I’ve just started looking at Blocs and it seems like a really nice app.
My website is currently built with Rapidweaver, Stacks and Foundation and would like to revamp it. www.simplepchelp.co.uk
There are a few things I use on Rapidweaver and I don’t know if there is an add-on which I can use in Blocs to replace them.
The first thing I’ve come across is on banner I have a services in a block which rotate every few seconds, I did find Scrolling Text Marquee which sort of does the same thing.
Is there a list of add ons available online from either Blocs themselves or third party which might help?
Most of the things you used stacks for will probably be possible out of the box with Blocs. For example, for this particular element, using the built-in carousel will probably be the best solution.
Long-time RapidWeaver user here (v3-7). I stopped using RapidWeaver when it went the subscription route, and hopped on the Sparkle (now Sitely) bandwagon.
Now, Sitely is good, it can really get you a beautiful, fully functional website quickly.
It is when you want to do some things (as I do) such as add the ability to let your client change content on their website, that Blocs TRULY shines.
In my little experience with Blocs 6, and of the Blocs ecosystem, adding a CMS is really easy with Blocs thanks to its built-in support as well as with other CMS such as Volt.
Try Blocs 6. Spend some time with it, figuring stuff out yourself. When you can’t, ask here. You’ll soon find that Blocs, at its price, is a remarkable one-stop solution for most needs.
I’ve been looking at carousel, I was wondering if there is any way to remove the image part? I just want text! I’ve noticed a comment from another Rapidweaver user that he had created a transparent image. Unfortunately, when I do this I end up with a ginormous gap between the top of the block and the text, even though the image is only set to 100 pixel high,
Yes, I have used the transparent images before as well. Even done a tutorial about it many years ago, it’s actually still here:
Today, I would just use the Horizontal Scroll feature, but of course this does not support the autoscroll by default. I don’t know if it is a crucial element of your carousel.
@Eldar has posted above - which is a great way to do what you need.
Looking at your website ,100% sure Blocs will not just create what you have, but utilising the tools you can create something really nice.
What I do if I am using the same image and it’s a bit unorthodox! but works for me, firstly I am not a fan of the text sliding like you have got, just my opinion, I do think fading looks slicker, so below is what I do:
I build the 1st slide and then set the carousel to fade instead of slide.
You have a button, so build that and add some delay or make it fade in or a nice delay so it transitions well - test it so you have it just right.
I then duplicate the slide in the panel on the left so all my settings are whatever you have created are on duplicated. I then alter the text on the slides on buttons or whatever you need to change and BOOM! You have a nice image in the back ground which stays the same and the transitions fade in nice.
On another website I did:
I used a brilliant header @Eldar had on a template. I had a website I wanted to create something like the header he made and was a no brainer but to use it. I used my own fonts and changed it a little for my clients needs.
This is using different images, but shows what you can do to the text etc
Purchased Blocs 6 Plus. This is my first major investment in a web design software in years.
I started with RapidWeaver 3, moved up till 7, without looking at any other software. By that time, Stacks were becoming mindlessly costly and painful to keep upgrading if one wanted to, and nearly anything you wanted your website to do required a new stack. That was … insane. RapidWeaver 8 went subscription anyway, so never paid for that, and moved to Sparkle.
Bought Sparkle (now Sitely) 3, upgraded at discount to 4, did not buy 5 as I was looking for something more comprehensive and powerful.
Now, after only a few days of trying Blocs 5 and then 6, thanks to the vibrant community and the quality of the software, I became confident in Blocs enough to purchase a license.
Volt CMS will be my next expense in some time, and together with Blocs, will take care of my modest design needs for a good while.
Blocs is powerful, and it shows at every step. It is both a blessing and maybe an annoyance, depending on what one wants to do at a given time. I am happy this gives me an opportunity and a push to become aware of and get familiar with what goes into the websites I design.
@RichJ73 if you are on the edge in any way, spend a few hours tinkering around in Blocs. With the current promotion, the price is excellent value.
Thank you @Norm and I do not exaggerate when I say that Blocs is a delight to use.
Your work over the years has certainly resulted in a robust web design software for the Mac, and that you offer an app for iPad and iPhone is simply cherry on the cake.
Thank you for all your and @Helen 's decade-long work towards this software!
I too am a long time RW/Stacks user, there are a few stacks I really miss and would love to see in Blocs, but they are quite niche things. Been using Blocs 5 for a month and now Blocs 6 since its launch. I really like Blocs. As RW/Stacks user you may find like me the learning curve at first steep but that steep curve is short, then it suddenly (mostly) all clicks. There are some things you expect to do in a certain way with ‘muscle memory’ but you do them slightly different in Blocs. Stick with it because it is really really good once over that.
Volt is excellent and a must whether or not you managed the Black Friday deal it is worth every penny.
Interactions in Blocs 6 has addressed in one massive sucker punch many things I have missed in RW, you can potentially create many different visual elements you would use different stacks for. It is I guess exploring a creative approach to doing something with these. Still playing around with them on a test project, really good.
Also this Blocs community I have found to be really friendly and helpful, support for new users on here is great.
100% recommend all new Blocs 6 users who have not got Volt CMS to get it straight away !!! . It has so many uses, of course letting your client change text, pics, but also create a blog and galleries on pages etc.
He also has a Black Friday deal on with his courses which now includes Blocs 6…I still learn new things all the time watching these videos over and over again.
Hello!
I am also a rapidweaver-stacks-foundation-easyCMS (and several other stacks) user and I am thinking about switching to Blocs 6.
I create sites like this for local small businesses:
www.drpadloszombathely.hu
www.fesztivalsator.hu
www.soleoptika.hu
I build these sites quickly, in 1-2 days and they work well, no problems with them.
My question is the same, can I do these with Blocs without having to buy many add-ons like in Rapidweaver?
For example:
more complex request for quotation forms with SMTP sending:
You can do a lot in just a single Blocs 6 purchase, no other addons necessary. Even if so, it will be minimal, and a special case requirement.
Blocs is largely self-sufficient. The RapidWeaver ecosystem was such that anything resembling a professional website required purchasing stacks after stacks. It is not so with Blocs.
With Realmac, they are changing course and building Elements, a web design app similar to Sitely/ Blocs. It will be largely self-sufficient, but, there is one thing even Elements won’t do when it launches sometime next year - CMS.
I know this because I asked. CMS is not coming anytime soon. A third-party might develop a component, who knows? As of right now, Blocs is a great option. You have a trial mode anyway, build your website, see it in Preview Mode. If you like what you see, purchase and unlock the software so you can export your files.
