My MUPEN64 design (as seen in website corner!)

[mesman00]

here is my design, i think its cool, i like it (especially the buttons), i hope you do too. if you wish i can change the logo back to ur original, ive used both and i like this new one better. i put the site on my server for now so eveyrone can see and tell what they think:
here it is http://members.cox.net/mesman00/Mupen64/index.html

Hacktarux please email me if you like the design (i hope you do) with the emulation64 server information and i will upload it to the real MUPEN64 URL. thanks

feedback is welcome!

[Trotterwatch]

I think it looks good, and I agree the buttons are great.

Perhaps a constructive criticsm would be that it has a little too much 'white space'. Apart from that though it's cool.

[mesman00]

double menus anyone?? just a neat idea i thought of, the user can choose what side they want to navigate from, also it gives it a symetrical look. oh yah, it gets rid of some of that nasty "white space"

check out the new double here:
http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html

or the original here:
http://members.cox.net/mesman00/Mupen64/index.html

[hellknight]

i like the double menu looks better some way

[mesman00]

yah, i was thinking also about making a Nintendo64 logo, and the puttin emulation under it, running down the side, horizontal, but im in schoolrightnow so that will have to wait

[Zero]

Nice work mesman00 !!!
Kepp the double menus it's much cooler :)

[RPGlover12]

i agree with zero :p

[hellknight]

Originally posted by RPGlover12
i agree with zero :p and with hellknight;)

[RPGlover12]

Originally posted by hellknight
and with hellknight;) lol yeah with ya too :p :D :) ;)

[mesman00]

thanks guys, i just hope hacktarux feels the same!

[Hacktarux]

Your design is starting to look very good but unfortunately it doesn't work well on opera browsers (at least the linux version where buttons doesn't appear). Can you try to fix it, it is the only browser I can use with my university connection :)

Thank you guy, please continue in this direction.

PS: Your logo is very cool :p

[blizz]

I'm using Opera 6 and it works fine for me.

[flow``]

just a suggest.. might be smarter to put the downloads in vertical columns ?

like

Windows | beOs | Linux



just my thought

[mesman00]

hmm, buttons don't work eh?? flow r u using linux? hacktarux r u using opera 6 or a lower version. the buttons are flash so there really is no thing i can do to change them, atleast not that i know of, is there anything i can change in the code that anyone knows of?

oh yah, bout the dl's, good idea flow!

please keep in contact with me hacktarux so i can catch a few of your ideas!

[_gpf_]

how are you doing the site's layout? if you could get it all in a table design (looks like frames right now?) this background would look great flushed in back. :)

Fun Background (http://php.iupui.edu/~jmorth/images/main_bg.jpg)

[flow``]

flow r u using linux?

no.. im' just suggesting a layout method

[mesman00]

just a suggest.. might be smarter to put the downloads in vertical columns ?

yep, thanks for the idea flow, i did that, both in screenshot section and downloads section. you can see it here: mupen64 (http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html).


how are you doing the site's layout? if you could get it all in a table design (looks like frames right now?) this background would look great flushed in back.

yep, i'm doing it in frames, so im afraid that wouldn't do me too good, but thanks anyways

Hacktarux:
go here: http://www.opera.com/linux/docs/plugins/instplug.html#flash and it will give u the quick process of installing flash for opera on linux. after that you will be able to view the buttons on the site

If you would like (maybe i would like even more) to send me the emu64 ftp info (mesman00@cox.net) i would be glad to upload this as the official site.

again, check out the site here, and beware, its on a slow server, so it might take a bit to load:
mupen64 (http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html)

[Malcolm]

mesman, he cant give you the ftp info. If he did Martin and all the staff would be perdy pissed @ him :D

[Remote]

I have always felt that if I should critisize I should do it in a constructive way, I do not like others baggering my work with comments unwearthy to it, i.e it sucks.

Your design is really basic, I do realize that you are just starting to learn web design, but there is a lot if unneccesary whitespace, the flash menus do not add to the sites interactivity and drastically increases the time it takes between I write the URL in the adress field and until I see the entire page.

Replace the flash with images, add a background that interacts seamlessly with the menu and the caption and more importantly remove the double menu, it´s like having a book with double copies of every page. I saw that you used CSS(Cascading Style Sheets), use it more, make your page unique, or as others may say, streamline it.

If you have no intentions on removing the flash menus, please do add a simple flash detection script, you can accomplish a lot with flash but it´s not on every users computer yet, neither is DSL. I looked at your code, since you are only using one frame for content, the other ones are non changeble, you could use an iframe instead. Menu(s) and caption(s) could use <div>´s.

