What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

[amecca]

I know this may be a very rudimentary question but I can't seem to find a straight answer on the forum.

I was doing some investigating on how to make attribute variables dependent on each other. So they would only show values based on a previous drop-down selected.

So if you are selling car parts, for example, you first select from a drop-down the Make of your car and based on that selection the second drop-down would give a choice of Models...etc.

What I found on the forum was a lot of talk about Inventory Variants and The Attribute Machine. I have been using Miva for 5 years now but I am not sure what either of these things are. Is there any video or tutorial document on how to set this up? I don't currently hold any inventory, but I will certainly use the module if needed to get this done.

[wcw]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

It sounds like you are referring more to search or refining the search. There is a company who holds a patent on that process. They are currently trolling the internet and finding stores using that idea and then litigating. Small and large companies have capitulated and paid $40,000+ each to settle out of court. Currently some large players are trying to invalidate the patent. Whether they are successful or not, remains to be seen. In the interim, small stores are still receiving letters from attorneys. Here's some light reading; 2nd paragraph http://www.practicalecommerce.com/ar...Patent-Trolls-

[amecca]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

I don't think so what I am referring to is strictly on the product page.

So lets say you have the product car mats. The first attribute would be:

What is the make of your car?
>Ford
>Chrysler
>Dodge
>Toyota

The next attribute would be the model:

What is the model of your car?

The drop-down for model would be dependent on what you picked as the make. SO it would only show models from Ford if you picked Ford...etc.

[Mark Hood]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

You should be able to do that with the attribute level inventory. This also requires you to update your Miva templates which are different if you are using MMUI or CSSUI

CSSUI http://extranet.mivamerchant.com/forums/showthread.php?104879-Production-Release-8-CSSUI-Template-Changes

MMUI http://extranet.mivamerchant.com/for...mplate-Changes


http://vimeo.com/25724329

http://vimeo.com/25724459

[Gamelord]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

Image machine is different than the attribute machine. Image machine allows you to have multiple images instead of just one main product. You can see the image machine at work at my site on this page:

http://www.awindofchange.com/product/blokart.html

You can tie the image machine in with the Attribute machine so that when a person selects a certain attribute, that image will appear on the page. So if you are selling T-shirts and your main product image is a white T-Shirt...When you select a "Yellow" T-shirt in the attributes, your main product image will change from a White T-shirt to a Yellow T-Shirt.

Hope that helps explain the two a little more.

[amecca]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

Now that I get what they do I would like to know how to set it all up. I like both things Attribute and Image but what I really need is a step by step on how set these two things up in my store. Or is it something that is already included in the store, I just don't know how to "turn it on".

[amecca]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

I just realized something. When I watched the VIMEO video (http://vimeo.com/25724362) Upgrading Templates, at some point Rick talks about adding the item "Product_display_imagemachine" to the prod page. I do not have this item to add. How do I get this module?

[amecca]

Re: What are inventory variants and/or the "attribute machine"?

Just figured it all out...for now. Upgraded miva and see the various tables, just need to take it a bit further now. And figure out how make the attribute dropdowns dependent which I can figure out from the videos.