Tyre Selector Help

[ethomas]

Hi all, I'm totally new to Actinic, having previously worked with StoreFront shopping cart software.

I need to build a tyre selector (as you'll find on Kwik Fit or whatever, where you enter tread details and others and it tells you what tyres to buy) into my website and I have no idea where to start. As anyone else done this? Could anyone give me any tips?

Thanks

[leehack]

Hi Emma welcome to the forum, i think you are using the wrong product for your store. You would be advised to use an online database, not offline like with actinic. The only way you could get close is using variables and the search hacks in the AUG, but its not really where you should be looking IMO.

[ethomas]

Tyre Selector Help

I was hoping you wouldn't say that..

Could there perhaps be a way to apply attributes to each product and create a search filter?

[leehack]

Search can run by variables, there may be some mileage there, but my initial advice still stands. You can try and sail the channel in a paper boat, but at some stage you are going to find out, you haven't got the best of boats for that job. If someone manages to advise before you start sailing, see it as a blessing, not a challenge to overcome.

[ethomas]

Thanks

Okay thank you for your help. I'll look into it.

[Darren B]

Well i answer this thread, but delete the other - please

i recon with a search hack and custom variables you should be able to set the tyre types for each product like brand, tread, e.t.c and us the search function to achieve this, basically it will narrow down the tyres as you select the variable.

the variables i can do, using the search this way i will leave to someone with more experience

D

[RogerCoathup]

same requirement

Hi Emma welcome to the forum, i think you are using the wrong product for your store. You would be advised to use an online database, not offline like with actinic. The only way you could get close is using variables and the search hacks in the AUG, but its not really where you should be looking IMO.

Lee,

I'm facing the same requirement... again cars, but this time 'performance' add-ons rather than tyres.

I'm not sure what you mean by online vs. offline database in this context?

Any suggestions on a suitable alternative product would be appreciated.

Thanks, Roger

[leehack]

In simple terms Roger an online database is interrogated at the time when a user actually enters the choices online. Actinic does not work like this, as each page is pre built and sent to the server already complete.

If we liken this to baking a cake, then an online database, will ask what ingredients you want to have in your cake and will go off and cook it there and then for you with those ingredients. Whereas Actinic will have the cake variations already cooked with set ingredients and you just have to choose which one you want or which one suits you best.

Both solutions have advantages, but an online database is more powerful in the OP example as you can search by value, manufacturer, size, car etc. very easily once setup, with Actinic this all has to be put in place either by search hacks, multiple duplicate products in multiple sections or multiple menu php menus filtering by variables.

You get to a certain level where Actinic is not sensible to use, this was the case for the OP as there is just too much going on for that to be done in Actinic IMO. Most sites however can easily use Actinic as the search interrogation does not have to be that intuitive.