Help creating a service type product

[Asphyx]

I am trying to set up a product where the user is requesting a service. (it's a research request)
What I need is to add a few form fields to the product that the user can provide initial information plus add a way to select additional Hours.
I am thinking I can simply add a Dropdown Custom field for the hours if I have to but not sure how I can make that calculate the additional charge.
Currently I have the additional Hours as a child product. (that may be wrong I'm not sure it sure doesn't display the way I thought a child product would)

How do I go about this product exactly?
Is there some way during/after purchase I can have them fill out a form or can I send them a form via Email automatically from Virtuemart?
Is t even possible to do this from this Component?

Ideally the form would show up to be filed out before they check out so they could add the additional hours and the entire order will have all the info needed.

[PRO]

the form fields can be
"textinput" plugin product custom fields,

have you setp any custom fields yet?

[Asphyx]

i set up two textarea fields to try and see how they would appear but they never showed up in the Product.
Is there a plugin I missed activating to get them to show? (that's the one thing I forgot to check)

[GJC Web Design]

have u applied them to the product and set their position to a position that exists on your template?

[Studio 42]

Hi Asphyx,
I think, if you need really a custom way to associate many fields, the best way is to write a specific plugin for your needs so you can include your own fields, javascript,design, functions ....
Check the plugin vmcustom>text input plugin code to have a code example.
Regards,
Patrick

[Asphyx]

have u applied them to the product and set their position to a position that exists on your template?

I have applied them to the product, but I did not set a position (didn't know I had to so maybe that is my problem) By Template can I assume you mean the VM Template and not my Site Joomla Template? (I'm using this VM pretty much as stock as it gets right now)

Hi Asphyx,
I think, if you need really a custom way to associate many fields, the best way is to write a specific plugin for your needs so you can include your own fields, javascript,design, functions ....
Check the plugin vmcustom>text input plugin code to have a code example.
Regards,
Patrick

Thanks Patrick, That sounds good as I suppose I could create an entire form in the plugin but are plugins product specific or are they more like content plugins in Joomla?
I could get away with just the two text areas if I had to since VM will ask for the address and other items currently on their request form.
And I know I could always solve the additional hours as a separate product if I just add a previous Job number field to that product.

Apologies to both of you I know my way around Joomla pretty well but Virtumart...Not so much. LOL

To get a better idea of what I'm trying to get productized, this s the form they currently have
http://www.scnyhistory.org/phocadownload/searchrequest.pdf

[Studio 42]

It's not a problem to get all informations and design it, as you need.
And you can save all i a table or as parameters and access it using  function plgVmOnSelfCallFE to get ajax response, or plgVmOnSelfCallBE, to add new view or using ajax.
The system is same as Joomla triggers but need some specific function in Virtuemart
You have a doc here : http://dev.virtuemart.net/projects/virtuemart/wiki/Product_Plugins
But it's a little obselete

[Asphyx]

LOL what is obsolete are my coding skills!
Making a Plugin seems a bit beyond my code capabilities.

I was thinking perhaps redirecting after payment to a form that they could input the Order code from Virtuemart as a work around.

I have since gotten custom fields to show in my product but none of the ones I tried seem to be Customer Input capable.
Plugin may be the only way unless I can find an easier way to do this.

Just realized what you might be talking about...
I just now saw that I can select Plugin and then select Customer Input type...
I am playing with that now.

Ok I seem to have what I need displayed on the Product listing...
Now how the hell do I get that info shown on the Order or the Invoice? LOL

[Studio 42]

LOL what is obsolete are my coding skills!

No, the current Doc

You can display the value in the product line of your orders. And add an advanced view to display a listing of all customers, if you need.
I'm on doing this for an auction plugin.
The plugin is the way to break standard product customfields limits.

[Asphyx]

Studio,
Thanks a lot for all your help here...
I think I finally got it all where I need it to be.
The info is displaying on the Invoice so it should be easy to hand over to the stone knives and bear skin genealogy department who will process it.

I'm going to play with how to do the Additional Hours (perhaps a dropdown) but I at least have the fallback of having them use the child product and set the Quantity and have them set the Order Number from the initial research invoice to know what the additional time is for.