Like all of us here, I am very sad to read that the swan song has come for Softpress and Freeway. Thank you very much for all the great work, FW has enabled us to launch our documentary film production back in 2011 and has grown with us over the years.
For the time being I am not considering to change anything and will stick with FW. Yet, when some day things start to not work anymore or other events might force us to change platform, I would like to ask the community (1) what you recommend as a workflow to export or transfer our website, and (2) what software to use that makes it easy (or easier) to import the Freeway website(s) we have created.
Thanks very much from Berlin,
Dirk
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The files FW generates (HTML, CSS, js) can be opened with any programming text editor with absolutely no problem at all. However, the actual .freeway file will be utterly useless to every app except Freeway itself.
If you want to use some flavor of WYSIWYG app then it will require some sort of file import option, the abilities of which will vary from app-to-app so the import process could yield mixed results. Some offer both WYSIWYG and a code editor which can be very useful for fine-tuning any import issues that might pop-up.
Todd
Office (Chicago): 312.212.3955
On Jul 10, 2016, at 10:51 AM, Dirk van den Berg email@hidden wrote:
Like all of us here, I am very sad to read that the swan song has come for Softpress and Freeway. Thank you very much for all the great work, FW has enabled us to launch our documentary film production back in 2011 and has grown with us over the years.
For the time being I am not considering to change anything and will stick with FW. Yet, when some day things start to not work anymore or other events might force us to change platform, I would like to ask the community (1) what you recommend as a workflow to export or transfer our website, and (2) what software to use that makes it easy (or easier) to import the Freeway website(s) we have created.
I’m not a fan of recommends and mouthwatering as well, so just the whisper my tendency (51%):
Pinegrow!
But in all honesty:
Although I thought I’m pretty good in “code”, I have to admit my difficulties. This is honoring Freeway much more and I miss its simple way of working (and my workspace I created).
So my plan is to stick with Freeway as long as I can. A guess here: 2-4 years. Meanwhile I’ll try to change my workflow, so “importing from” doesn’t mean “fiddle in between”.
For all after “importing”:
It is the Site Folder in view. Interestingly enough, a good part of this audience isn’t aware what the site folder in Freeway really means, what it does and where to find em.
So whatever you do, it’ll require either special knowledge to adjust the current or a consequent rebuild from scratch in another Application of your choice (RW, DW, Sparkle or Webflow).
Good luck
Thomas
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I noticed Pinegrow has been steadily gaining ground. I had a look at it last year at Tim Plumb’s suggestion and I was rather impressed given that it’s a young app.
I agree with Thomas, Pinegrow is definitely worth a close look.
Todd
Office (Chicago): 312.212.3955
On Jul 10, 2016, at 3:40 PM, Thomas Kimmich email@hidden wrote:
Yep - Todd my friend, well spoken.
I’m not a fan of recommends and mouthwatering as well, so just the whisper my tendency (51%):
Pinegrow!
But in all honesty:
Although I thought I’m pretty good in “code”, I have to admit my difficulties. This is honoring Freeway much more and I miss its simple way of working (and my workspace I created).
So my plan is to stick with Freeway as long as I can. A guess here: 2-4 years. Meanwhile I’ll try to change my workflow, so “importing from” doesn’t mean “fiddle in between”.
For all after “importing”:
It is the Site Folder in view. Interestingly enough, a good part of this audience isn’t aware what the site folder in Freeway really means, what it does and where to find em.
So whatever you do, it’ll require either special knowledge to adjust the current or a consequent rebuild from scratch in another Application of your choice (RW, DW, Sparkle or Webflow).
Thanks to both of you Thomas and Todd for answering. Question is, what exactly do you mean by this:
It is the Site Folder in view. Interestingly enough, a good part of this audience isn’t aware what the site folder in Freeway really means, what it does and where to find em.
Would be good to know how to handle that file - until now whenever I searched around the .freeway-files that contains my websites, I couldn’t “open package” or do anything else. Do I am not sure if there might be a tip you’d like to share on this one?
Thanks, Dirk
The Site Folder is defined in the Document Setup dialog. You choose where on your Mac to place this folder, and it contains an HTML “printout” of your site, basically a local mirror of what Freeway has uploaded to your Web server. The contents of this folder can be opened by any application that can read text files, or more specifically, a programmer’s text editor or a more specialized Web editing application. Freeway’s .freeway files are completely useless in this context, only Freeway can open or edit them. But the output from the .freeway file (in the Site Folder) is normal HTML, images, JavaScript, and CSS.
Walter
On Jul 10, 2016, at 9:13 PM, Dirk van den Berg email@hidden wrote:
Thanks to both of you Thomas and Todd for answering. Question is, what exactly do you mean by this:
It is the Site Folder in view. Interestingly enough, a good part of this audience isn’t aware what the site folder in Freeway really means, what it does and where to find em.
Would be good to know how to handle that file - until now whenever I searched around the .freeway-files that contains my websites, I couldn’t “open package” or do anything else. Do I am not sure if there might be a tip you’d like to share on this one?
