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Old 12-11-2005, 02:33 AM
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greg watson greg watson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gldtn
Greg,

Here is a quick and dirty procedures you can try..

Under you Scripts settings, click on MASTER script and scroll down till you see "New AD Block", click on that and after the new Ad block appears under the default one.. ajust it's settings, then go to the template you want and add $GAB_ads[0] variable for the default and $GAB_ads[1] for the one you just created. Just add more as needed, just remember to increase X on $GAB_ads[X] as you ad new ad blocks.

That should do it!
That is exactly what I did *before* I posted the message above <grin> ... doesn't work <grin> ...

The Number of Ads function does not work ... you can put 5 in there and the most that it will display is 1 ...

There is also this mild problem of not being able to specify which category of ads $GAB_ads[0] will pull from ...

Let's walk through a very specific example:

First ... let's divide a page into three ad blocks ... in theory, we should be able to create these three ad blocks under the Master Script.

##### Ad Block - Header #####
So ... let's have ad block 0 be a header banner and let's assume that Banner #1 is a static 468x60 banner that needs to be displayed at the top of the page. Thus we insert $GAB_ads[0] into the header template ...

We only want one banner to display is this particular position, so the master script block 0 is created as a static banner with number of ads set to 1.

##### Ad Block - Left Column #####
Now ... let's have ad block 1 be a left column block of five banner ads and let's assume that Banner #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6 are 125x125 banners that need to be displayed in the left column of the page. Thus we insert $GAB_ads[1] into the left column template ...

We want five banners to display in this particular position, so the master script block 1 is created as a static banner with the number of ads set to 5.

##### Ad Block - Footer #####
Now ... let's have ad block 2 be a footer block of 1 banner and let's assume that Banner #7, #8, and #9 are 468 x 60 banners that need to be displayed in the footer of the page on a rotating basis. Thus we insert $GAB_ads[2] into the footer template ...

We want these three banners to display in this particular position in a rotating manner, so the baster script block 2 is created as a rotating banner with the number of ads set to 1.

#####################################

Logical ...

Now ... let's take a look at what actually happens ...

Master Script Block 0 (i.e. Header Block)
In the position for $GAB_ads0[0] ... what ad gets displayed? GAB randomnly pulls any one of the banners and randomnly displays the banner (i.e. it randomnly displays Banner #1, or Banner #2, or Banner #3, or Banner #4, or Banner #5, or Banner #6, or Banner #7, or Banner #8) ...

We need the ability to specify what category a master script block can pull from or the concept of the ad block is useless ... there is currently no way to specify what banners will appear in master script block 0 ... since master script block 0 needs to display a 468 x 60 banner , it really does not work to have it randomnly pulling banners from all categories and all sizes ...

Master Script Block 1 (i.e. Left Column Block)
In the position for $GAB_ads[1] ... what ads get displayed? Well GAB is configured to display five ads, but it in fact only will display 1 ad. Now ... which ad will it display? It will randomnly display any of the banners (i.e. #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8) ... if you put a 468x60 ad in a left column that is designed to only have 125x125 ads ... it does not work very well <Grin>!!!!

So ... we have two problems here ... first, the Number of Ads displayed does not work, and we can not have it randomnly pulling adds from inappropriate categories ...

Master Script Block 2 (i.e. Footer Block)
In the position for $GAB_ads[2] ... what ad gets displayed? Well GAB is configure dto display 1 ad on a randomn basis ... which is exactly what it does. However, again ... there is no way for us to specify which ad gets displayed ... so when it is supposed to only be displaying a randomn 468x60 ad from a footer category, there is no way to specify what category of ads are getting displayed in this ad block ...

==============================================

All around ... it just will not work in its current version <grin> ...

The Category concept is probably the key concept here that is not yet implemented ... it will be absolutely essential to be able to limit what categories each ad block can pull ads from ...

If you add this one feature concept of setting what categories an ad block can use, you will give people the ability to customize what ads get displayed on what pages and in what blocks ...

This is critical from two points of view ... one is ad size and the other is ad subject and positioning ...

... and one this is working ... the next issue that will pop up will be people wanting the ability to display one banner ad in multiple categories <grin> ...

==============================================

Give the above scenario a quick test <grin> ...

1. Upload Banner #1 and try to get it to only display as a header banner ...

2. Upload Banners #2-5 and try to get them to only display as a single block of ads in a left column block ...

3. Upload Banners 6-8 and try to get them to only display in a footer banner location ...

<grin> ... regardless of the things like the Number of Ads function that just doesn't yet work <grin> ... the current design will not allow you to manage ads like in the above scenario ...

Thanks,
Greg
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