Pre-paid for Eldar's Master Blocs course

General Discussion
21

As a former educator who switched careers many years ago, I have found it to be extremely rare that training materials show an pro-level understanding of educational theory. Most manuals remind me of graduate students teaching an algebra requirement to a bunch of art students - the author knows the subject inside and out and they know how to teach it to other left-brained people like him/herself, but they haven’t a whiff of a shadow of a clue about how to teach it to right-brained students. Many college-level teachers tend to look down their noses at K-12 teachers, yet most college teachers and professors are not certified teachers have no training in educational theory. The notion is that mastery of the subject is pretty much all you need. It only works well for half the students because the instructors don’t know how to provide the right kinds of connections that right-brained students need in order to easily assimilate the content.

For me, the ultimate example of excellence in software training was with Macromedia (now Adobe) Director - the 900 pound gorilla big brother of Flash. It operates on an extremely robust scripting language called Lingo. They had two manuals: one on theory and function and a companion dictionary that included three real-world script examples for every single term and character in the language. It was brilliant. This, along with the fact that they were printed books, made it very easy to instantly jump all over the place in those volumes, which made learning easy. (Online manuals are the epitome of clunk – exhausting to use.)

Software manuals should be co-written by two people: an expert in the subject and a trained educator who knows how to translate it into something that works for both left-brained learners (the expert invariably being left-brained, which is why they are good at programming) and for right-brained learners.

1 Like
22

Hey @Kurt ,

I just wanted to update you on the upcoming course. FYI, I did include some of the mistakes and how I fixed them in the videos.

Today, I am ready to share with you the curriculum for the first part of the course, in which I explain step by step how to build a complex multi-page website in Blocs. You can preview the website I was building in this course here.

Below is the video I am making public as a sample. It’s No.7 in the curriculum.

I am still working on the second part of the Becoming a Blocs Master course, which covers the different aspects of using Blocs (shortcuts, buttons, margins and paddings, panels, menus, text, icons, mobile optimization, etc). Some of the videos will be available on day one, while others will be added over time.

The curriculum for the first part of the course:

1. Course Introduction

2. Creating the project and building the site structure (6:44)
- Saving the project
- Adjusting the project settings
- Adjusting the page settings for each page
- Building the site structure

3. Preparing the images for the project (3:40)
- Downloading copyright-free images
- Optimizing the image resolution
- Optimizing the image size
- Managing the project files

4. Customizing the navigation menu (10:34)
- Importing the images to Blocs project
- Setting the bloc background image
- Enabling and disabling blocs
- Managing the menu items
- Customizing the menu appearance with custom classes
- Customizing the text logo with custom class

5. Adding, adjusting and duplicating blocs (9:00)
- Building the page header
- Customizing text with custom classes
- Adjusting the bloc background
- Adding and editing the icon bric
- Duplicating blocs to other pages

6. Creating and adjusting the faded background effect (9:41)
- Adding and editing text brics
- Creating the faded effect
- Adjusting the faded effect via custom classes
- Adjusting the bric position using custom classes
- Deleting the custom classes

7. Advanced customization of button brics (11:48)
- Creating the team photo bloc using button brics
- Customizing the dimensions of buttons using custom classes
- Creating the hover color effect using the custom class
- Preparing the overlay images using Pixelmator
- Adjusting the text position using custom class

8. Creating social icons and using visibility feature (14:07)
- Creating the social icons using buttons
- Customizing the appearance of icons
- Aligning the elements to center using custom class
- Using column row bric
- Using the toggle visibility feature

9. Using panel brics customized with custom classes (10:08)
- Duplicating blocs and brics
- Using parallax background feature
- Using panel brics
- Adjusting the appearance of panels with custom classes
- Using the round image bric
- Adjusting default typography settings
- Creating reverse faded effect
- Adjusting bric positioning using negative margins

10. Using column rows customized with custom classes (6:21)
- Creating hover effects for logos
- Using column row with custom classes
- Using the custom class to center elements

11. Customizing the buttons using custom classes (10:44)
- Changing the image backgrounds
- Creating the newsletter blocs
- Adjusting the button styles using custom classes
- Adjusting the button dimensions
- Adding the shadow to button

