Default Image Broken

Tried that, and it didn't stick. My newest models are all back to showing the wrong material as default again. Annoyingly, it's the metallic plastic renders, which, frankly, are ugly as sin.

Hello,
Issue is fixed on my side, the shop now shows the right pictures.
Thanks.

Getting better. Still not quite right for my products. The default material render image now appears and does not disappear (excellent! good work, Christmas is saved!) but the image order is not correct.

The material renders appear last in order which hides all the photos. On the product page for products in my shop, the default material render is set to appear first with all other photos following.

Since the image order now appears with the material rendering(s) last, any photos are hidden from view when the product page is opened. The customer may not know to click on the left arrow to see the photos.

Please keep trying! Getting better and thanks!

Steve

NOT FIXED YET, THERE AREN'T CHANGES AT ALL.

Hey Luis (@HOLDEN8702) hope besides the image issue (I can understand this is super annoying!), all is well with you! Didn't had a chance yet to return to Madrid but maybe next year

Unfortunately the issue is quite complex as it only affects a bunch of products, not all of them.. Our DEV team still hasn't found the solution but is working on this. We'll update you when we know more, but please bear with us for now..

Hi Ruud:
Good to know about you!
Well, these days I'm not very happy with the site. It's annoying to watch models perfectly showed weeks ago that now are listed in the wrong and more expensive material instead of default material, price and the carefully done -and also default marked- picture.
I'm sure this has harmed some black friday sales, but would be a shame this would also do that with Christmas sales.
Please give my regards to those friends from the late Madrid event.
Best regards
Luis

Gelieve te blijven proberen!

Please keep trying!

I am also having the problem of the default image not displaying. Here's a product where the problem remains:

1/350 USS Saratoga Island 1931-1932

For this product (and most of my 700 designs) the Shapeways render for Frosted Ultra is set to be the default image and is set first in image order. For the other products, the Shapeways FXD render is set to be the default image and first in order.

Two behaviors are being experienced, not at the same time:

1. Presently, the default image does appear but is last in order. It should appear first is order so that the other images are not hidden. A customer may not know to click the left arrow to see the other images.

2. At other times, when the product page is opened, the default image is displayed but only for a moment then disappears being replaced by the next (non-render) image in the sequence. If I click the FUD icon under "Choose a Material" at the top, right corner, the default image does not appear. The second image in the sequence remains displayed.

If I open a product page and experience the first behavior, then click "edit product" to check on default image order settings, I see that the setting shows that the default image is set to be displayed first. When I click "View Product", the second behavior is experienced. If I refresh the page, the page loads and I continue to experience the second behavior. Very strange.

I'm using Chrome on Windows 10.

Hope this helps and thanks for trying to fix this!

Thanks, Mitchell.

This is only an example, but in this section of my second shop all the models are WSF as default material and all them have a customized personal pic as default image. As you can see, about half of them are presented as FUD as default and no picture. FUD is also available as alternative material.
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/panzer-vs-tanks-2?section=1/16+Scale+Figures&s=0
Thanks again and best regards.

Yes, of course. My intention is customers can watch the FUD preview if they do click on this material, otherwise they will see only my customized pic and no a preview.
But the more serious problem about this issue is that models were presented in the more expensive material, and this can disuade customers to go into the model for more info about availability in cheaper materials.

Hi Mitchell,

Any word from the Dev Team on the problem I am experiencing? All of my products are affected.

In case you missed my earlier message, two behaviors are being experienced, not at the same time:

1. Presently, the default image does appear but is last in order. It should appear first in order so that the other images are not hidden. A customer may not know to click the left arrow to see the other images.

2. At other times, when the product page is opened, the default image is displayed but only for a moment then disappears being replaced by the next (non-render) image in the sequence. If I click the FUD icon under "Choose a Material" at the top, right corner, the default image does not appear. The second image in the sequence remains displayed.

If I open a product page and experience the first behavior, then click "edit product" to check on default image order settings, I see that the setting shows that the default image is set to be displayed first. When I click "View Product", the second behavior is experienced. If I refresh the page, the page loads and I continue to experience the second behavior. Very strange.

I'm using Chrome on Windows 10.

Hope this helps and thanks for trying to fix this!

