Design snapshot

[leehack]

Can we have one please that takes all design data or even a checklist where we say what we want included in a snapshot.

[jont]

... and one that works would be great

[RuralWeb]

one that works would be great

gets my vote

[pinbrook]

One that works so that as a designer you can design a site in v8 create a design snapshot, then get a v6/7 snapshot, upgrade the database and apply the design snapshot.

ie a design snapshot that brings Site Options over.

The current method of working backwards, ie allows a developer no time to upgrade a working ecommerce site with up to date data.

if you have to import product data and import orders just makes life vey difficult as you either have to suspend the live site otherwise you lose stock control or at the very least ask the client not to download orders whilst you are fixing it all together.

This allows for NO TIME to sort out stuff if it goes wrong which it invariably does.

My own experience of this, just last week, was a hierarchical export from 8 that wouldn't import into 8 despite me making no changes, and an import orders that split the customer name into name and company name. The later is quite impressive as we have campaigned for years to get the customer name split into title,firstname, lastname.

[cdicken]

Thanks chaps

I have passed this on to the team. This is something I personally would definitely find useful.

[Donna]

If its worth anything please add my vote for this.

Its more than annoying and disappointing to find this feature half baked to say the least.

[Blonde brain]

The design snapshot is a complete joke but a one i really don't find funny anymore

My customers would not tolerate a compromised product. Why should I?
The amount of time that both myself and my designer have spent on getting my V7 site to upgrade is ludicrous and a total waste of time.

Get your finger out actinic and give us the product that we paid for.

[pinbrook]

It seems this thread is gaining momentum, and could compete with Google Checkout for votes.

It would be nice to see some feedback from Actinic re when they see themselves producing a workable design snapshot for designers/developers

and maybe Actinic could also ask designers/developers what they would like to see in this feature.

[leehack]

ROLL UP, ROLL UP, come on you designers, this would rock!

I vote for a screen with checkboxes, so that you choose what is included yourself, with some global selectors to take "ALL" design elements for example.

Product Snapshot, Design Snapshot, Orders Snapshot, Shipping Snapshot, they'd all have something to offer. Imagine a product snapshot - (in a Mary Poppins voice) goodbye, fairwell to the hierarchical export.

[jont]

This is something I personally would definitely find useful.

Comes to something when the main man is also asking for it to work!!

One of the main reasons for releasing v8 was to encourage designers away from other products (or custom built PHP carts for example) and onto the Actinic band wagon.. integration with Dreamweaver being the most noticeable extension of this move.

In reality this is far from happening. If a designer is unable to send the design over to a client which can then be installed with ease why are they going to use Actinic rather than their tried and trusted application?

I have just spent weeks creating a v8 design which just will not install on a clients machine with the updates via the partial design function. I am now forced to take their site snapshot, install into a temp site and attempt to integrate the new design over the top and send back. The "down time" for the client is obviously very serious in not really being able to work on the site data whilst in my hands.

Thankfully for the client I am on a fixed rate ... sadly for me I now have to spend more time implementing my design which the partial design snapshot should do automatically.

At least in v7 you could simply email over the Act_Template from the site folder and that would sort... this is neigh on impossible with the current library system and the various layouts in place.

GAARRRRRRRRR

[pinbrook]

I have just spent weeks creating a v8 design which just will not install on a clients machine with the updates via the partial design function. I am now forced to take their site snapshot, install into a temp site and attempt to integrate the new design over the top and send back. The "down time" for the client is obviously very serious in not really being able to work on the site data whilst in my hands.

This is exactly the position I am in.... its nigh on impossible to upgrade a site that uses stock control, without the client having to do some remedial work.

I now charge for v8 upgrades on an hourly basis - having done 2 where I ended up out of pocket as I spent days fighting actinic bugs. This is not ideal as a client needs a fixed budget and I need to be transparent with charging.

[leehack]

Chris wanting this also will be our greatest asset on getting this ASAP. It's quite ridiculous currently.

[jont]

It's quite ridiculous currently.

It is tear-jerkingly bad.

I spend a lot of time developing a site, being professional, answering emails, being a down right good egg ... to be let down and made to look quite foolish by not being able to send over my work... I can quite easily make myself look incompetent without v8 adding to the mix.

[pinbrook]

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=29176

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=29374

Best phrases to describe design snapshot to date.... all ised in previous discussions

tear-jerkingly bad.

rock and a hard place

jibbering wreck

[pinbrook]

I've just realised its been 10 months since V8 was first released, and it still feels like its in Beta.

I would like to think that after a piece of software had released for 10 months some of its more experienced developers wouldn't still be running for the hills (or the drinks cabinet) each time they are asked by a client to upgrade a previous version.