Graphics Problem Revisited

Thanks for the graphics help on the Too Many Graphics, Limited Space
problem I directed at the Graphics list earlier this week. The problem is
not, by itself, solved yet. I've uploaded the pages to the domain:
http://www.lienieslittlethings.com/, and you can see the situation for
yourself. It's not entirely working and is not entirely public (perhaps
next week). A recap: I'm allowed 6 pages only to do a client's site, and
she wanted a large portion of her catalog online. I can't say I'm entirely
happy with it, but did what I could in the pages allowed in the contract. I
know /I/ would not want to wait that long to peruse a catalog, however.

Now, on another note, and I've cross-posted to different discussion lists
for different viewpoints. A friend suggested a really nifty method (if it
works!) of one possible solution, and I'm wondering if anyone else has run
across this. He mentioned that one thing that causes lag problems is that
every image first needs to establish an FTP session. If you are downloading
20 images that's 20 sessions that need to be set up. This, or course, takes
a lot of time. His recommendation: clump all the images in question on a
page into one large image. Create a Javascript (or Java applet?) that would
clip out one part of the image and show it in that image's placeholder.
Then you'd only have the one image to deal with.

This sounds ingenious to me, and would solve a lot of graphics problems.
What do others think of this technique? Is it possible? Does anyone have a
working example I could look at? Any comments or suggestions on how to make
this work? Drawbacks, negatives appreciated. Any idea where I might find
such code, outside of someone actually knowing how to code such a beast?

Kindly post privately to me or CC to your list if you feel it's of some
benefit to others, as I am not on the languages or techniques list. Thanks.



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||   Eve Emshoff
||   Web Site Designer
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||   Wichita Falls, TX  76301
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