p0rtalplayer wrote:

WinstonSmith wrote:
How about Aperture Logos for ratings, dependent on the map's theme? Perhaps have a "theme" selection box available during upload, and based on the user's selection, either the Aperture, Aperture-with-W (Wheatley), 70s, or 40s/50s logos are used as the ratings indicators.>

The problem with that idea is that 1) it only works really for portal 2 maps and 2) maps often mix multiple themes

Portals are fine, anyway.

I'm wondering why it redirects us to the database instead of the database being the main site.

Camera wrote:
I'm wondering why it redirects us to the database instead of the database being the main site.

Laziness, basically.

At some point I'll get around to making that be the main page and update all the links.

Couple changes:

• Main page is now file database
• Updated search with fixed Rating sorting and pagination (couple of the features of that can't be seen at the moment since there's only 3 pages of maps)

Next up, searching by tags, author, and map name. And after that, I'll declare victory and move on to integrating the blog

Happy times guys. Keep uploading maps.

p0rtalplayer wrote:
Couple changes:

• Main page is now file database
• Updated search with fixed Rating sorting and pagination (couple of the features of that can't be seen at the moment since there's only 3 pages of maps)

Next up, searching by tags, author, and map name. And after that, I'll declare victory and move on to integrating the blog

Happy times guys. Keep uploading maps.

Great news, keep it up!

Got a preliminary text-based search. It needs some features still, like special buttons for the image-based tags and maybe advanced searching, but for now it just searches for your string in map name, author, description, and then tags. I'm also pretty sure there's a better way to do it, in the current form it ends up looking over the same maps a lot of times due to the way it searches through them.

If there's anything specific someone wants added to this particular feature, speak up now.

After searching is done and dusted, I'll finally get around to PTI integration, and maybe play around with filmmaker integration (that one's less certain, though if I do end up doing it, that'll be one thing we have that TWP doesn't)

And then blog, and then victory.

p0rtalplayer wrote:

After searching is done and dusted, I'll finally get around to PTI integration, and maybe play around with filmmaker integration (that one's less certain, though if I do end up doing it, that'll be one thing we have that TWP doesn't)

Cavalcade-urination cat says:
Yet.

What about download links to VMF/PTI source files, along with the compiled maps? optional, of course.

Kizzycocoa wrote:
What about download links to VMF/PTI source files, along with the compiled maps? optional, of course.

Good idea, I might add that to my list.

Finished up searching, finally. Search only goes through the results array once, so it's more optimized than before. Also added an advanced search page accessible from the normal search page. The URL modifiers kind of rack up, but it does allow for filtering for anything you couldn't already sort by.

Edit: grox quickly discovered a few problems, I'm working on it as fast as possible. That's what I get for not making sure old stuff works with the new system :atlas_facepalm:

Edit 2: Okay, fixed from what I can tell. If you see any other problems, or want to request some last-minute features for the searching, let me know.

I'm making some changes to the way file submission works to account for PTI maps. If anyone experiences problems, let me know right away.

p0rtalplayer wrote:
I'm making some changes to the way file submission works to account for PTI maps. If anyone experiences problems, let me know right away.

Why allow PTI maps on the Database? I think the Workshop should be the place for that. Unless your making it so it links to the Workshop pages, and not allowing p2c files then whatever.

reepblue wrote:

p0rtalplayer wrote:
I'm making some changes to the way file submission works to account for PTI maps. If anyone experiences problems, let me know right away.>

Why allow PTI maps on the Database? I think the Workshop should be the place for that. Unless your making it so it links to the Workshop pages, and not allowing p2c files then whatever.

Yeah, that

On applicable maps, there will be a "subscribe" or "To Workshop" button instead of a download button.

I may (probably will) also allow workshop links for normal maps too. So if you want people to be able to get it from the workshop you can.

p0rtalplayer wrote:
The URL modifiers kind of rack up, but it does allow for filtering for anything you couldn't already sort by.

Could you not have a system kinda like the Hammer entity flags? Then you wouldn't need so many modifiers.

