Hi BJ,
I have implemented a layer of ecas, since this is the easiest way to patch quickly these calculations, as I developed these. it also allows me to intercept the services used in shippment calcuations.
Thanks for running through your process. It confirms what I feared... there is no easy shortcut to working out shipping fees ;-)
I would love to have some form of packing algorithm that could be used instead of crudely using product volumes to determine if they would fit a particular form of packaging. Take an envelope for example, as you fit more items into it the envelope's height increases and its width and length decrease. Even if the order will physically fit the envelope, volumetrically speaking, the new height of the envelope may preclude sending it as letter rate and it will have to go as large letter rate instead.
Currently I use volume to crudely determine if an order will fit packaging, but I've had to apply rough rules of thumb to make it work. For example, I downgrade padded bag volumes to 40% of the theoretical maximum to make the calculation work.
Of course this is all fine until you come across products which aren't particularly cube shaped. This is where volume calculations tend to break down when multiple products are packaged together.
Anyone come across something like this? Regards, David Legg
