Review Request : A Perfect Circle
This is a fan website for the band A Perfect Circle.
The only section i'm finished w/ is the tour section. I just started it yesterday. I need some suggestions. I'd like to put 2 lines along the sides of the centered site but I can't figure out a good way to do it. I could probably do it w/ a table, but I kind of just want there to be lines on the sides, but not at the top and bottom. If u can help me out please do.
Also, any suggestions? I know it's not much yet.
Renegade posted this at 02:28 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Hey there Script, welcome to TWF
Thanks for reviewing some of the other sites too 
Well, it took quite a while to load - too many pictures.
Try to reduce the amount of pictures you use, I'm sure some of them can be done with CSS or even XHTML, for example, the navigation. It can quite simply be done with CSS and HTML.
The texti n the iframe is quite hard to read. Expecially with the two black sides to the left and right of it.
Script posted this at 02:47 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Thanks for the suggestions. I know you can do the navigation in CSS, but it wont look as good in my opinion. What I can do (for faster loading) is replace the jpg w/ a gif that is about 1/3rd the size. It takes away from the quality a little, but I suppose fast loading is more important. I personally use cable so it loads plenty fast for me
. As for the iframe.. that is required - don't ask why 
Thanks for the suggestions.. anyone else?
Renegade posted this at 04:19 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
The nav can be imitated perfectly with CSS.
Script posted this at 07:22 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
ok.. I changed the header to about half the kb it was. Maybe you can do that in CSS but I don't know how. I made the nav. in photoshop.. there's effects on it and stuff.. it's not just grey boxes. I don't see how you can add shadows w/ CSS..
Anyway. Does it still load too slow? What do you think of the changes?
The Webmistress posted this at 11:50 — 8th November 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
So what is this referring to then?
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Renegade posted this at 09:48 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Yes it still does load a bit too slow - even from cache...
About the nav - There are many ways to do it. Heres probably not the best way, but try this:
HTML:
News
Biography
Tour
CSS:
#page-navigation{
position:relative;
margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;
background-image:url(nav_img.jpg); /* Take a 50px width chunk out of the part that keeps repeating. */
background-repeat:repeat-x;
}
.left-border {
border:1px solid #333333;
}
.right-border {
border:1px solid #333333;
}
You can set what ever you want for the link classess (link-nav).
There are many advantages to using CSS and (X)HTML to do this because not only does it load faster but it also puts you higher up in the search engine ranks. i.e. people will find your pages easier
For the biography page, try justifying the text, it makes it look neater.
You have links centered on the ... links page ... on hover they go bold, personally, I don't think its a nice effect but some people like it. As for the links page, how about left aligning them?
404 error for the contact page too.
Nice site I guess overall, its just the main/home page that takes too long to load.
The Webmistress posted this at 10:26 — 8th November 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Generally I like the look/feel if the site.
The header section is too big though and I don't mean file size but actual height of the image (needs to be a jpeg). It takes up too much screen space, especially at 800*600.
What effects are supposed to happen on the nav? Nothing happens when I mouseover!
The links to photos & contact brings up a 404 error
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Renegade posted this at 11:18 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
I don't think anything is supposed to happen on mouseover for the nav... hmmm you're using image maps. OK, nothing can happen on mouse over :S
Greg K posted this at 15:51 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 2,145 posts
Joined: Nov 2003
I think the reference is to effects in photoshop that were applied to the base image, not effects on the web page.
I agree the whole menu areas should be redone in some way that it is not an image map of the whole header image. That image is just to large. That image and the photo on the left could be made smaller without compromising the quality too much.
-Greg
Script posted this at 17:24 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Yes that's what I was talking about. Sorry for not making myself clear.
yeah i know. I myself use 1024x768, but I'm sure many people still use 800x600
. I'll work on making this work better. Why does it need to be a jpeg? I didn't know that jpeg's were better than gif's. o_0
Thank you so much. This will really helps me. I had no idea that css links help with search engines. Justifying the text.. i should have thought of that. For the links page I had just been messing around w/ different effects for a while, and never really found one I liked. That effect was just what I had when I got tired of messing w/ it. I had it left align at first and I think i'l change it back now..Also take away the link effects
... I didn't really like it anyway. As for the 404 error pages .. i haven't made those yet.. lol. I just started this site 2 days ago, haven't had time to make everypage yet. Thanks for all the help! 