To aid you in your quest, please do check, and please be inspired, by these two adresses.

http://www.w3school.org/

http://www.docozone.com/

[Hacktarux]

I am using opera6 for linux, but it can't load plug-ins with my university's configuration for a mysterious reason. I tried to see your design with netscape but:
- The background is gray by default on netscape, you should set a default color, or find a nice discreet background picture to put.
- There's a white space beetween the two last buttons (is it normal ?)

I agree with remote, you should add a flash detection code and make a static version of your menu.

The double menu's advantage is to center the content but maybe we can find anything else to put there.

The download section layout is a really good idea :)

[mesman00]

yep, the space in the flash buttons is normal, i put it there purposely, and i thought i had set a default color,guess not, i will do that, the thing about a background is that the page is in frames, so unless u have any idea for a repeating patter i can make (like repating scan lines, a grid, etc.) i'm not really sure what to use. but ill try to think of someting. about the other side for the menu:
1. i will try to make some other kind of logo to put there
2. are there any other sections you wouldl ike to add to the site, or other sites u want to link to. instead of having the same thing there maybe we can have links to other sections of the site, or links to other web pages. any pages in particular you would like to link to?

[mesman00]

If you have no intentions on removing the flash menus, please do add a simple flash detection script, you can accomplish a lot with flash but it´s not on every users computer yet, neither is DSL. I looked at your code, since you are only using one frame for content, the other ones are non changeble, you could use an iframe instead. Menu(s) and caption(s) could use <div>´s.

do you know how where i can find such a detection script. i'm afraid i'm not fully familar with javascript, i know how to detect for a browser, and some other things, but how could i detect for flash. could u explain to me what the content of the script would be, perhaps even write it, and then post it, if it is that simple? otherwise, insetad of using the scrip i can have a page before the main site that asks the user if they want to view the flash site, or non-flash site, which idea do you like better Hacktarux? I personally like the idea of letting the user choose, because they can do so based on their connection speed.

i understand how to use <div> and iframes and such, but what would be the benefit here. r u saying to make only two frames on the site? one on top for the logo, and one on the bottom for everything else. and then put the content in an iframe, and the menu on another layer? i suppose that could be a good idea that could enable me to use a background, as well as increase loading times. actually, i can put the whole page in only one frame, and put the logo on it's own layer as well. i think i might go ahead and try this when i get home from school. i will post my progress later on tonight.


how are you doing the site's layout? if you could get it all in a table design (looks like frames right now?) this background would look great flushed in back.

yes, that would look excellent, and i will use it tonight when i get a chance to work on the site. thanks!

[Remote]

Add the following lines to the start of your Flash movie. To make this work simply add a stop command and a redirect command to the non flash page in frame #2. This is the smallest, and perhaps, easiest way of detecting flash, however it has got limitations, it can only recognise wheater you are using Flash 5 or not. For other solutions check google.com for Flash javascript detection or similar.

with (_root) {
gotoAndPlay (3);}

When using div´s and layers there is no need for tables, they were added to give developers total control, with these two elements you have exact placement. You could easily add the bg in a big layer and then have the menu(s), logo(s) and iframe(s) in smaller ones.

<body vlink="..." text="..." style="topmargin:0;leftmargin:0;rightmargin:0;b ottommargin:0;" marginwidth="..." marginheight="..." link="..." bgcolor="..." background="...">

(1.) <div style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:0px; width:800px; height:600px; z-index:1" id="bg" background="..."></div>

(2.) <div style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:0px; width:800px; height:600px; z-index:1 background-url:bg.jpg;" id="bg"></div>

(3.) <div style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:0px; width:800px; height:600px; z-index:1" id="bg"><img width="..." src="..." height="..." align="..."></div>

<div style="position:absolute; left:100px; top:40px; width:230px; height:40px; z-index:2" id="logo"><img width="..." src="logo" height="..." align="..."></div>

<div style="position:absolute; left:300px; top:150px; width:300px; height:400px; z-index:2" id="content"><iframe width="300" "style="..." src="..." name="iframe_content" height="400" align="center"></div>

Play around with the z-index values, #1 is high, everything with a higher value come up ontop of #1. You should also consider moving over to xhtml, it has a better syntax, all <tags> must have </tags>.

