Version 23.7 Blocks

[Acorn]

@Chris, I can give part of an answer about the text's gradient.
Somehow, the Variant's one got stuck well below the text & shadow.
Easy enough to drag it back into position.

It seems to be a Xara Bug as when you drag it out of the WB, it is properly restored.

The same seems to have affected the Mongolian Dancers as you can drag the Fill controls back in place.
I simply double clicked on the image control to remove the clipping as it was the only image clipped in the Variant.
You have seven clipped ones in Main.
How Xara handles a clip into a variant seems to be the issue.

All very random and not conducive to maintaining profession standards.

Acorn

[Chris M]

I have a theory that it's always the first object in the block that acts up. I'm going to see if I can make something out that consistent.

The problems I had in the first part of this exercise, both in the Synthwave page and the Comic page, were the first objects in the block. They had Stretch To Fit Width components, and I blamed that...but now I'm thinking maybe not. The Magic & Violence, and T-Shirt pages both worked as you'd expect...and both had a simple block with one line of text. Nothing fancy, nothing edited. I had huge problems with the Home page, which also has manipulated content in the first block. I spent so much time learning what did what that I can't really remember what i did. I also didn't have access to the Blocks toolbar at the time.

I'll grab the Xara machine tomorrow and have a play.

[Chris M]

Curiosity beat me. I remoted in and cranked up Xara.

Added jpeg - clipped in the block - ok (didn't auto clip the variant).
Added jpeg - clipped outside the block - ok.

Added second jpeg - made a linear transparency and edited colour in the block (I did the transparency in the mobile variant. The jpeg in the main variant was in a different position on the page, but the transparency line wasn't. Moving the line manually didn't affect the variant, so if you want the two identical ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I dragged the transparent jpeg out of the block, removed the transparency and added it back again to ensure the effect would be the same in both variants...and this is where the wheels became wobbly. Adding the jpeg back to the block only happens in the variant you're working on. The other variant banishes the jpeg to the nether world.

More of the same:
Add a jpeg and drag into block. Change the colour.
Drag out of the block and change the colour again.
Drag back into block.
The variant jpeg is now invisible.

Add a jpeg and drag into block. Rotate it.
Drag out of the block and straighten.
Drag back into block.
The variant jpeg is now invisible.

Add a jpeg and group it with a shape (like a frame). Add to block.
Drag out of block, ungroup, and just drag the jpeg back into the block.
The variant now has 2 jpegs. One still grouped with the shape, and one in the block.

As Acorn says above, double-clicking the Image Control to reset removes the invisibility cloak, but that's not really the point.
I don't know why we have to have 2 variants from the get-go all of a sudden. My workflow was: make site how I want it > create variant > make variant look right > publish. Now I have to constantly switch tabs, or use Acorn's suggestion and lose half my working area to split the screen.

Earlier, I made the statement that i would use the Blocks system. Now? I want to, and I would on a small site, but I think the whole thing is half-baked and released as beta at best.

[Acorn]

The annoying thing is I found the FlexGroup and Web Block introduction very useful for "Freeform" construction as they offered some very useful additions:

• The means to move enwrapped blocks of content up and down the page - a development of the Push function.
• The dynamic handling of shapes within the FlexGroup - a form of grid control.

All this vanished with the v23.7 update:

Now when you add a Web Block to a Freeform website, it gets converted into ordinary groups, one group in each variant. This makes it easier to work with the contents of the Block in a Freeform site, since it avoids having a mixture of Web Blocks and other objects on the same page.

The Good News is if you select a FlexGroup in the P&L gallery and then move it to the current layer (right-click context menu) then you can Copy & Paste into a Freeform design and retain the grid functionality.

The fact that we now have blobs that we cannot create or ungroup despite having lots of extra Arrange entries shows how muddled things are.

Interesting that only three TGers are minded to have a go.

Acorn

[Chris M]

Interesting that only three TGers are minded to have a go.

Acorn

I thought it was just Bill and myself.

