Style Changes

[Brandon Martus]

I'm trying something different with the style for possible future additions and changes. If your resolution is higher than 1024 pixels wide, you may notice that the site isn't fluid anymore, but set to a fixed 980 pixels wide. Why 980 pixels? With scroll bars, and other things, it doesn't scroll left<->right in IE and Mozilla.

If you see weird things happening, clear your cache .. shift+refresh .. then send me a screen shot.

Thanks.

[Wetzel]

I'm trying something different with the style for possible future additions and changes. If your resolution is higher than 1024 pixels wide, you may notice that the site isn't fluid anymore, but set to a fixed 980 pixels wide. Why 980 pixels? With scroll bars, and other things, it doesn't scroll left<->right in IE and Mozilla.

If you see weird things happening, clear your cache .. shift+refresh .. then send me a screen shot.

Thanks.
ctrl+refresh

Seems to be working ok so far. I'll see what I think after a page with a big picture...

Wetzel

[Brandon Martus]

good point. I'll have to see what I can do about that.

I re-size to 1024x768, but that won't work anymore. Hmm. :)

[Wetzel]

I don't normaly browse with the window so big, it takes away a lot of screen space to have it set so large. I'll keep at it though. :)

Wetzel

[Ryan M.]

Nothing breaks terribly with big pictures: :)
http://texan.homeunix.net/cdstreched.jpg

The main table just stretches. :)

P.S. The screen shot was taken at 1024x768 and cropped to just show the upper right corner where things are funny.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Brandon..

Not to be a pain or anything, but is there anyway you can make an option so the page doesnt get chopped at 980 pixels? I use a larger resolution (normally 1280, sometimes 1600), and I think the page looks better in full screen.

I mean it doesnt really make much of a difference, but that my opinion for now.

[Carol]

Well, I am probably more computer illiterate than most of you, so be kind. With this new style I have to manually scroll to see the entire screen as the right hand side is cut off. This is doable but is an annoyance. I'm not sure what my monitor resolution is set to, but I don't want to make it smaller (larger?) as I have enough trouble doing computer work since I had to switch to bifocals. And as most of my day is spent staring at the screen eye strain is always lurking.

I won't even mention the ergonomic problems with using the mouse a lot.....I'm feeling older every second..... :(

[Brandon Martus]

I'm aware of the stretching, and the new gallery will account for this so the wide images won't be a problem.

In the new gallery I am not going to resize to 1024x768. You can upload however big resolution you want as long as it meets the filesize requirement. When I thumbnail the images, there will be 2 size thumbnails. 1 tiny one (portal, gallery, etc) and one medium one (image detail, somewhere around 900-ish-px wide), and then a link to the full size picture.

The only down side to this is the people who run 800x600 have to scroll as Carol pointed out. Most new computers and monitors/LCDs are set up to run 1024x768 .. I guess it's time to see what would best serve the majority: vote in this poll (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38045).

[JohnBoucher]

New things to do today after checking CD......

Grumble....
Grumble....
Whine......
Moan........
Buy new glasses
Look forward to Brandon turning 50
:rolleyes:

[Billfred]

So I guess this ends the ginormous CD shots, eh?

[Wetzel]

So I guess this ends the ginormous CD shots, eh?

Nope, I saw CD on the IMAX Dome today, I just need to get there with a camera.... :ahh:

Wetzel

[Mike]

Time to add onto Brandon's To-Do list :D

What about a preference to what size you want, with it defaulting at this size. Or if you have the time, auto-detecting the users resolution and adjusting the size accordingly.

[Brandon Martus]

Time to add onto Brandon's To-Do list :D

What about a preference to what size you want, with it defaulting at this size. Or if you have the time, auto-detecting the users resolution and adjusting the size accordingly.
I could very easily let you choose what you want. vBulletin came with both a Fluid and a Fixed style; I just deleted them and made our own custom one based off the fluid style.

I have tentative/specific plans for a fixed-layout design (like this) and wondered what kind of a response this change would get.