Pilchard123 wrote:

p0rtalplayer wrote:
The URL modifiers kind of rack up, but it does allow for filtering for anything you couldn't already sort by.>

Could you not have a system kinda like the Hammer entity flags? Then you wouldn't need so many modifiers.

hmm...

That is possible, and not a bad idea in fact. I think the current system is more usable, though: it's easier to figure out what &search=portal&type=p2sp&difficulty=easy means than &flags=5325, even if it is shorter.

Cave Johnson here, announcing that workshop support is live! To upload a workshop map, simply place the link into the "workshop link" field on the (new and improved) upload page, and the fields will literally fill themselves out! That's right folks, even our upload forms have AI (not really, but the search page, that's another matter). You'll still need to specify difficulty, and the tags might be a little sparse, but my engineers tell me that's 10% the effort for 150% the profit. That's what I call a good deal.

Now you may be thinking "But Cave, what if I want to upload my own version of the map but still want workshop support?" Well, now don't worry, I've got my engineers on the problem right now. Greg tells me they've got a handy little double-button setup coming for the view file page, so keep your eyes peeled for that. And if you need help keeping your eyes peeled, go ahead and buy yourself a handy Aperture Science Eye-Peeling device. Completely safe, as long as you don't mind never having eyelids again. Who needs to blink, anyway?

Right. That's it for now. Cave out. Oh wait, one more thing. If you come across any problems, that's not a bug, that's a feature. But go ahead and inform engineers of any unintended features so that we can make a profit off of them. Wouldn't want to be wasting any money. Right, that's it now. Cave out.

Quick update folks, Greg tells me that the edit file interface is all updated and good to go. Now you might be thinking "But Cave, you never mentioned that the edit file interface wasn't done." That's right, I didn't. PR said it would look bad to the press. Come to think of it, PR also recommended I wash my red socks with my white shirt...damn. If you happen to pass a PR guy let them know that they are FIRED. Because they are.

One more thing, Greg said there's just a couple more things to add to the site before it's good to go. Let me see here... Search interface type icons...Search quick-tag support...Steam integration (whatever Steam is, hopefully one of OUR products or we might run out of boxes today...you know, for people to pack their stuff in)...and various upgrades to the News section. Now, I'm all for shine and polish, but I think the product is almost ready to launch! Not as if an unfinished product has ever stopped us in the past, heh.

Cave Johnson, we're done here.

Looks good! Here's a few suggestions:

[list:my3iy1sq]
[:my3iy1sq]When viewing all maps in a list, there should be an option of how many results to show per page. You should also set the default to something larger than 10, as right now the first page is already shown on the front page of the website.[/:m:my3iy1sq]
[:my3iy1sq]In advanced search, I can't un-select something in the Type or Difficulty lists. You should add a "Do not specify" option.[/:m:my3iy1sq]
[:my3iy1sq]SP/COOP sorting options on the map list would be good. Just a convenience thing, since the feature already exists in advanced search.[/:m:my3iy1sq][/list:u:my3iy1sq]
Other than that, this is cool to see finally off the ground and running. Good work!

Idolon wrote:
Looks good! Here's a few suggestions:

[list:9gtdqopy]
[:9gtdqopy]When viewing all maps in a list, there should be an option of how many results to show per page. You should also set the default to something larger than 10, as right now the first page is already shown on the front page of the website.[/:m:9gtdqopy]
[:9gtdqopy]In advanced search, I can't un-select something in the Type or Difficulty lists. You should add a "Do not specify" option.[/:m:9gtdqopy]
[:9gtdqopy]SP/COOP sorting options on the map list would be good. Just a convenience thing, since the feature already exists in advanced search.[/:m:9gtdqopy][/list:u:9gtdqopy]
Other than that, this is cool to see finally off the ground and running. Good work!

1. Totally planned right from the start what are you talking about (well before I was gonna increase it to 10 when the site's done but okay I'll make it be a thing you can specify )
2. Good point.
3. You mean like on the normal search page where you can sort by rating/views/downloads and stuff? Or somewhere else? I don't fully understand.

Something like this 5-second mock-up, but with 2000% more class.