Creating shorter/nicer SEF urls and structure of item URLs

FLEXIcontent item SEF urls contain 3 parts:
-- each part has segments like '/nnn/'
-- part (a) has multiple segments

PARTS:
(a) contain multiple Joomla menu item aliases, the last one must point to any FLEXIcontent view,
-- usually it points to item's category or to a parent category of item's category

(b) then current category alias:  /catid-catalias/ (e.g. 45-brakes) (optional part, see below)

(c) then the item id and alias: /itemid-itemalias.html of the FLEXIcontent menu item (e.g. 423-disk.html)


-- NOTE: (b) will always appear if currently ACTIVE menu item does NOT point to item's category

-- NOTE: (b) will be replaced with '/item/' if' currently ACTIVE has the same category-id, there is an option to suppress /item/ altogether, but this will make you category URLs get a /category/ (also only do it when first building a new web-site, otherwise you will break old bookmarks)

-- NOTE: if (a) points to the specific FLEXIcontent item and also has the same category-id then (b) and (c) are skipped  (*)
thus you will only get a URL like:    www.dddoommmain.com/menualias1/i/menualias2/item-menualias.html

* we say "same" category-id because you may link to an FLEXIcontent item via a different category-id since FLEXIcontent item belong to multiple categories)
* to create a menu item that links via to a FLEXIcontent item via a specific category, do this: filter the item list in the popup item selector via the desired category.

So,
-- if you have only a few dozens of items or you have a group of items whose URL is important, then we suggest that you create one joomla menu item per flexicontent item, so that (b) and (c) are skipped
-- otherwise create at least menu items for your top-level categories and maybe for 1st sub-level of them, or for all categories if you have e.g. less that 50 categories

NOTE:
-- 1. You do not have to display these menu items anywhere, meaning you do not need to display their menu via a menu module e.g. place them in FLEXIcontent hidden menu which is not displayed by any module
-- 2. BUT these menu entries must be published and have access level public or same access as the item, and same language or have a menu item association to a menu item of correct language
-- 3. If items exist in multiple categories, then when selecting the items for the menu entries first filter by item's category of your choice, then select item, this way the menu entry will also have the correct category id, and you will avoid seeing the category id in the url.

Regards