommended) - Empty buttons are hidden but space reserved (stable keybinds)
- Static - All buttons always visible, including empty slots
- Dynamic - Bar shrinks/grows with items (
⚠️ breaks keybinds)
Important: For stable keybinds, use Smart or Static mode.
- Smart Mode (Recommended): Empty buttons are hidden but button positions never change. Keybind 1 always executes button 1, even if slots 2-5 are empty.
- Static Mode: All buttons always visible (including empty slots). Keybinds remain stable.
- Dynamic Mode:
⚠️ Button positions shift as items appear/disappear. Keybinds will break - not recommended if you use keybinds.
To set keybinds: Press ESC → Key Bindings → scroll to DynamicBar section.
Battle Mode (In Combat):
- Healthstone
- Health Potions
- Mana Potions
- Rejuvenation Potions
- Bandages
Prep Mode (Out of Combat):
- All battle items +
- Battle Elixirs
- Guardian Elixirs
- Flasks
- Food (buff and non-buff)
- Drink
- Hearthstone
Mode switching is automatic and implicit. No manual toggling required.
Health Potions: Minor → Super → Greater → Superior → Major Healing Mana Potions: Minor → Greater → Superior → Major Mana Rejuvenation Potions: Minor → Major → Super Rejuvenation (restores both health + mana) Healthstone: All warlock variants Battle Elixirs: First elixir found in bags (use flyout menu to select specific elixir if you have multiple types) Guardian Elixirs: Fortitude, Defense, Major Defense, etc. Flasks: Blinding Light, Pure Death, Relentless Assault, Fortification, Chromatic Wonder, Titans, etc. Bandages: Linen → Netherweave (TBC highest tier) Food: All Well Fed buff food + basic conjured food Drink: All mana regeneration beverages Hearthstone: Standard hearthstone
- English clients only - Localization planned for future release
- No quest/contextual items yet
- No weapon buffs/oils yet
- No visual mode indicators (implicit modes only)
- No export/import profile strings
This addon stands on the shoulders of decades of WoW addon innovation:
Inspired By:
- Action bar addons (Bartender, Dominos, ElvUI)
- Consumable management tools
- Combat UX improvements pioneered by the addon community
Built With:
- Ace3 Framework - nevcairiel, Mikk, Ammo, and contributors
- LibStub - Kaelten, Cladhaire, ckknight, Mikk, Ammo, Nevcairiel
- CallbackHandler - Nevcairiel and team
AI Development Transparency: This addon was created with assistance from Claude (Anthropic's AI). The AI helped with:
- Code generation and structure
- Problem-solving and debugging
- WoW API usage and best practices
- Design pattern implementation
However, all creative decisions, feature prioritization, testing, and user experience design came from human direction. This project represents a collaboration between human creativity and AI technical assistance.
Beta Testing: We're actively seeking feedback on:
- Battle/Prep mode UX
- First-time setup experience
- Item classification accuracy
- Combat safety and muscle memory
- Cross-addon compatibility
Report Issues:
- Include WoW version (TBC Classic 2.5.x)
- Steps to reproduce
- Enable debug mode with
/dbar debugand reproduce the issue - Use
/dbar debuglogto view persistent debug messages - Share debug log by copying chat output or finding it in
WTF/Account/YourAccount/SavedVariables/DynamicBarDB.lua(global.debugLog section) - Other installed addons (especially UI/action bar addons)
Debug Commands:
/dbar debug- Toggle debug mode (logs to chat and SavedVariables)/dbar debuglog- Display persistent debug log (last 100 entries)/dbar clearlog- Clear debug log/dbar dump- Dump current bag/item state/dbar pending- List items pending classification
All Rights Reserved (Beta)
This is pre-release software. Distribution, modification, and commercial use are not permitted during beta testing phase.
AutoBar by MuffinManKen pioneered smart consumable management in WoW addons. If you're looking for a mature, feature-rich solution with years of development, check out AutoBar first - it's the gold standard and has paved the way for addons like this one.
DynamicBar exists because I wanted something specific: minimal footprint, explicit control over what appears when, and a codebase I understand completely. It's a personal tool I'm sharing, not a competitor. Use what works for you.
Huge thanks to:
- MuffinManKen and the AutoBar project for pioneering this addon category
- The WoW addon development community
- Ace3 framework maintainers
- ElvUI, Masque, Dominos, and Bartender teams
- Beta testers and early adopters
- Every addon creator who pioneered UX improvements over the past 20 years
Your innovations made this possible.
Remember: This addon assists, it does not automate. Every action requires your click. Every decision is yours.