[mesman00]

When using div´s and layers there is no need for tables

yep, i know, i was just using that quote for the background, not the table part. i'm already familiary with using <div>, layers, and such, but thanks for that anyways, and thanks for the script

[mesman00]

ok, it looks way better now, atleast i think:
check it out here:
Mupen64 (http://members.home.net/mesman00)
first, dont resize the browser, that is the size the window should be . it's optimized for your screen res. what do you think about chosing flash or regular? should i keep it that way, or put in the script (i figured out how to do it for all versions). i kinda like the choice, but let me hear some feedback. oh yah, if u do have flash player installed (almost all computers do), i highly recommend viewing the flash version

and please do remember the server is slow!

[2fast4u]

could u either remove the frame borders (they don't look nice) or use iframe instead (<iframe src="" width="" height="" border="">).

i would change the font face to arial,helvetica or something instead of the standard font. and - at least in opera6 windows - the hyperlinks disappear when u hover over them.

maybe make the free space around the content black instead of white.

just a bunch of suggestions, besides that nice work!

[Hacktarux]

Hey, this looks greater and greater each day :) but it is a little buggy on non IE browser (but I think you can fix all these little problems.
-Firstly, in opera, the background picture doesn't appear (don't know if it is just my version).
-Secondly, in netscape, when you click on a button (on flash or non flash versions), it opens a new window to show the content.

Another suggestion, on the choice page, we can move automatically within a few seconds on the flash version.

Good work !

[mesman00]

could u either remove the frame borders (they don't look nice) or use iframe instead (<iframe src="" width="" height="" border=""> ).
fame borders?, there are none...and the main part (where main, downloads, features, screenshots, about page are displyad) is an iframe.


maybe make the free space around the content black instead of white.
yes, but the page isnt supposed to be maximized anyway, that's why i have the script their that opens the window to the default size.


-Firstly, in opera, the background picture doesn't appear (don't know if it is just my version).
does this happen for anyone else? does opera understand style scripts(css)? here is the style script i am using to make the background appear:
body {background-image: url(images/blur.jpg);}
does that need to be modified for opera broswers or something?


-Secondly, in netscape, when you click on a button (on flash or non flash versions), it opens a new window to show the content.
i'll work on this, don't know why it is happening, anyone have a clue?? i downloaded netscape so i can see the error.


Another suggestion, on the choice page, we can move automatically within a few seconds on the flash version.
i'm not sure i fully understand what u mean by this, can u explain please.

[mesman00]

ok, now i see in netscape the default size isn't the same as ie. also, is netscape cabaple of understand an IFRAME, i thought it was. hmm... help anyone?


edit*** i just read somewhere that only netscape6 supports iframes! what version are you using?

this might be a dumb quesiton, but is internet explorer only available for windows?

why does netscape suck, ive now downloaded version6, now the iframe appears, but the flash movie won't position where i tell it to in the <div> tag. also, the background of the iframe won't appear, and like someone already said, when i go over the links they turn white!!!

[Hacktarux]

I'm using Netscape 4.7.. because it is the only browser provided by the university (I installed opera6 on my account but it takes 10 Mo on the 20 Mo i am allowed to use). But don't worry this navigator is almost never used now.

A good news is that i have tried to view the site with Konqueror and it works perfectly :).

What i wanted to say with the choice page is to make something similar to the redirection page of sites that change their location.

The script might be similar to :
<script language="JavaScript">

<!-- Begin
redirTime = "3000";
redirURL = "http://url_of_the_flash version";
function redirTimer() { self.setTimeout("self.location.href = redirURL;",redirTime); }
// End -->
</script>
it has to be included on the head section.

[2fast4u]

mesman00, i was talking about these gray stripes that appear around the layout (see picture). i was assuming they're part of ur framework that's why i suggested using iframe instead. i have no idea where they come from now...

im using opera6 and the window starts maximized, as every other window.

[2fast4u]

forgot the pic, silly me. i hope this works NOW.

** EDIT nup, it won't. AAARRRGG! wtf is going on ??

[mesman00]

What i wanted to say with the choice page is to make something similar to the redirection page of sites that change their location.

ok, now i understand what you mean. also, what should we do about this little netscape problem? maybe a netscape default and an ie/all other browsers default? (this could be detected through javascript though, no need to ask the user)

[mesman00]

well, i have come to the conclusion that netscape sucks. never have i really liked it, but now i don't like it at all. first off, only version 6.0+ supports iframe, and the iframe support is very minimal. Basically, all you can do is have a frame there. out of everything i have tried to do in netscape in the iframe almost none of it has worked. i can't get the background to show, i can't get the links to appear how i want, and i can't get the font to be the right color. is it that netscape just sucks this bad when it comes to iframes, or am i doing someting wrong?

