CT1138
Sr Member
Wookieepedia has pages for each individual's lightsabers, but they barely scratch the surface of the behind the scenes like the ebook does.
The Ultimate Guide to Lightsabers eBook
- Thread starter SethS
- Start date
I came here for this as well. Did anyone find out more info?
The guide book is up to date on this. Pages 8 and 9 i think . The only new thing since then is that the d-ring rivets are not so nicely aligned as it is on the blueprint that's in the book. But Roy has an updated one there on the site.
So I've been looking into a web version. Hosting is affordable and not really a problem. Time to build it-- doable if not a bit labor intensive for me. Given that I could pretty easily set up a template for a lightsaber entry and copy and paste one to one from the book... technically...
There's also the fact that in book form, the knowledge is cumulative. If I list out all the things added to the Graflex fgor ANH, and then for the ESB entry just amend that list, it tracks. If I make it a website where somebody could navigate to the ESB/Bespin first, I can't really do that. So there'a also a fair amount of re-writing involved.
What's turning out to be the issue for me, is figuring out how to organize everything and the planning a navigation scheme. A page decicated to a saber-- easy. But how do you get to and from that page to another saber?
The book started out as just the OT, so it made sense to break it down by character/lightsaber. After adding the ST and PT, it was a little bit of a jumbled organization, but it made sense as they were additions. My design OCD was a little bothered that Luke's TLJ saber was in his section instead of the ST, as well as Vader's ROTS saber being with the PT instead of the Vader section.
Now, with the new shows, we have new version of OT sabers on Obi-Wan and Mandalorian. We have the dark saber too. These don't fit into the current organization. Part of me thinks I should break it down by movie, but there's a lot of crossover behind the scenes, and that doesn't work for things like the pipe sabers or Barbican which have a long off-camera lineage.
Also, with over 80 entries, I can't exactly put then all in an easy to read sidebar or drop down menu... but at the same time, I don't want people to have to go hunting for a saber they want to look up, or have to back out to a master contents page. What's the landing page? Is a table of contents? That feels unwieldy.
While I can employ a tagging feature to help filter pages by movie or character or prop, that's going to be a search function, not a overall nav system. I'm a little stumped on this, so if anyone has seen a website out there that might serve as a good template, let me know.
The obvious answer would be to use a shop style format-- like every product being an entry, but with all the entries we are looking at it would that be overwhelming?
There's also the fact that in book form, the knowledge is cumulative. If I list out all the things added to the Graflex fgor ANH, and then for the ESB entry just amend that list, it tracks. If I make it a website where somebody could navigate to the ESB/Bespin first, I can't really do that. So there'a also a fair amount of re-writing involved.
What's turning out to be the issue for me, is figuring out how to organize everything and the planning a navigation scheme. A page decicated to a saber-- easy. But how do you get to and from that page to another saber?
The book started out as just the OT, so it made sense to break it down by character/lightsaber. After adding the ST and PT, it was a little bit of a jumbled organization, but it made sense as they were additions. My design OCD was a little bothered that Luke's TLJ saber was in his section instead of the ST, as well as Vader's ROTS saber being with the PT instead of the Vader section.
Now, with the new shows, we have new version of OT sabers on Obi-Wan and Mandalorian. We have the dark saber too. These don't fit into the current organization. Part of me thinks I should break it down by movie, but there's a lot of crossover behind the scenes, and that doesn't work for things like the pipe sabers or Barbican which have a long off-camera lineage.
Also, with over 80 entries, I can't exactly put then all in an easy to read sidebar or drop down menu... but at the same time, I don't want people to have to go hunting for a saber they want to look up, or have to back out to a master contents page. What's the landing page? Is a table of contents? That feels unwieldy.
While I can employ a tagging feature to help filter pages by movie or character or prop, that's going to be a search function, not a overall nav system. I'm a little stumped on this, so if anyone has seen a website out there that might serve as a good template, let me know.
The obvious answer would be to use a shop style format-- like every product being an entry, but with all the entries we are looking at it would that be overwhelming?
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AnubisGuard
Master Member
It's about the props, so I think organizing based on behind-the-scenes production would make the most sense – organize the homepage by movie and production. Basically written and presented chronologically, with hyperlinks to jump forwards or backwards in time based on character. E.g. the pages/section on Luke's various ROTJ props could have a disambiguation link to jump to Luke's TLJ and Mando saber pages, but those pages would be organized under the Disney era productions.
Or just make it a wiki. Have a homepage with a rotating "featured article" and let people search for what they're looking for.
Or just make it a wiki. Have a homepage with a rotating "featured article" and let people search for what they're looking for.
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Paul Andrew
Master Member
My initial thought would be to separate the sections based on where they're seen. Like, I would have a section for OT sabers, then PT, then ST, then TV. But I wouldn't treat each version of a specific saber with its own entry. Like, If I wanted info on a stunt version of a saber I would expect to click the main article for that saber then have to dive into that article looking for a link or section on the stunt version. That way you can keep all of one character's different saber versions together, but still have them organized by where they would have been on screen.
Joek3rr
Master Member
My first thought would be to categorize by character, then film or show, then hero or stunt. So say you click on Luke. Then you would choose the film or show. You then click on "Empire." Then you would see then you would see the list of sabers used in ESB by Luke.
EDIT
Might not hurt to look at the 501st CRLs.
databank.501st.com
Something along those lines might be nice. Particularly for the uninitiated.
