WebPlus X8 User Guide - DrawPlus
Transcript Of WebPlus X8 User Guide - DrawPlus
Contents
1. Welcome ............................................................................... 1
Welcome! ...................................................................................................... 2 New features...............................................................................................3 Installation ...................................................................................................8
2. Setting up Sites and Pages........................................... 11
Startup Assistant .................................................................................... 12 Creating a site using a design template........................................ 14 Starting a site from scratch................................................................. 18 Opening an existing site...................................................................... 19 Understanding site structure ............................................................ 20 Setting site properties.......................................................................... 22 Understanding pages and master pages...................................... 23 Adding, removing, and rearranging pages.................................. 26 Setting page properties....................................................................... 30 Backing up your site to web .............................................................. 30
3. Layout Items ..................................................................... 33
Inserting text frames............................................................................. 34 Inserting pictures ................................................................................... 36 Inserting panels ...................................................................................... 42 Inserting tables ....................................................................................... 45
4. Navigation Items ............................................................. 47
Inserting navigation bars .................................................................... 48
Contents
Inserting pop-up menus ..................................................................... 51 Inserting buttons.................................................................................... 53 Adding hyperlinks and actions......................................................... 56 Adding an anchor .................................................................................. 61 Using lightboxes..................................................................................... 62
5. Interactive Objects...........................................................65
Inserting sliders....................................................................................... 66 Inserting a Photo Gallery..................................................................... 69 Inserting Google Maps......................................................................... 73 Inserting rollover graphics ................................................................. 75 Inserting pop-up rollovers.................................................................. 77
6. Smart Objects....................................................................79
Login forms .............................................................................................. 80 Inserting a blog ....................................................................................... 81 Inserting a forum.................................................................................... 84 Inserting a site search........................................................................... 88 Using Smart Objects ............................................................................. 92 Site Membership Manager ................................................................. 99 Protecting pages with passwords .................................................102 Mailing lists.............................................................................................104
7. Social Media.................................................................... 105
Inserting a Facebook widget ...........................................................106 Inserting a Twitter widget ................................................................108 Inserting a Google +1 button..........................................................110 Inserting a social bookmarking button strip .............................111
Contents
8. Media................................................................................. 113
Inserting videos ....................................................................................114 Inserting YouTube videos.................................................................118 Inserting Vimeo videos ......................................................................119 Inserting audio ......................................................................................120
9. Forms................................................................................. 123
Inserting forms......................................................................................124 Submission of forms ...........................................................................131
10. Text .................................................................................... 135
Importing text from a file..................................................................136 Using artistic text .................................................................................137 Editing text on the page....................................................................139
11. Assets for Creativity ...................................................... 141
Using assets............................................................................................142 Asset browsing......................................................................................144 Storing custom assets and asset settings...................................149
12. Previewing and Publishing ........................................ 153
Tasks ..........................................................................................................154 Previewing your site ...........................................................................155 Publishing to the web (using WebPlus.net) ..............................156 Publishing to the web (using a third-party host).....................157 Quick Publish .........................................................................................159
Contents
13. Additional Information ............................................... 161
Contacting Serif ....................................................................................162 Credits ......................................................................................................163
14. Index.................................................................................. 165
Welcome
2 Welcome
Welcome!
Welcome to WebPlus X8 from Serif—the easiest way to get your business, club, organization, personal interest, or household on the web!
To make life so much easier, WebPlus offers you a simple way to build websites visually, without having to learn or use any traditional web programming. WebPlus comes with an impressive selection of design templates, page navigation bars, creative assets, and styles for you to use. Full-size and mobile-friendly templates, along with lots of readymade content, mean anyone can publish a professional-looking website, no prior experience required! You'll also be able to reuse your existing content by importing word processing documents, images, and many other files.
To make the most of pictures in your site you can use Cutout Studio to remove backgrounds and PhotoLab for powerful image adjustment and effect combinations. You simply cannot afford to miss them!
