First, we had to upgrade/patch the 4.1.9 to 4.1.12. From there we could upgrade from 4.1.12 to 4.2.x using the Xcart upgrade packages available in the license area. Once that was completed we then make a backup of the upgraded 4.2.x database to keep safe since we are now going to be applying SQL updates/patches to the new test cart (version 4.2.x). Once this step has been completed successfully we should be at the 4.3.2 version. It is now at the point we can fully address the modification of the skin.

In this case we chose to work with the Vivid Dreams / Lotus skin since it was closest to the color scheme the client wanted. There are a number of images that need to be recreated and there’s two CSS files that need to be altered in order to facilitate the customizations. The client wanted a fairly simple and clean look. Therefore minimal graphics were used in the creation.

Overall the client’s site will now have more functionality than before, easier updating to the latest version, and complance with the various modules.

Screenshot

The site architecture was also renovated from the old table method to a modern CSS based layout. This reduced page load times dramatically and allowed for the implementation of several areas where content could be summoned dynamically via AJAX and the JQuery library.

Project Highlights

• Conversion to CSS layout
• Integration of JQuery library
• Use of AJAX for content managment
• Redesign

Screenshots

Here are the before and after screenshots showing the transition:

Mark J. Sullivan Website Redesign by SimcoMedia - New Design

Mark J. Sullivan Website Redesign by SimcoMedia - Previous

Here is a partial list of many of the new innovations and changes involved:

• New design based upon the SmartCar ad campaign
• Utilize actual signage for identification purposes
• Create and integrate random testimonials to display in left column
• Create slideshow for featured specials
• Create tabbed interface for basic service information
• Utilize AJAX for summoning content on various pages and elements
• Establish a remote CMS system for editing specific content areas of the site’s pages
• Linked the site to various social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
• Updated an internal newsletter subscription system to enable creation and integration of surveys

The new design uses variations of the color scheme evident on the SmartCar loaner fleet’s custom paint jobs. This client has 4 of these cars provided to customers free of charge who need to leave their autos for extended periods of time while it’s being repaired or serviced. They make a great advertisement and are coordinated with the new website design. Below is a screenshot of the new home page:

Integrity Automotive Maintenace and Repair Website Redesign

Additionally, we utilized the JQuery based FancyBox plugin for the display of their cabinet photo gallery. This allowed for thumbnail viewing as well as slideshow interactivity. It loads quickly and is a great way to integrate a photo gallery for easy viewing.

Here are some screenshots of the before and after:

Before Redesign by SimcoMedia

Home Page After Redesign by SimcoMedia

Gallery Page After Redesign by SimcoMedia

We also provided several hours of phone tutorial support in order to walk through the process of adding products, uploading images, and associating their product options.

Do YOU have a need for Xcart assistance? If so, Please contact us today!

So, the three images consist of:

1. the top including the ribbon
2. the repeatable middle section
3. the bottom

These were all created in Photoshop as one image then sliced against a transparent background and saved in PNG format. Pretty simple stuff.

Then it was time to create the container and divs that would hold the info. We’ll start with just the container div:

 

.ribbonBox {

 width: 190px;

 float: left;

 margin-bottom: 15px;

 }

 

Now, you can adjust everything to your dimensions but my sidebar is a little skinny and the main container div had to allow for some margins so it didn’t hit the left and right borders. The margin-bottom is there so I can stack the boxes on top of each other and there will be some space in between them. Now we do the 3 inner divs that hold the images:

 

.ribbonTop {

 width: 190px;

 background: transparent url('../images/ribbons_top.png') no-repeat;

 height: 52px;

 }

.ribbonTop h2 {

 color: #fff;

 font-weight: normal;

 font-size: 18px;

 padding: 15px 0 0 10px;

 }

.ribbonMid {

 width: 190px;

 background: transparent url('../images/ribbons_mid.png') repeat-y;

 float: left;

 }

.ribbonMid p {

 margin: 0 10px;

 }

.ribbonBot {

 width: 190px;

 background: transparent url('../images/ribbons_bot.png') no-repeat;

 height: 14px;

 float: left;

 }

 

And, last but not least, the HTML

    


Recall News::



Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. Aenean viverra malesuada libero. Fusce ac quam. Donec neque. Nunc venenatis enim nec quam. Cras faucibus, justo vel accumsan

        


	

Notice I also gave some formatting to the H2 title so it would display in the right location and look good against the color of the ribbon background.

The end result would produce a box like so:

The three pieces are as so (right click, Save As if you wish to use them:

By using repeat-y on the middle section it will automatically repeat downward as the content increases or decreases. Using this 3 image method cut out the need to have literally dozens of CSS3 statements and used about half the code to get the same effect. Going this route assured me that the look would be the same across browsers. As much as i’d like to be a ‘purist’ and try to do everything with strict code and no images, the world just isn’t quite ready for it.

The client was happy with the overall design but needed to have the following steps taken to get their store ready for business:

• modify their logo to fit within Xcart parameters
• Create multiple versions of the logo for invoice, checkout and main page purposes
• modify product display to eliminate sku display
• modify category product display to include links to View Cart and Checkout so customer would not need to scroll up constantly to reach main menu.
• configure and activate shipping via USPS
• configure PayPal payment method

Mimosa Hostilis Xcart Customization

The version of Xcart in use also dictated how we could make the improvements. The version is 4.1.x which is entirely table based and less flexible to design changes than the newer 4.3.x version which utilizes primarily CSS for layout control.  We pondered doing an upgrade to the latest version but, after careful consideration, declined to do so since there’s a danger the custom functionality of the cart would be overwritten.

Screenshots

Probes Online Custom Redesign By SimcoMedia

Features of Multi-Track Video Player:

Creates FLV Players that play multiple files or tracks all in one player

Extracts Thumbnail images from video file to be displayed in the player.

Produces all html and flash code. No Coding experience necessary

Easy to use Point and Click Interface.

Builds Image and/or Text Title Driven Menus.

Saves project settings for easy

12 Multi-Track FLV Player Styles to choose from.

FLV Player Style Examples.

Multi-track Flash Video bottom menu

Multi-track video left menu

Multi-track video right menu

How To Get

To learn more and to purchase this great tool CLICK HERE

We’re going to make a simple panel slider using the JQuery toggle function. Here’s how the code will look:

Code Explanation

Let’s break this down to show how simple it is using JQuery

$(document).ready(function() {

Our standard JQuery statement declaring that when the document is fully loaded we can execute the following

$(“.trigger”).click(function(){

Here we are stating that our page element with the class ‘trigger’ is going to do something when it’s clicked on

$(“.panel”).slideToggle(“slow”);

Here we see the details of our instructions for when the ‘trigger’ is clicked. Essentially telling the div with the class name ‘panel’ to ‘slide – Toggle’ open. The ‘Toggle’ part means that it will open when clicked then close when clicked again.

The HTML

The HTML is relatively simple. First, though, we need a little styling for our elements

Followed by our HTML which is entirely up to you how you want it to look. For our demo purposes we’re using just the standard Lorem Ipsum text jargon:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Section 1.10.32 of de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, written by Cicero in 45 BC


The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s

Live Demo

To get a live view of the sliding/toggling panel Click Here