Author Topic: Web design folks  (Read 3563 times)

AmbulanceDriver

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Web design folks
« on: April 30, 2012, 08:33:45 PM »
So - My neighbor and I were talking today, and he's starting a new business.  These will be custom built UAV's based on a RC Helicopter platform.  So we started talking about what his business plan is, etc. 

One thing that came up would be his website.  They're working on it right now, have a placeholder up, but their goal is going to be a custom builder app integrated in their site. 

The plan on this would be to be able to start with any of the parameters, and from there drill down through the options until you have the correct solution for your application.

There are 5 or 6 parameters that would be options for the simple customizer.

Flight time
Payload (based on camera type and options)
Transmitter range for video/control
Autopilot capabilities (Hover/Simple Waypoint/Full GPS nav)
Thermal/FLIR options

Then for the guys who *really* know what they want, further customizable by # of rotors/engine or motor options/lift capability that would determine payload capability, etc.  Camera mount types, maybe further options later.

My thought would be something that no matter how you start the search, it would then only allow you to select the options that would fulfill that parameter.  So if you needed a minimum of 2 hours of flight time, then you would only be able to select frame/power plant types that would allow that parameter.  Then, if you wanted a heavier/more capable camera, you would then be steered to the next parameter.

Anyone know how to do something like this and then be willing to chat with him and maybe give him a bid based on what he wants to do?

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cordex

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2012, 08:43:17 PM »
Lots of different ways of doing that.

I'm pretty busy right now, but if no one else speaks up I'd be willing to talk with him.  Does he have a design already or does he need that developed too?

AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2012, 09:05:49 PM »
I believe they have a basic design, mostly explaining what their products can do. But they might want that revamped as well.
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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2012, 12:47:11 AM »
Anybody else want to jump in here? 

Bueller?   Bueller?   Bueller?   

:D

Seriously though, if anyone else is willing to step up so I don't have to add to cordex's workload..... 

Their current website is just a placeholder:   www.aerialtechnology.com

I'm guessing that without talking to him it'd be hard (if not impossible) to do, but just so I can give him a very general ballpark, any guesses what this might run? If not, not biggie, but it'd be nice to let him know if he's looking at $500, $1,000, $10,000....  :)
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CNYCacher

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2012, 09:31:32 AM »
It's better to work backward from a budget.  I can think of 10 different ways to do this and all of them cost different amounts.

Something like lenshero.com maybe?
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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2012, 09:51:14 AM »
Yeah, it'd be something similar to how lenshero is set up.  The tricky part in my opinion will be the back end database.  I think there's a total of 6 parameters, each with multiple options.  And that's on the "basic" customizer.  There's also a possibility of doing a more complex customizer that would allow a lot more parameters to choose from. 

An example would be - you want x camera, with a FLIR camera as well.  Ok. That combination cannot be mounted on frames a, b, or c, but can be mounted on frames d, e, f, etc.  Ok, you want to be able to get video and control signals to a range of 5 miles.   That means you have to have radio package y.  You also want autopilot m, so your total weight is now beyond what frames d and e can carry.  You also want 2 hours of flight time, so that eliminates electric motors, and means you can only use frames h, i, j, or k.  With the current weight of equipment, you would need to choose engine combo 6, 7, or 8.  depending on which engine you choose, you get your frame. 

The goal would be that you can pick any of the starting points - camera, flight time, radio package, frame, engine type, and then drill down from there to your possible final configurations.

That being said, if that makes things too complicated, we could set it up as a "start here" option and then proceed through each option in a fixed sequence.
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Nick1911

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2012, 12:23:56 PM »
You need a basic web app.  Sounds like wizard style workflow.

What technology are you working with here?  Standard LAMP stack?

AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2012, 12:32:18 PM »
And Nick just took it right over my head...  :)

Which a quick google has now resolved....

Honestly, I know nothing right now about his web service other than he's looking for someone to build what he's looking for.  I know his current placeholder page is being hosted at GoDaddy.  Beyond that, I be stumped.  I'll talk to him some more about it this evening, need to coordinate with him in regards to doing a couple of demos already...  :)
« Last Edit: May 02, 2012, 12:41:32 PM by AmbulanceDriver »
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Nick1911

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2012, 12:35:57 PM »
And Nick just took it right over my head...  :)

Ahh, sorry.

Linux or windows server?
What software for the server it's self?  What kinds of dynamic languages can it use?
What database backend?

RevDisk

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2012, 02:46:34 PM »
You need a basic web app.  Sounds like wizard style workflow.

What technology are you working with here?  Standard LAMP stack?

Go more simple, Nick.


