The mystery of Aqua-Soft's elusive resources section...

As long as i can remember... there's been a little link in the menu at the top of Aqua-Soft's front page to a non-existence resources section. Anyone who has ever clicked on it will know of it's misleading nature... back towards the front page.

Anyhow, enough of all that... i have a proposition that may eventually lead to that void being filled... so here we go...

Here are a few images with my ideas for the resources section...

Firstly, the submission process:

Click for image (P.S. a very big image at that, so please wait)

For the most part, it speaks for itself, though i'd like to highlight the last two panels of it, which, with some nifty php-ing (can it be a verb?) should be able to integrate this feature into the forums. Please read the text on these last two to get an idea of what the feature would do. A feature which might make things a whole lot easier for mods.... Anyhow, still work in progress as i change the features of it.

And as for the browser...

Click for image (not so big)

Again, fairly self explanatory...

So... no doubt you're thinking, "well this is all very lovely, but making all the images isn't the hard part, the trick is in making it actually work!"

Well no problem. So far anyway... i'm still working on it, tuning the submission process (image uploader, resizer and mover is proving tedious) but, having only spent a short while on it i do have some form of browser complete with sturdy MySQL database.

The theme i'm using on it is somewhat arbitary... and i'm still working on different browsing methods... but just to prove it's not all hot air here are two examples....

EDIT: Newer aqua-ier version: HERE

Columns Method (P.S. Internet Explorer makes it look even worse... I suggest Firefox till i sort it all out...)

Thumbnail + Info Method

If you do decide to try it out, the only category currently with any test items in is the Windowblinds one, so don't be surprised if the rest are blank.

Feedback people, feedback!

P.S. Before i waste any more time is anyone actually interested in a resources section? I've skipped on the "market research" here... Even if anyone isn't... it's been good for "personal gain"...

#355215

i've only submitted a couple of things, so don't know how much i'd use it, but it looks like a great idea. and it looks great!

#355220

this looks great!, i would definetely submit stuff

#355231

looks indeed absolutely stunning!

#355239

I really love this idea, since it would in some ways make it easier to just browse all submissions, without having to read all comments on everything.

Keep it up!

#355243

Uh? Resource section works here?

#355250

Seriously? What does it do? I don't think it works for anyone else...

#355251

#355252

Well sorry if it's stopped working for you... the server is... tempremental.

P.S. Timan........???????

#355253

LOL See the attached image. I'm on a library computer, that's why it's not aqua.

Screen.zip

Attachment: Screen.zip

#355254

CDi, I approve your suggestion and idea of doing something like that.

Basically this is what that section was planned for.

- Tutorials (how-to aquafy your desktop)

- Links (useful links to downloads, tutorials, other customizing stuff)

- Downloads (was an option, but we can not host any files at aqua-soft so that was a concern)

I love your idea, problem is, is it something that is possible? I also am not a big fan of adding mods to the forum, so it has to be something that can integrate into the site without the need of modding anything.

#355255

Hmm... fair points, i'll start by addressing your three points first

- Tutorials... Could just be another Category

- Links... Not what i had interpreted as "Resources" but that could perhaps be a different page entirely

- Downloads.... Yes i beared in mind that you wouldn't want to host those, so in the submission process i allowed the user to specify a link to where the file is hosted... (e.g. devArt) and hence the "size" box, because it would not be able to detect the size of the file if it is not hosted by aqua-soft but from an external source.

And the mod issue... well it could be done without mods but there's always the risk of illegitimate material...maybe use a report function instead so that users can patrol it themselves so to speak...

But anyway, if it doesn't get put to use i'm not bothered, it's been handy as a personal project in refining MySQL skills more than anything, i just neede a theme around which to work.

#355260

Well, this is something I can see possible

(posting wise)

- Select Category

- Put in File Information

- Description + Thumb/SS

- Verify

- Submit file + (bbcode / template for someone to make a new thread on, it would not post one, but give them the bit to post one themselves).

Files would must be verified by a staffer / (sep user / pass, nothing to do with forum)

#355267

Well i wrote the following fields in one of the database tables for the items (for now):

-id

-name

-category

-author

-size

-date

-version

-rating

-downloads

-description

-preview Image (just working on script to get this from the full one)

-full image

-validated

Once everything is written to the db then it's fairly easy to work with...

Though unfortunately I have little experience with the forum system so the whole "Auto-Post" idea is more of a concept than a working example... but if it is able to import that data into the fields, for the user to then submit that is perfect.

And i was wondering what the possibilities of the first page of the submission system accessing the user database of the forums for the sign in... or would security/password encryptions hinder this...

#355271

@ Timan - Magnolium MIGHT give you a Needlemen/d7hosting account for free... Mine has 500GB bandwidth. That should be enough for now. There is also a free version with 30GB.

#355273

@ Timan - Magnolium might give you a Needlemen/d7hosting account...

I have one of those, so there's no issue there, i'm already sharing portions of it via ftp out to people and i'm happy to share it to more, but with the files we are dealing with, it is probably better to keep them off server for the sake of straining it, especially as it's not dedicated hosting, and those aco****s are a courtesy, and hence removed at his wish.

#355275

Its not a hosting issue, its just we are not here to host those files, and we do not want to get in any trouble hosting that stuff. We've been in trouble in the past for having the aqua-apps so.

#355280

I always thought the resource section would store a Webstoreish thingie for the WP and Forum templates.

#355324

I always thought the resource section would store a Webstoreish thingie for the WP and Forum templates.

It could be for anything really... just... add another category

#355491

Hmm... a semi-update... just thought i'd put a more aqua-esque spin on it... p.s. i know the icons look crap they're just a tester, and i've still got more to add, but just wondering if this interface is preferred...

See it here.

#355548

in short what were the aqua apps?

#355575

http://www.aqua-soft.org/resources/ always has worked, almost exactly like CDi's idea

Resources... yes, Tim... yes.

This looks awsome, CDi. Please keep up the work, I'd love to see this on the site.

#355630

in short what were the aqua apps?

You've been here since Nov 2004 and you don't know what the aqua-apps were?

http://aquaxp.com/news/?p=10

#355870