I know this isn’t a Softpress site … but I know they read it too.
1/ It would be too wonderful for words if ;
Freeway Child-pages could contain elements from multiple Masters.
Why? Because I have a multi-lingual site + client sub-sites. The way it works now, is that I have to choose the best Master scenario for a given circumstance. On my Child-pages I have a Master choice between; navigation (css menus) and layout. Why can’t I have both?
If I could choose which Master to assign to an element, I could … assign a Master to all my pages for layout/design and then have multiple Masters which could be assigned to elements for my varying css-menus, or of course, I could do other things too, like change background colour etc. etc.
Currently, every time I change one single thing in a client’s css-menu, it means a copy, followed by delete/paste on up 20 pages. Sigh.
I realise that there are different ways of organising/setting up Master-Child scenarios, or indeed of having separate sites for different needs/situations, but in the end, they are all a poor compromise for those of us with multiple language or client sites. (I’d be happy to know if I’m missing the obvious here.)
2/ Provide tagging/labelling for the Site Panel. This would help a lot with the Missing Multiple Master problem.
Very interesting ideas. I too have been frustrated by Master Page behavior,
and still have issues adding inflow items to the Master which are
considered Content by the Child Page – and if you re-tick the Use Master
Content on the Child, then all your page content is reverted, sayonara!
Copy and pasting the new inflow element into the child pages means there is
NO Master for that item, so all updates are to each page.
2/ Provide tagging/labelling for the Site Panel. This would help a lot
with the Missing Multiple Master problem.
Can you expand on this, maybe give an example of what you mean?
Freeway Child-pages could contain elements from multiple Masters.
I’ve often wondered if Master Pages wasn’t as much the answer as Master
Items. The ability to create what I will call an Item or Module –
basically a self-contained bit of a page, like a Header or Footer or an
Image with a Caption… something like that Blocks app except a user-designed
bit… a Master Item. Users can then assemble their pages from these
previously custom made bits. I’d like that.
Indeed Ernie. I’ve had " Oops! I wish I hadn’t ‘ticked’ the ‘Use Master Content’ button " moments too.
By ‘Missing Multiple Master problem’ I’m just being a bit sarcastic about the limitation of not having any kind of multiple Master Pages/Items. Being able to label items in the Site Panel, would allow me to see at a glance, which Items I need to update separately (due to the Master no longer working for them) when I’m updating any given page.
It would also be very useful if Master Items ever happen in FW, because you could easily see what Items (or Child Pages) are associated with Master Items(Pages).
But, yes. You’ve understood perfectly. I want Master Pages and Master Items. I don’t really care how they would be configured to work, although Ideally, it would seem logical to have Master Items on separate Master Pages, because, for example, it would be difficult to have 3 separate versions of a css-menu all on the same Master Page, but one Master Page per Master Item would make sense.
My site, as it stands now, would be so much simpler in upkeep, if just a couple of Items could have their own Master Items.
The ability to create what I will call an Item or Module — basically a self-contained bit of a page, like a Header or Footer or an Image with a Caption…
Of course you could use Includes for this - and there are some helpful actions
Absolutely, and I am a huge fan of Tim Plumb’s Simple Include Pro action which lets me create universal objects to insert anywhere in my document. The only reason I didn’t mention this in my previous remarks is that a Master Item can be edited at each insertion, while Includes cannot – they can only be edited at the source and each insertion merely repeats the source verbatim.
The idea of Master Modules appeals to me because my web design has a basic “brick” or “block” pattern to it. I’d call it Layers. So being able to pre-build my Layer components as Master Items and insert them into the layout as needed, updating their style universally like a Master object would be nice.
Much of this I’ve accomplished with clever styling and could very well live with that, though I’d not turn away a helpful FWP solution. Caleb’s Backdraft is kinda organized this way with the different module components to build pages with – which I think is kind of brilliant.
I’m still very wowed by the visual construction interface of that app in the other recent thread – blocks or bloxx or brixx or whatever.
The idea of Master Modules appeals to me because my web design has a basic “brick” or “block” pattern to it. I’d call it Layers. So being able to pre-build my Layer components as Master Items and insert them into the layout as needed, updating their style universally like a Master object would be nice.