AD, do you guys want to run your own server, or pay someone else to run the backend as well as do the design? This would be a reoccurring cost. Do you have a prefer to the type of server?  What is your estimated traffic? (Couple dozen folks per day, or couple thousand?) How much security do you want on the server (high, medium, low)?  How important are backups or whatnot?  High availability?  

What is the min/max you'd like to dedicate to the overall website?  What about this particular webapp?  Is it a "write it and done" or on-going maintenance or improvement type thing?

How much documentation will the developer have to produce?  How much graphical work? etc


I recommend treating the whole thing as a component in a project rather than just a single bolt-in module, but that's just me.
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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2012, 04:29:42 PM »
I have a sneaking suspicion I'm gonna have to learn to be a wannabe DBA and web guy..........  Now where did I leave that copy of SQL for dummies..............   :)

The database will need to be able to be updated as new tech comes online, prices change, and new products are added to the options.  I'd love to do a one and done type of thing, but it's just not possible with the constantly changing tech with these things.  But once it's established, it won't be a ton of changes being made, maybe one new item a month?  if that?  

Now, we were talking about it, and I just realized that with the database built properly, we could kill a couple birds with one stone.  We would have the web based app that would allow people to customize their build online, but we also want to have an Android/iPhone app that would allow the same thing to be done.  The obvious solution is to build the DB to be accessible by all the different apps that we build.  But Android/iPhone is going to be significantly down the road.

Security would need to be decent, but we're not going to use this as a sales portal (at least not yet).  Once you have your build customized, you'd submit it online, at which point the customer would be contacted to finalize any details and to arrange payment, etc.  

Budget wise, I have no idea.  I haven't even had a chance to talk this over fully with my neighbor.  I'll definitely have to sit down and have a chat with him either tonight or tomorrow....  

There will be some graphics work, but probably not a whole lot.  I believe they have a pretty good template for the website itself.  Each item that will be going into the customization app will need to be photographed, but that's just a matter of uploading data from our end to whoever is building it.  But there will be a lot of photos....

Traffic won't be huge, at least not at first.  I would guess fewer than 200 hits per day.  This is something that will be spreading slowly, I'm sure.  But this is pretty new territory for everyone, even for more established companies that are doing similar units - they just don't have the variety of options that we will have.  

But step 1 - find out what the budget is.

Step 2 - find out what kind of server (and what apps are currently on it) their current placeholder is being hosted on....

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Tallpine

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2012, 04:44:19 PM »
Doesn't sound like a hard thing to do, but I'm a C/C++ developer, not a web site developer.

But if he needs some software work for the UAV itself ....  ;)

I spent about a year working on part of the OS for a military UAV.
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cordex

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2012, 05:35:04 PM »
We would have the web based app that would allow people to customize their build online, but we also want to have an Android/iPhone app that would allow the same thing to be done.  The obvious solution is to build the DB to be accessible by all the different apps that we build.  But Android/iPhone is going to be significantly down the road.
Do you really think a phone based app would be that useful in this context?  If someone is seriously outlining a UAV purchase do you think they'll be doing it on their phone?

A mobile version of the site would do 90% of what a dedicated phone app would do without the expense of building it (or hassle to the end user of downloading a one-time-use app).

AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2012, 06:50:37 PM »
the thought was that the folks out making sales could sit with the customer and walk them through the customization, but I like the mobile version idea better, and it still lets us do the same thing.   I'll pass that on as well....
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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2012, 06:54:49 PM »
Doesn't sound like a hard thing to do, but I'm a C/C++ developer, not a web site developer.

But if he needs some software work for the UAV itself ....  ;)

I spent about a year working on part of the OS for a military UAV.

Ok.  This just made me giggle all sorts of evil giggles.....   

Alas, the units are built using COTS components, so it really is just a matter of bolting it together and using the components own built in software....   However.....   

Hrm.  You've got me thinking all sorts of dangerous thinking here....  >:D
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GigaBuist

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #15 on: May 02, 2012, 09:57:46 PM »
An example would be - you want x camera, with a FLIR camera as well.  Ok. That combination cannot be mounted on frames a, b, or c, but can be mounted on frames d, e, f, etc.  Ok, you want to be able to get video and control signals to a range of 5 miles.   That means you have to have radio package y.  You also want autopilot m, so your total weight is now beyond what frames d and e can carry.  You also want 2 hours of flight time, so that eliminates electric motors, and means you can only use frames h, i, j, or k.  With the current weight of equipment, you would need to choose engine combo 6, 7, or 8.  depending on which engine you choose, you get your frame. 

The goal would be that you can pick any of the starting points - camera, flight time, radio package, frame, engine type, and then drill down from there to your possible final configurations.

What you're going to end up with, if you want a solution that can be maintained by the owner, not the developer, is a system that has a record of every possible permissible configuration.  You add a new camera and then the owner goes into define the 85 different combinations that it'll work with.