12. Creating and adjusting the social icons (6:41)
- Creating text links
- Using buttons to create social icons
- Using buttons to align social icons to center
- Customizing the icon appearance using custom classes

13. Creating and adjusting custom forms (11:00)
- Creating the contact page
- Building the customized contact form
- Adjusting the style of form fields using custom classes
- Adjusting the width of the blocs
- Creating the ‘mailto’ links
- Adding the color swatches
- Creating customized flat buttons

14. Using the custom class manager (5:58)
- Removing the shadow from sticky navigation bar
- Searching the custom classes online
- Applying and adjusting custom classes to invisible elements
- Adjusting alert notifications appearance

15. Creating the image thumbnails for blog posts (7:44)
- Adjusting the margins using custom class
- Adding shadows to images
- Creating the custom styled text links
- Duplicating the blocs and brics

16. Adding and adjusting the icon brics (6:41)
- Adjusting the icon style using custom classes
- Adding the hover effect to icons
- Adding and adjusting the icon frame
- Changing the icon type and color

17. Using panel bric to build pricing tables (14:37)
- Using the parallax backgrounds with multiple blocs
- Adjusting the darkness of the background images
- Building the pricing tables using panel brics
- Using the heading with icons
- Adjusting the padding, borders and shadows of the panels

18. Creating the image grid with button overlays (13:44)
- Managing files in images folder
- Importing the images
- Creating the customized text links
- Creating the images grid
- Creating button overlays
- Adjusting the button position using negative margin
- Linking the categories navigation

19. Creating the portfolio item pages (14:30)
- Adding the margin using custom class
- Creating the image rich pages
- Duplicating layouts from other pages
- Editing the text and links
- Adjusting the padding of blocs
- Finalizing the Portfolio page

20. Applying fade-in and fade-out effects to home page (18:29)
- Editing the pre-set custom classes
- Applying the text styles
- Customizing the buttons
- Changing the bloc background to adjust auto color of text
- Creating fade-in and fade-out effects
- Using the negative margin custom classes to adjust the position

21. Finishing building the landing page (8:30)
- Creating the shortcut to portfolio page on home page
- Using custom classes to apply previously used styles
- Duplicating the bloc to other pages
- Creating the buttons and linking them to other pages
- Creating the customized text links

22. Checking all links on the website (7:47)
- Assigning the IDs to each bloc
- Linking all the buttons
- Linking all the links
- Linking the images and custom text links
- Checking all links in our projects

23. Optimization for mobile devices (20:39)
- Editing classes from subclass library
- Editing previously created custom classes
- Optimizing every page for tablet and mobile
- Optimizing custom classes for tablet and mobile
- Optimizing panels for tablet and mobile
- Optimizing customized buttons with photos
- Optimizing button overlays
- Optimizing regular text and headings
- Changing the tablet and mobile navigation styles
- Disabling brics and bloc not suitable for mobile viewing

24. Finalizing and exporting the project (5:55)
- Checking the page settings
- Filling the SEO information
- Exporting the project in to system folder

5 Likes
23

This is just amazing! :grinning:

1 Like
24

@Eldar very nice video showing part of the class. I have a couple of questions.

Is everything listed in the first 24 lessons going to be available on release of the course?

Are we going to be able to pick and choose what we want to watch or are we going to have to follow the course?

Do you plan on having a forum for questions and comments on the bloc master site?

Casey

25

@casey1823

Yes, these 24 videos are already completed, uploaded and ready for download.

Yes, at release the course will be available to steam (up to 1080p) or download (at 4K) via Gumroad. Check the getting started course on Gumroad to see what it looks like.

I think forum is an overkill, but I do think about setting some kind of members area for Blocs Templates / Blocs Master members. At the moment, I am happy to help to anyone via email.

Cheers,
Eldar

26

You could have your own category here on the forum.

3 Likes
27

I like the outline; I’ll take a weekend of time to work through it.

What is unfamiliar to me at the moment are the class Position options, Display, Overflow and Float. I’ve forgotten past HTML and CSS coding to understand how to function those dropdown panel options, Block; Inline Block; Inline, etc.

Sub-classes are tricky, too.

Kube or FlexBox, wow. I can only imagine Norm and you utilizing such programs what that would turn Blocsapp into. Update time for sure :wink:

All in all not a difficult learning curve. I’m glad I made the purchase.

