Foundry v3.2023.03.06 Update

[elixirgraphics]

I’ve just pushed out the v3.2023.03.06 update for Foundry 3 to the server. You should be able to update within the Stacks updater now. Be sure once your update completes that you then quit and restart RapidWeaver.

This update primarily addresses some bug fixes. I’m working on another update currently that will also feature some new tools. That update will ship once the tools are completed and the documentation written for them.

Until then, let’s take a look at what has changed in v3.2023.03.06, which released today:

New Features & Updates

List Group

• Adds ability to include icons in list items on an individual basis. Also provides an assortment of settings for styling the icons. These settings are found in the child items themselves to allow tweaking of each item individually

Bug Fixes

Control Center

• Fixes typo in a label in the settings for the Extended Color Palette.

Form

• Sets the character encoding property for sent emails.
• Fixes a bug which prevented BCC email addresses from being included in the sent email.
• Fixes a bug that would allow the Subject line to still be visible in some instances when using the Predefined Subject option.

Icons

• Fixes a typo in the labels of the non-uniform sizing controls.

List Group

• Tweaks code for the Add Description Text setting in child items.
• Tweaks some vertical alignment code for better results.

Modal

• Fixes a bug that would prevent content inside Modal from scrolling when using the “Allow Modal overflow scrollable” feature.

Typeface

• Fixes a bug that allowed Body font assigned in the Control Center to override Header font in the Control Center. Narrows CSS targeting.

Visibility

• Fixes a bug with the Collapse in Edit Mode feature.

[Nostrildomus]

Not gonna lie… You are now my IDOL:)

[elixirgraphics]

Awww, shucks, that’s nice to hear. But it is just some bug fixes. More are bound to come along.

[RogerB]

Hi Adam,
I’m hanging on to the info of the freshest update here, first without forgetting to mention that I really appreciate your work on Foundry 3. But I would also like to mention that the reworking of many of my projects will cost me a lot of work - even if Foundry 2 still exists - but it makes no sense at all to use both versions in the long run - too different in approach and not practical in day-to-day business. In german there is a saying: “I swallowed the toad”.

To the actual reason for my contribution here. Like many of us, I am in the learning phase of Foundry 3 (Weaver since version RW 3). First of all I had a look at your extensive starter sets (partly 120 MB each) - and then - BANG - my CPU started up and I found over 200 images in my AppSupportFolder/Stacks5 which immediately grew up to 1 GB. Hardly any of these pictures I found in your Kits, partly pictures over 7 MB of playing children in school…?
Ok, in Isaiah’s announcement in the old forum to beta-version 5 we had this discussion about the multiple bloated folders - which are still not corrected - but we know why it happens…!
It is the “SharedPluginData/Contents.plist” file, which has grown up to 6 GB for me due to transferred Partials/Externals.

So my question, does this only happen to me? (MPB2016, RW8, Stacks5 - latest) I can not imagine this! So why do these starter sets have this file size? I cleaned them up in the ProgramSandwich and used “remote” images instead of drag and drop everywhere I could - since I don’t think it’s contemporary anymore - especially since the images get a different name. All starter sets now have only 1/10 of the file size, the fan stays off, peace returns and I can concentrate on the learning phase.

So if possible, I would like to wish two things for an upcoming update? When first working on the starter sets, I found it surprising, since such an important tool as for the images, has now been divided into three stacks, and why so complicated…?
Example: If I leave out the Drag&Drop version, I find a “Remote” with link to .jpg and its Retina and a new stack “Webp” with .webp, webpRetina and a fallback to .jpg and FallbackRetina…

Wouldn’t it be possible to get by with one version? In one of my cases I now have the task to enter a link 400x for 100 pictures, which I would like to avoid. Here a link is enough, e.g. to “…picture.webp” and if desired, there is also the retina version “…picture2x.webp” and should the browser not be able to display this, the fallback “…picture.jpg” and its retina version “…picture2x.jpg” This has worked in the past and the files can all be processed in batch and stored side by side on the server in one folder.

Ok, I’m not a programmer for web programs, but my experience from complex filemaker-scripts go like this - either/or…!