That's the simplest implementation.  If you get more complicated, like trying to store physical data about each part and try to put that logic into software, well, you're looking at a nightmare. 

My advise?  Have him pick the top 10 configurations that make sense, provide staticly defined drop-downs on the few things you can change off that base model, and call it good.  For anything more complicated have 'em call the expert.

CNYCacher

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #16 on: May 02, 2012, 10:29:42 PM »
What you're going to end up with, if you want a solution that can be maintained by the owner, not the developer, is a system that has a record of every possible permissible configuration.  You add a new camera and then the owner goes into define the 85 different combinations that it'll work with.

That's the simplest implementation.  If you get more complicated, like trying to store physical data about each part and try to put that logic into software, well, you're looking at a nightmare. 

My advise?  Have him pick the top 10 configurations that make sense, provide staticly defined drop-downs on the few things you can change off that base model, and call it good.  For anything more complicated have 'em call the expert.


I think it could be done with software without being too complicated.  Each part has a list of incompatible models from other part types, which you could store in the DB as a simple two-key table with go and no-go payloads.  The interface to the owner would be pretty easy.  After a few ground rules about engine lift ability and component weights, you are mostly done.
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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2012, 10:58:46 PM »
I'll get an idea of a budget here in a little bit...  Thanks guys...
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2012, 11:44:33 PM »
10,000 dollars sounds like a good budget
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cordex

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2012, 08:13:42 AM »
the thought was that the folks out making sales could sit with the customer and walk them through the customization, but I like the mobile version idea better, and it still lets us do the same thing.   I'll pass that on as well....
Keep in mind that a mobile site would have to be compatible with a smaller subset of technologies.  An AJAX/PHP/MySQL solution might work for most mobile devices, but a Flash site wouldn't.
What you're going to end up with, if you want a solution that can be maintained by the owner, not the developer, is a system that has a record of every possible permissible configuration.  You add a new camera and then the owner goes into define the 85 different combinations that it'll work with.

That's the simplest implementation.  If you get more complicated, like trying to store physical data about each part and try to put that logic into software, well, you're looking at a nightmare.
I think it depends on how complex the interactions are.  If the interactions are limited to (for instance) number of mounts, physical dimensions and weight, calculating everything on the fly wouldn't be too hard.  Creating entries for every possible scenario would speed up processing, but given the use profile I don't know that such a level of optimization would really be a benefit.

My advise?  Have him pick the top 10 configurations that make sense, provide staticly defined drop-downs on the few things you can change off that base model, and call it good.  For anything more complicated have 'em call the expert.
That makes a lot of sense.  Create packages for different price points and let people modify them a bit.

Dell is a good example of creating defined models of computers, then giving you limited customization capabilities within those models.

AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #20 on: May 04, 2012, 01:35:56 PM »
Aight.  Got a ballpark on the budget.  He'd like to spend somewhere between $500 and $2k on getting this customizer built and programmed.   The server is running Linux, but not sure what other software is on it right now.   We're gonna get together this weekend, maybe have a couple beers and burgers, and hash this thing out a little more.... 

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CNYCacher

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #21 on: May 04, 2012, 02:28:45 PM »
Aight.  Got a ballpark on the budget.  He'd like to spend somewhere between $500 and $2k on getting this customizer built and programmed.   The server is running Linux, but not sure what other software is on it right now.   We're gonna get together this weekend, maybe have a couple beers and burgers, and hash this thing out a little more.... 

For that level, I'm out.  Could probably do something vastly simpler than what I was thinking for that kinda coin, but not sure even then.  plus I am booked out to August.
On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], "Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?" I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.
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Tallpine

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #22 on: May 04, 2012, 02:34:21 PM »
Aight.  Got a ballpark on the budget.  He'd like to spend somewhere between $500 and $2k on getting this customizer built and programmed.   The server is running Linux, but not sure what other software is on it right now.   We're gonna get together this weekend, maybe have a couple beers and burgers, and hash this thing out a little more.... 



That pays for about 1 to 4 days work for most developers  ;)

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AmbulanceDriver

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #23 on: May 04, 2012, 03:55:49 PM »
Hence why I come to the all knowing font that is APS.   He's willing to go higher if needed, but that will probably have to wait until they've sold some units.....
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Web design folks
« Reply #24 on: May 05, 2012, 01:11:09 AM »

What he wants



What he can afford
"The true mad scientist does not make public appearances! He does not wear the "Hello, my name is.." badge!
He strikes from below like a viper or on high like a penny dropped from the tallest building around!
He only has one purpose--Do bad things to good people! Mit science! What good is science if no one gets hurt?!"