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Getting Started

Install the addon

WowUp WowUp CurseForge CurseForge

Install Spectrum Federation with the CurseForge client, WowUp, Wago Addons, or a release archive from GitHub Releases. Use the icons above to open the WowUp (Wago) or CurseForge listing. Those installers should place the parent addon and both optional child addons: Cursed Surge Tracker and RC Loot Council Integration. Disable a child in World of Warcraft's AddOns list if you do not want it; Spectrum Federation cannot enable or disable children from /sf.

For a manual installation, extract the archive and place the SpectrumFederation, SpectrumFederation_CursedSurgeTracker, and SpectrumFederation_RCLootCouncilIntegration folders in the Retail AddOns directory:

  • Windows: World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface\AddOns\
  • macOS: World of Warcraft/_retail_/Interface/AddOns/

Restart World of Warcraft or run /reload, then enable the addon for the characters that will use it.

Open Spectrum Federation

Enter /sf to toggle the addon's standalone settings window. The left sidebar lists categories grouped into:

  • Core — General, Guild Settings, and Gameplay. Gameplay includes the optional Mouse Tracer on UI Enhancements.
  • Raid Tools — Loot Helper, Loot Logs, Raid Equipment, and Raid Supplies, in that order.
  • Advanced — diagnostic logging.
  • Optional — installed child addons, such as Cursed Surge Tracker when it is present.

Loot Helper's General, Profile, Session, Admin, Character, and temporary RC Loot Council pages are tabs on the Loot Helper category, not extra sidebar rows. Paths such as Loot Helper → Profile mean: select Loot Helper, then the Profile tab. Loot Logs, Raid Equipment, and Raid Supplies are their own sidebar categories. Raid Supplies keeps Configuration and Logs as content tabs.

The Loot Helper window appears automatically when all of these conditions are true:

  1. Loot Helper is enabled.
  2. An active profile is selected.
  3. You are in a raid, unless Show Loot Window outside of Raid is enabled.
  4. You have not closed the window with the X button or Hide Loot Window during this session.

You can also enter /sf loot to enable Loot Helper if needed and show the window. Closing the window hides the UI only; Loot Helper stays active in the background. A /reload restores automatic visibility.

Create your first loot profile

  1. Open /sf.
  2. Select Loot Helper → Profile.
  3. Enter a name under Create Profile and select Create.

The new profile becomes active immediately. Its creator is added as the owner, first member, and first admin.

Profiles hold their own roster, loot mode, point name, Attendance, Reward Pot, admin list, Raid Check whisper/award settings, safe-mode options, and change history. Switching profiles changes the data shown by Loot Helper and Loot Logs.

Add and manage members

Join a raid with the people you want to add. In the Loot Helper roster, players who are in the raid but not yet in the active profile have an add button for profile admins.

For profile members:

  • In Point Based mode, the Points column uses the profile's point name.
  • In Reward Pot mode, the Points column is hidden and the current pot is shown above the list.
  • Each row also shows BiS slots used out of possible slots and an equipment-readiness warning only when something is known to be missing. The roster Att.% and Prep.% columns are temporarily hidden; presence and preparedness history are still recorded.
  • Admins change Attendance points or loot points under Loot Helper → Character. Those balances are separate from the (currently hidden) Att.% and Prep.% glance metrics.
  • The equipment button opens that member's equipment-category history.
  • Admins can mark equipment categories used or available; all users can view them.

Enable Show Members not in raid if you want the roster to include offline or absent profile members.

The profile owner can switch loot mode under Loot Helper → Profile. See Point Based and Reward Pot.

Start a shared session

A profile admin who is in a party or raid can start a session from:

  • the play button in the Loot Helper title bar;
  • Loot Helper → Session → Session Control; or
  • /sf loot session start.

The coordinator compares profile history with other online admins, then announces the session. Other addon users automatically request a profile or missing history when needed. See Sync Sessions for safe modes and session behavior.

Run a Raid Check

Profile admins run checks from Loot Helper → Session:

  • Pre-Raid Check to report preparation problems without awarding points, Attendance, or pot changes.
  • Raid Check to report problems and award loot points in Point Based mode, or Attendance and a possible pot deduction in Reward Pot mode.

If no session is active, the addon asks whether to start one. See Raid Check before enabling automatic whispers or awards.

Useful commands

  • /sf — toggle settings.
  • /sf help — list registered commands.
  • /sf profiles — list local profiles.
  • /sf raidcheck pre — run a pre-raid check.
  • /sf raidcheck raid — run the awarding raid check.
  • /sf version — show who in the raid or party is running Spectrum Federation, and which version.
  • /sf loot sync — manually compare your data with the active session.
  • /sfcst — dump Cursed Surge Tracker diagnostics.

The Slash Command Reference lists every supported command and restriction.