If I could express one more wish. There was in Foundry 2 the stack “Hover”. This already had a remote function - now I find in Foundry 3 the wonderful extension “Whimsy”. But where is the remote function gone? I like this overlay function, especially when presenting teams or projects, but if the drag&drop properties change the image names, both the optimizations (webp/jpg) are obsolete and it limits the possibilities, e.g. via “QuickEditor” of 1LD to exchange images and names/titles.

Sorry, my contribution has become longer - but I’ve been carrying my thoughts around with me for a few days now and it shouldn’t come across as criticism here. As I said, I - as well as many here - we appreciate your work very much, but website creation is often a very lonely work, since the thoughts turn sometimes only in circles…

Best
Roger

[elixirgraphics]

@RogerB

But I would also like to mention that the reworking of many of my projects will cost me a lot of work - even if Foundry 2 still exists - but it makes no sense at all to use both versions in the long run - too different in approach and not practical in day-to-day business. In german there is a saying: “I swallowed the toad”.

I’ve mentioned this before, but you don’t have to upgrade your existing sites to use Foundry 3. If you’re happy with your current site(s) then why make more work for yourself. My main Elixir site (https://elixirgraphics.com) is still a Foundry 2 based site, and probably will be for quite some time. I’m happy with the site as it is. Why change it for the sake of change?

If you want to update your sites to Foundry 3, it will be some work and it will take learning something newer that is slightly different. That is just something that comes with new software, features, etc.

@RogerB

Ok, in Isaiah’s announcement in the old forum to beta-version 5 we had this discussion about the multiple bloated folders - which are still not corrected - but we know why it happens…!

You’d need to take this topic up with Isaiah. I have zero control over how Stacks works, what it imports into project files, or anything else his plugin does. I’d encourage you to contact him via email or his Discord channel.

@RogerB

Wouldn’t it be possible to get by with one version?

I split the three image types into separate tools so that one tool isn’t carrying around the baggage of three tools. I do this where possible, such as with the Image tools. Say we had an image tool that supported all three image types – drag and drop, remote and webp. If I were using the Remote option then all of the code for Drag-and-Drop and WebP is still there but doing nothing. Splitting them into three makes things much more lightweight in Edit Mode, among other things as well.

@RogerB

If I could express one more wish. There was in Foundry 2 the stack “Hover”. This already had a remote function - now I find in Foundry 3 the wonderful extension “Whimsy”. But where is the remote function gone?

They’re two different tools. They accomplish a similar task but in different ways. so it isn’t like I took the functionality out. The Whimsy tool is a new tool written from the ground up. In addition to writing the new tool I also wrote all of the CSS animation code from scratch to make it more modular as well.

I chose to have this tool be drag-and-drop based when I created it as it was the simplest, cleanest approach. Perhaps remote images could be added at a later date. If that is something you’d like to see, feel free to file a feature request. There are instructions here on how to do so:

Foundry Feature Requests

Recently I’ve been getting a lot of feature requests for Foundry (as well as Potion Pack and Thunder Pack). I’ve been manually tracking these myself for quite some time internally. I thought it might be easier though to create a public location for users to file requests. This way not only are they easily tracked by myself, but you may get ideas for requests of your own from other user submissions, or you may see someone has already requested something you were going to, saving you time of subm…

[RogerB]

sorry for delay - thank you for your detailed answer - a few questions remained unanswered, but i’m sure i’ll manage to clarify them;-)

[elixirgraphics]

What questions remain unanswered?

[elixirgraphics]

Just wanted to make a quick update here, about the next Foundry update.

I’ve added another new tool to the lineup for the next update. I’ve gotten it coded and I’m working on testing it and the rest, and I just finished the documentation for these new tools. I need to do a tutorial video though still and a few other little things.

Unfortunately for this update though I have some stuff coming up at the end of the week, a little pre-planned down time in the form of a staycation so to speak, so I won’t have this update out by the end of March like I’d wanted. I just don’t want to send out an update with new tools at the beginning of this week and then not be around to help people and answer questions at the end of the week. That’s the bad news.

The good news is though is there are a bunch of improvements coming along soon for Foundry 3, as well as a few new tools and some bug fixes. So, just hang with me until next week and I’ll have some new goodies to share with everyone!