The Webmistress posted this at 18:42 — 8th November 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
It doesn't have to be a jpeg but photos/gradients work better as jpegs otherwise gifs make them look blocky and with a jpeg you can compress them much better without loosing quality.
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Script posted this at 19:23 — 8th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
ok. I changed it to jpg.. and i shrunk the header (finally.. right?). I don't know if I shrunk it enough, but I think it looks better. I haven't changed from imap to css yet.. still working on that. Oh I also still need to justify the bio section... And I did change the links section.
Renegade posted this at 01:53 — 9th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Well, it loads a bit faster (but I think it might have to do with the caching), the header IMO is still a bit too big. Personally, for headers I try to keep them to a height of about 100-120px not any more.
Script posted this at 05:40 — 9th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
well i dont want to cut off the pictures of maybard and billy anymore
. I'm just going to leave the height at that. :side:
The Webmistress posted this at 11:07 — 9th November 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
That is better, the iframe fits on the screen now at 800*600 so you don't have to scroll to scroll
although do you really need to use a frame here?
IMO you need to do something with the navigation, make the header the orangy section only and take off the links (text doesn't work as a jpg as it goes hairy!). Make the grey section a separate image and have that as the background to the links section and then you can use text for the links and style them using css.
You really want to have an external stylesheet and have all your style controlled from there, links, fonts, sizes, etc. Also this is easier for making global changes later as well.
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Script posted this at 20:02 — 9th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
I tried using CSS w/ the code that renagade gave me. I couldn't get the lines to look how I wanted them to. I only messed with it for about 5 min. I'll give it more time I guess. I know it would be easier to add on to it w/ css rather than an image. The reason I use an iframe there is because it is required for the APC Fan sites webring.
Script posted this at 21:07 — 9th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Ok I had to use a 102 width chunk of the navigation bar to get it to look right. I still cant get the spacing right. I want the links to appear in between those lines. I couldn't figure out a way to make the lines look right in css... here is the closest I have gotten http://www.koa.planetubh.com/apc/aaaa.html
Renegade posted this at 00:50 — 10th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
<table cellspacing="10" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="0">
<td class="left-border right-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">News</a></td>
<td class="left-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">The Band</a></td>
<td class="left-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">Tour</a></td>
<td class="left-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">Photo Gallery</a></td>
<td class="left-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">Links</a></td>
<td class="left-border"><a href="" class="link-nav"><font face="verdana" size="1">Contacts</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
...you have no beginning TR tag.
<style>
#page-navigation{
position:relative;
margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;
background-image:url(<a href="http://koa.planetubh.com/apc/bar.jpg" class="bb-url">http://koa.planetubh.com/apc/bar.jpg</a>); /* Take a 50px width chunk out of the part that keeps repeating. */
background-repeat:repeat-x;
}
.left-border {
border:0px solid #333333;
}
.right-border {
border:0px solid #333333;
}</style>
..try putting that in your HEAD tag.
Script posted this at 02:37 — 10th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
i put that in the head, but it didnt really change anything.
is it supposed to make the lines? b/c right now the lines are on the image (except well now i put the 50x50 bar on there that doesnt already have the lines)
im afraid if i do the lines w/ css borders it wont look like it's engraved. i know it's just really little but i like how it looks here.. http://www.koa.planetubh.com/apc/index.html
but i'd rather do it in css if that's possible
Script posted this at 03:43 — 10th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
i gave up on the css for now. i did try a rollover thing.
http://www.koa.planetubh.com/apc/index.html
good or bad?
The Webmistress posted this at 08:32 — 10th November 2003.
She has: 5,586 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Personally I don't think it looks right with the white bit above the grey and the peach rollover makes it look odder! The text is too high up in the grey bit but the white makes it look too separate from the header part.
Julia - if life was meant to be easy Michael Angelo would have painted the floor....
Renegade posted this at 23:21 — 10th November 2003.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Yeah, I don't quite like it either, but if you're gonna keep it, you might wanna try preloading the on hover images for a faster response time
Script posted this at 01:49 — 11th November 2003.
He has: 69 posts
Joined: Oct 2003
i dont think ill keep it.
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