WebPlus X8 doesn't just stop at "static" web publishing. The real power comes when adding and managing dynamic or interactive content, such as forms, blogs, forums, video playlists, and third-party RSS feeds. Also add modern essentials such as panels, sliders, and Google Maps, plus Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ widgets. You can even make use of easy e-commerce tools with step-by-step setup for shopping cart and donation features.
Once you're happy with your WebPlus site, simply publish to the web to share with business colleagues, customers, friends and family alike.
Registration
Don't forget to register your new copy, using the Registration Wizard, on the Help menu. That way, we can keep you informed of new developments and future upgrades!
This User Guide
Welcome 3
The WebPlus X8 User Guide is provided for the new or inexperienced user to get the very best out of WebPlus. As the program is packed with a wealth of features, this User Guide doesn't cover all product functionality, but instead focuses on core and frequently used features. For comprehensive assistance, please use WebPlus Help (press your F1 key).
New features
WebPlus X8 (in 32 and 64-bit versions) introduces even greater ease of use, more design tools, new features for photos, and more advanced editing power.
• Interactive Task Monitor Tab (see p. 154) The tab acts as a personal design assistant that keeps track of your project and fixes design issues for you. It knows about the state of objects, pages and the site all the time, and can warn about potential problems, remind you to accomplish certain tasks, offer hints, and list issues from the last time a site was published. You can also add your own reminders.
• Online Resource Manager (see p. 114) Instead of linking large files from your computer and publishing them with your site, the new online resource manager lets you upload media and other files to a remote server. It remembers the addresses of the files, and makes them available when you are choosing resources while designing your site. This allows you to upload once and use repeatedly, and to host large files on a different server from your website without complications.
4 Welcome
• Save as Package Share your WebPlus file or make it easier to move from one computer to another by saving it as a package—a single file that contains your WebPlus site design, the fonts you've used, and any linked images and other resources. Opening the package on another computer will unpack the design and other resources so you can carry on working.
• Backup to the Web (see p. 30) Protect your site design from hardware failure or accidental deletion by backing it up to a remote server at any time (as a regular WebPlus file or Package). Access the new backup command from the File menu at key stages to keep your design safe.
Design and Multimedia
• Slider Studio (see p. 68) A dedicated slider design studio lets you easily configure settings and animation options, add and remove slider panels, and design each panel of the slider. Import images, add text, drag and drop your favourite assets, use graphic design tools to create shapes and apply fills and colours, even apply one-click styles for speedy, consistent design.
• Scrolling Animations (see p. 59) Two new types of animation give your site a slick and modern feel. Add Slide on Scroll to objects as an action, making them appear and disappear from the side of the screen and fade in and out as they are scrolled in or out of view. For longer pages with anchors, set a smooth scrolling behaviour to give the site professional polish.
• Embeddable Fonts Embed fonts with your site to ensure text looks exactly as you intend, without converting fancy styles to images on publishing. A new category of embeddable fonts in the Fonts
Welcome 5
tab joins the recently used and websafe categories in your font list, and they can be uploaded with your site for automatic downloading with site content for a better browsing experience.
• Audio Player (see p. 120) Give visitors an easy way to hear your music and other audio files in your website with a customizable audio player that uses the latest HTML5 technology for efficiency and broad compatibility. Add single tracks or entire playlists; the audio player features all the normal controls you'd expect to find including volume and track skipping.
• New Filter Effects and Settings A new Trail filter effect gives logos and other designs a striking retro style, and new options allow fine tuning of feathering, drop shadows and other effects.
• New photo editing tools and effects Vibrance, Split Tone, Tilt Shift, and Clarity PhotoLab filters add fantastic effects to enhance pictures, plus new tools offer selective editing and photo repair. Now control vignette positioning and sizing. Blend effects smoothly across an area using gradient masks, and remove unwanted blemishes, clutter or imperfections with a clone brush.
Photo Tools
• Pin it! (see p. 40) Add an interactive 'Pin it' button to share photos on Pinterest, the popular image interest service. The button appears when the image is hovered over and is easily added in WebPlus as an action.
