Creating/Managing Variants

Hello,
I've been trying out Hikashop, and definitely see it's a great e-commerce application. I am planning on upgrading to the business edition.

But there's one thing I am stuck on: creating variants.

I've read all the documentation and searched the forum, but I cannot seem to figure out how to structure variants for my current client.

My client sells metal products. He has steel bars, alloy bars, aluminum bars, etc.

So, for example, inside "Steel Bars," he has several types:
B90 Steel Bars
A62 Steel Bars
C12 Steel bars
.
.
.

Then, inside each type he sells the following diameters:
1/16" diameter
3/32" diameter
5/8" diameter
.
.
.

Each set of steel bars of a certain diameter has its own price.

I created an article for "Steel Bars." No problems there. In that article, I need to create one listing for each type of steel bar, with a pull-down for pricing of a certain diameter.

I cannot figure out how to structure the characteristics and variants to set this up. Everything else about Hikashop is wonderful, but this is frustrating.

Maybe someone here has gone through a similar process and can lend me a hand with some instructions? I'd be forever grateful!

Thanks,
Matthew

Hello,
I'm totally lost.

I set up the characteristics and variants, with prices. Before I did this, the information displayed (even though it didn't have drop-downs for different sizes). But now, nothing displays at all in the module.

So I'm still trying to figure this out.

Thanks,
Matt

nicolas,
Here's what I did...

I set the listings for the various products in the "products" area of the Hikashop control panel. I also created a "Content Display" module in the module manager that I'm calling in my article using the {loadposition} option.

For whatever reason, every time I create variants, they end up being displayed as new products instead of sub-choices for the main product. I looked at your example in the demo (the butcher knife) and set up everything to be equivalent to that. But in the demo, the variants do not end up as products.

I'm not sure how much you'll be able to tell from this, but here's the page where I'm trying to display the information:
www.schenkerstudio.com/WeldingRods/index...steel-rods&Itemid=27

Please help!

Thanks,
Matt

nicolas,
OK, I see the logic to that. But the problem is, the structure of the products I need t list is a bit more nested.

I need to create "index" pages that shows major categories. The visitor then goes to more specific categories, and finally to specific variations for products. I don't want to go directly to specific products from a top-level menu.

I'll keep working at this and see if I can make Hikashop do what's necessary.

Thanks,
Matthew

nicolas,
I'm working on setting things up as instructed. I definitely see the logic to what you're saying.

Obviously, it will take me a bit of time to get it all arranged properly. But I'm guessing it will be worth it!

Thanks again for your excellent assistance. You are doing a great job making this one of the most supportive extensions in the JED!

Matthew