FINALLY I HAVE HAD TO CHECK ALL SECTIONS FROM MY BOTH SHOPS AND MANUALLY SEARCH AND ACTUALIZE SOME OF MY WRONG PRESENTED MODELS -SECOND TIME I HAVE TO DO THAT-.
I'M VERY ANGRY WITH THE WAY YOU DO YOUR DAMN WORK, SO THANKS FOR NOTHING.

Hey @HOLDEN8702,

We're sorry for that. We fixed the core issue to stop it from occurring to new products, but still investigating the fix for all of the affected products. I see you've fixed your products, so thank you and thanks for your patience!

Hey @Model_Monkey,

In regard to:

This happens when you navigate to your product's page from a link in your shop. It links to your default material (or the default material/variant choice configuration if you're using variants), and since it's linked to that, will show the first photo or render associated with that material. Since the uploaded pictures aren't associated with a material, it displays the render as the first image. This can be fixed by selecting a material from the dropdown under images:




You'll notice this: https://www.shapeways.com/product/PDGUKT2CW/1-400-hacs-mk-v-directors (doesn't link to a specific configuration) versus https://www.shapeways.com/product/PDGUKT2CW/1-400-hacs-mk-v-directors?optionId=57549151 (comes from your shop, configuration in the URL).

One thing to note is that the render on the product carousel will always display after user uploaded photos. But the priority will apply to what shows in your shop. For instance, since the render is first in priority, the render will show up as the image in your shop, though at the end of your carousel.

Please let us know if you have any questions or are experiencing any other issues. Thanks!

Looks like it's working for me now. Thanks!

Arthur,

Please be assured I do appreciate and respect you, the Dev Team and your combined efforts.

But there is a problem here that appears to be becoming a pattern of problems that needs addressing. I apologize for the lengthy post. Please bear with me and note suggestions for improved website behavior predictability and stability at the end.

If I understand your message correctly, you are telling designers that because of a Dev Team coding change that the Dev Team cannot or will not fix, I am going to have to go through over 700 products and thousands of photos (each product has several photos), and associate each photo, one at a time, to a specific material because the Dev Team made a no-notice coding change three weeks ago during the Christmas shopping season? This is an utterly impractical solution.

This is the second time over the past month I have been told, basically, "fix all of your product descriptions yourself" because of two different coding changes made by the Dev Team. And these two self-inflicted problems happened going into the Christmas shopping season.

What happened twice this past month must be addressed because it was self-inflicted and continues to have the potential to harm sales.

Twice this past month, a significant coding change was made that adversely affected product descriptions with no notice of possible adverse affects to designers ahead of time. Designers only found out about the coding change after our product descriptions no longer appeared as intended, as originally set, and as previously appeared (previously working very, very well, for my shop).

The latest change in coding altered existing product website behavior, hiding the most important product image, the default image. The new website behavior was a surprise to designers, its cause not easy to understand by designers, thus not fix by designers.

When I as a designer reported by initiating this thread that the product descriptions were no longer behaving as they had been, possibly negatively affecting sales, after some confusing responses over a three week period, I ultimately received the polite "yes we made a change, here's how you can fix it yourself" response.

The "we made a change now fix it yourself" response is becoming a pattern of Dev Team conduct and not a welcome one.

When the first coding change happened in November (HTML to BBCode) causing product description problems, I was basically told by Dave Ho over a two week period (paraphrasing),

1) There is no bug, then
2) There may be a bug and we are looking into it, then
3) There was a bug and we fixed it, then
4) The fix is not retroactive and you'll have to fix all your product descriptions yourself

This time, I was basically told over a three week period (paraphrasing),

1) You don't understand a change we made but we'll explain it to you later, then
2) There may be a problem and the Dev Team is looking into it, then
3) Yes, there is a problem, it's complicated, and the Dev Team is still looking into it, and now
4) You don't understand a change we made, here's how things work now (not like they did three weeks ago), so you fix all your product descriptions yourself

A designer's time is better spent designing products than spending dozens of hours fixing all of a shop's website product descriptions after behind-the-scenes coding changes were made. These changes adversely affected product descriptions and were only discovered by designers after product descriptions no longer appear or function as they had.

The necessity of associating photos to materials was need-to-know before the coding change was made.

