Topic: Gaming clan website

Working on making a web site for my Soldier of Fortune 2 clan, "Total Ruin" or ToRn. Looking for thoughts on the layout. I have NO idea how to make a site like this work so expect to see a lot of me in the next month. This is a jpg at 19 quality. Had to cut it way down for files size. I assume if i cut it up into smaller pieces i will get overall smaller file size? Ugh, so much to learn.

-Adam

Edit: Thought you MIGHT want the URL -> http://www.geocities.com/_xspyx_/preview.html



[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-16-2002).]

Hmm... well, first of all (and I could be wrong), I don't think cutting an image up will give you a lower file size overall. What it will do is be less tedious for the viewer, as the pieces will load up separately--which is probably better than waiting for the whole image to load at once.

It doesn't look like that is repeating. I know you won't be able to make the top part repeat, but you could have a graphic sitting at the top of the page for the title, and then have a repeating graphic beneath that as a background. It would probably be a bit rough to get it to match up, but I think it should be possible.

Also, does that need to be a .jpg? I think you'd be better off with .gif... OK, here's what I would do: I would have the "Total Ruin" title (and the divider) in a separate graphic at the top, and everything else would be on a repeating background running down the center of the page. Actually, to be honest with you, I would go with a much simpler design, but it's your call.

I've never tried anything like this before, so most of this is just conjecture...

[Edit: Stupid typos...]




Cell 270

[This message has been edited by Suho1004 (edited 10-16-2002).]

About slicing up Images:

You won't really get a better filesize out of it. Well, sometimes you will but not for that one. You will want to slice it up for functionality though. You could also make the top section a LOT smaller. As it currently stands the title and menu will take up the entire height of the screen at 800x600. It just doesn't need to be that big.

Snip the title off and have that as one image. Then you'll want to slice up the area with the menu so that each can act at a seperate button. Then you'll want a repeating / tiling image for the background of the site's content. This way the contant can extend indefinatly. Then you'll also want a footer image to end it with.

Suho might be right about Gif's being able to get that smaller. It doesn't have too many colours so you might want to give that a try. Might also want to try PNG's too. Their compression rates baffle me. Sometimes the files are massive, sometimes they beat JPEG's into a corner with no compression at all.

The problem with PNG's is that not all browser support them so it might not be a good idea to use it for something as important as the background and title image.

_________________________
Anyone who has lost track of time when using a computer knows the propensity to dream, the urge to make dreams come true and the tendency to miss lunch.
- copied from the wall of cell 408 -

Ok, this gonna sound stupid but can someone explain DIV?



[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

Also, just updated the site. Trying to use CSS, HTML,. . . which I have no working knowledge of. So, it's kind of touch and go.


[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

Umm.. Yeah. Learn HTML. Then make the website, it's a little hard to do it the other way around.

There's some great tutorials about CSS and stuff over at the GN.

PNG's work in all 5+ browsers. Transparency can be obtained in IE 5.5+/WIndows by setting a direct x filter.

Just checked the update. oops.

Ummmm Here's an idea:

Do the HTML first. Make all of the content, all the text and all of the links. Just simple text and links, no formatting bar a couble of line breaks here and there.

Once that's done then you can think about the images you may want to use. Otherwise the site will be dominated by the images, not the content. Which is really bad and it's the direction your heading in right now.

Not knowing how to make a site and attempting one with a rather extreame graphical layout like that is difficuly to pull off smoothly. You'll find yourself constantly taking two steps forward then one back again all the way through and that's just not fun.

quote:

---

Ok, this gonna sound stupid but can someone explain DIV?

---

These guys do it pretty well:
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/global.html#h-7.5.4

Content is more or less here -> http://www.geocities.com/eriknjakeup

Edit: Please don't waste time critiqing that site. There IS a reason I'm trying to make this one.

[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-17-2002).]

I know you're eager to make this site, but first things should come first. Take a deep breath, find some good html tutorials, and learn the basics. Then learn CSS. Once you have the basics down, then you can think about designing the site. Note that I said "the basics"--you don't have to have complete mastery. Just enough to get you started, and then you can learn the rest along the way. But you really do need a foundation first before you start building your house.

I've also got to agree with Drac--don't think about images first. Think information structure first, and the presentation will follow. Graphics should come after you have your basic page layout put together.

Don't neglect your studies. It may be tedious now, but you'll be thankful later. Good luck!

Ugh, how ironic you would say studies. I just woke up. . . inside the Architecture building. I'm still here and I will probably be staying again tonight. Got a design project due monday and I'm going home to visit the rents over the weekend so this bs gotta get done. Wow - grammar lacking. . . slipping into slang mode. . .

Y'all are right about the structure/content stuff. I have a pretty clear idea in my head of how it is gonna go together; I skipped ahead to graphics because photoshop is what I know.

Thanks for the advice. I'll post again in a week or two after I've had more chance to get my bearings with the code stuff <grumble> <grumble>.

-Adam

Ok done a little more learning/working. I know the links at the top aren't up. Gotta learn some java for that I suppose. Anyway here's the members page that is more or less done. Lemme know if ya think I'm heading in the right direction!

-Adam
http://www.geocities.com/_xspyx_/membertest.html



[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

Ok since no one has been there yet i should let ya know im trying to get the java buttons working. When you click the link you will see that obviously it's not going so well. So, help on that will be appreciated as well.

-Adam

Edit: NM!!!!!! I GOT IT TO WORK!!!!!!! I JUST HAD A HYPER FIT!!!!! I NEED TO GET OUT MORE!!!!!
This finsihed page -> http://www.geocities.com/_xspyx_/members.html

[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

Ah, you mean JavaScript, right? Anyway, glad to see you got them working.

Personally, I think it would look better centered... it looks a little odd sitting off to the left like that. If you're going to center it, though, you'd have to go with relative positioning. And centering itself is something of a pain in the butt in CSS. You might want to check out Blue Robot for some ideas on centering (look in the menu at the top right).

well, i have to admit that i based a lot of this off of dracusis' transit site. he centered that one using javaSCRIPT and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go and mess with that.



[This message has been edited by SPyX (edited 10-25-2002).]

Ah, I see... that is one way of doing it, but you have to remember that some people do surf with JS off. Not like it's going to break your site if it's not centered, though, so you might want to give it a shot. You could also try messing around with pure CSS and see what you can do. Of course, it's not a completely critical issue...