Shipping methods question

Sorry if this question has been asked before.  I'm a new user, and I couldn't find anywhere on this forum to search the forum topics (I would recommend adding this feature if it doesn't exist - would reduce dupe questions).

Regarding shipping methods, I don't understand why there is no way to connect a shipping method with its computation method.  For example, I created a new Shipping Method called USPS.  Then I configured the computation method for USPS, with my online account info to fetch real-time quotes.  But at checkout there are now two options, the "USPS" method I created, and the automated real-time quoted method.  The only way I can make it look right is to delete the one shipping method I created.  This makes no sense for me, because now I have no shipping methods, and thus I cannot apply shipping restrictions.  Shouldn't there be a way to connect this shipping method with the computation method?

Next I will need to set up FedEx real-time quotes and limit shipments to only certain countries, but I don't see any way to do this due to the above behavior.

Thanks,
Randy

Shipping Methods don't apply to carrier rate calculation methods.
https://www.nopcommerce.com/boards/t/39313/shipping-methods-and-ups-carrier-service.aspx

That makes no sense whatsoever. But thanks for the answer, at least now I can try to work around this weirdness.  So if I want to offer FedEx international shipping, there is no way to blacklist certain countries, like North Korea, or Iraq? Very strange, for a package of this maturity.

I wonder what a better solution would look like.  Maybe there could be "internal shipping methods" and "external shipping methods"?  Then you could create an "external shipping method" called FedEx, for example, and link it to the Shipping Rate Computational method for FedEx.  "Internal Shipping Methods" would behave just as they do now, linkable only to Flat Rate or By Weight computational methods.

Just an idea.  I'm a .NET developer so I could take a crack at implementing this change if people think it's a good idea.

Randy

It makes sense...  the carrier rate calc methods (e.g. FedEx) have their own Methods listed as "services".

You can edit a country to not "Allows shipping".  If you need to allow for different countries excluded per carrier (e.g. FedEx restrictions vs UPS restrictions), then see Shipping Director (example blog)

Call me crazy, but from my perspective, a list of "shipping methods" should contain ALL of your shipping methods.  Period.  And a list of shipping restrictions should be where you control all of your shipping restrictions.  Period.

Instead, the shipping methods list in nopCommerce contains some, or maybe none, of your shipping methods.  Others, or maybe none, are disguised as "rate calculation" methods.  Shipping restrictions apply to some methods, and Country rules apply to others.  

I understand how fragmentation happens and things get convoluted - it's a natural part of the development process as features get added.  I'm just proposing we admit there's a problem, and find a way to get things back to something that makes sense, so newcomers like me can have a better user/implementer experience.  The current experience of setting up shipping is vey confusing for a first-time user.

rgamage wrote:
It's been done! The upcoming 3.80 removes "Manage shipping methods" and "Shipping method restrictions" from the menu, and only shows them as buttons at the top of the internal rate calc method configuration pages (e.g. Fixed Rate & By Weight).

Awesome, thanks!