Time for an update?

[rafleet]

I've used webstyle for years. Yes, it *is* time for an update. Even if there are no new features added, the elements are now simply dated beyond belief.

Navbars and buttons with a Web2.0 feel (icons on the buttons, etc) is a must-have. No offense, but 80% of the buttons and navbars, not to mention the templates, are so out of date that you really can't use them any more.

If resources are stretched at Xara, maybe the answer is fresh template/theme packs. Hire a graphic artist or two and put together 2008 styles and elements. I'd gladly pay for better, more modern looking elements and support for 1024-resolution size pages in the page templates.

I agree with dotme....web 2.0 is a much needed addition to the Webstyle theme library, as well as some pure css template choices.

Myself, I recently finished a degree in web development, and still find myself using Webstyle for tweaking the brain for layout, color, and site ideas. It's a great tool, and often gets the creative juices flowing.

I'll tell you what Webstyle DOES need, to bring it into the next version upgrade, and it wouldn't be that hard. Create a module with the tools to create Wordpress templates.

Wordpress is cutting edge open source web development, with a tremendous global community, with plugins and themes and coding that has made it the outstanding first choice of some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies using blog tech to connect with the world of their consumers and investors.

www. wordpress .org

Themes are simple graphical layouts that create the 1/2/3 column layouts, with header and footer designs that all can make use of graphical and css layout techniques...and ALL of this could be automated to a huge degree, letting the end user of this potential Webstyle upgrade do the following...


1) choose layouts based on pixel width (640 to 1024 px wide), no. of columns, css font choices, info box creation, using css connection, and all kinds of basic choices. Pick a few check boxes or radio buttons, and output a complete theme ready to copy to the Wordpress Theme directory.

2) create header graphics from any photo or image, sized for the layout choices above, with ability to customize with 2.0 tools (gradients, borders, glossy, reflections, etc). There are internet marketing tools for a very vertical market that JUST do the header, and go for $80.

3) Create theme sets with minor changes possible for font/color/col. #, with HEAVY focus on 2.0 design ideals.

4) Consider any other Wordpress development ideals such as plugin creation templates, ecommerce/paypal button generators with custom Webstyle styling, and a library of PHP code of a few dozen tools (date, db access, etc).

5) Bring a few of the WP geeks in to prototype some of these ideas.

With these ideas, you're jumping right into CURRENT web dev mainstream end-user needs, with simple automated solutions that let first timers with a little talent and a great tool share their ideas and solutions with a world audience, and you give current Webstyle users a very BIG reason to UPGRADE.

Other ideas for Webstyle....

Logos and 3D graphics....WEB 2.0 additions

photo galleries ... FLASH management and display...

ADD - simple form creation tools, with many pre-done layouts...comment form, login box, email list signup, etc.

Menus - Visit Opencube.com. I purchased a license for this menu creation and development tool, and I've NOT found a better, cross browser, and easily editable tool anywhere. Duplicate some of those tools (user choice of graphic backgrounds, dividers, etc) in the Menu Maker area.

These are just thoughts off the top of my head, but a VERY worthwhile direction for Xara/Magix to go, for CONTINUED Webstyle revenue, and ROI.

You've got a good and decent tool. Spend a bit of time to update it. There are tens of thousands of new wordpress users every month, and most would LOVE a tool like this, if it could be developed.

Rich

[infocus]

I fully agree with rafleet and dotme.

I have been using webstyle for years with no hassle (my last log in: 2004). Since I change my notebook (with Vista), my problems started to grow:
- no hint from developers on installing (OR: is it working at all???)
- no info has been published on HOW TO TRANSFER webstyle from one computer to another one (with special regard to file system difference between XP and Vista)

At present I keep using my old notebook with XP and make the required changes to webstyle generated pages - then copy (if I find all puzzle pieces) to the new computer.

This is no good for me, no good for webstyle developers. I do want to use Webstyle further (regardles whether new templates or tricks will be added or not). Thanks and waiting for your comments.

[infocus]

- no hint from developers on installing (OR: is it working at all???)
- no info has been published on HOW TO TRANSFER webstyle from one computer to another one (with special regard to file system difference between XP and Vista)

I thought your team is reading this forum and would answer to these questions above. Sad to recognize that they did not...

[handrawn]

this is a user forum not a developer one

of course developers do visit it - occasionally they make comments


as far as I know webstyle has not been updated by Xara for over 4 years......

its was not therefore designed to run on Vista [how could it have been?]

there are some other threads about that might help if you do a search...

[steve.ledger]

Talkgraphics is run by it's users/members not Xara developers.
'Our Team' therefore would be regular TG members and users of Xara software.
One of two of the Xara developers do visit the forums, but I couldn't say if they are reading every single post or not (I know I don't ).

I suggest you sign in to your account and lodge a support ticket with Xara themselves and check their Knowledge base.

[steve.ledger]

Thanks Steve - we cross-posted

I think there's been plenty of mention and information about the likely fate of Webstyle. Although Xara have updated their KB with some help re Xara software and Vista, I think it's fair to say that they will, like any other forward thinking software developer, be concentrating on their flagship applications rather than legacy stuff.
Xara Xtreme is now capable of HTML output and is almost certainly where the development dollar/pounds/euros are being channeled.
As we all know, there have been no developments on WB in many years and though there have been no official announcements (to my knowledge), I suspect that any further development on WS has long been dropped.

[handrawn]

Reckon so Steve

[victor@e-janco.com]

The matter of cost is not a real issue. We have to pay for anything that we get -- if we want it to be worth something.

I have been using Webstyle 4 for an number of years - it is a nice package but it is long in the tooth. As I start to redesign my sites, if Webstyle is not updated then I will PURCHASE a new package. What is needed is a SEARCH ENGINE FRIENDLY Web 2.0 tool and Webstyle 4 is not it.

I just wish the staff at Xara would say yes we will have an update and it will be available mm/dd/yy or Quarter x of 200x.

If they are not going to do anything then they should tell their customer base so they can move on. I will never purchase a "graphics package" from them because I feel they will do the same thing to that package as they did to Webstyle 4 - get some revenue and move on.

[rafleet]

Well, I filed a ticket with Xara regarding my suggestions at the top of this page...a few weeks ago.

In return, I got a generic email with a ticket number...and nothing else.

Sad really. Even I run a business, as a software programmer, and I respond to each one of my customers at the max within hours, and most times within minutes. It's Good Business.

And, I don't hide behind ticket numbers.

As Victor says, maybe it's time WE move on...as Xara seems to have done, with Webstyle.

I've got it running on my Vista Home Premium systems, and use it a few times a week, when I'm not using photoshop or other CS4 tools.

Speaking of which, yes, CS4 is VERY expensive, but the tools contained within are some of THE BEST of the market.

For the value versus ability, CS4 is very much a better value, with near infinite expandability, third party support that has been there for years (think all the thousands of Photoshop plugins, for example), and is regularly upgraded, updated, and expanded.

I've read great things about Xtreme...but I won't buy it...I won't even take the time to download the demo and even try it...because this company WON'T support the one software package I *did* buy, 5 years ago. Not saying much for Xara as a business model...

c'est la vie...

You get what you pay for...

Rich

[steve.ledger]

I've read great things about Xtreme...but I won't buy it...I won't even take the time to download the demo and even try it...because this company WON'T support the one software package I *did* buy, 5 years ago. Not saying much for Xara as a business model...

Your loss I'd say. Xara Studio/XaraXtreme has been around many moons (1995 I believe) and the support is superb. You found this forum right