Web Page Slideshow Recommendations?

[Renegade]

Can anyone recommend a script or utility to make header slideshows?

I want a slide show about 800x200 pixels or so that slides DIVs across the top header. I also want to put both HTML and images in the DIV.

I don't care if it works with IE4 or Opera 3 or whatever. I only care about hitting the top 95% or so of the browser market, so it needs to be relatively robust, but I'm willing to sacrifice a few visitors for some slick style.

This is entirely about style, so the slicker, the better.

If you know anything that's drop-dead sexy, let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[Bamse]

I think most of this is based on Jquery Cycle Plugin http://www.malsup.com/jquery/cycle/ At least in Wordpress world. There are plugins for the plugins or something. Search "jquery cycle plugin banner" or similar. May be add "+tutorial"

Not that I would attempt to do it my self, but keywords will give hits. If you go "yes, of course" trick is to find a site which does not just copy and paste. There is always jquery forum http://forum.jquery.com/topic/best-jquery-banner-rotator If you use Wordpress it is silly not to make use of existing plugins. Can be free like Meteor Slide http://www.jleuze.com/plugins/meteor-slides/ or paid like uBillboards http://codecanyon.net/item/ubillboard-premium-slider-for-wordpress/124783 or Easing slider http://www.easingslider.matthewruddy.com/ which is free but has a Premium version http://www.premiumslider.matthewruddy.com/ First impression counts = $ to be made The free Meteor has the advantage of being able to use all features of jquery plugin http://www.jleuze.com/plugins/meteor-slides/using-metadata/ not just a handful chosen to be visible in settings.

DynamicDrive might have something http://www.dynamicdrive.com/ like Ultimate fade-in slideshow http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex14/fadeinslideshow.htm if you have brilliant pics nothing beats precisely adjusted and slick fade-in Different taste but if fade-in is just right I don't think many get tired of it, does not scream for attention like perhaps more impressive effects.

[Bamse]

Seems like 9 out of 10 themes at Themeforest http://themeforest.net/category/wordpress use big ass front page sliders, find one you like and copy them - or figure out what they use. Most will be jquery based, variations of the same. Difference is tweaks from pretty graphics. If you don't use Wordpress then travel forums for that script, I will guess same jqeury is used but how-to implement should probably be looked up.

Or look at their javascript dep. for slider http://codecanyon.net/collections/763241-killer-sliders-on-codecanyon?sort_by=sales_count&type=files&type_id=763241&page=1

[Renegade]

DynamicDrive... Wow. I checked them out and they're still around. I used to read a lot there many years ago.

I'm still searching, but it looks like everything is using jQuery, so I suppose I'll get on top of that then have a look again.

[Bamse]

Site is mostly a museum of web dev history but they still update and make new scripts from time to time. There must be a few still not on cms/blog tool or able to make use of scripts without plugins.

Flash? http://www.flashxml.net/components/

[Renegade]

Not going the Flash route.

I'm having a hell of a time trying to find anything. So far I've spent another 5 hours finding, testing, ruling out.

I think I'm going to need to code this myself. Oh well... I'll try to put some polish on it then see if I can sell it. Got a $5,000 car repair bill coming in... Transmission... Ouch... I need to make some ca$h badly...

[Bamse]

In another thread you said you knew how to promote software in a very effective way. If you are correct many will probably be happy to pay a modest sum for a well writing ebook Can include info on how to set up sites, may be even find a platform for spitting out sites your self. You being a developer, with web dev experience and all counts more than unrelated credentials. You can sell your self better than yet another dude who can help with a website and hosting plan.

Software devs. can be idiots with websites, promotion - don't see the point in how-to screencasts and other informative boring stuff that can mean tons to users. Whole area is confusing, loads of offers left and right - you just spend hours looking for a little slider. Targeting a specific group is more than a stupid niche idea since you are part of it. Question is how much money they want to spend

[Renegade]

In another thread you said you knew how to promote software in a very effective way. If you are correct many will probably be happy to pay a modest sum for a well writing ebook Can include info on how to set up sites, may be even find a platform for spitting out sites your self. You being a developer, with web dev experience and all counts more than unrelated credentials. You can sell your self better than yet another dude who can help with a website and hosting plan.