Thanks, Dirk
Hi Todd,
How have you found Pinegrow? I’ve had the Pinegrow and now the WordPress edition since they came out but haven’t really used them for anything other than looking over the features. I suspect I may need to carve out some time to do a real project in the app.
Regards,
Tim.
On 10 Jul 2016, at 21:45, Todd email@hidden wrote:
Hey Thomas!
I noticed Pinegrow has been steadily gaining ground. I had a look at it last year at Tim Plumb’s suggestion and I was rather impressed given that it’s a young app.
I agree with Thomas, Pinegrow is definitely worth a close look.
me personal stalking Pinegrow for a while now and decided to purchase my license just a few days ago (summer sale 20% off).
To be honest, it basically scared me. But the more I play, the more I like. Trying to avoid any frameworks for to start, I’m trying things in very small portions and steps. The preview is stunning and I see a good chance having found my future (the chance to review my strategy included :-)!
As already said:
I’d love to hear your expertise!
Cheers
Thomas
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I know there are a lot of Adobephobics on this board, but does anyone have experience of Muse? I know a couple of people who have just started using it and they find it quite intuitive. Any thoughts?
Trev
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I know there are a lot of Adobephobics on this board, but does anyone have experience of Muse? I know a couple of people who have just started using it and they find it quite intuitive. Any thoughts?
That’s a thought I had too, especially since I am working with other elements of their suite and am quite familiar with them… indeed curious nobody has mentioned Muse yet.
I shifted from Freeway to Muse about two years ago. I didn’t want to post my findings on here before as I didn’t want to step on Softpress’ toes. Given what’s happened I think it would be beneficial to others to share my experience.
Muse is a breath of fresh air. The latest responsive version is exceptional, although not without its quirks. Its still painfully slow to edit large sites on the very fastest Macs ( a common moan on forums) but that can be somewhat forgiven when you look at the sheer amount of support its has for expandability - in a similar way to FW actions, Muse has a huge market of ‘widgets’ covering pretty much everything you could ever need to achieve. Shopping carts, CMS, full mobile support etc. A couple of good examples are http://www.muse-themes.com/http://www.musexpress.net/ and http://resources.muse.adobe.com/. Many widgets are completely free.
I rebuilt a few FW sites using Muse by following a few tutorials and its incredibly easy to pick up. Still absolutely no coding skills required and very intuitive to use. The responsive breakpoint system takes some getting used to but its very powerful. I got involved in the current beta program and they’re developing it at a breakneck rate, adding new features every few months.
I fully appreciate this locks you into the Adobe ecosystem though and some people are not happy with that. There are other options out there though.
If I can give anyone some pointers or help just give me a shout.
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I’m one of the few on here who use Adobe products every single day, so adding another to the armoury wouldn’t bother me too much. I was really testing the water to see just how user friendly it was before I downloaded the demo - which I will do now when I see a few days opening up ahead of me.
Luckily, I’m a part-time web bloke and don’t do any large sites whatsoever!
Trev
On 11 Jul 2016, at 16:28, Neil email@hidden wrote:
I shifted from Freeway to Muse about two years ago. I didn’t want to post my findings on here before as I didn’t want to step on Softpress’ toes. Given what’s happened I think it would be beneficial to others to share my experience.
Muse is a breath of fresh air. The latest responsive version is exceptional, although not without its quirks. Its still painfully slow to edit large sites on the very fastest Macs ( a common moan on forums) but that can be somewhat forgiven when you look at the sheer amount of support its has for expandability - in a similar way to FW actions, Muse has a huge market of ‘widgets’ covering pretty much everything you could ever need to achieve. Shopping carts, CMS, full mobile support etc. A couple of good examples are http://www.muse-themes.com/http://www.musexpress.net/ and http://resources.muse.adobe.com/. Many widgets are completely free.
I rebuilt a few FW sites using Muse by following a few tutorials and its incredibly easy to pick up. Still absolutely no coding skills required and very intuitive to use. The responsive breakpoint system takes some getting used to but its very powerful. I got involved in the current beta program and they’re developing it at a breakneck rate, adding new features every few months.
I fully appreciate this locks you into the Adobe ecosystem though and some people are not happy with that. There are other options out there though.
If I can give anyone some pointers or help just give me a shout.
I’ve only had a play with the trial version but I thought it was quite interesting (last year). I haven’t kept up with its progress, though I frequently see it positively mentioned elsewhere.
Thomas’ comment yesterday got me curious so I downloaded the trial again.They have been quite busy! Clearly a lot has changed since I last had a go. It certainly seems like a product to watch, and I would be interested to hear how Thomas gets on as he gets more familiar with Pinegrow.
I’m still using an editor (close to 10 years now) and CodeKit, and I don’t feel a need to change yet, but Pinegrow did give me pause. That CoffeeCup software also looks interesting though I have zero experience with any of their products.
