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Great job on the website! Just checked it out, it seems to be working well on my phone (I phone 5c). Its very easy to navigate and it's very orderly. I do have an interesting suggestion, but my knowledge on designing web pages is pretty limited so I have no idea if it's even practical. What do you think about doing interactive illustrations? Click on the part number on the illustration and it takes you right to where it is in the spread sheet and vice versa, that way people can even more easily find the fastener they are looking for!
Actually, that's not a bad idea. It can be done in PDF documents. In fact, I tweaked my copy of the master parts catalog that way on a couple of fasteners. For instance, in the drawing below that shows the wheelwell mouldings and the fasteners that hold them on, the fastener is shown as "AM". If you know where they hid the Exterior Moulding Retainer section you can go find "AM". But, I put a hyperlink on the left AM, as shown my the blue box, and if you click on it you go to the Retainer section as shown in the picture at the bottom. (But, since I also added the 3844939-S47X in blue to the drawing there's really no reason to go there.)
One problem with that approach is in finding the fastener you are looking for. As an example, I think there are three different illustrations that are needed to cover the front clip. Another is that I'd have to pull the illustrations out of the catalog and into a MUCH smaller pdf file (the illustration part of the catalog is over 2000 pages), and also create the tables that contain the info about each fastener. And, I'd have to buy the right software with which to manipulate the pdf files and create the tables.
Let me think about this approach. At first blush it is more work, but maybe not once I get my head around it. Hmmmmm.......
Yup! Just something to think about! As it is I can tell you it's a big help to those doing a nut and bolt restoration (Like myself)! Like I said, I don't know much about websites I'm just spitballing you some ideas!
Well, I think the new "interactive illustrations" idea that BTFordGuy302 had is going to work. But, the emphasis is on the word "think" as it certainly isn't there yet. But, please go download the pdf and see what y'all think: Ford 1980-86 Pickup Fasteners - Gary's Garagemahal
There's a bit of explanation on the web site, but I'll give you guys a bit more. First, just look at one of the three illustrations, pick a fastener that is outlined with a colored box, and click on it. The application I'm using to create and edit PDF's is Foxit PhantomPDF, and it gives me only a couple of options for a link that I can make work:
Web Link: This is the one that seems to hold the most promise right now. The blue links use this approach, and right now they take you to just a pic of the fastener. But, what if the picture also had the description of the fastener as well as where to get it?
Page View: This is what the red links do. It lets me decide what page of the file you'll see when you click on the link, how far zoomed in it is, and where the view is centered. But, I can't highlight anything to say "This is the # you clicked on."
Named Position: I would think this would be the option I want as I think it would let me define the # as a position and go there. But, I get "There are no named positions...", and I cannot figure out how to name positions.
Execute A File: Don't know what file I would want to kill, so haven't tried this.
Others: Can't figure out how to use this option, so....
Anyway, please give it a whirl and see what you think. If this looks like a good direction to you, is the picture/description/source via a web link the best approach? Or, do any of you know how to use "Named Positions"?
Such a concept is almost exactly like Ford's current in-house system operates - the one they use today instead of the manual parts catalog..... one can locate pictures, clock on individual components, and a new window opens up with specific information... it is WAY COOL in that it is FAST to look chit up.
So, are you saying you looked and it is WAY COOL, or the concept is?
UPDATE: When you download the file go to Page 2 and click the link circled in red, below. That's what a separate page for each fastener would look like, inc a caption that gives sources when known.
I kinda like this approach as I could actually put several pics of each fastener on the page if needed. Also, I should point out that the pdf is far clearer than any capture or print of it we could take. I find it still very usable zoomed in at 400%.
For me, it's opening in the same browser tab, I merely hit the browser's BACK button to get back to where I was... never tried this on a mobile device....
So, are you saying you looked and it is WAY COOL, or the concept is?
UPDATE: When you download the file go to Page 2 and click the link circled in red, below. That's what a separate page for each fastener would look like, inc a caption that gives sources when known.
I kinda like this approach as I could actually put several pics of each fastener on the page if needed. Also, I should point out that the pdf is far clearer than any capture or print of it we could take. I find it still very usable zoomed in at 400%.
Thanks, Chris. Glad it works on there. Here's what it looks like on both my iPhone and iPad using Safari. Notice the lack of additional text, links, etc.
And, here's page 2 from the iPad using Foxit's mobile app. Wouldn't you expect their own app to work with their PDF writer?
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