EDIT
Might not hurt to look at the 501st CRLs.
Costuming:CRL - Databank
Something along those lines might be nice. Particularly for the uninitiated.
This was kind of the idea I had too, but mine's a bit more rigid in format. I would start with the OT stuff first, that is the progenitor and that gives a full run down with connections to all the character lightsabers from the first 3 films, and their associated stunt doubles, before it spins off into the PT and later as all their choices spawn from the OT.
I think like something of an index to readily select sections based on era is a must, but foremost is learning context for those who are just starting to research this, I think.
Ask a question, get a bunch of different answers, lol...
I think, for me, this has always been a VISUAL guide. I want it to be image dominated. Also, if somebody wants to come on and find something specific, I don't want them to be more than a click or two away from what they need. While I love the organizational aspect of wikis, I think they are ugly and I don't want something that is just so text-centric.
I've made a couple mock-ups in photoshop. See below.
On the main page, I envision hiding all info that's not just a lightsaber in a top nav bar. Everything else, will be accessible via the long, but logical, sidebar nav. You can search by movie, key word, character, or individual lightsaber. Clicking on an individual lightsaber would take you right to its page, but everything else would give you a mini gallery of choices. Click Luke (like my example) and you'd get every saber dedicated to Luke (like how the existing guide is). If you clicked a movie, you'd get all the sabers in that movie, etc etc.
Basically, an entry page for a saber would have all the tags needed for the search parameters so it shows up where applicable. I've shown an example here with the original graflex. I didn't add it cause I'm not sure where it would be, but I'd imagine at the bottom of the page, there'd be hyperlinks of all the tags connected to the page as well as links to related sabers-- like its stunt versions, sabers it inspired, etc. Does that make sense? The top gallery would be a thing you could scroll through, and like any other website, if you click the pic you'll get a pop-up of the full image.
I'm feeling like this is close... I am a print-trained designer though, and I have made many website mock ups that in practice don't do what I want. Web design has come a long way since the last time I tried, but I am hoping I can find a template that allows me to arrange it like this. Any web experts out there, please advise haha. I was looking at Romans Empire's site, which I think is a wordpress template?
I think, for me, this has always been a VISUAL guide. I want it to be image dominated. Also, if somebody wants to come on and find something specific, I don't want them to be more than a click or two away from what they need. While I love the organizational aspect of wikis, I think they are ugly and I don't want something that is just so text-centric.
I've made a couple mock-ups in photoshop. See below.
On the main page, I envision hiding all info that's not just a lightsaber in a top nav bar. Everything else, will be accessible via the long, but logical, sidebar nav. You can search by movie, key word, character, or individual lightsaber. Clicking on an individual lightsaber would take you right to its page, but everything else would give you a mini gallery of choices. Click Luke (like my example) and you'd get every saber dedicated to Luke (like how the existing guide is). If you clicked a movie, you'd get all the sabers in that movie, etc etc.
Basically, an entry page for a saber would have all the tags needed for the search parameters so it shows up where applicable. I've shown an example here with the original graflex. I didn't add it cause I'm not sure where it would be, but I'd imagine at the bottom of the page, there'd be hyperlinks of all the tags connected to the page as well as links to related sabers-- like its stunt versions, sabers it inspired, etc. Does that make sense? The top gallery would be a thing you could scroll through, and like any other website, if you click the pic you'll get a pop-up of the full image.
I'm feeling like this is close... I am a print-trained designer though, and I have made many website mock ups that in practice don't do what I want. Web design has come a long way since the last time I tried, but I am hoping I can find a template that allows me to arrange it like this. Any web experts out there, please advise haha. I was looking at Romans Empire's site, which I think is a wordpress template?
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Processing the data like a primary timeline “family tree” format would be awesome from the home page.
Hyperlinks to:
PT: >each characters sabers and variations
OT: >each characters sabers and variations
ST: >each characters sabers and variations
D+:> (includes anthology films and show character sabers and variations)
Left sidebar could include a condensed link list under “By character” with a drop list that lists each characters use…(which includes multiple usage like the stunts in ROTJ. Aka Obi motorized stunt under Obi Wan as well as V2 under Luke as both leading to the same saber page description in instances like that.)
I feel like that would allow lightsabers (especially complex use scenarios) to have their own pages that discuss their variations but the links that lead into them are naturally discussed in the commentary after clicking even if the users’ search queries aren’t fully informed yet.
That creates two ways to browse and search without being too format complex
Hyperlinks to:
PT: >each characters sabers and variations
OT: >each characters sabers and variations
ST: >each characters sabers and variations
D+:> (includes anthology films and show character sabers and variations)
Left sidebar could include a condensed link list under “By character” with a drop list that lists each characters use…(which includes multiple usage like the stunts in ROTJ. Aka Obi motorized stunt under Obi Wan as well as V2 under Luke as both leading to the same saber page description in instances like that.)
I feel like that would allow lightsabers (especially complex use scenarios) to have their own pages that discuss their variations but the links that lead into them are naturally discussed in the commentary after clicking even if the users’ search queries aren’t fully informed yet.
That creates two ways to browse and search without being too format complex
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Haha— I’m already confused. But I trust what you’re saying!
With a fair amount of costumization, this template might work:
The category section is doing what I am thinking in terms of filtering.
This one as well, if the category nav could be done on the sidebar:
The category section is doing what I am thinking in terms of filtering.
This one as well, if the category nav could be done on the sidebar:
jedi573
Well-Known Member
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