Major differences between builder and preview..

[KJay_34]

I hope I'm posting this in the right spot, but here goes my question...

I'm tweaking my website in BlueVoda (adding pictures,text, etc.) and manage to get everything just where I want it... until I preview in web browser. WOW! Pictures end up on one side of the page, text on the other. Some items are overlapped, absolutely nothing will center on the page, and overall it's a major mess.

When I originally built my website and previewed/published I didn't run into this issue at all. However, I'm using a newer version of BlueVoda than the one I started with, so is it possible there are conversion issues for pages built in an older version and modified in another?

From where things stand in the builder, I'm ready to publish my pages, but I'm afraid to publish the changes and end up with the mess I'm seeing in the preview, so any help would be sincerely appreciated. I've spent hours on the forum and can't find any answers.

Thanks!

[Vasili]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

What is the URL of your website with previously published pages?

Why don't you publish one page to see if this issue is limited to your local computer only?

[KJay_34]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

I'm sorry, the URL is www.delleluce.com

I haven't published any changes to the website mainly because I'm afraid that if I publish it and it's a mess as it is in preview, I won't be able to fix it.

Yesterday I started a new website, and it previews fine. (Very minor spacing issues, but easily fixed.)

The website I'm having issues with in preview is stored in a dedicated HD on my computer. I'm running Windows 7 (I'm definitely NOT a fan!) and have had it crash on me several times, which resulted in a complete wipe and reinstall of the OS, as well as every other program I use.

When I went in to download Bluevoda and install it, it didn't install over the older version (since it too was wiped out) but my webpages were left intact on the seperate HD.

Is it possible that since the newer version of BV didn't have access to those pages when it was installed, that there is a compatibility issue?

[Vasili]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Crashing? Dunno .... Win7, RAM, BV with multiple pages open (many with cumbersome scripts on them like Conveyor Belt, etc.), other programs running in the background .... they all take a toll on system resources and can interfere not only with Preview, but in actually the Saving and Publishing process. Especially when you throw in the variable of everyone going wireless on so many different types of connection.

For starters, I would suggest keeping the number of pages open in BV and running programs in the background at a minimum as you work through getting pages published, and carefully tinkering with your Win7 configuration ... maybe there is something still left undone from setup that is choking BV function.

PS: Your Conveyor Belt is scrolling too fast, IMO, and would not only better appeal to Visitors if it was slowed down, but may possibly allow the pages to load cleaner and possibly render with less difficulty in Viewer browsers.
I too, have a very "heavy" page (with not only Conveyor Belt with a lot of images, but also with an audio file attached) as a "placeholder" while the site is being developed, but as you can see here, it loads perfectly and does not pose the issues you mention. But then, I purposely do web stuff on a dedicated XP desktop ...


(not a fan of Win7 myself, and dread the day I am forced to "upgrade" )

[KJay_34]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

I completely agree about the conveyor Belt, and actually have it set on the lowest speed without stopping it altogether, and yet it still zips by like a bunny on 5 hour energy. Any suggestions there or should I just toss it?

As for our original topic, I appreciate your suggestions and have actually been applying several of them while working on Windows 7. It's odd, but it seems to crash right after installing critical updates. (Not every time they are installed, but it's happened 4-5 times in the past few months) The upside is, I've become very very good at installing the programs I use frequently, and know exactly where all disks and key codes are for them!

Seriously though, I'm stumped on the preview issues. I've used BV for years, and have built several sites with it, and have never had any problems that weren't due to my own stupidity. (I'll admit that this issue could be caused by that as well!) After hours spent scouring the forum for answers, and even more hours checking and rechecking what I've done to the pages on my site, I'm no closer to an answer to my dilemma.

I just looked at your website and have to ask - how on earth did you get your Conveyor Belt to move that slow?? That's exactly the effect I'm after, yet you've seen what mine does on the slowest setting allowed.

[Vasili]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Hey, Kellie ... my Conveyor is set at "30" as I need to keep it moving at a reasonably brisk pace to make it look like "film" but still not so fast that it makes it hard to focus on the smaller images.

I have no idea what the issue might be, other than starting to look closer at the browser, since that is what generates the Preview and what governs our display online. I can only assume that Win7 is up to speed using IE9, and most likely you have that preset as the default browser for your system. If not, you should set it as default, even if you personally prefer to use another when surfing independently: as soon as you do set IE9 as default, then BV will "learn" (in the new Windows environment) to depend on IE9 without the "initiating" protocols that may be seen from our end as being sluggish or hesitant.

Once you settle this and have re-started your system fresh and clean, you may also try downloading the version of BV that totally was written to deal with IE9 and the "hidden" quirks that went unaddressed previously.
You'll find the link to download BV-SV2d here > BlueVoda Update Version SV2d
*Remember to never delete BlueVoda from your system, (for in doing so you will delete all your Saved web page files along with it), but to install the upgraded version over your current version! That's why they call it "upgrading" and not "re-installing"!

Hopefully these little steps forward to being as current and prepared as possible will either solve the issue or allow us an unobstructed view of the symptoms that need further attention.

[navaldesign]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Usually the issue with objects changing position is third party code that has been added either in Page HTML or a HTML object. Often this code is incomplete (missing closing tags) and this meeses the <div> closing tags of BV itself.

Can you please publish the page and provide a direct link to a page that has this issue ?

[KJay_34]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Vasili, SV2d fixed most of the preview issues. Everything is in line as they should be, now it's just spacing between text boxes and pictures that's giving me a migraine, but we're getting closer!

navadesign, I published one page that's giving me fits... www.delleluce.com/about_us.html
Even after publishing I'm seeing a huge gap between text boxes and pictures.

[KJay_34]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Ok guys, another question while I'm thinking of it (I'm sorry, I know this is so the wrong spot to be asking this one)

I read somewhere that search engines prefer plain text links between pages etc... does the navigation menu that allows drop downs count as plain text, or is it exactly what it sounds like and linking text? (I hope that makes sense)

[navaldesign]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

You are using a classic Nav bar for your menu so this is ok.
Menu bar instead, is Javascript based and can't be read by SEs. The solution is to add a small text menu at the bottom of the page.

Your page appears fine, text and pictures are in the correct position according to your page code.
However, since each browser uses a different line spacing (IE most correctly displays what you have in your BV workspace, I suggest you break your text in small paragraphs (no more than 5 - 6 lines each) and this will fix the gap issue.

[KJay_34]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Should I put each paragraph in seperate text boxes?

[navaldesign]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Yes

[Vasili]

Re: Major differences between builder and preview..

Pretty much taking Steps like a "Tag-Team" now ... which is fine, as I can't spend all day minding the shop!

I am glad we solved the Preview/Browser issue and resolved the formatting that was dependent on being able to SEE your page design properly prior to publishing it, Kellie!

Thanks, General, for picking up the slack and helping move things forward!


....and on we go!