handling unique "sub" attributes for clothing

[dmfelder]

I have built multiple Zen-Cart sites, but I am faced with a new challenge:

I built www.gafy.com, a site that sells shirts with designs. A customer selects a design, then a shirt style, then a color, then a size (check out any design on the site for a better understanding). A design can be printed on any shirt style, but the color and size options are unique to a style.

Example:
A customer selects design A, which can be printed on two different shirt styles:

- a basic tee is available in red, white, and yellow, sizes M-XL
- a light weight tee is available in blue, green, and purple, sizes S-L

Originally, I created very complicated code that created a unique product number within the page (view the source!), and then sent it to Zen Cart. I want to switch it completely to Zen Cart...but don't know how.

How would I set up categories, products, and attributes to accomplish the same thing?

(I'll ask how to change the product image based on the design, style, and color combination later!)

Thanks!

[kobra]

The way this is on your site is that the attributes are dependant upon what you select in the first selection...

Zen Cart does not have support for dependant attributes...

A different way of selling than you are doing now could be used.

Current:
You sell/display the designs and then the shirts

New:
You sell the different shirts and add designs as attributes along with sizes etc

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=57

[dmfelder]

[FONT=Verdana]Thank you for the response. I appreciate and fully understand your suggestion. It would work; however, it's not ideal given the nature of the merchandise.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Is this there a way to do this:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]1) Display all the designs (maybe as images of categories?)[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]2) A user then clicks on the design (category) and it shows the shirt styles (maybe as images of products?)[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]3) Then, the user clicks a style (actually a product) and subsequently selects the other attributes?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]I just don't have a good grasp of the relationship between categories and products, because I feel like both could have respective images. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]This wouldn't be ideal, either, but the user could click the design, then see the design displayed on all of the styles, then click on a style, and then select the size/color.[/FONT]

[kobra]

This wouldn't be ideal, either, but the user could click the design, then see the design displayed on all of the styles, then click on a style, and then select the size/color.

If I understand your use of terms -

You would create one or more cats of design images and for each design you would create individual products of a certian shirt styles and this grouping of products would then become a "product listing".

With the 3rd party Column-Grid module, these could be rendered 2,3,4 abreast with images and short description and selecting one of these would take you to the "product info" page where attributes of size & color could be added.

[dmfelder]

Yes. Each design would be a unique category.

- Select the category to reveal all corresponding products (shirt styles)

- Select the product to reveal the attribute options.

Is this feasible? Is there a way to display ALL of the category images in an array, and then show ALL of the corresponding product images in an array?

If it is, I think it will work, and then I'll just need to develop a way to change the product image based on color selection. (I have seen an add-in for this.)

In your professional opinion, do you think this would work?

[dmfelder]

Also, how do you display category images? (I'd need them to display in an array on the main page.)

I totally understand the product images, etc.