Here is a working list of channelAustin's content types for MERCI. There are about 150 here. We have about 20 certifications. So we'll quickly get into a fairly complicated permissions grid.
Accessory Apple Box
Accessory Production Bag
Accessory Runbag
Accessory Video Projector
Accessory Headphones
Adapter Beach Tek
Adapter BNC Barrel Connector
Adapter BNC RCA
Adapter RCA Barrel
Cable AC Cord
Cable AC Extension
Cable AC Power Strip
Cable BNC
Cable BNC Long
Cable FireWire 4-4
Cable FireWire 4-6
Cable FireWire 6-6
Cable RCA Dub
Cable RCA Y
Cable S-Video
Cable XLR
Cable XLR to 1/4
Cable XLR to Mini
Cable XLP to RCA
Camera Battery iYouth
Camera Battery Large
Camera Battery Small
Camera DSR 300
Camera DSR 400
Camera Field Monitor
Camera Flash Drive
Camera Flip
Camera Hard Drive
Camera HDR-HC5
Camera HDZ1
Camera HDZ5
Camera HVR-S270U
Camera PD 150
Camera PD 170
Camera Tripod Dolly
Camera Tripod Gitzo
Camera Tripod HD
Camera Tripod Kids
Camera Tripod Large
Camera Wide Angle Lens
Conference Room
Crane Jib
Deck DVCam DSR11
Deck DVCam DSR20
Deck DVCam DSR40
Deck DVCam DSR45
Deck HVRM15AU
Deck HVRM25AU
Glide Cam
Hard Drive Maxtor 300G
iMac Field
iMac Field Avid
iMac Studio
Light C Clamp
Light C Stand
Light Camera Frezzi
Light Camera Frezzi Battery
Light Camera Frezzi DC Adapter
Light Camera LED
Light Can
Light Door Hanger
Light Flexfill
Light Gloves
Light Lowel Gel Frame
Light Lowel Kit New
Light Lowel Kit Old
Light Lowel Reflector
Light Lowel Soft
Light Lowell Bending Arm
Light Matthew Scrim Kit Large
Light Matthew Scrim Kit Small
Light Mole Richardson
Light Mole Sun Spot
Light Pepper Kit
Light Pig Tail Adapter
Light Sand Bags
Light Space Bar
Light Umbrellas
Light Wrench
Mic Dead Cat
Mic ElectroVox
Mic EV635
Mic Goose Neck
Mic Instrument (SHURE BETA 98)
Mic Kick Drum Sennheiser e602
Mic Lav ECM77B
Mic Neuman 105
Mic Neuman KM 184
Mic Pistol Grip
Mic PZM
Mic RE-10
Mic RE-11
Mic RE-50
Mic RODE NT4
Mic Shock Mount
Mic Shotgun Sennheisser
Mic Shotgun Sony
Mic Shure 55SH (Elvis Mic)
Mic Stand Arm
Mic Stand Desk
Mic Stand Fishpole Large
Mic Stand Fishpole Small
Mic Stand Floor
Mic Stand Gooseneck
Mic Stand Kick
Mic Studio 57
Mic Studio 58
Mic Windscreen
Mic Wireless Dual
Mic Wireless Single
Mixer Mackie 12
Mixer Mackie 14
Specialty Fog Machine
Specialty Light DMX
Specialty TelePrompter
Studio Field MultiCam HD Unit
Studio Field MultiCam Unit
Studio Intercom Wired
Studio Intercom Wireless
Studio IFB
Studio Main
Studio Micro
Studio Mini
Transfer Dub Rack
Transfer Kiosk Mobile
Comments
Do you really need this level
Do you really need this level of detail? Are you so short on $2 BNC connectors volunteers need to reserve them?
I would do a few things here:
For misc items (cables, adapters, C Clamp, AC cords, extension strips, etc.) Just spend a few hundred bucks and buy enough so you don't run out. Otherwise it's like someone reserving a hotel room and then also having to reserve the towels and pillows.
Is there really a difference between a DSR40 and a DSR45 besides a LCD monitor display? Why not just have one bucket content-item (dv tape deck).
Questions to ask:
What field equipment do you have limited quantities of? And thus need to have reservations for.
What equipment do you always have on hand (cables,mic stands)? And thus do not need to make reservations for.
What do you only have one of? I.e. Main studio, Conference room. These are resources (not buckets.)
Exactly
Exactly the point I made on IRC. I really can't imagine a scenario where you would need that many content items, either from a permissions level or just a node level. Are you really fielding every single one of these differently, or could you consolidate? Keep in mind as we move to D7 a node is not-so-much a thing unto itself as it is a collection of fields. If you are not creating your equipment entities out of fields you might want to reconsider using a taxonomy instead.
Taxonomy provide a much cleaner way of storing an inventory where the different entities don't require fields specific to themselves. That just leaves you with the permissions issue, and while taxonomy_access may not be an ideal approach, do you really require differing access permissions on, say just for example:
I'm guessing not. I would seriously reconsider this kind of content type inflation before you get married to it. YMMV, but it seems a bit excessive.
~ Forest Mars
MERCI Content Type Clarification
At channelAustin, Accessories, Adapters, Cables, Camera Batteries, some Light Gear, some Mic Accessories DO NOT require advance reservations. They are added at the time of checkout.
So, how is MERCI dealing with EQ add-ons at the time of checkout?
Don't those add-on items still have to be in MERCI to be able to add them, and thus have associated content types?
You're right that we need to consolidate some of the EQ content types - like the DVCam deck. Also the Mic RE-10 and RE-11 are basically the same. And the PD150 and PD170 are similar cameras.
We have 1 Main Studio, 1 Mini Studio, 1 Micro Studio, 1 Conference Room, etc.
When you say these are resources, not buckets, the implication is that it does not need a content type, because there is only one of them?
That question came up here
That question came up here too. Right now we just added a spot on the printable contract to write in misc items.
Resources like buckets need a content type. When you create a new content type for a reservable item you choose either bucket or resource. So studio would be a resource, while Sony DV Camera would be a bucket. Then you would create two content items ("Sony PD150 and Sony PD170").
Merci is supposed to have some idea about Accessories but I don't know how that works.
But just to begin start a tree:
Reservable Items:
-- Studio (Resource)
-- Sony Camera (bucket)
------PD 150 (bucket item)
------PD 170 (bucket item)
.
.
.
Etc.
Accessories
-- BNC connector
-- Earings
-- Promise Ring
-- XLR Adapter
.
.
.
Etc.
Then toss all your reservable items into a role
Studio Role
- Studio
Field Role
- Sony Camera
- Microphones
I'm realizing the Resource or
I'm realizing the Resource or Bucket handbook page isn't clear and doesn't event mention accessories. The only place Accessory is mentioned is in the Terminology and Definitions handbook page.
If someone could translate this info along with what's been discussed in #drupal-openmedia on IRC into documentation, it will help everyone.
Accessories are applied using Taxonomy for each content type. Any Taxonomy you add shows up in the Reservation form with a nice ajax-y treatment that actually applies the taxonomy selection to the child item node. When staff and checking equipment out to users, child items in the Reservation that have taxonomies associated to them will have an [Add Accessories] link. Once accessories are added, a green check shows up next to the item.
You can see the difference here in Camera Accessories where Ann is tracking things generally and Sony L-Series Batteries where the staff member checking the camera out selects the actually battery the user gets.