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Project Database Brainstorm (updated 10/31/07)

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SavannahLion:
I got bored reading through most of the posts with the details. So please excuse me if I pick up on somethng already gone over.

Filtering searches or browsings (not enough sites allow filters on browsing their databases) based on percentage of the cab completed. Most of the time, I don't have very much interest in looking at cabs that are only modeled in some program.

An account system that allows me to generate a searchable "favorites" of cabs that are of particular interest to me along with a small notation system to remind myself why I like the cab. Kind of like "cabs I'm watching" kind of thing. moddb.com has a similar system, close but not quite perfect. :)

Neverending Project:

--- Quote from: SavannahLion on October 29, 2007, 07:52:56 pm ---Filtering searches or browsings (not enough sites allow filters on browsing their databases) based on percentage of the cab completed. Most of the time, I don't have very much interest in looking at cabs that are only modeled in some program.

An account system that allows me to generate a searchable "favorites" of cabs that are of particular interest to me along with a small notation system to remind myself why I like the cab. Kind of like "cabs I'm watching" kind of thing. moddb.com has a similar system, close but not quite perfect. :)
--- End quote ---
I like these ideas. It is exactly what i was thinking of.

Initial post has been updated. We are looking for thoughts on what fields should be captured.

Jimbo:
OK looking at your initial list of requirements, at first glance I'd like to suggest the following:

Add fields:
 - name of cab
 - theme of cab?
 - project summary
 - date started
 - plans (sketchup/autocad/pen-and-paper/"by the book"/based-on/etc.)
 - Display Mounting Angle (e.g. 45 degrees)
 - BYOAC project thread (a link to)
 - total cost to make

Other stuff:
 - Front-End: I'd make that "multiple entries allowed"
 - % Complete:  10% increments is fine but you HAVE to have 99% in there! :)
 - CP Pics is cool, but what about "Cabinet pics"? ;)
 - Display Type:  add "motorised rotating" as an option
 - Display: add dual-screen?
 - add "is touch screen" as another field for the display?
 - let users add tags to their cab (as I mentioned before).  I have a mysql db-schema and some queries for searching a database of tags and returning results in a sort of "relevance" order, gimme a shout if you want it.

Thats it for now!



shock_:
Added thoughts within the quoted text in red underline


--- Quote from: Neverending Project on October 25, 2007, 12:56:36 pm ---
Type: [Upright, Cocktail, Cockpit, Jukebox, Bartop, Other]
I'd also think it useful to know if the cab followed a base reference design, eg. the ubiquitous Ms Pac cocktail or a Lusid. Because there are so many base models though this could be hard to manage as a controlled list.  Best handled by free text / tags perhaps?

The completion and phase fields can be captured a couple of different ways. We an have a field for the phase of construction:
Phase: [Planning/Design, Construction, Almost Complete, Complete, Sold, Re-design]
And another field for percent complete.
Complete: [0-100] in 10% increments
Would the percent complete reset for each phase? Should we skip the phase, and only offer a percentage?
I'd actually skip this percentage and leave the phase.  Far less subjective and probably more useful.

Front-End: [Mala, Mamewah, GameEx, etc.]
OS: [DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, TinyXP, Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Linux]
Emulator: [MAME, Daphne, Modeler, Nebula, Vantage, Zinc, etc.] multiple entries allowed
Again maintaining these lists into the future will be a chore for someone, as software changes.  Free text / tags?

Display Type: [Static, Rotating, ?]
Perhaps distinguish manual rotating versus motorised as was suggested by Jimbo. Two options for this field I think rather than another "type of rotation control" field.


Controls Table

Make: [Happs 8-way, Ultimarc 360, Logitech Driving Force Pro, I-Pac2, A-Pac, etc.]
See earlier comment about maintaining this list in the future.


--- End quote ---

Two other thoughts - this sort-of excludes cabs with ROM boards in them (eg 39-in-1).  Also, would be good to know what PC hardware is running under the hood.

I'd suggest in the Projects table:

Computer hardware: [Original arcade PCB, multi-game PCB, Desktop PC, laptop PC, Other]
and
PC CPU speed: [Below 100MHz (eg 486), 100MHz - 500MHz (eg Pentium II), 501MHz - 1500MHz (eg Pentium III), 1500MHz - 2400MHz (eg Athlon XP), Above 2400MHz]
Sorry I am not up with my CPU history so far better suggested ranges probably exist!

I'm assuming the builder of the cab will be referenced by login, or that should be mentioned somewhere too.

Aside from hosting pics of the cab, perhaps a file upload for plans too, to encourage this fine behaviour and as a more reliable host than the builder's ISP's webspace which is invariably what gets used.  Limit to zip, pdf, sketchup, AutoCAD, Word, JPG etc.

In terms of the UI, and assuming the SMF bridge, I think it would be handy to see up front the last time the builder logged in to BYOAC.  If they're still active, it's that much easier to pester them with questions for years after the build is complete  ;)

XyloSesame:
Sorry, been busy with Halloween, theatre, and getting a Dia de los Muertos altar together... I'm still very interested in the topic and helping in any way I can.

I love the direction this is going. First, I agree that Joomla would be a better road as it has proven integration with SMF. Drupal bridges are available, but they're only in beta stages; I'd rather not have this community as a guinea pig.

I think the table fields are nearing complete. I vote for killing the percent complete field as well, and agree with shock that it is too subjective. I'm afraid of using too many free-text fields as I would want to keep the filters/searches as clean as possible. In fact, as much as I like tagging and user-defined tags, I would vote to remove this ability in the interest of consistency. This would mean that the moderator(s) would need to update fields as new tech/soft/versions arrive, but that should be easier and more effective than policing user-entered fields... I can see a necessity for "Other," with a free-text entry field, but those should be kept to a minimum.

I would definitely like to see PC build. I think boardsets for originals/restos can be included in this area as well. I don't want these to be excluded, or the artisans to feel they're excluded, as I have gotten quite a bit of inspiration and information from restos.

Regarding the CMS - the Joomlahacks SMF Bridge should (hopefully) slipstream current BYOAC members' registrations into the newly formed Joomla CMS. If it works in this instance, all BYOAC users would authenticate to the Joomla system.

Edit: I'd also like to see this as a new topic so interested parties and/or new readers don't have to sift through the myriad of messages prior to everyone arriving at this point...

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