X-Cart forums

[heather@MX1]

Hi, I'm setting up my new site which has various products related to the motorcycle industry. For the parts categories, I am looking for a different layout (see screenshot) than what is available, and I only want to apply it to certain categories. For example, I'll have categories for make (Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, etc), and then sub cats for Front Fender, Rear Fender, etc, and then when the sub cat is clicked on, the final page will nicely list the model application chart for the specific make (Honda, Front Fenders, CRF450 2008, etc) and the customer can add that item directly from that page.

Suggestions or recommendations would be most appreciated!

[JWait]

Well, the way x-cart handles that is with product variants, and they use drop down boxes. You can have one drop down where the customer chooses the model, a 2nd drop down where they choose the year, and a third where they choose the color. You can even add images so that when the customer chooses a color, the image can change to the color chosen.

To do a matrix like what you show in your example is pretty intense, and also IMO not as attractive. Try playing with a test product and make different sizes and colors to see if this will work

[Asiaplay]

Hi Heather,

Really in X-Cart as JWait points out, this is done using product options (i.e. Option is "Color") and you list the colours available under each option (variants are then auto created based on that list).
This is how you would set up the products in X-Cart to have colour options/variants.
A photo can be linked to each variant e.g. for each colour if you want to do that.

The next step is how to get them to display as per your jpeg.
This is not possible with standard x-cart... as really you are wanting to change the way product "variants" appear on the "sub-category" pages.
As I see it you have two options...

a) Change exact view slightly and use this mod
- see http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=47033
- working example http://www.elegantxmods.com/xcart_default/quickorder.php (choose mens -> shirts - variant colours are listed down the page one by one) and http://www.elegantxmods.com/xcart_13/quickorder.php
Note: contact the mod developer on this - discuss if they can use SEO URLs as part of implimentation and perhaps change so you see what you want to see (guy seems very helpful, although never dealt with him myself)...

b) Customization...
If you want it to look like your jpeg, then you will need to get some custom work done..
If you want a recommenation on a good programmer then PM me (one I use could easily do what you suggested and suspect this would be a cheap enough mod for him to do).

Lastly, if customising I would be tempted to cut down the list, so that it does not run into one long endless list
i.e. condense the colours part and have product like this
Icon photo, short product description (e.g.RC125 XX Fenders), part number, colors (colors presented as icon colour swatches / small squares that when clicked select colour and change price if need be), price, qty, total.
Namely, change a long list to a short one by using colour icons / swatches (rather than a drop down box to choose colour - as that will enable people to see the colours available, but avoid the long list (and should look nicer)...

Hope comments help - cheers, Asiaplay

[heather@MX1]

thanks Asiaplay & Jwait, I appreciate you both taking the time to post your comments.

Asiaplay, I like your suggestion re: colour swatches. I'm going to start by reading (and re-reading!) the section of the manual that covers this topic before I decide on customization.