Todd
Office (Chicago): 312.212.3955
Hi Todd,
How have you found Pinegrow? I’ve had the Pinegrow and now the WordPress edition since they came out but haven’t really used them for anything other than looking over the features. I suspect I may need to carve out some time to do a real project in the app.
Regards,
Tim.
On 10 Jul 2016, at 21:45, Todd email@hidden wrote:
Hey Thomas!
I noticed Pinegrow has been steadily gaining ground. I had a look at it last year at Tim Plumb’s suggestion and I was rather impressed given that it’s a young app.
I agree with Thomas, Pinegrow is definitely worth a close look.
all I can say is: Keep your current workspace up. It’s cool cause Pinegrow doesn’t hurt. You can work from both sides. All to make sure is (if it doesn’t happen magically) to refresh that part you changed in the other partner. I tried it and it works a treat.
My current workflow is as follows:
The project folder placed (site folder) on dropbox. It’s a compass project, controlled by CodeKit. My CodeEditor is Brackets and the VCD-interface is Pinegrow. VCD (formerly known as WYSIWYG) can be read as “We see Design”. Literally it is meant as Visual Controlled Design - an expression I created recently
In Pinegrow you can even see “functions” such as animate.css or owl-carousel. It works without even visiting the browser within Pinegrow. The downside is, that the element-tree displays all “helping” divs coming from scripts, so not sure about the best way to adjust stuff from this side.
I try to avoid Frameworks (Bootstrap, Foundation, Materialize) cause I like to work and learn from scratch. Once created the basic elements (theGrid), I’d have to learn to make it reusable (blocks).
I even see a chance for kind of actions or stuff comparable to - let’s say WebYep stuff, just to name one (But don’t nail me here).
There is a WP Kit. Perhaps there could be made something for MODx (your favorite). Who knows. All in all a Pro tool - even for a slow-brainer such as me fool.
Cheers
Thomas
I’m full of work these days but when I find a lil bit of time and silence - I’ll try to wrap some scenes in a screencast.
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Very interesting Thomas. I will have to take a closer look. I do wish they offered more than a 7 day trial, though.
I must say when I first launched Pinegrow I was a bit overwhelmed with the left sidebar, there’s a lot going on with all the sections open. After closing most of them I felt better.
Definitely an interesting app.
Todd
Office (Chicago): 312.212.3955
Hi Todd,
all I can say is: Keep your current workspace up. It’s cool cause Pinegrow doesn’t hurt. You can work from both sides. All to make sure is (if it doesn’t happen magically) to refresh that part you changed in the other partner. I tried it and it works a treat.
My current workflow is as follows:
The project folder placed (site folder) on dropbox. It’s a compass project, controlled by CodeKit. My CodeEditor is Brackets and the VCD-interface is Pinegrow. VCD (formerly known as WYSIWYG) can be read as “We see Design”. Literally it is meant as Visual Controlled Design - an expression I created recently
In Pinegrow you can even see “functions” such as animate.css or owl-carousel. It works without even visiting the browser within Pinegrow. The downside is, that the element-tree displays all “helping” divs coming from scripts, so not sure about the best way to adjust stuff from this side.
I try to avoid Frameworks (Bootstrap, Foundation, Materialize) cause I like to work and learn from scratch. Once created the basic elements (theGrid), I’d have to learn to make it reusable (blocks).
I even see a chance for kind of actions or stuff comparable to - let’s say WebYep stuff, just to name one (But don’t nail me here).
There is a WP Kit. Perhaps there could be made something for MODx (your favorite). Who knows. All in all a Pro tool - even for a slow-brainer such as me fool.
Cheers
Thomas
I’m full of work these days but when I find a lil bit of time and silence - I’ll try to wrap some scenes in a screencast.
One of the things that actually turned my off of Pinegrow in the early days was just how rapidly things changed in the app. I’d sit down and run through a few tutorials and before I knew it I was several versions behind the current version and felt I needed to run to try and keep up. I ended up shelving the app until recently but I now suspect I’ll need to dust it off and start those tutorials again.
If anyone is looking for a quick and dirty Bootstrap builder app then both Mobirise (https://mobirise.comhttps://mobirise.com/) and Pingendo (http://pingendo.comhttp://pingendo.com/) are worth considering. I’ve used Mobirise in the past to build a responsive template for a site and it did a reasonable job allowing me to then edit it by hand in a text editor.
Regards,
Tim.
I must say when I first launched Pinegrow I was a bit overwhelmed with the left sidebar, there’s a lot going on with all the sections open. After closing most of them I felt better.
I have both versions of Pinegrow and purchased the WP edition before it came out (I got a good deal via and early bird offer). As far as I can tell they are the same application but the WP edition contains all of the tags from the WordPress codex. It also does an intelligent job of chopping the page up into the correct number of PHP includes for WordPress and well as the required stylesheets etc.
Regards,
Tim.
On 11 Jul 2016, at 22:26, Todd email@hidden wrote:
You both mentioned a WP version of Pinegrow. Can you explain what the difference is between the standard version and the WP?