I, personally, like the idea because I do a lot of sites for nightclubs and artists (strange mix, I know) and they like to change/move things on a regular basis. Picking up whole sections and throwing them around easily, or creating a section independently and then flicking it into the site, tiddlywink style, would suit me well.

Xara's biggest appeal is the flexibility it offers. Fiddling with this, tweaking that, adding random things found on the 'Net. Other software I use has a more 'this goes here, and here it goes' approach, and they produce the same regimented looking websites. I'd like each Block to have its own little ecosystem that I can create in a separate project file, then copy/cut and dump in the master site.

Where's the layers bit gone? Is the 'Page & Layer Gallery' now the 'Page Gallery'?

[Acorn]

I thought it was just Bill and myself.
...
Where's the layers bit gone? Is the 'Page & Layer Gallery' now the 'Page Gallery'?

Chris, I've been waiting for you to catch up!

The switch between Page and Layers has always been bad.
The easiest is to double-click on the page thumbnail; you can then toggle the Locate button.

I've set up a custom key (C) to 'Locate selection' - this forces open the layers as well.

Acorn

[bwood]

I’ll upload a site soon. Strictly experimental. I’m moving blank blocks onto pages. Adding images etc. I’m considering designing the 480 variant first, then looking on the 1280 site. The other way around it’s a hodgepodge. Much of my listing and highlights can be achieved with smart duplication which Acorn spelled out for me.
Also I’m find you must have your pieces (logo and design) ready made. You can make things off page but it’s messy.

I see the Michal Jarmoluk influence in different blocks in the catalogue. Disappointing its all in the block format and not in free form design. I can use Michal’s designs but I usually import and take apart. The latest https://xaratemplates.com/

Michals take on Blocks 2. https://xaratemplates.com/blocks2.html. Actually a good simple explanation, that is not in the on line manual, or on YouTubes.

[Acorn]

I see the Michal Jarmoluk influence in different blocks in the catalogue. Disappointing its all in the block format and not in free form design.

Bill, you do realised if you copy & paste a WB or drag one from the Local Designs gallery or Import from Elements onto a Freeform design page the content is presented in a Group without the WB capability.

You can spoof the FlexGroup to work as I covered above.
If you set Push & Autofit to Page Bottom, you almost have a Flexible Block capability without the worry of a Variant.

Acorn

[Chris M]

Chris, I've been waiting for you to catch up!

The switch between Page and Layers has always been bad.
The easiest is to double-click on the page thumbnail; you can then toggle the Locate button.

I've set up a custom key (C) to 'Locate selection' - this forces open the layers as well.

Acorn

It's because you can no longer drag the width of the P&LG, it springs back to the width set by the Blocks team. Document, photo etc are all adjustable, but not the Blocks.

Toggling to view the page content, which you would naturally do to view a layer, automatically brings the layer tab into view. Having it set like this makes sense and works just fine.

[Chris M]

I’m considering designing the 480 variant first, then looking on the 1280 site. The other way around it’s a hodgepodge.

That's going to be my next project, start with the smaller variant. So far (which isn't really far) all the apocalyptic events have been associated with the mobile variant. I'm curious whether going smaller first will allow wiggle room on the larger variant, or just destroy itself as usual, but in a more spectacular way.

I have a working site where I have an iframe displaying a picture gallery with 40 images. The gallery is made of a single Flexible Block. The pictures are 2 sizes, portrait and landscape. Nothing could go wrong there, right? Just one on top of the other, easy-peasy. More than once, the whole Flexi part (purple bit) expands 30px on the width for reasons I have yet to fathom. I've mucked and messed to try and coax it back to no avail. I either set the 'x' coordinate to -30, or remove the images from the larger variant, delete the entire block, drop a fresh block into the page and drop the images back in. The second, scorched earth method, is cleaner and takes longer to type the how-to than actually do the job.

I select each image by holding Shift, as we can't marquee select (moan moan) drag all 40 out of the block. Then select all 40 and drag them back in to the new block. Not a biggie in this example, but not one I should have to do.