Beta copy of the last update to B5Scrolls.

[Triple F]

It’s not quite ready for full publication – The interviews, artwork and ship screens are up. The Other Stuff section still has a few things to add. But here’s how the final update to B5Scrolls is shaping up.. . . . Only took 18 months to find the time to do the bloody thing. : )

http://www.b5scrolls.com/B5ScrollsWorking2a.htm

If you don’t read anything else on the site, the interview with Ron Thornton is the one thing I’d recommend.

I don’t know why I never thought of including them before, but the little link boxes behind the highlighted text – which hold quotes, trivia, photos, even script extracts - add a new layer of detail and info . . . or at least that was the theory.

Biggest problem I had with them was how many to include, and how much to put in them. Too many and they totally screw up the readability of the site – especially if they’re holding a lot of text. Too few and you start wondering why they’re even there.

The addition of the renders showing some of the actual 3D models used on the show was nice to finally have. And the slightly larger page layout meant I could play around a bit more with content – like the animation showing the Lemmings being ejected from the Streib ship (screen 8 in the interview with Thornton).

http://www.b5scrolls.com/B5ScrollsWorking2a.htm#Screen1_01_8

That sort of thing isn’t an animation file BTW. It’s just a series of still images which are flipped through like a book. Trying to create animations which every browser on ever platform will run is nigh impossible these days – and I’m not loading up multiple copies of 50meg+ files just to do that. Which is another thing. As well as being fully downloadable for folks to keep - the site is also designed for viewing on a desktop computer. Some phones will run it just fine, while others will wave their little metaphorical arms in disgust and make a bolt for the hills. The biggest issue will be the use of flash animations.

The reason for showing it here, and hopefully getting some feedback, is it’s a bit of a beta test. Getting feedback from folks who are viewing it on different computer configs, and browsers, is never a bad idea. So I can hear if there’s any issues with how it looks or performs.

[sense8ional]

Certainly looks bigger (wider?) than I remember. Good job!

edit: And nice updates throughout!

[Triple F]

Definitely taller, but funnily enough not wider – I know what you mean though, it does seem wider. The thinking was it could still fit on a screen with 1024 wide res and would only require to be scrolled down to see the bottom bit of the pages. . . . . But you’re seeing it OK? Thank Christ. There’s only been a handful, but every time I did an update I was terrified I screwed up big time somewhere and it wouldn’t be revealed until the first person tried to view it.

Edit
I tell a lie, it is wider, but only by a tiny amount (14 pixels). Thinking back, right at the start I did add a few as there was a little bit of wriggle room on a 1024 res monitor. . . Good eyes. : )

[Ubik]

Will give it a look when lunchtime rolls around. Great to hear the update is almost done. Love the site, it's a wonderful resource and document of a side of the show that's not often covered in such detail. all the more pertinent with Ron passing away recently.

[Triple F]

I’ll come right out and say it. Another reason for doing this beta kind of thing - I let folks on another forum know as well – has to do with the content on some of those link boxes. . . . . Am I going too far basically.

Some . . . . people who will remain nameless, expressed concerns that a strawman argument was being presented in some of the interviews – that I’m making up a false reason for why I ended up contacting the ‘guys’ to find out who designed the ships - and if an issue existed then it would be easy enough to show examples. . . . . So that’s what I did (particularly on screens 14 and 15 of Ron’s interview).

http://www.b5scrolls.com/B5ScrollsWorking2a.htm#Screen1_01_14

Then added a few more on something like that second link on the Muskrat screen.

http://www.b5scrolls.com/B5ScrollsWorking2a.htm#Screen2_01_9

The ones on the Shadow Battle Crab, and the Spitfire screens in particular aren’t exactly subtle. But being subtle in the past resulted in what it resulted in.

It’s not your typical kind of fan site, so in one respect they fit right in. But I’m not sure it was the right thing to do at the same time. It might sound a bit bizarre, but I get the impression from various comments that some folk don’t believe I’m just a fan who couldn’t find the names of the designers . . . . That I might be mojo or someone else who worked at FI?!

[Ubik]

This is a hard one, I think the hover over boxes are interesting, but it's perhaps labouring the point a bit too hard. The interviews stand as very interesting in and by themselves and people can connect the dots if they wish to. I wouldn't feel the need to provide supplementay evidence like this. I do get what your trying to do, but not sure it comes off that well.

I'd probably errr on the side of not including them, or perhaps fewer of them. It's your call really, it does make it look more like you are out to make a particular point, even if that's not your main intent. Depends what you want to achieve. I'd let the interviews stand on their own.

For the rest, the new site looks just great. Good effot and nicely designed.

[Triple F]

I take you’re point, which is why I was wanting more pairs of eyes on it.

The link boxes started out when I noticed most of the links originally used were either dead or had moved. (Remembering this is the final update) So I thought, hold on, I’ll show the quote, then include the link, so if the same thing happened again at least they’ll be something for folks to read. Then I realised I could put other stuff in the boxes – images, bits of trivia, script extracts, etc. So added more. But adding some commentary or observations was the last bit, and that’s where I thought – maybe that’s too much. . . . and I think it is. I’ll certainly be removing a fair chunk of it because, as you say, the interviews are interesting enough by themselves.

Thanks for the feedback, it’s exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for.