• Image Watermarking (see p. 39) Protect original photography, artwork and other valuable images by adding a watermark. Once you design a watermark it can be incorporated into images when you publish your site
1. Welcome ............................................................................... 1
Welcome! ...................................................................................................... 2 New features...............................................................................................3 Installation ...................................................................................................8
2. Setting up Sites and Pages........................................... 11
Startup Assistant .................................................................................... 12 Creating a site using a design template........................................ 14 Starting a site from scratch................................................................. 18 Opening an existing site...................................................................... 19 Understanding site structure ............................................................ 20 Setting site properties.......................................................................... 22 Understanding pages and master pages...................................... 23 Adding, removing, and rearranging pages.................................. 26 Setting page properties....................................................................... 30 Backing up your site to web .............................................................. 30
3. Layout Items ..................................................................... 33
Inserting text frames............................................................................. 34 Inserting pictures ................................................................................... 36 Inserting panels ...................................................................................... 42 Inserting tables ....................................................................................... 45
4. Navigation Items ............................................................. 47
Inserting navigation bars .................................................................... 48
Contents
Inserting pop-up menus ..................................................................... 51 Inserting buttons.................................................................................... 53 Adding hyperlinks and actions......................................................... 56 Adding an anchor .................................................................................. 61 Using lightboxes..................................................................................... 62
5. Interactive Objects...........................................................65
Inserting sliders....................................................................................... 66 Inserting a Photo Gallery..................................................................... 69 Inserting Google Maps......................................................................... 73 Inserting rollover graphics ................................................................. 75 Inserting pop-up rollovers.................................................................. 77
6. Smart Objects....................................................................79
Login forms .............................................................................................. 80 Inserting a blog ....................................................................................... 81 Inserting a forum.................................................................................... 84 Inserting a site search........................................................................... 88 Using Smart Objects ............................................................................. 92 Site Membership Manager ................................................................. 99 Protecting pages with passwords .................................................102 Mailing lists.............................................................................................104
7. Social Media.................................................................... 105
Inserting a Facebook widget ...........................................................106 Inserting a Twitter widget ................................................................108 Inserting a Google +1 button..........................................................110 Inserting a social bookmarking button strip .............................111
Contents
8. Media................................................................................. 113
Inserting videos ....................................................................................114 Inserting YouTube videos.................................................................118 Inserting Vimeo videos ......................................................................119 Inserting audio ......................................................................................120
9. Forms................................................................................. 123
Inserting forms......................................................................................124 Submission of forms ...........................................................................131
10. Text .................................................................................... 135
Importing text from a file..................................................................136 Using artistic text .................................................................................137 Editing text on the page....................................................................139
11. Assets for Creativity ...................................................... 141
Using assets............................................................................................142 Asset browsing......................................................................................144 Storing custom assets and asset settings...................................149
12. Previewing and Publishing ........................................ 153
Tasks ..........................................................................................................154 Previewing your site ...........................................................................155 Publishing to the web (using WebPlus.net) ..............................156 Publishing to the web (using a third-party host).....................157 Quick Publish .........................................................................................159
Contents
13. Additional Information ............................................... 161
Contacting Serif ....................................................................................162 Credits ......................................................................................................163
14. Index.................................................................................. 165
Welcome
2 Welcome
Welcome!
Welcome to WebPlus X8 from Serif—the easiest way to get your business, club, organization, personal interest, or household on the web!
To make life so much easier, WebPlus offers you a simple way to build websites visually, without having to learn or use any traditional web programming. WebPlus comes with an impressive selection of design templates, page navigation bars, creative assets, and styles for you to use. Full-size and mobile-friendly templates, along with lots of readymade content, mean anyone can publish a professional-looking website, no prior experience required! You'll also be able to reuse your existing content by importing word processing documents, images, and many other files.
To make the most of pictures in your site you can use Cutout Studio to remove backgrounds and PhotoLab for powerful image adjustment and effect combinations. You simply cannot afford to miss them!
