69 replies to this topic

[rcthelp]

It isn't complete yet, but here's a sneak preview of the new Ridex layout when displaying results of searches.

 rx3teaser1.png   69.76KB   35 downloads

Clicking on the thumbnail brings up the larger screenshot. This uses the fantastic Lightbox2 Javascript library.

 rx3teaser2.png   277.67KB   31 downloads

[Woodpecker]

Very, very nice! I especially like the lovely ride preview.

One question: why are Golf Holes counted as Inversions? Golf holes have never been forms of inversions, and it just looks wrong! I understand the need to save space on the server, but could the programme could be made to detect whether the track is a Crazy Golf design, and if so turn the category from 'Inversions' to 'Holes' instead? Then there would be no visual confusion.

Edited by Woodpecker, 22 June 2009 - 09:40 PM.

[rcthelp]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll think about the Golf Holes. It's nothing to do with saving space on the server, it's the way the game stores the data in the track file. The same byte is used because I guess there are no coasters with golf holes and no mini-golfs with inversions! But I guess I could check to see what type of ride I am about to display, and send the correct text on that basis.

[rcthelp]

I have only one new screen to show, but as I've now permanently closed the old Ride Exchanges to convert and load the rides into the new Exchange, I thought I'd better post an update on the new Exchange.

When adding a ride, we will accept the screenshots that come with the game, [that's BMP for RCT2, and PCX for RCT1], or PNG or GIF graphics files. We'll no longer accept JPEG files.

Previously we got a lot of JPEG files because we specified the screenshot had to be a small file, and people used JPEG compression. The result was often quite a low quality screenshot with lots of 'artefacts', and the thumbnails that we generate automatically were even lower quality.

Also, we are no longer saying what the maximum resolution can be. Previously we specified a maximum width of 640 and height of 480. Now, we will resize the images that you upload. We will maintain the aspect ratio of any uploaded image, but convert it so that is never more than 800 pixels wide, and no more than 600 pixels high. Similarly the thumbnails will be no more than 200 high and 150 wide. We will convert the screenshots to PNG files.

Testing is showing that [for example]:

an RCT2 1280x960 1.15MB BMP file gets converted to a 540KB 750x600 PNG file, and a 45KB 188x150 thumbnail PNG
an RCT1 1024x768 363KB PCX file gets converted to a 52KB 800x600 PNG file, and a 32KB 200x150 thumbnail PNG

I'm trying to improve that BMP file size reduction significantly.

A new innovation is that, when you upload a ride, you make your comments using the same editor as you use to post topics and replies. Still a work in progress, here's a screenshot of part of the upload screen.

 upload.png   24.4KB   21 downloads

The code to create the zipfile {which contains the track, the screenshot and the build instructions} has needed to be completely redesigned. This is because the code I was using before seems to produce corrupt files on this server since we upgraded PHP. That's the main reason I've had to close the current Exchanges.

I hope that the new Ride Exchange will be complete before the end of this month.

[Woodpecker]

That's VERY nice! Will we be able to edit our comments at a later date? I'm thinking of my Shockwave 2 series of files where after deleting the earlier versions I could transfer the comments to the final versions.

Edited by Woodpecker, 15 July 2009 - 02:42 PM.

[Loserface300]

wonnderful!

[rcthelp]

I hope that the new Ride Exchange will be complete before the end of this month.

Boy, I am miles off this deadline. Since I made that post I haven't done any further work on the new Ridex, and I am on holiday now for most of August.

I need to reset expectations.

The new Ridex will not be available until late September, and the old ones must remain closed due to a bug that corrupts the download files when they are created, but which I don't have time to find and fix.

[Woodpecker]

What's left to do? You've made me really curious!

[rcthelp]

This is the list I made when I started

Functions

• Create a session
• Update a session
• Create a member
• Check the track file
• Check the screenshot
• Create the thumbnail
• Create the build instructions
• Create the zip file
• Add the ride to the database
• Add a screenshot
• Edit a screenshot
• Delete a screenshot
• Add a comment
• Edit a comment
• Delete a comment
• Update the 'hall of fame'
• Update the ridex stats
• Change search filters
• Save search filters
• Download a ride
• Upload a ride
• Browse the ridex
• Display credits
• Display Hall of Fame
• Display Help
• Subscribe
• Edit Subscription
• Delete subscription
• Log
• Send subscription notices
• Display random tracks
• Housekeeping
• User Control Panel Settings
• User Profile Displays
• Member Displays
• Display in posts
• Location
• Redirect
• Search
• All the AdminCP functions
• Implement permissions system
• Vcard
• Download limits system
• Remove language hardcoding
• Skins

Not much to do at all then.

[Woodpecker]

]Not much to do at all then.

Man, that's a lot of work! I'm glad to see you can edit your comments though