Cleaner expanded favorites menu SkyUI mod idea, have some questions

[AdamvsMaximvs]

Awful Ms paint draft of the idea; https://imgur.com/gallery/YnJJrYq

I've had a simple mod idea. Basically take the existing SkyUI favorites menu and break magic into specific disciplines. I know there's the various 'categorized favorites menus', but they're all massive screen fillers and I want something clean and simple that doesn't veer very far from the existing SkyUI design.

That being said, I'm not a modder, nor a computer programmer, so if I proceed with this, it'd be my first undertaking so I had a few questions I'd like to ask more knowledgeable people than myself.

1) Is this even possible within the realm of SkyUI and mods? I'm assuming so, given the existence of CFM mods, but thought I'd better ask first.

2) My understanding is the best way is to learn some flash as the UI interfaces are developed with flash. Is that still the case, or is another tool better to look into for this?

3) Assuming it's possible and I can get the software I'd need for this, is this even realistic for a first time modder? Or is this something that looks deceptively simple but is actually a major pain and requires a lot more knowledge than I have?

Thanks for any input/help/tips. I'm hoping this is an easy enough mod for a first timer to try and make, but I'm definitely in need of some guidance.

 

[AdamvsMaximvs]

Looking further into this, there are 7 files that compose the favorites menu in SkyUI inside of src>FavoritesMenu
They are;
FavoritesIconSetter.as
FavoritesListEnry.as
FavoritesMenu.as
FilterDataExtender.as
GroupButton.as
GroupButtonDataExtender.as
FavoritesMenu.fla

So far looking at some of the files, I don't think changes are required in;
-FavoritesIconSetter.as
-FavoritesListEndry.as
-GroupButton.as (I think, there's not a lot to this file)
-GroupDataExtender.as

Changes should be required in;
-FavoritesMenu.as
Under Stage elements at line 98 I'm assuming 'public var btnMagic: Button;

Will need to become something like
public var btnShout: Button;
public var btnAlteration: Button;
public var btnConjuration: Button;
public var btnDestruction: Button;
public var btnIllusion: Button;
public var btnRestoration: Button;

Under public function @API at line 231 I'm asuming a similar change is required from
btnMagic.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
to
btnShout.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
btnAlteration.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
btnConjuration.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
btnDestruction.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
btnIllusion.group = _categoryButtonGroup;
btnRestoration.group = _categoryButtonGroup;

also, under /*Private functions */ additional changes would be needed

btnMagic.disabled = true;
and
btnMagic.visible = fasle;
would all need to be replaced with the individual schools as above.

-FilterDataExtender.as
16 public static var FILTERFLAG_MAGIC = 0x00000008;

This line is going to have to get broken into several like;
public static var FILTERFLAG_SHOUT
public static var FILTERFLAG_ALTERATION
public static var FILTERFLAG_CONJURATION
public static var FILTERFLAG_DESTRUCTION
public static var FILTERFLAG_ILLUSION
public static var FILTERFLAG_RESTORATION

but I'm not really sure how those hex values/offsets are determined or where you'd get them.

on line 74 there's also
case Form.TYPE_SPELL:
case Form.TYPE_SHOUT:
case Form.TYPE_SCROLLITEM:

Now I'm not sure if those will require changing or not.

The remaining changes would have to be of the 'FavoritesMenu.fla', moving and changing icons and increasing the size of the favorites window, which is proving harder than I thought.

Does this sound like I'm on the right path so far? SkyUI's source code is here for anyone willing to help and review;

https://github.com/schlangster/skyui