Making Websites with Construct 2

Hi guys,

This may seem like a silly question to web-design gurus, but I'm curious as to the limitations of designing full websites in Construct 2.

As a graphic designer, this would be a brilliant way to layout everything exactly as it should be, and get all kinds of audio-visual interaction designs happening smoothly.

If I built a whole site in Construct 2, what would be the technical limitations? I'm thinking of things like:

-search engines

-embedding content like videos etc

-forums

-e-commerce, etc

Cheers!

C2 isn't really meant to build full websites.

As you mentionned, search engines won't be able to crawl your content, embeding content like videos will require you to use a custom plugin like "DIV" to display said content, all in HTML.

Forums, e-commerce...

Considering you have PHP frameworks existing, putting a "C2 frontend" on it doesn't make much sense.

You can use C2 to make some applications/elements of your website.

For example, you could consider making the navigation bar in C2 as long as you know the URLs you're aiming for, that your user's browser is executing javascript and is HTML5-friendly.

C2 isn't really recommanded for entire website.

So you can make a icon with logo in 100 x 100 with special effects, that's OK

Kyatric is right, Construct 2 is a game engine not a website creator! While we don't want to limit what people do with it, we don't recommend using it to make websites for pretty much the same reasons people don't like pure-Flash websites:

• search engines can't crawl it so your search engine ranking will suffer massively
• you can't select text in the page to copy/paste
• you can't Ctrl+F search within the page
• back/forward buttons in the browser generally don't work
• you cannot easily get a URL to a specific screen/layout/page
• translation tools like Google Translate don't work, so your international visitors are left out
• we don't even have a convenient hyperlink object (like I say, we make a game engine, not a website creator)
• on top of all that, users with old browsers which don't support HTML5 will be unable to view your website at all! That's currently about 25% of users in the world. Not the end of the world for a casual game, but the end of the world for your website.

Highly respected usability expert Jacob Nielsen wrote about why Flash sucks for websites as far back as 2000. Many of those points still apply to websites made in Construct 2. So I would highly recommend you make a website the traditional way, in HTML and CSS.

Of course, using it for non-essential content like banners, logos, or (obviously) games is fine. I would just recommend you don't make your entire website in it.

Thanks guys -- that's what I suspected. I reckon theres a lot of potential for designers to use it to at least prototype the basic visual and interactivity elements though...

maybe one day -- when the divide between games and websites is well and truly demolished :)

Ashley

Curious, is the reason that a C2 website would have similar disadvantages as a flash website because of the canvas framework?

I really want an event driven web development tool :) And yes, I understand that C2 is not it.

What I am going to do for my website is code the main page (index) in regular html (in Expression Web) and use C2 to design my menus and anything else one would normally do in flash. My music website (www.philipcomposer.com) uses old-school frames and div and a cheap-looking flash menu made in CoffeeCup Flash Menu Builder; each frame on the index links to a different html doc . I am no good with code (e.g. flash) so I'm going to use C2.

Maybe with HTML5 we'll see a resurgence in frames and div tags. So the web crawlers will be able to find the index.html page, which is comprised of a combination of regular HTML and also HTML5.

Curious, is the reason that a C2 website would have similar disadvantages as a flash website because of the canvas framework?

It's simply because it's not an ordinary HTML page. That means to Google, it looks like an empty page. It can't easily access any of the content.

You can probably use HTML5 for decorative banners or adverts and such, but I still wouldn't even recommend using it for your site's navigation menu. Since Google can't see the links inside it, it might not even crawl your entire website! And again your pagerank could suffer significantly.

We can't control what people use Construct 2 for, but I do believe it's the wrong tool for the job if you want to design websites. It will only cause your website to be less successful, unless you use it for decorative or non-essential things (or games, of course!)

Hi,

I am looking to implement some interactive functionality to my website. I was going to go the 3d route with webgl, but it is not widely enough implemented yet I think.

I am planning on making my front page with Construct 2. Only having my front page will help with the not indexed issue.

I am using a wordpress theme which allows a page to be pure html, or to be an iframe. Here are the things I am needing to know though if some of you gurus wouldnt mind lending a hand:

How can I make a message appear if the html5 doesn't load suggesting upgrading the browser. And/or redirecting to the standard homepage?

