Forum suggestion - moving layouts to main site?

[Beaker]

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of many members of this forum, who cannot be thanked enough,  the "Requests" and "Contributions" pages now contain more layouts than you can shake a stick at.

The problem is (for me at least), finding some of them months after they have been posted. I'm also noticing newer forum members requesting layouts (that are not on the main site), that are already on the forum somewhere.

I found myself on the verge of posting a layout request the other day, only to stumble on it by accident on the request page, while trying to search for something else.

My question is whether it is possible to "copy and paste" layouts across from the forum to the main site page. This would make all these user submitted layouts available to everyone, and much easier to find. A simple note (link)  on the layout referring the reader to the original forum location, would enable the reader to find associated notes and build discussions there.

Anyone any thought on this?

[dbat69]

I think it could be very useful as I too have struggled to find a layout I knew was there.  I know there is a search function on the forum which perhaps I should have used.

The only possible issue would be what had happened previously where someone else's work was 'copied' and posted which led to some uncomfortable exchanges.  I wouldn't want Mark or Miro to be put in that position again or risk losing this valuable community and resource.

[Beaker]

I have to agree with that point Dbat.

[Silver Blues]

I echo both points. It would be nice to have all the great user-contributed layouts on the main site, it would help the verified ones get more builds and the non-verified ones get there.

[Freppo]

I would love that

Maybe user contributed layout could have their own section on the main site?
And maybe it could be restricted to verified layouts only?

[rocket88]

I would be honored if mine went up on the main page. I think that if someone is willing to have them on the main page then it should be ok. That whole situation was crazy to say the least, but I think it was an anomaly.

What may be a good idea is have a verified and unverified section under contributions.

[Synsound]

I think having th verified ones moved to the main site would be cool.

[Frank_NH]

I think that's a great idea too, though they should be verified and the contributor should be willing to answer questions from builders (I think most here would do that).  I've got a bunch of veros I'll post at some point, but only if they are fully verified (e.g. SRV special tube screamer, 4049-based Stone Grey Distortion, and a modded version of the Dinosaural Tube Bender).

[Muadzin]

Somehow I can't help but think the layouts should be in the same graphic style as the ones posted by |v|ark and Mirosol. It's kinda like the vocoder that Stephen Hawking uses, instantly recognizable if you do a google search so you recognize its a tagboardeffects layout.

[Beaker]

I get what you mean - I love the fact that you can spot Tagboard Effects layouts instantly on a Google search, but the appearance is a function of the program (and version) that they use. Other guys are using different programs to draw up layouts, so those layouts look different.

I would not want to cause anyone extra work converting drawings to DIYLC latest version, or worse, tell someone that their layout cannot be posted up because it looks "wrong".

As it is, there are quite a few layouts on the main page that "look different", so I really don't think it matters too much.

[Frank_NH]

I agree with Muadzin that a uniform look would be desirable, although John K. and even Mirosol's layouts had a slightly different look than IvIark's.

Maybe a good solution would be to encourage contributors to convert to a standard component library with a uniform look and feel for text.  Converting may not take that much effort and would ensure uniform quality.  In addition, to keep the contributions separate, perhaps there could be a separate link accessible at the home page.  We can see what IvIark wants to do.

[rocket88]

Mark uses V2 of DIYLC, and he actually sent me all the templates for the components that he uses, but they can't be transferred into V3. I learned on V3, and tried using V2 but found it confusing compared the V3, mostly be used that's what I learned with. If I remember correctly, and I could be wrong, but mark didn't move up to V3 because be found it confusing compared to V2, lol. I do agree that some uniformity would be good. I think the biggest thing to keep the same would be to have the values listed on the components rather then as a build list at the bottom, rather then the style of the components.

For me at least, I find it more difficult to build a layout when I have to see at the top where the component goes, then look at the bottom for the value, it just seems to take more time and makes it hard to check everything since I have to check 2 places when I want to see that components are in the right places.

But in the end, I wouldn't be opposed to using the earlier software to use the same component layouts of that means it will help people out.

[Freppo]

I think it should be ok for the user contributed layouts to look different. There are many versions to DIYLC, and most important is that people use what they feel comfortable with.

Also, there's alot of good layouts with standing resistors. Layouts that would end up too big otherwise. I see no point in setting criterias for the user contributed layouts just so they would look more uniform with Marks and Miro's layouts. It would just reduce the number of approved layouts greatly and excluse alot of layouts that are working just fine. Just my opinion.

In the end, it's up to Mark to decide if he wants to do it. I recon that it would be alot of work making a new section on the main site for the user contributed layouts.

It would definitly make the main site even better, so fingers crossed :)

[scimitar]

Excellent idea, I have previously posted requesting a layout only to have it pointed out to me that there was already another thread with a layout completed. My only concern is that if restricted to verified only there may be a lot of layouts that get "lost" since there will be less reason to look in the forum sections, so long as layouts are clearly marked as not verified, why not include all in main site?