henrycooperavel

This is an answer to another thread, but the issue is so important to me that I chose to open a new thread. Please moderators, if this is a violation I'd apologize.

But the thing is: many beautiful (and some not-so-beatiful) websites out there are so pretty mainly because they have imagemaps being used as clickable, graphical menus. They make things less square, lets you use any font you like in your "scribblings" and lets you use image buttons in menus instead of text buttons.

I am in need of a thing like that for a SCI-FI writer's website. He wants all sorts of spacial images there and wants all of them to, when clicked, send the visitor to a different section of the site. But he wants also these portal stuff we all love: calendar, newsflash, polls, login to access privileged areas and so on.

Maybe we can build a module that uses imagemaps as the menu entries, redirecting the "clicks" to the main menu module (or, if it is easyer, replacing the main menu module).

This will create difficulties when using multilevel menus and makes impossible to create new menu entries "on the fly" (you will always have to edit the imagemap in an external graphics editor like Photoshop or the Gimp) BUT it will IMMENSELY improve the ability of creating a damn good eye candy site. And this is no unimportant thing!

Among all things, this is something that NO CMS THAT I KNOW HAS (even paid ones)! It would be a great leap forward to Mambo in being better than commercial CMSs.

What do you think? Goes to the TODO list?

stingrey

Something that may interest you is the True Type Menu Module:

http://forum.mamboserver.com/viewtopic.php?t=10888

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tonyskyday

I don't see why you can't just make imagemaps in the regular html way like back in the olden-days of the web ( ) and code them into your template.

Why would this need to be a Mambo feature?

-Tony

henrycooperavel

Yes, you're right.
I just wanted a little more automation.

For instance: the imagemap could have universal "hooks" that I can relate to the "graphic menu module", that would replace the main menu module. In the "graphic menu module" control panel I could configure (add/change/delete) the bindings between hooks and the actual sections, the same way we do in the main menu control panel.

What do I get with it?

First, if you hardcode it on the template, the template would be bonded to that specific site. With the "hooks" feature I can use the template in any site I'd like.

Second, if I want to add another option to the menu, things would be less complicated.

Using the "old days style", I will have to:
0, Edit the template to put the "left" content position somewhere;
1. Show (Unhide) the default menu module;
2. Create the new section/page/content/whatever;
3. Enable the newly created section in the menu;
4. Look in the menu where the new link points to;
5. Edit the image to accomodate the new menu entry;
6. Create the mapping for that entry;
7. Create the link for that mapping;
8. Save and Test ;
9. If everything is OK, hide the default menu again
(and edit the template's index.php to remove the "left" position);
10. Save and Test again ;
11. Do it all over again every time you need to fix things up.

But if I do it the way I am whishing, things would be far more easier:
0. Create the new section/page/content/whatever;
1. Edit the image to accomodate the new menu entry;
2. Create the mapping for that entry;
3. Create the HOOK link for that mapping;
4. Enable the newly created section in the HOOK;
5. Save and Test;
6. Do it all over again every time you need to fix things up.

As you can see, even having to edit the image and the template outside the Mambo System, it all becomes more manageable and changes can be done with HALF of the steps. And you can use the bloody template wherever you want. And you can make changes to the site using the same imagemap and the same hooks, just changing the destination that the hook binds to.

You can have a big (in area, not in bytes) imagemap and template with the hooks prebuilt, and use these hooks as needed - you don't need to re-edit the template (not even once), and you need to edit the imagemap ONLY if you want to change it graphically (add text, change colors, add button etc.), otherwise you leave it as it was.

The thing is YOU DON'T NEED to edit the mappings (and therefore the hooks) again.

I am using the imagemap train of thoughts but I'm sure you can imagine the same usefulness for the HOOK thing when applied to slashed images too.

And AFAIK this is very simple to do in PHP.

And, last but not least, something to think before you fall asleep tonight: why the hell would I want a CMS if I had to do important things manually?

henrycooperavel

Yes, really interesting. Not exactly what what I want, but his module can be a good starting point for it.

tonyskyday

Reading this I have to say what you want is pretty specialized, and not something I personally would think warranted being included in the core, but that is just my opinion.

On the other hand, I don't imagine it would be too difficult to make a component that can do this. (Well, not too difficult for someone who knows how to do that sort of thing.)

-Tony