[Bharat Nain]

I could very easily let you choose what you want. vBulletin came with both a Fluid and a Fixed style; I just deleted them and made our own custom one based off the fluid style.

I have tentative/specific plans for a fixed-layout design (like this) and wondered what kind of a response this change would get.
Maybe this could be in the User Control Panel...

The fixed-width works fine for me because that is the resolution my monitor is set too.. at school and at home..

[sanddrag]

and wondered what kind of a response this change would get.Well, since you asked, here's an opinion from one of the most frequent visitors (myself): Personally, I think it is icky. I really like this site and all of the changes it has gone through but this one I'm not sold on. If we go back to the way it was I will much enjoy. :)

[Wetzel]

Well, since you asked, here's an opinion from one of the most frequent visitors (myself): Personally, I think it is icky. I really like this site and all of the changes it has gone through but this one I'm not sold on. If we go back to the way it was I will much enjoy. :)

I don't like having to enlarge the browser by about two inches each time I open CD. It is not growing on me in a good way.

Wetzel

[Katie Reynolds]

... and wondered what kind of a response this change would get.

Personally, I hardly notice the difference (1024x768 res. for me).

[Cory]

I don't like it. At all.

[Bill Gold]

I don't like it. At all.
I agree with Cory. I enjoyed having CD take up the full width on my laptop screen (1440 x 900 resolution).

[Ali Ahmed]

I am going to agree with both of them. I use 1600x1200 at work(at this moment)and it looks kind of weird.

[Yan Wang]

I so did not get a 17" widescreen laptop for this to happen ;)

[Bill Gold]

I so did not get a 17" widescreen laptop for this to happen ;)
Amen, dude.

[Kevin Sevcik]

I'll go along with the majority here. Or the vocal minority. The fluid site works better for me than any fixed width thing even if I can pick the width. I'm often browsing on different machines or occasionally not browsing fullscreen. Coming across CD tonight and having it stubbornly stay the same width was rather disconcerting to me. And there's no way you can pick one width that will satisfy everyone.....

[KyleGilbert45]

I'm running 1400x1050 on my laptop and personally, I kinda like the way the new setup looks. It keeps things nice and compact and my eyes dont have to scan as far across the screen to read posts.

I really wouldn't mind if it stayed like this or went back to the way it was. They both work fine for me.

[Cory]

I'm running 1400x1050 on my laptop and personally, I kinda like the way the new setup looks. It keeps things nice and compact and my eyes dont have to scan as far across the screen to read posts.

I really wouldn't mind if it stayed like this or went back to the way it was. They both work fine for me.

I'm running 1400x1050, and I absolutely can't stand the empty space :p

I'm sure I'd get used to it after awhile if I had to, though.

[Brandon Martus]

I'm trying something different with the style for possible future additions and changes.Ok, it's back to the old way, and I'll redesign the changes I was planning since the majority of you seem to fear change. Now I know what FIRST feels like.

[Cory]

Ok, it's back to the old way, and I'll redesign the changes I was planning since the majority of you seem to fear change. Now I know what FIRST feels like.

Thanks Brandon. You're the man ;)

[Bill Gold]

Ok, it's back to the old way, and I'll redesign the changes I was planning since the majority of you seem to fear change. Now I know what FIRST feels like.
Thanks Brandon! Now I know how it feels to be a Republican... fearing change and creative thinking... ;)

[sanddrag]

Ok, it's back to the old wayBa da ba ba bah, I'm lovin' it! :)

[Alan Anderson]

Ok, it's back to the old way, and I'll redesign the changes I was planning since the majority of you seem to fear change. Now I know what FIRST feels like.
I wasn't going to comment, even though I didn't particularly like the fixed-width scheme. I can adjust to something I don't like if it's a good thing in general. But the complaints are not out of fear of change, nor is it even the discomfort of leaving something familiar. It's a real loss of flexibility. I view the ChiefDelphi forums with screens of various sizes and pixel counts, and no fixed-width layout is going to work well on all of them.

I, for one, am happy to see that the changes have been set aside.