Suggestions

1. In the future, Dev Team, please help designers understand any of the coding change's possible effects you know of BEFORE the change is made, thus giving us some time to adjust our product descriptions (such as associating photos) before the change adversely affects product pages and possibly harms sales. For proposed, significant coding changes, make an announcement that clearly reads something like, "New Product Description Coding Change Coming - Designer Action Needed". Then just tell us what you think we designers will have to do and describe some of the possible adverse affects your testing has revealed.

2. Please don't make big, product description coding changes as we enter the Christmas shopping season. There is no time available during that season for a designer with a lot of products to change product descriptions, in my case, over 700 products (with thousands of photos).

3. In trying to make the website's behavior predictable and stable for designers and customers, please consider establishing a website coding "good idea cutoff date" of October 31 that lasts until January. Many other businesses have adopted "GICOD"s to good effect.

I appreciate that the changes the Dev Team are making are intended to improve experience and functionality and I applaud the Dev Team's efforts to do that. Many of the changes (e.g. facets, CSV tool, etc.) are brilliant, hugely welcome and great functionality ideas. But there has got to be a better way to implement some of these changes, specifically the ones that affect product descriptions and website behavior.

Thanks for your time and efforts to fix problems.

Respectfully,
Steve
____________________
Uittreksel in het Nederlands (Mijn excuses voor mijn slechte vertaling)

Suggesties

1. In de toekomst, Dev Team, gelieve te helpen ontwerpers begrijpen één van de mogelijke effecten van de codering verandering's jij voordat de wijziging is aangebracht, waardoor ons wat tijd om onze productbeschrijvingen (zoals het associëren's) aan te passen voordat de wijziging nadelig beïnvloedt productpagina's en eventueel schade verkoop. Voor voorgesteld, significante veranderingen codering, een aankondiging die duidelijk leest zoiets als: "Nieuw product Omschrijving Codering Change Coming - Ontwerper Actie nodig". Dan vertel ons wat je denkt dat we ontwerpers zal moeten doen en te beschrijven een aantal van de mogelijke nadelige invloed op uw testen is gebleken.

2. Gelieve niet groot, productbeschrijving codering wijzigingen aan te brengen als we de kerstinkopen seizoen in te voeren. Er is geen tijd gedurende dat seizoen voor een designer met veel producten die beschikbaar zijn productbeschrijvingen te veranderen, in mijn geval, meer dan 700 producten (met duizenden foto's).

3. In een poging om het gedrag van de website van de voorspelbare en stabiele voor ontwerpers en klanten te maken, kunt u overwegen de oprichting van een website codering "goed idee cutoff datum" van 31 oktober, dat duurt tot januari. Veel andere bedrijven hebben "GICOD" s aangenomen met goed resultaat.

Ik begrijp dat de veranderingen die de Dev Team maken zijn bedoeld om ervaring en functionaliteit te verbeteren en ik juich het Dev Team inspanningen om dat te doen. Veel van de veranderingen (bijv facetten, CSV gereedschap, etc.) zijn briljant, enorm welkom en grote functionaliteit ideeën. Maar er moet een betere manier om een aantal van deze veranderingen, in het bijzonder degenen die productbeschrijvingen en website gedrag kunnen beïnvloeden voeren.

I am still unable to fix the problem this way. Please help me understand what I need to do.

What I want the page to display when opened by a customer is simply the Shapeways render for the default material (usually FUD). I would also like the the carousel to show supporting photos in order after the default material render. This is how the page worked for all my products until three weeks ago. It was easy for the customer to see a good render of the least expensive material, and to see supporting photos in the carousel right under that image.

But now, no render appears of the default material at all, even after trying to make the fix you described.

To try to make the fix for one product, I opened this product's page, clicked "EDIT PRODUCT" and reset the images to be associated with the default material. When I click "VIEW PRODUCT", the default image (which is the Shapeways render for the default material, FUD), does not appear, even when the Frosted Ultra icon is clicked under "Choose a Material".

Please help.

Thanks, Mitchell.

1. Any chance the Dev Team can modify the current system so that the Shapeways render can be set by a designer to appear first in the carousel as it used to be?

2. Is there any way Shapeways can reset all of my uploaded images to "multiple materials shown" through some command at one time?

The current system means having to make associations for thousands of uploaded photos in my shop, one at a time, meaning weeks of work fixing product pages to meet the requirements of the new code rather than actually designing new products, advertising, responding to customers' questions and requests, conducting research for new products, etc..

Thanks for your time and Merry Christmas,

Steve