Specifying small / medium / larger package sizes?

[deepfrydaniel]

Hi everyone,

I'm setting up zen cart for the first time and I noticed that when I am specifying the tare weight there are separate categories for small/medium and large packages. What criteria does Zen Cart use to make this distinction? I sell vinyl records, and for my purposes it would be very helpful to make 45s small packages and LPs larger packages since the mailers for these two categories weigh very different amounts. I've looked all over and can't find a way to customize this setting. Can someone help?

Thanks,

Daniel

[Sonnie]

I found your question searching for the same answer you are seeking. I too would like to know the distinction between small/medium and large packages. Hope someone comes up with an answer.

Sonnie

[Kokonutmama]

ditto here.

[Kokonutmama]

OK, my php is quite rusty but looking in root->includes->classes->shipping.php I think I may have worked it out.

"Large" means the order is bigger than the weight we've defined as the max shippable in one package.

Somebody who really knows should evaluate this, though. Here's the little bit of code from the file i mentioned that has me thinking this is the answer:

$za_tare_array = split("[:,]" , SHIPPING_BOX_WEIGHT);
      $zc_tare_percent= $za_tare_array[0];
      $zc_tare_weight= $za_tare_array[1];

      $za_large_array = split("[:,]" , SHIPPING_BOX_PADDING);
      $zc_large_percent= $za_large_array[0];
      $zc_large_weight= $za_large_array[1];

      // SHIPPING_BOX_WEIGHT = tare
      // SHIPPING_BOX_PADDING = Large Box % increase
      // SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT = Largest package

      /*
      if (SHIPPING_BOX_WEIGHT >= $shipping_weight*SHIPPING_BOX_PADDING/100) {
      $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight+SHIPPING_BOX_WEIGHT;
      } else {
      $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight + ($shipping_weight*SHIPPING_BOX_PADDING/100);
      }
      */

      switch (true) {
        // large box add padding
        case(SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT <= $shipping_weight):
        $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight + ($shipping_weight*($zc_large_percent/100)) + $zc_large_weight;
        break;
        default:
        // add tare weight < large
        $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight + ($shipping_weight*($zc_tare_percent/100)) + $zc_tare_weight;
        break;
      }

      if ($shipping_weight > SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT) { // Split into many boxes
      $shipping_num_boxes = ceil($shipping_weight/SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT);
      $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight/$shipping_num_boxes;
      } 

[Slate SF]

Small/medium packages are all shipments that will fit into one box. Large packages require multiple boxes, where "large" is defined as anything over the specified weight limit for a single box. The two separate tare settings won't work to manage different box sizes.

In other words- if you can ship 1-3 lbs in a small box that weighs 0.5 lbs, but shipments of 4-10 lbs require a larger box that weighs 1.0 lbs... this feature won't handle that situation.

[jbible]

If you take out this line of code from the shipping.php...

if ($shipping_weight > SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT) { // Split into many boxes
      $shipping_num_boxes = ceil($shipping_weight/SHIPPING_MAX_WEIGHT);
      $shipping_weight = $shipping_weight/$shipping_num_boxes;
      }

It can work for adjusting for different package sizes... but only 2. This works only if you always send in one package.