Remaking The LBT Archive

landbeforetimelover · **on:** June 10, 2009, 07:32:12 PM

Hello all. I'm sad to say that by the end of 2009, the current LBT Archive website will no longer work properly with modern browsers. The code is archaic and IE will cease support for many old elements by the end of 2009. I'm guessing the other browsers will follow, so I've decided to recode the entire thing from scratch. I will be using HTML, CSS2, and some CSS3 in the new code. I'm hoping to keep the same "feel" it currently has while giving it an up-to-date touch. I might implement some Javascript in it too. I just don't know yet.

I've already started coding. The new LBT Archive will be hosted exclusively on my server (though some images will be hosted on freewebs to preserve bandwidth). I'll keep the old site up for sentimental reasons, but it won't work in 2010.

All I have done so far is the home page, so I've got a long way to go. I'll be replacing almost all of the images with new ones because just like GOF I think it needs to be blasted into the 21st century. GOF is much better than it was before with its new banner and status images and such. Though I will be keeping the existing banner of the LBT Archive and putting it in this new design. The banner is timeless.

But anyways, I've got a ton of work to do with finalizing the design, making new images, and updating information so I'll see y'all later.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2009, 10:48:52 PM

Whew! I can't believe I've only gotten the review page and 1/3 of the character pages done so far! This is not going to be something I can do in one sitting. I thought it was going to be a lot easier than it really is (this frequently happens to me). Anyways, if I work on it for a few hours a day I should be able to get it done by the 20th. I'm working on a lot of other things right now so I can't code this for 12 hours a day like I'd like to.

The worst thing is going to be the new character images. I have to rip all the LBT DVDs in VOB format to get decent quality images and I have to find a new type of cut-out thing (Petrie never gave me the cut-out stencil template thingy). I think I'll try to make it myself from the current images, but no promises! Anyways, I think I'm done with coding today. I'll try to keep y'all updated with my progress.

If you'd like to see what it looks like, click the link below (design is subject to change):

View Current Progress

I'm sorry but you can't view the actual website as the navigation links are broken at the moment.

Petrie. · **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2009, 06:50:21 AM

Yes, it took me quite some time to make that place, despite its age.

Definitely looks more modern than how I left it.

The picture cut out thingy is part of a program by Microsoft, and unfortunately, isn't free, so that's why I couldn't share it. The program is called Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9 (and I think its from 2004).

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2009, 11:55:54 AM

Quote

The picture cut out thingy is part of a program by Microsoft, and unfortunately, isn't free, so that's why I couldn't share it. The program is called Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9 (and I think its from 2004).

Ah that's okay. It took a LOT of work but I was able to re-make the cut-out in Photoshop by selecting the inside of the picture and transversing it onto another layer. It isn't 100% perfect, but I applied some simple distraction and error cover-up tactics and it looks even better than the original did.

The one problem I have is that the song and video clips are sort of....well I hate to say this but they're sort of useless with what I offer on the LBT Funsite. I have the FULL songs available for download and streaming and those video clips aren't exactly in what I would call "acceptable" quality. I'll have to think of something better to use. Perhaps I'll allow full audio and video clip previews through flash. I don't know. I'm sort of at a loss with those pages.

And also, I have no idea how to get the character information so I can add new characters. After all, 3 movies have come out since that information was updated.

But I'll figure it out eventually. And I hope you'll like the more modern look Petrie. The old look was cool, but you gotta admit it was looking pretty old and outdated. PNG transparent images and CSS along with modern character images, buttons, and links will help spruce the place up.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2009, 12:27:17 PM

Okay. I have a portion of it up. If you want to take a look, follow this link:

www.lbtserver.2myip.net/lbtarchive

Yeah yeah, I'm ashamed myself at how little I've gotten done. I've spent over 18 hours on it so far (I started on it before I made this topic) but I've only got the home page, character page, and review page done.

I haven't even gotten the new character pictures yet. That'll take at least 2-3 hours there. Then I've gotta solve the problem about the two pages I have no idea what to do with.

I know I'm slow but this is some pretty complicated code. This is one of the most advanced codes I've ever made or worked with mostly because 40% of it is experimental and code that I've never worked with before. CSS3 has a lot of advantages, but I have to remember when I'm coding it that no browsers currently support CSS3. There's a LOT of code in here that doesn't work yet because CSS3 isn't currently supported by any browsers. This will insure that this website code will take at least a decade to get too old to be recognized properly.

Petrie. · **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2009, 08:03:11 PM

You're doing great Austin...really.

If you have to axe sections, I don't mind much...the web has come a long way since the early archive when there was no youtube or flash video or things like that. If the clips gotta go, then they can go.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2009, 10:11:14 AM

Quote

You're doing great Austin...really. smile.gif If you have to axe sections, I don't mind much...the web has come a long way since the early archive when there was no youtube or flash video or things like that. If the clips gotta go, then they can go.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm working on the song clips section right now and I'm putting the full songs up (I might offer streaming), but as for the current video clips, they've got to go. I'll have to replace them with something but.....I don't know what yet. Perhaps videos of the people who sang "If We Hold On Together" and the end credits to LBT 9 and 10? That'd be kinda cool.

Now just for your information, when I work on the LBT Archive the changes are NOT being updated on my server. This means that the preview link to the website is static and will not update till I replace all the files. I (probably) won't be replacing those files until I'm DONE with the website so please don't think I've stopped working on it. I've almost got the songs page done and I'm looking into streaming options.

Believe it or not, streaming music from my server is MUCH harder than streaming video. I just can't get it to work right. The problem I have is that the music won't start until it fully downloads the mp3 file. That's pretty pointless. The reason streaming is an option is to do a quick preview, NOT download the entire thing. <_< But I'll figure it out. I guess the

Code: on
<autostart="true">

element isn't enough.

But anyways, I've got to continue working on it. I'm dreading finishing the character pages because I don't know where to get the info and taking and resizing snapshots isn't very fun. But hey it's gotta be done so I'll work on it.