[Brandon Martus]

So. There is no right way. Sure, it's easy to please both sides of the argument with a simple configuration option... but then one of those options doesn't look right (to the designer) and that doesn't sit well with him (the designer).

I like maximized browsers. I like shorter line lengths: it's easier to read.
I like organized layouts; fluid on large resolutions make me cringe.

That was my reasoning. There are lots of points for & against both. I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong. I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm just saying that there was more to it than me saying "oh, I like it this way...". (even though I did)

I don't know what will happen. We are still working on some factors that will influence this (rules, funding, performance, etc). The most important thing about this site is the content (read: FIRST robotics). The second most important thing about this site is that it exists (read: funding). Some of the talks of advertising, funding, donations, etc, prompted me to test some things out on fixed & fluid layouts.

Here is some reading, if you're bored.

Pro Fluid: http://www.htmldog.com/ptg/archives/000012.php
Pro Fixed: http://photomatt.net/2003/12/11/death-of-flexible-width-designs/

http://css.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000037032108/
http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200504/about_fluid_and_fixed_width_layouts/
http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200312/the_great_fixed_vs_fluid_debate/
http://sidesh0w.com/weblog/2003/12/15/further_roasting_the_chestnut/
http://www.notestips.com/80256B3A007F2692/1/TAIO-5TT34F
http://www.designbyfire.com/000032.html
http://9rules.com/whitespace/design/liquid_vs_fixed.php
http://9rules.com/whitespace/design/death_of_liquid_layouts.php
http://simon.incutio.com/archive/2003/11/09/fullPageZoom
http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/archive/2003/11/fixed-width-vs-liquid-layout-your-take
http://www.clagnut.com/blog/267/
http://www.htmldog.com/ptg/archives/000012.php
http://www.adactio.com/journal/display.php/20031215235923.xml
http://www.codepoetry.net/archives/2004/09/28/fixed_vs_fluid.php
http://forums.hostmysite.com/about679.html
http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/archive/2003/11/fixed-width-vs-liquid-layout-your-take
http://www.dezwozhere.com/blog/archives/000056.html
http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/archives/fixed_or_fluid_you_decide.html
http://members.ij.net/mrmazda/auth/fflinelength.html
http://forums.mobileburn.com/showthread.php?t=5043
http://www.codepoetry.net/node/1632/print
http://www.autisticcuckoo.net/archive.php?id=2004/07/21/fixed-liquid-elastic
http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/em/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/fluid_thinking/
http://www.stopdesign.com/log/2003/12/15/fixedorliquid.html
http://wv4.co.uk/blog/web/fluid-vs-fixed-vs-css-zen-garden/
http://www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/04/12-fluid-v-fixed-web-pages.html

[Mike]

Thanks Brandon! Now I know how it feels to be a Republican... fearing change and creative thinking... ;)
Well that was completely unneeded and out of place, if you wanna debate about Republican stereotypes make a thread (this way I can shoot down all your ideas without spamming.)

On topic: Woot. Thanks for changing it back :)

[Brandon Martus]

Ok, it's back to the old way, and I'll redesign the changes I was planning since the majority of you seem to fear change. Now I know what FIRST feels like.Not to bring up an old topic, but I wanted to let you all know that I've added an option in the very bottom of your 'Edit Options (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/profile.php?do=editoptions)' page in the user cp (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/usercp.php?) so you can choose how you want to view the forums. A fixed 980px (my personal favorite) or 100% (the old way). CD-Media (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/) will be best viewed with the 980px version, once finished.

[Ryan M.]

Not to bring up an old topic, but I wanted to let you all know that I've added an option in the very bottom of your 'Edit Options (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/profile.php?do=editoptions)' page in the user cp (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/usercp.php?) so you can choose how you want to view the forums. A fixed 980px (my personal favorite) or 100% (the old way). CD-Media (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/) will be best viewed with the 980px version, once finished.Cool deal. I like the fixed better as well.

And since you've brought it up, CD-Media's starting to look good. :)