This Scenic Route Is Not So Scenic.......

There's a few problems that I run into with working downstairs in my office by myself. The number one speedbump, mound, or mountain is that when I need help in a very specific area, I can never seem to master my googling skills to troubleshoot a appaudable solution in an adequate ammount of time. So, I achieve the task I set out to do, but in a solution that is comparable to finding an underground tunnel and having to swim through slop to get to the other side versus climbing over with the guile of a spiderman... I do evennnntuuuuallllyyy get to the other side, but not in a way I consider productive nor conclusive to higher learning. Just like the age old times of when there wasn't a video camera but only a camera for animation--- that's how I "want" to look at it to feel a little better, but surely there is an easier way out there in the world wide web that has nothing to do with in-house development tools or advancements in technology. It just boils down to not being at the advantage becoming my own TD (Technical Director) on any level. I can't give myself a promotion. I must reapply for myself in another year, I guess.... :)

Seriously, it's bothersome. It makes me hate working alone, because sometimes there is no easy answer for what one is trying to achieve and there are no simple resources when projects get complex. In a nutshell. I promise I'm not the only one out there that must feel this way!

Also, I have a feeling that what I am trying to achieve with my website at the moment, is even more diffcult to explain. So I won't bore you with the technicalities.

The main thing: I do have a solution. And it may be longer, more arduous, and teeth writhing, hair grabbing, and provoking of frothing madness, but it gets you to the destination eventually and perhaps a little off schedule.

WHY??? Well, If I seek help online through a forum, I have to wait for someone to conjur up the energy to write a solution or, even worse, wait, and then after some hoping get a response in which they request clarification. No, no. Not that I wouldn't want the assistance, I'm patient, but I feel they'll need a visual reference to fully help me with a solution is webdesign savvy. Unfortuantely, I don't know many people who are deeply involved with web design to pick up the phone and call...

Right now-- it just works. It's functioning and its fine, But it's probably the WORST approach possible. It's reminding me of shoving clothing into a closet because you have nowhere to put it while all along wanting to make the room appear clean. In reality, it's not clean. It's a damn mess.

The way I always try to work, is that if I want to get skilled in multiple areas-- I have to not just do it. I have to do it right. Perhaps I am a perfectionist. So be it. Better off crafting for flawlessness than throwing together something with a core filled of careless errors.

I will seek help after to learn. And hope that someone can guide me down a smarter path, but I can't take the time right now to wait for the solution.

It works. But the scenic route, the "real" scenice route is definitely not this way. I've loaded up my Concept content online, and, minus the desciptions, I am almost finished with the life drawing section. You can view both interactive pages here:
http://www.lisamarie.biz/2D_Designs.php
http://www.lisamarie.biz/GalleryPages/2D/Cycle1/2D_LifeDrawing1.php

Otherwise, here's a snapshot. The same layout, really, as the concept page...



IF ANYONE CARES TO READ THE TECHY END OF THIS THREAD, HERE IT GOES:

Right now, my main struggles are the iframes of the submenu (CHAIN WITH LINKS) and how they are working with the main design pages. I want the chain holding the plates (when clicked) to appear as if its dropping... but when clicking the iframe links, they are referencing each other (and appearing to drop), instead of referencing their complimenting background pages.

I'm not sure if I can keep the iframes but have them reference TWO things when clicked-- I doubt it. Must find out, but, for some reason I believe it might be unlikely without major coding outside of html. This area in particular that I am speaking of:




I could have done flash (it probably would have been easier in the long haul) but I wanted a stop motion sort of feel for now. I may change this later because I really like the organics of flash, but for now.... I like bareboned.

I got rid of the iframes (which I'm not a fan of anyways) and created a div incorporated into the Design Pages, and now have a different Design Page for each "placement" of the plate in each of the following topics: CONCEPTS, CHARACTERS, TATTOOS, LIFE DRAWING, CELL.

Where this leaves me:
WAAAY to many pages for my liking + (besides the changing divs) mostly repitious content per Topic.

I was also considering a php include as an alternative... to cut down the ammount of pages accumlating and slim the site down, but I'm not sure how I would do this when the background needs to change on each topic?

Anways, so yeah.
Techy troubles in the land of web design.
I'll let you know what responses I receive to the problem.