The Sims Spot | About our New Look!

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Version 5.2

5.1 fixed many bugs and faults in the template but now it's time to get more user friendly. So here's 5.2!

Changes to the template
It's clear to see (if you have visited before!) the changes that have been made the past month or so. First of all the site has got alot wider! One of the aims for the original version 5 was to make it accessable for any screen size (800x600 upwards) after the changes made in V5.1 it turned out i was wasting 50 pixels so they have been added back! Another big change is the menu. As you can see to your left the menu is now much easier to read and use!

Versions 5.2

Changes to the Info Pages
A massive improvement on the Info pages is the new gallery. The gallery uses javascript to display different pages of thumbnails. These thumbnails are now alot larger and you can actually see the different images without the need of click them.

The movies section has also been improved to provide more information on the videos and movies selected. Including where they are found, their title, and what file type and programme they need to play.

Changes to the Content Layout
As you can see, even on this page that the layout has been improved, you can actually read this now! Pages such as the avatars and download pages have also been improved for this reason.

Versions 5.2

That was just a quick summary of all of the new changed. Of course they make a big impact on the site. Thanks for reading!

Version 5.1

After releasing the new look i began to see problems. So this version (5.1) is here to fix these!

Changes to the template
Those of you who have visited the site before V5.1 would of noticed that a lot of "space" has been removed from the template. Before hand the site had spaces between the menu, the main section and the sidebar. I began to see that this looked ugly and it needed to be changed!
The Poll has been moved off the sidebar and has been replaced with a "latest download" section, this is mostly because of how the poll affected loading times. I had also spotted a advert popping up relating to the Poll so it has been moved to a separate page!

Changes to the Info Page
Alot of the new pages have this already intact however the older pages are still the same. Basically i have decided to enlarge the thumbnail size of the screenshots in the gallery, and have added a "useful links" section (bet you can't guess what that has in it!)

Affiliates and Friends!
Although this doesn't really affect the site to much i have also decided to pay more attention to affiliates. Before, I was neglecting them and not even mentioning them adding me to their list. This is to change! I will start mentioning their special effects and thanking them for exchanging! This version was also the time that TSS has been added to the UK fansite list!

Whats Changed In this version? (V5)

The biggest change is to do with how the site is created. Older designs have used "Frames" you don't need to worry yourselves about what they are if you don't know. Anyway this design doesn't. I have got learning some new techniques and now my site is easier to link to and edit!

Of course the biggest change you can see is the template. A new banner spans across the top with random images and screenshots from the latest "The Sims" game and a new sidebar (see below) makes it easier to find the things you want fast! The menu has also been expanded and can be easily changed by me. My last design constricted the menu to a certain size making it harder to add new features and pages without adding entire new ones to fill in missing links!

The "Our Verdict" section has been changed on the information pages. I began to see that they were a bit pointless. So unless a full review is written for the game involved only a comment, who i recommend it to and an overall mark out of 10 will be adcded. This is to declutter the info pages!

Whats New In this version? (V5)

I've added a new Graphics section to the site. At the moment it is quite small but i'm hoping to add a large selection of avatars, signatures, backgrounds and banners very soon featuring all the newest "Sims" games and packs.

The sidebar shows up on every page and is a new feature ive decided to add. I have used one on another template but it didn't look as good, but anyway. The sidebar only contains the counter and poll but I'm planning to add many more features to it, including adverts, links, theme changers and more! . The new look allows me to change it on every page at once and extend the size easily.

The Sims Spot Gallery

The gallery is also something you might of noticed. It has appeared on the game information pages. The "Show all" link will open up more screenshots on each page and you can work out what "hide all" does! I have decided to have 40 screenshots maximum on the older games, however newer games will have screenshots added as they arrive.The newest ones will be shown without having to click anything. All of the screenshots can be clicked on to enlarge!

The new style of making this template also allows me to enhance the toolbar. Direct links to different pages around the site have been added making it easier to get around TSS!

The Sims Spot Toolbar

What browsers does the new template support?

At the moment there doesn't seem to be a problem with any browsers. If anyone finds any problems with the site on any browsers, please email me at tbatch@thesimsspot.co.uk. Thanks!

Why have you got a new look?

Version 4 was all about creativity. The pages were designed to allow me to add and remove colourful images and sections around. This was great however it took up time and with my coursework and GCSE's kicking in, it was eating in to time i didn't have. This design, although simple, allows me to be creative with my pages but ensures that it doesn't take up more of my time. The last site got me bored quickly, this design however, won't!

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