It's one of those things that I just never get around to. I always have something else that's more pressing or more important. Doing a well written book is a huge effort. I started it before, but I had a lot of code samples, and I was commenting everything in extreme detail. It took too long to keep my interest.

Software devs. can be idiots with websites, promotion - don't see the point in how-to screencasts and other informative boring stuff that can mean tons to users. Whole area is confusing, loads of offers left and right - you just spend hours looking for a little slider. Targeting a specific group is more than a stupid niche idea since you are part of it. Question is how much money they want to spend

I think I will be able to sell it for $50 or so. Maybe more. We'll see. Right now there's nothing like what I want out there. Some are close, but just not right. They're all pretty boogery to tell the truth. The good ones aren't available for the framework I'm using (DNN). All the DNN ones are just... bad. Nothing surprising though. A lot of stuff in the DNN world is really substandard for a good site. I suppose that goes for all of the web though -- Joomla, WP, etc. There are always crappy plugins/modules.

It took me several days to find a suitable skin for the site. I lucked out there. It was normally $75 and I got it for $15. It looks good too. Not like a lot of them that are really... boring. $15 certainly beats spending $5k~$10k.

[Bamse]

Is amazing how much money there must be in marketing. Ever heard of demogirl? She made a name for her self by making screencasts, uploaded them to Youtube of course. For free, just a hobby. She still does it but way less than before because now there is a price tag http://demogirl.com/pricing/ Any idiot can do that but most are not that good.

[Bamse]

Does DNN have something like Ubermenu? http://codecanyon.net/item/ubermenu-wordpress-mega-menu-plugin/154703 I have seen them before, pro coders do not buy scripts for 10$, but one of those plugins many probably don't know they "need". Menus have not really evolved much since those old famous ones from DynamicDrive were all over the place.

[Renegade]

Does DNN have something like Ubermenu? http://codecanyon.net/item/ubermenu-wordpress-mega-menu-plugin/154703 I have seen them before, pro coders do not buy scripts for 10$, but one of those plugins many probably don't know they "need".

Yes. It's got a quite good menu. Different skins though do it different ways sometimes. The current skins I'm using has an excellent menu system.

Screencasts are actually very difficult to do well. I've not looked at hers, but I've done lots in the past, and they take a LONG time. For a quick job, I'd say you're looking at at least 1 hour of work per 1 minute of screencast, minimum. And that's a hack. There are no good screencast tools that will let you do everything in 1 place that I've seen/used. The audio part is the hardest.

Maybe sometime I'll open up a website or service publicly for marketing. I'd rather stay away from that though as the vast majority of the web marketing industry is pretty sleazy.

[Bamse]

Yeah but her product seems to be thin air and yet she succeeds in making it in to a business. She found a niche market and is good at what she does. Same with plugins for web stuff. If you make slider no. 37 it should be different in a positive way if not having unique features. Or if a typical internet marketer got the idea of charging for being a software promotion consultant that would most likely be a scam because he/she have no clue of that particular market.

Yes DNN has "Mega" menu http://www.snowcovered.com/Snowcovered2/Default.aspx?tabid=242&PackageID=20484 140$ for admin version though. Advantage with WP version is it can hold widgets or practically any content, contact form, google map etc. Don't know it Mega can do that. That site is overkill when not in to DNN.

[Renegade]

Well, I'm just starting to learn jQuery now. We'll see how it goes. I'd really rather just buy something and be done with it though.

[Renegade]

Well, to learn what I need to know, I suppose it's best to start with looking at examples:

http://codecanyon.net/item/ddslider-10-transitions-inline-content-support/full_screen_preview/104797

So I bought it.

I think it will do the job. I like that site. There are a bunch more things that I think I'll be buying as well. Bought $30 in credit.

Thanks for pointing it out.

All the DNN modules that I looked at were really sucky. Just plain bad.