The GUIDE has 2 main utilities you can use to find the figure(s) you are looking for:  Name Lookup and Advanced Search.  These are both options in the Guide's LCD screen on the right of the page.  Let's start with the Name Lookup.

Name Lookup - Screen 1:

Clicking "Name Lookup" in the LCD screen opens the page you see to your right.

• 1 - The Name Lookup module has dropped down.  In this module you will enter the name of the figure you are looking for (click your mouse in the white form field and type the name), and then click the "FIND" button*

• 2 - The Name Data module has appeared.  It is this module that will expand to show you the results of your search when you click the "FIND" button

*To aid you in your search, the GUIDE will search for figures' names that CONTAIN your entered text.  Thus, entering "Optimus" will return "Optimus Prime," "Optimus Primal," "Optimal Optimus Prime," etc.

Name Lookup - Screen 2:

• 1 - Scroll down from the top of the page and you'll see the Name Data Module has dropped down.  It includes all the figures who have the text you searched for in their names.  The records are arranged in rows, with a mini-pic of the Boxart, the figure's name, its Genre (ie. G1, G2, Beast Wars, Armada, etc.), Allegiance, and Association (see the Advanced Lookup section for details on Genre, Allegiance, Association, etc.)

• 2 - You should be able to use a combination of the mini-boxart and other details (Genre, Allegiance, and Association) to help you determine which figure you want to see more info for.  Click the Name of the figure you wish to continue researching.  This will take you to the Tech Specs Screen

Real Data - Screen 1:

• 1 - Scroll down from the top of the page and you'll see a column of pictures of the figure.  There are typically four pictures:

  • Front of Package

  • Non-Robot Mode (typically the packaged Mode)

  • Robot (or Transformed) Mode

  • Accessories

• 2 - A Link Window that contains links back to the other areas of information:

  • Tech Specs

  • Instructions

  • Review

• 3 - At the bottom of the Data Module, a Link to Additional Pics of the figure (Pose Shots, Alternate Modes, extra features, etc.)

Additional Pics Screen:

Many figures have features or additional modes that are worthy of more pictures.  To the right is the Additional Pics screen

• 1 - The additional pictures for the figure.  There may be several so scroll down to check!

• 2 - The Link Window, with links to the other areas of Data about the figure (Tech Specs, Instructions, and Review)

Instructions Screen:

Clicking the Instructions link opens the screen you see on the right.  YOU MUST SCROLL DOWN to see the Instructions Module.  Remember that for better loading time, each frame of the instructions loads separately.  

The instructions Module contains:

• 1 - Text explanations of how to do what's in the picture.  This was transcribed from the actual hardcopy instructions

• 2 - Illustration of the text instructions in 1.  Direct scans from the actual hardcopy instructions

• 3 - Any additional text comments that Botcollector feels may be helpful for that frame

• 4 - The Navigation Bar for proceeding through the instructions.  The buttons take you to the First, Next, Back, or Last frames.  The numbers to the right show which frame you are on (ie. if the number shows [2/19], you are on the second (2nd) frame of a total of 19 for that figure.  You would click the "Next" button to proceed to frame 3, "Back" to return to frame 1, etc.  The text above and below the picture changes with each frame to correspond with the hardcopy instructions

• 5 - The Link Window that will take you to the other Data sections for this figure (Tech Specs, Real Data, and Review)

Review Screen:

The Review screen, like most others in The Guide, must be scrolled down to see the actual review.

• 1 - Explanations of Botcollector's Review criteria

• 2 - The body of the Review, including comments and explanations of:

  • Appearance

  • Poseability

  • Durability

  • Transformation

  • Overall appeal 

• 3 - A numerical summary of the Review points, with a close-up pic of the figure's face

• 4 - Any additional comments or notes of interest about the toy

• 5 - The Link Window that gives you access to the other areas of Data (Tech Specs, Real Data, Instructions)

Advanced Search Criteria Explained:

• Country:  Country of distribution of the figure.  Right now we have almost exclusively the U.S. figures only, but plan to soon include other country exclusives

• Sub Genre:  The main Genre, of course, is "Transformers."  The Sub Genre is the specific line of toys within that Universe.  G1 (Generation 1) is the earlier figures from 1984 to the G2 line, Beast Wars, Machine Wars, etc., all the way up to the current Armada line

• Allegiance:  The "Good Guys" or "Bad Guys" of each line.  There are also those factions that have no specific loyalty (ie. Mutants from the Beast Machines line, Minicons from Armada, etc.)

• Association:  This is the top-level category of the figures within their respective lines.  Botcollector tried to assign groups of association to most of the figures.  For instance, "Combiner" means all figures that combine with other figures to create a new Mode.  "Headmasters" includes all figures associated with the Headmaster feature, including the Nebulon partners, etc.

• Sub-Association:  The next grouping of subcategories after Assocation.  For instance, choosing "Combiner" in Association and "Constructicon" in Sub-Association will return all the Constructicons (6 from G1, 6 from G2), etc.

• Sort By:  Setting this value allows you to sort by whichever criteria you like.  For instance, if did not set Allegiance (left it as "ALL"), and choose to sort by Allegiance, the figures will be sorted by this criteria; all Autobots will appear first, then Decepticons, then Maximals, Predacons, etc. in alphabetical order.  Whichever criteria you choose for sorting, the figures will be sorted After that by Name (ie. Autobots will be first, with all the Autobot figures' names in alphabetical order.  Then Decepticons, with all those figures in alphabetical order, etc.) 

*Remember, leaving "ALL" in the criteria box means looking up all figures in the set of criteria chosen in other boxes.  For instance, Choosing "Autobots" in the Allegiance box and leaving "ALL" in the other boxes will return all Autobots from every line.  But also remember the other criteria; this will not return any Beast Wars figures, because the "good guys" in Beast Wars were called Maximals.  The more criteria you choose, the narrower will be your results focus

*Some criteria choices only apply to other specific criteria choices.  For instance, choosing "Maximals" in Allegiance and "G1" in Sub Genre will not return any records, because Maximals was not a faction in G1.  Likewise, choosing "Cassette" in Association and "Beast Wars" in Sub Genre will not show any records, since cassettes were only part of the G1 line.  Choosing "Decepticons" in Allegiance and "Headmasters" in Association will return all Decepticon Headmasters, including their Nebulon partners. 

Advanced Lookup - Screen 2:

The results screen from an Advanced Lookup is similar to the Name Lookup Results, but we assume you needed slightly more information in the list.

• 1 - The Name Data Module shows all figures that match your criteria.  The records are arranged in rows, with a mini-pic of the Boxart, the figure's name, its Genre (ie. G1, G2, Beast Wars, Armada, etc.), Allegiance, Association, and Sub-Association (explained above in the Advanced Lookup - Screen 1 section)

• 2 - You should be able to use a combination of the mini-boxart and other details (Genre, Allegiance, etc.) to help you determine which figure you want to see more info for.  Click the Name of the figure you wish to continue researching.  This will take you to the Tech Specs Screen.  From there on, the use of the Guide is the same as in the Name Lookup sequence