Update #26 - Feature preview and other stuff
Hey there portal people!
I know this update is a teensy bit late, BUT I come bearing goodies. Aside from one or two issues I need to cover quickly, the vast majority of this update will be previewing the upcoming JavaScript inserts. So hang onto your hats, because here we go!
*Grabs Hat*:
[1] Bug Report Stuff
New reports have surfaced indicating that there is an issue concerning the Google maps bits on the site (things like campaign location). An error appears overtop of the map image regarding the ability to load maps. Dev side has been made aware of this issue, and has begun the process of investigating. In other bug related news, work on fixing Tags continues. I'll bring you more status reports on these as I get them. In the meantime, keep any pertinent information coming to [email protected]
[2] Promo Countdown
Now that we're into the month of October, the clock is starting to tick down on our joint promotion with Modiphius Entertainment. If you've been eyeing an Ascendant membership, get it before the offer ends to nab that $10 bonus. The promotion is running until October 15th, so don't miss out.
[3] Feature Preview
As discussed previously, work continues on new features for the site, with the two items closest to being completed being the updated dice roller and a suite of insertable JavaScript elements. Today I'll be giving the basics of the JavaScript material a once-over for you guys, with some images of what it looks like on the page, the interface for insertion, and what the inserted material looks like in the editor window.
NOTE: Before I get rolling on this, there are a few things to address quickly.
- Firstly, the material as seen in this preview may change slightly as we draw closer to the release date, but I feel relatively safe in saying that things shouldn't change too much.
- Second, the intent at this time is to get the feature rolled out and then give it a suitable evaluation time: to see how things are going, how users are making use of these elements, and then use that information to make future decisions. This means that aside from something like a bug or defect, we won't be acting on feedback, suggestions, or requests for changes, additions, or alterations right away. We'll be listening, and collecting information, but we really want this feature to get a little time with the community before we start tinkering with it again.
- Lastly (and probably most controversially), as with the slug insertion buttons, at the time of the feature's release, the JavaScript insertion buttons will only be available on the Textile editor, and not the CKEditor. Given the third-party-product status of the CKEditor, making broad changes is a bit more of an involved process, and takes longer. This is not necessarily to say that the JavaScript buttons (or the slug insertion buttons) will never come to the CKEditor, it just won't be done in time for this feature release. That being the case, we have made the decision to return the Textile editor to its former place as the default editor for newly created campaigns. As we get closer to release, we'll be sending out a reminder about this change so that no one is caught off guard, and no Ascendant misses out on their opportunity to make use of these insertion buttons.
So, first things first, here's a view of the additional insertion buttons. Each opens a dialog window to assist with any available options and the creation of the insertable.
As discussed last update, the auto-outlining (table of contents) is a checkbox item instead of an insertable. It will create a hyperlinked table of contents based on headings in your page.
With this established, let's take a quick look at a page from the front end. For illustration purposes, I added some headings that will fill our table of contents, as well as some elements of the appropriate type under each heading.
As the primary example for this update, I'll be using the image carousel. Clicking the insertion button for the image carousel brings up the dialog window, which gives us the options for the carousel, and also allows us to pick which images from our media library we'd like to include. Once we've gotten everything squared away, we can simply click the "Insert" button.
Now that we've seen how a basic insertion works, let's go back to our sample page and look under the proverbial hood. In this image, we can see our newly inserted image carousel, as well as the sample random generators and the first tooltip. Similar to how OP uses slugs for page and character links, the code blocks for the various scripts are written in a bracketed format. Though a bit more complicated than a page or character slug, I found myself able to write some of the easier ones on the fly after a couple inserts (particularly the random generators and tooltips).
Having now seen the basics via the image carousel, I thought it would be fun to toss one more image out there to highlight a few of the things not seen as part of the example. In this final image, you can see a page change on the accordion, an image tooltip and the floating quality of the table of contents.
Well, that'll do it for the moment. Feel free to comment, discuss or ask questions. We're getting reasonably close to release at this point, so I hope folks seeing this will amp up the anticipation a bit.
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Comments
OMG it's awesome ; I can't wait for testing (and using) this !
BattleTech : Nueva Parma 3025 Campaign
(salivates)
OMG! This is some awesomesauce! Thank you Kallak!
Looks good.
They are among us!
XCom: Defiance - Campaign of the Month November 2016
Looks like a great addition. I'll have to give it a try sometime to really get my head around it though.
"I met a traveller from an antique land....."
CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign
Inner Council Member
New features look fantastic!!
Will these new features be available to use on existing wiki pages using Textile editing?
The new features will be available for use on both new and existing campaigns. The restriction is that they will be available only to Ascendant subscribers. As far as editing goes, the insertion buttons will only be available on the Textile editor (which is why it is being returned to the default editor for new campaigns), but the bracket-based code formatting will still work with the CKEditor. One would just have to be able to write it all by hand. This is relatively easy in some cases (like tooltips and random generators) and more difficult in others (like image carousel or accordion).
- Kallak
(which is why it is being returned to the default editor for new campaigns)
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!
Ptolus, City by the Spire - 2016 Campaign of the Year
"Please pay attention very carefully, because this is the truest thing a stranger will ever say to you: In the face of such hopelessness as our eventual, unavoidable death, there is little sense in not at least TRYING to accomplish all your wildest dreams in life." - - Kevin Smith
^ What he said! ^
This looks great!
Do we have a date for the update?