First ever site (2nd try at posting :) )

1

Hi guys,
I originally posted this on the forum just before the server move/change. Talk about timing!

Anyway, Here’s a copy’n’paste of the post. Thanks in advance for checking it out, and any advice/criticism! (Cheers to Kajinku for replying to the original post :slight_smile: )

Oh, and i should mention that I didnt do the 3d anims. An artist here did them in Max. I just imported them, lined them up and AS’d them to rewind etc.
And another artist did the static background! But everything else is mine, ALL MINE! ahem
Don’t want to take credit for something I didnt do! :slight_smile:

Cheers!
Dave

here’s the original post:

Hi guys,
It’s kind of wierd actually posting here, when I’ve spent the last months worshipping the Kirupa sites!

Picture the scene:
Me sitting in work. Over strolls A Boss:

Manager: Hey Dave…know any ‘web stuff’?
Me: Not a bit mate…er, why?
Manager: Oh no reason…Except you need to do us a new site within the next 2/3 weeks.
Me: …! (sound of someone grasping at their chest in pained horror)

After the doctors revived me and I finally stopped screaming, I started searching for help.
That long search eventually led me here. And its thanks to the advice/tutorials/hints here that I actually got the site ‘done’.

So firstly, thanks a million

Now, though, I need advice/criticism/hints/tips. Anything you can spare actually!
The problem was that I was given no actual AIM for the site, so I’ve had to add things in fits and spurts as the ideas hit.

If you can suggest anything at all, that’d be great.

Steel Monkeys Website
And a preloader is in the works! If i can ever work out the best way/place to use it!
Advice on that would be fantastic too!

Cheers again,
Dave

2

Well Dave I like your site, I like the 3d aspects of it. Can i ask you what program you used to do the 3d stuff? Did you use swift 2.0? I just got swift and am trying to learn it, actually, I think I learned it, but I dont have the time to mess with it to much.

Any ways, I like the 3d aspects but the animations are a bit choppy, try using higher fps maybe?

Here is my post: check it out

http://64.207.155.38/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17026

Let me know what you think, my site is a bit simpler than yours, but im still quite proud of it. I made the basic site in 1 night, and have been making it simpler for me to update, and adding some cool things since then.

3

Hey Dude,

Thanks for checking the site out!
The software used for making the 3d anims was 3DSMax4 and the Swift 3d plugin for Max, V.1 i think!
I didnt do it myself, and the artist who did is over in The States at the mo so I can’t double check, sorry :-\
I’ll experiment with a higher fps and see how that goes. You think maybe a preloader would help though? ie if the site was all loaded and THEN run, would it be as choppy :-/

Checked out your site too by the way. And i liked it! But I am a big CS nut as well :slight_smile:
Liked the layout and the way the main window on the left grows really smoothly. You should be very proud of it mate!

Maybe the only reason my site looks any more complicated is cos of the anims. Get some big swirly 3d things in your site and I’m sure people would say the same about yours, dude :slight_smile:

Thanks again for the comments!

Dave

4

Well, it seems that my old reply is gone too… it was something like:

a) Very very good job for a first website! I mean, wow. But then I don’t really know if I believe you…

b) The text is sometimes too bold, too big. Like in the “Mission Statement” frame.

c) Add some music. :wink:

That was about it. Keep up the good work!

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Hey Kajinku :slight_smile:

ok:
a) it really truly is my first site. yeah, the 3d anims and the static bg’s were done by artists, but the design/implementation was mine :slight_smile: If i could prove it to you i would dude!
b) yeah, the text is hard to read on some pages. All the text windows were like that before cos they were linking to dynamically loaded txt files. I’ve just been working through making up small swf’s for each. I think the mission statement ones are virtually the last ones…and you had to go and notice them! :stuck_out_tongue:
c) the music guy here gave me a groovy ambient background tune mp3…which was almost 4 meg in size! So i’ve politely asked him to give me a smaller loopable track instead. It’s in the pipeline :slight_smile:

Thanks for the comments tho :slight_smile:

Dave

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yeah, some of the fonts seemed really big and under the studio cross link, the popup text label on the far left seems to always be partly off the screen. other than these minor things; i liked it:)

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Here are my comments:

  1. I like the 3D concept, but I noticed some jagged edges around some of your 3D objects so it doesn’t look too clean.

  2. I thought your preloader bar was a bit too large so it made it look unprofessional.

  3. I think reducing the stroke around the box that slides in would help your layout look more clean as well.

  4. Loading time wasn’t too bad for me since I’m on a cable connection, but I can’t imagine what 56k people must go through when they visit your site.

Overall I like the 3D work, but it needs a lot of cleaning up. Good luck. =)

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  1. Make regular menu to go along with your graphic menu. Some users might not be able to navagate the 3d menu. It doesnt’ have to be big jsut give the user another option.

  2. Make a smaller minimal site to go along with this one because a lot of machinces wont be able to view this one.

  3. I don’t usderstand why you used a pop up window. Try not to use it if you can becasue most ppl quickly close thinking they are adds or have blockers in place.

I liked the colors and i loved that 3d logo graphic on the entrance page. The 3d navigation and transitions are very cool.

9

Hi guys :slight_smile:

Firstly, thanks a million for the comments! I knew with some pro’s giving the site a good once over, all the flaws etc would show up!

Some things like the preloader bar etc were only added today hence the rough-ness.
And a non-flash/smaller flash site is definately planned. Considering theres not even any sound yet, the file size is unfortunately only going to get bigger :-/ And I’m nowhere near good enough at AS to start doing things more in code to bring the size down.

But I’m glad the overall opinion seems to be that its ok. Gives me a newfound rush of enthusiasm to fix it :slight_smile:

Thanks again folks!

Dave

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hey dave, welcome back to the fourms. enjoy your stay here=)

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Cheers Alex :slight_smile: Already enjoying being a forum member! hopefully one day I’ll be able to help other folk, the way I’ve been helped :nerd:

Dave