Variants overload!!

Hello.

I am having somewhat of a logistical nightmare; the power of the Variants is way too much for my use and I'm trying to find a simpler way.

What I am noticing is that I am creating a set of Characteristics that is applicable to each product There is about 6 characteristics (each have about 5-10 options) that I am applying to every product. The purpose is to basically give the customer some flexibility and options. Once I apply these Characteristics, there is a huge cluster of variants created, WAY too many. So many are created that it ends up timing out when I go to manage the variants, and the actual item on the site takes forever to, if it actually does, load.

This is basically the global values I want.

Product A: Widget
Base Price: $1

Characteristics1:
-blue +$1
-green +$2
-yellow +$3

Characteristics2:
-small
-medium
-larger

Characteristic3:
-soft +$1
-hard

The problem is, when I add the characteristics to the "Widget" product, it creates a HUGE collection of variants. I then have to go into each variant and edit the price for every individual possible combination of the characteristics.

ProductA_blue_small_soft = $3
ProductA_blue_small_hard = $2
ProductA_blue_medium_soft = $3
ProductA_blue_medium_hard = $2
ProductA_blue_large_soft = $3
ProductA_blue_large_hard = $2

ProductA_green_small_soft = $4
ProductA_green_small_hard = $3
ProductA_green_medium_soft = $4
ProductA_green_medium_hard = $3
ProductA_green_large_soft = $4
ProductA_green_large_hard = $3

etc...

All those variants is the problem, I don't need the product configured 100 different ways, and then having to go in and edit each one of them. Is there a way to utilize it like a form, where the product is listed with all the options, and then maybe it's assembled into a string or something with global characteristics? Or is there another way that I'm missing?

Next, there's the other logistical nightmare. Lets assume that the cost of GREEN supply goes up $1, it appears that I cant simply edit the Characteristics and increase the price globally by $1, that I would have to edit every product's variants and change the price individual. Is this correct or am I missing that as well?

Sorry for the length in post. I love Hikashop, it's integrating very nicely, just my minds on overload right now with the whole variants things.

Thanks for the help!

Well then, I believe I will be waiting a month before working on the product side.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I've read plenty of posts on how to, painfully, create shipping zones based on custom zones and such... any possibility the next release will have something to allow us to do shipping by city or keyword? Even if its as simple as matching strings. Im trying to devise a way to offer local delivery to local people and avoid having to correct all the orders of people who happen to choose it, because its a static option now.

Lol, thanks again.

nicolas wrote:

...We are currently working at adding "options" to products. These options will be child products which will add dropdown selection to the products without the need of generating variants and the price will be generated automatically based on the price of the child products and the main product price. When adding a product with options to the cart, both the main product and the options will be added.

This sounds terrific, something I've been hoping for! The only comment I have is that I hope "child products" can have their own prices. For example, many times the "parent product" has no price, but different "child" options, which have prices. Think of iPods, where the parent (iPod) has no price, but the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB "child" products do.

This is very exciting. I've liked HikaShop for some time now, and with better handling of variants, I think you would have something even better.

Also, I want to say it is wonderful to have such a great connection with the developers. You seem like great people, easy to work with.

Thanks,
Matthew

nicolas wrote:

Thank you.

Yes of course, you will be able to set prices for your options and that will be summed up with the main product price as a "total price" on the product page.

Well then I am very much looking forward to it.

Thanks,
Matthew

I have a product with 4 characteristics, looking at the variant it can only have 3. I combined 2 of the characteristic which gave me about 20 items in one and some large number when you put the three together. I don't know how to deal with this complicated product. When will the upgrade be available.

Thanks Bruce