Can I make an image in the constuct iframe link to a page without opening a new browser (so in the same window)?

Couldn't you embed invisible text suggestions on the page which would make google take notice of it?

Where should I be looking to find out the best way to imlement something like this into my website?

Appreciate any info you guys can give. I will also scoure the forums to find the bits and pieces I need.

Here is my website at the moment, definitely needs the POW which construct could give it!

tellthemisaidsomething.com

... I do believe it's the wrong tool for the job if you want to design websites ...

<img src="smileys/smiley20.gif" border="0" align="middle" /> I couldn't agree more! There are so many better website development tools out there, specifically designed for that task, and improved though many iterations.

I really can't understand why people would even consider Construct 2 for building websites (the suggestion comes up from time to time). Maybe someone can say why? <img src="smileys/smiley5.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

Construct 2 is easy to use is 1 reason, and fun.

What tools do you reckon are better suited to have similar functionality without the huge learning curve?

If there is something out there I would loooove to use it.

I#m professional frontend web developer. Here's what i say.

"I am planning on making my front page with Construct 2. Only having my front page will help with the not indexed issue."

Intros are frustrating for users.

"How can I make a message appear if the html5 doesn't load suggesting upgrading the browser. And/or redirecting to the standard homepage?"

You can, using Java Script or php code, but not based on weather html5 loaded or not but based on the knowledge if the particular browser supports it or not, and make a conditions. Look in google for open source scripts. Not all are compatible with WP.

"Can I make an image in the construct iframe link to a page without opening a new browser (so in the same window)?"

Don't know.

"Couldn't you embed invisible text suggestions on the page which would make google take notice of it?"

Google will give you penalty for it.

"Where should I be looking to find out the best way to implement something like this into my website?"

Like what?

"Here is my website at the moment, definitely needs the POW which construct could give it!"

Your website needs good design and not construct!

All Best

Mik

I think its a brilliant way to make a website. User is limited and does only what I want them to do AND if they lose an internet connection they can still view all my media i provide anyway!

Linking small size html5 canvas windows can work quite well.

check out this test run for a website im making.

knowfollowers.ca/DudGalaxytest

Nicely done Miceal, interactivity gives a site some pizzaz methinks. Would love to see your capx. Any advice would be really appreciated mate. How did you do full page etc.

Megatronx, I don't mean a splash page. I have whipped up a test site just to test out the idea, its basic with one link (which I have to try and figure out how to open outside of the iframe), but works.

tyrhone.com

I basically mean the front page which offers navigation to the rest of the site. So you may not get hits from google to this page, but it would look nice for clients.

Why would google penalize you if the content is there?

Can you offer up any other non coding options for this sort of functionality?

contrary to the negativity experienced from the developers of this software, I'm having a lot of success creating a great website with this.

Best alternatives are Dreamweaver + Adobe Edge Animator

And honestly even IF i had the money to buy the latest versions of both of these once edge goes fully live commercial... I would prefer to still build sites in Construct 2.

All construct 2 needs to turn it into an amazing website software far superior to anything that Dreamweaver and Edge can offer are :

• Proper alignment and distribution tools.

• An officially supported DIV plugin that works with the Scale Letterbox setting and allows you to enter new content directly over the canvas.

*currently the existing 3rd party plugin does work but it jiggles around a bit kind of like shifting sand in an earthquake*

With those minor upgrades, you will have no problems with Google crawling your website AND I gotta say, I'm rebuilding a site I made using a combination of Dreamweaver and Edge...    What I had done took about 2 weeks using the professional grade software and it's taken me roughly 3 days to surpass all my efforts using construct.

People ask why you would want to use construct 2 for websites.. just look at the facts...

It's far superior for workflow and you can quickly generate some amazing results. Time is our most valuable asset and I'm not interested in wasting mine on professional software that does not perform to the same standard as Construct already can in the same duration of time.

I can imagine that these upgrades I have mentioned would be useful for other purposes within construct than just website creation as well.

Say you want to make an interactive story book... No longer do you have to use the space bar 100 times just to bump texxt to the next line.. you simply use a < b >