BAM! includes the ability to build some types of assets that deliver special functionality.  The list of builders will grow over time, as new features and enhancements are added.  Not all builders are included with a standard license — see your Account Manager for more information about builders and licensing.

Comparisons

The Product Comparison Builder creates a Comparison asset, which allows an MST user to select two products from a list of options, then compare their features and specifications side by side.  While most BAM! Builders are designed to create image-based assets with additional functionality, Comparison assets are more data-driven and the process for creating them is significantly different.  This guide will describe the process of uploading the comparison file for the Comparison Builder to create the asset. Part 1 describes editing the template and adding data.

Creating a New Comparison Asset

NOTE: If you have not yet created a comparison file from the template, please follow the steps in Part 1: Asset Template.

To begin creating a new Comparison asset, click the Builders button in the top navigation bar, then select the +Comparison button below the description:



The Comparison Builder page is displayed, and a new Comparison can be created:



To begin, fill in the fields on the right side:

  • Comparison Name - This is the name you choose for the Comparison asset.
  • Description - This should be a brief description of the asset, like a quick marketing sentence or two about what it is.
  • Preview Image - This is the image displayed in the Library for the Comparison.  
  • Data Upload (.tsv) - Save for the next step - this is the data file created in Part 1.
  • Primary Classification - Not usable until after the file is uploaded.  This allows the asset creator to require one side of a comparison to always contain a specific classification (usually company/manufacturer).
  • Comparison Disclaimer - A default disclaimer is determined by an administrator, and if custom disclaimers are allowed then a user may enter a unique disclaimer when a comparison is created.
  • Tags - These are additional keywords used to identify and label assets for easier searching and grouping.
  • Disclaimer - Adds disclaimer text to the comparison asset on the MST.  See Comparison Disclaimer 

Upload the Comparison File

By this step you should have filled in the fields for comparison name, description, and selected a preview image.  Now you will add your data by clicking the +Custom Data button (on the right side under data upload):



  The standard BAM! upload dialog box appears, where you can drag the data file, or click the button to browse for it on your computer:



The system will validate the file to ensure it is formatted correctly and will display a confirmation message:



NOTE: Once you have successfully uploaded the data file for a comparison, add it as an asset to a non-published folder for future use.  This is a good way to back up the file and keep a copy of the original file, in case the comparison asset is edited or otherwise modified.  

Adding Images

After the file is successfully uploaded, the Builder screen shows a table of the comparison data with empty image boxes at the top:



Click the image boxes to select asset images from the Library.  These images will be displayed at the top of the table:


Editing Comparison Data

BAM! provides the ability to download the current data in the same format as the initial template and edit it in a text editor or spreadsheet, as described in Part 1.  

To download the Comparison asset file, navigate to the asset in the Library and click on it to view the metadata:



Then click the link to download the asset:



Your browser will download a .tsv file that may be edited just like the template.  The only difference is that the "itemImage" row will be populated for products with which you have associated an image from the Library.  These items will appear as long strings of alphanumeric characters, which are asset identifiers in BAM!:



NOTE: Do not edit the itemImage fields, since this will result in missing images when the data file is uploaded again.  If you wish to change images while editing, delete the itemImage fields for the relevant products prior to re-uploading.

Once you have made the desired changes to the data file, save it to your computer and follow the steps above to upload the comparison file and follow the directions to save it to the Comparison asset.

Publish the Comparison

Once the asset has been created and images are added, the publish and approval process is the same as every other asset in the Library.