[mesman00]

ok, i know how to redirect a page, but i'm not sure how to redirect it to a certain frame (target). i thought i would have been able to by using the following line:
top.location.target='body'
but, that didn't work, so can someone please correct the script below for me. thanks.


<script language="JavaScript">
setTimeout("top.location.href = 'pages/flash.html/', top.location.target='body'",3000);
</script>

*edit* now i just realized that in netscape when it redirects it goes to a completely white page, just with the border of the IFRAME showing and noting else. i don't get netscape, what the heck!!

[Remote]

Originally posted by mesman00
ok, i know how to redirect a page, but i'm not sure how to redirect it to a certain frame (target). i thought i would have been able to by using the following line:
top.location.target='body'
but, that didn't work, so can someone please correct the script below for me. thanks.


<script language="JavaScript">
setTimeout("top.location.href = 'pages/flash.html/', top.location.target='body'",3000);
</script>

*edit* now i just realized that in netscape when it redirects it goes to a completely white page, just with the border of the IFRAME showing and noting else. i don't get netscape, what the heck!!



You can go about in a lot of ways when redirecting to a new page. Your problem is that you are using the 'top' replace it with a 'parent'. To utililise the DOM(Document Object Model) simply apply a name to the iframe, as shown below.

<iframe src="..." name="content">

<script...>
function whipme()
{ parent.content.location.href="docs/flash.html" }
</script...>

<body onload="whipme()">

Iframes are NN 6.0 only but there are many other workarounds, replace the iframe with a layer and add a simple up / down scrolling function, and I can not access the newer version of your page.

[mesman00]

ok thanks, oh yah, can u explain a litlte more about that layer with the up down scroll?? can i assign it a backgorund and its own attributes as it were a frame. also, the link should work:

http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html

[Remote]

Originally posted by mesman00
ok thanks, oh yah, can u explain a litlte more about that layer with the up down scroll?? can i assign it a backgorund and its own attributes as it were a frame. also, the link should work:

http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html

You are aproaching this the wrong way, I could give you what you need but then you would not be learning anything, would you? There are numerous free sites that offer tutorials, find them, read them, apply what you have learnt from them. The up / down script allows you to navigate the layer as if it were an iframe, and since you can apply attributes to almost anything using CSS I fail to see why a standard layer would be any different. And I have yet to see your new design, the link you posted is a no show.

[mesman00]

i wasn't asking for code or anything, ijust wanted an explanation, and you gave it to me, so thankyou. i don't understand why nothing shows up when you click on the link. it works fine for me, and as far as i am aware has worked fine for other. just an hour or so ago [d. o . u. g] viewed the site without any problems. what browser r u using?

*edit* i just saw in website corner that you coudl'nt see [d. o . u. g]'s page either. try to copy the link and paste it in the adress box and acess the site that way. also, when u click on the link, is there an error message, or just all white?

[mesman00]

oh boy, i'm happy. i figured out why my <iframes> were not working correctling in netscape! but, u still need netscape 6.0 or above, most people should have it, and if not u can download it for free, so i don't see it as a problem.

also, we can always put a link to download it as well on the choice page

i will upload the new stuff in about an hour or so

[mesman00]

ok, so here it is:
http://members.home.net/mesman00/index.html

i've tested it with internet explorer, netscape, and opera, and it seems to be working great. however, two things.
first, if you don't have netscape 6...well, just read the first page when u choose what site version you want to view. second, when using opera, i realized that the text arrangement is different, in that there is no spacing. does opera not understand </p> and <br> tags? anyways, enjoy, and let me hear what ya think.


mesman00, i was talking about these gray stripes that appear around the layout (see picture). i was assuming they're part of ur framework that's why i suggested using iframe instead. i have no idea where they come from now...
i think they may be an option you have checked somehwere in opera to view those. i realized what you mean, and they don't appear with any other browsers except opera.

[Hacktarux]

The main problem now (for me) is the strange way it appears on opera. I post a picture of what i get with it, can someone tell if he has the same problem ?

[mesman00]

yikes!! now that is strange. does it appear like that when you choose what version you would like to chosee? and does it happen on both the flash and non flash versison. on windows in opera 6 it appears fine for me. what about others?

[mesman00]

this is what the site looks like on my opera browser (version 6 for windows). can't say i really no why your have that problem hacktarux, anyone else experiencing it/have any insight on what maybe happening.

also, anyone notice any other errors in any browser. it seems to be working good with everything for me.

[mesman00]

glad to see that didn't work. let me try agai posting the shot:

[mesman00]

soo, is it happenig to anyone else?? response would be great...