1 Like
28

These 24 videos are covering the whole process of building a website in Blocs, step by step. At least, the way l am doing it.

The second part of the course will be as important as these videos, if not more.

Well, keep in mind that I have never knew anything about HTLM or CSS, but thanks to great skills of @Norm, you don’t need this kind of knowledge to become a Blocs Master.

Cheers,
Eldar

29

Nobody - Nobody - I’m going there then.

Eldars Scrolls. You’re welcome.

30

@Eldar
That would be an idea …
so others can answer for you here.
Cheers, Thomas

1 Like
31

The second part of the course is called Blocs Core Training and it will include about 10~12 videos, 3 of which will be available later today. The videos in Core Training series are much more detailed (and longer, so it takes me more time to produce them all), but for people who will struggle to follow the first section (24 videos about building the full website), Core Training videos will be really useful.

Below is the curriculum for the Blocs Core Training.

1. Essential keyboard shortcuts (9:52)

2. Object Placement Basics (16:20)

  • The understanding of different areas in Blocs
  • The basic understanding of element structure in Blocs
  • Navigating between blocs, rows and brics
  • Adjusting margins for items in the sidebar
  • Adjusting padding for blocs in the sidebar
  • Using the custom classes to adjust margin or padding for any element
  • Using the custom classes to adjust the padding or margin for blocs
  • Using the negative margin

3. Mastering the Button bric (35:53)

  • Adjusting the default appearance of buttons
  • Using different styles of buttons
  • Basic editing in the sidebar
  • Adding different effects to buttons
  • Advanced editing of buttons using custom classes
  • Advanced editing of the default button styles using custom manager
  • Creating the image hovers using buttons and custom classes
  • Creating the social icons using the button bric
  • Rebuilding the buttons from Apple and Tesla websites

The following videos are coming soon:

4. Mastering the Menu
5. Mastering the Panel bric
6. Mastering the Icon bric
7. Mastering the Text bric
8. Mastering the Column row bric
9. Mastering the Form bric
10. Mastering the Image bric
11. Optimization for mobile devices

32

Eldar, is there a new video series out yet other than these three?

I have:

  1. Getting Started With Blocs
  2. Building a Website in Blocs
  3. Blocs Core Training

Warm Regards, Randy

1 Like
33

Hi @Creative ,

There is no new course, but I periodically add more videos to Blocs Core Training.

There are now

14 videos in Getting Started with Blocs
24 videos in Building a website in Blocs
69 videos in Blocs Core Training

Cheers,
Eldar

2 Likes
34

OK, great. I have them all then! I really appreciate your videos Eldar. Please keep them coming!

A couple of things I’d like to see covered in great detail would be customizing the header area in different ways. The way you typically do it is very beautiful of course, but many clients may wish for something different. I have a job I’m working on today where the client has requested a static (sticky) header where it is shifted down about 150px so that the background photo of the main content area shows behind it. (so I suppose the main content area is adjusted that same 150px UPWARDS. On the very top part of the page (above the header area) he would like his logo. I am not saying I like his idea better, but just that it’s nice to have the ability to customize the header area in many ways. I’m quite sure it’s possible with Blocs, but I think video examples would be very helpful.

Warm Regards,

Randy

4 Likes
35

Thank you for your kind words! I am definitely going to add more videos to Blocs Core Training! I will keep in mind your suggestions about customization of headers!

Cheers,
Eldar

1 Like
36

@Eldar, will there be a discounted price for the Blocs 3 video course for those of us who already have the Blocs 2 Master course? I will purchase either way, but wanted to check before I buy.

2 Likes
37

Hi @Creative,

It is 30%. I was going to send the offer to existing members, but then Black Friday came along, and it’s kind of confusing. So, basically, you will have 30% discount available to you even after the Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

I will send the special discount code after the sale ends.

Cheers,
Eldar

3 Likes
38

@Eldar, sounds good. :slight_smile:

39

@Eldar it’s possible to get invoice or some kind of bill for a blocsmaster course ( MasteringBlocs 3) ? I’am asking because I would like to buy for someone from my company…

Cheers,
Dorp

40

Hello @dorp

Yes, of course. Please email me at gezalov@me.com

1 Like