Layout

[Lord_Onslaught]

Hey Shmax, you asked over at Tformers if we had issues or ideas, so I'm here to oblige, though first off I didn't mean a which site is better debate. Far from it, more like a combination of the two type of thing. Anyway here is what I think would be helpful at least it would for me. If I implied a which site was better you have my apologies for it.

Take the toyline I will use Cybertron for my example

Cybertron has its own page have the Transformers broken up by what type they are
Deluxe
Scout
Leader
etc etc.

then have a Have option, and and insert quanitity.

Another thing is how you have your database broken down. I like how you are indepth and have each line separate from each other even its Takara counterpart like you have Cybertron and Galaxy Force separate. I just do not like having to click almost ten x's just to get to the line I want to add to my list. Maybe have it set up where one button will give you American another will be Japan and so forth?

[engledogg]

Not sure I follow. 

From here:
http://www.shmax.com/database/1

over on the left, it takes two clicks to get to all of Cybertron.  One on the + sign by "United States" and one on the + by "Cybertron".  All of the other subcategories (like Scout, Deluxe, etc.) are viewable at that point.  So, another click on which subcategory name you want for a total of three.

Same number of clicks with Galaxy Force.  One on on the + sign by Japan and one on the + by Galaxy Force.  Then another on either the Cybertron or Destron links, if we're talking main line toys, again for a total of three clicks.

To add anything to your collection, you can either do it quick and easy (just click the add to my collection link found below each record) or, if you want to get more involved, you can click the blue bar that appears and input price paid, date of purchase, etc. there.

MIKE
engledogg

[Lord_Onslaught]

It is the whole way you have to get there that I do not like, clicking the x's is not best way to do it and rather annoying along with going through 9 to 3 pages instead of all of it it one one page broken down by what class they are

[engledogg]

Sorry, how are you going through 9 pages?

Off one page, you can get to exactly where you want to go

If you want everything lumped onto one big page, that's easy enough.

Either search for U.S. Cybertron or click the + by United States, then click the Cybertron link:

http://www.shmax.com/database/238

Then, another click to sort by Category: A-Z. 

You can also change the # of results per page.  Yours is likely set on 20.  Change it to 100 so you can see more of the category at once.

MIKE
engledogg

[Lord_Onslaught]

If you search by 2o per page Cybertron is 9 pages long and 4 with 50 per page, you also are not able to break the line down to Deluxe, Scout, Ultra, Voyager and have all of them on the same page at the same time

[engledogg]

Like I told you before, increase it to 100 per page...then sort by Category A-Z. 

The line is most certainly broken down by size class/subcategory.

If you increase the # to 100, you'll find that Deluxe Class is first (as it's listed alphabetically), with the Original Packaging seen first, then the Primus Battles Packaging, then the next subcategory (Exclusives, and then all it's subcategories), and so on.

The Cybertron line contains 168 entries, and can be seen, in its entirety, on two pages.

I think what you're getting at is a gallery view...that's something we'll consider implementing in the future.

MIKE
engledogg

[Lord_Onslaught]

You read my mind Mike,

The Gallery view

[shmax]

I think what you're getting at is a gallery view...that's something we'll consider implementing in the future.

Yeah, maybe I'll whip something together over the next few days and we can see how it feels. We actually did have a gallery view at one point--I'm not sure what happened to it, but I'll poke around and see if the code is still there. It's not a terrible idea at all, but it will create some difficulty as I'll need to find room for the collection interface.

[Lord_Onslaught]

I'm just one of those who, when I look at a toyline I want to be able to see the whole toyline like how it is set up in gallery view on one single page

[Tripredacus]

I'm just one of those who, when I look at a toyline I want to be able to see the whole toyline like how it is set up in gallery view on one single page

Do you mean something that looks like this?
http://www2.unicron.com/2005-transformers/cybertron.html

[shmax]

I'm going to try something along those lines. I've got another project to finish up, and then I hope to start on it tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned...

[shmax]

How's this?

http://www.shmax.com/database/1?show=gallery&sort=category&num_results=100&page=1

A bit crude, but not bad for a few hours of fiddlin'. If it proves to be popular with the critics, I'll have to think about ways to make things like 'Add to my collection' and the other stuff available. Thoughts?

[engledogg]

Not too shabby...some formatting problems for some categories (especially when sorting above 20 per page), but on the whole, pretty cool.

http://www.shmax.com/database/238?show=gallery&sort=category&num_results=40

http://www.shmax.com/database/238?show=gallery&sort=category&num_results=100

There's a United States link hanging out there on the left (at the top) which I think should be down below Thundercracker to start off the Primus Unleashed stuff.  They (the stray United States links) continue down through the document.

Overall, though, not too shabby.

Are you going to put a link to it up there by details | summary?

[shmax]

Not too shabby...some formatting problems for some categories (especially when sorting above 20 per page), but on the whole, pretty cool.

http://www.shmax.com/database/238?show=gallery&sort=category&num_results=40

http://www.shmax.com/database/238?show=gallery&sort=category&num_results=100

There's a United States link hanging out there on the left (at the top) which I think should be down below Thundercracker to start off the Primus Unleashed stuff.  They (the stray United States links) continue down through the document.

Overall, though, not too shabby.

Are you going to put a link to it up there by details | summary?

Hmm, I know that some of the product names are overlapping the thumbnails, but I'm not seeing the stray US links problem. Got a screenshot?

I won't add the details link until we work out more of the kinks.

[engledogg]

That's odd...before, I just had links (no cool black bars or anything).  Check the attachment for a screen shot.

MIKE
engledogg