WebPlus X8 doesn't just stop at "static" web publishing. The real power comes when adding and managing dynamic or interactive content, such as forms, blogs, forums, video playlists, and third-party RSS feeds. Also add modern essentials such as panels, sliders, and Google Maps, plus Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ widgets. You can even make use of easy e-commerce tools with step-by-step setup for shopping cart and donation features.
Once you're happy with your WebPlus site, simply publish to the web to share with business colleagues, customers, friends and family alike.
Registration
Don't forget to register your new copy, using the Registration Wizard, on the Help menu. That way, we can keep you informed of new developments and future upgrades!
This User Guide
Welcome 3
The WebPlus X8 User Guide is provided for the new or inexperienced user to get the very best out of WebPlus. As the program is packed with a wealth of features, this User Guide doesn't cover all product functionality, but instead focuses on core and frequently used features. For comprehensive assistance, please use WebPlus Help (press your F1 key).
New features
WebPlus X8 (in 32 and 64-bit versions) introduces even greater ease of use, more design tools, new features for photos, and more advanced editing power.
• Interactive Task Monitor Tab (see p. 154) The tab acts as a personal design assistant that keeps track of your project and fixes design issues for you. It knows about the state of objects, pages and the site all the time, and can warn about potential problems, remind you to accomplish certain tasks, offer hints, and list issues from the last time a site was published. You can also add your own reminders.
• Online Resource Manager (see p. 114) Instead of linking large files from your computer and publishing them with your site, the new online resource manager lets you upload media and other files to a remote server. It remembers the addresses of the files, and makes them available when you are choosing resources while designing your site. This allows you to upload once and use repeatedly, and to host large files on a different server from your website without complications.
4 Welcome
• Save as Package Share your WebPlus file or make it easier to move from one computer to another by saving it as a package—a single file that contains your WebPlus site design, the fonts you've used, and any linked images and other resources. Opening the package on another computer will unpack the design and other resources so you can carry on working.
• Backup to the Web (see p. 30) Protect your site design from hardware failure or accidental deletion by backing it up to a remote server at any time (as a regular WebPlus file or Package). Access the new backup command from the File menu at key stages to keep your design safe.
Design and Multimedia
• Slider Studio (see p. 68) A dedicated slider design studio lets you easily configure settings and animation options, add and remove slider panels, and design each panel of the slider. Import images, add text, drag and drop your favourite assets, use graphic design tools to create shapes and apply fills and colours, even apply one-click styles for speedy, consistent design.
• Scrolling Animations (see p. 59) Two new types of animation give your site a slick and modern feel. Add Slide on Scroll to objects as an action, making them appear and disappear from the side of the screen and fade in and out as they are scrolled in or out of view. For longer pages with anchors, set a smooth scrolling behaviour to give the site professional polish.
• Embeddable Fonts Embed fonts with your site to ensure text looks exactly as you intend, without converting fancy styles to images on publishing. A new category of embeddable fonts in the Fonts
Welcome 5
tab joins the recently used and websafe categories in your font list, and they can be uploaded with your site for automatic downloading with site content for a better browsing experience.
• Audio Player (see p. 120) Give visitors an easy way to hear your music and other audio files in your website with a customizable audio player that uses the latest HTML5 technology for efficiency and broad compatibility. Add single tracks or entire playlists; the audio player features all the normal controls you'd expect to find including volume and track skipping.
• New Filter Effects and Settings A new Trail filter effect gives logos and other designs a striking retro style, and new options allow fine tuning of feathering, drop shadows and other effects.
• New photo editing tools and effects Vibrance, Split Tone, Tilt Shift, and Clarity PhotoLab filters add fantastic effects to enhance pictures, plus new tools offer selective editing and photo repair. Now control vignette positioning and sizing. Blend effects smoothly across an area using gradient masks, and remove unwanted blemishes, clutter or imperfections with a clone brush.
Photo Tools
• Pin it! (see p. 40) Add an interactive 'Pin it' button to share photos on Pinterest, the popular image interest service. The button appears when the image is hovered over and is easily added in WebPlus as an action.
• Image Watermarking (see p. 39) Protect original photography, artwork and other valuable images by adding a watermark. Once you design a watermark it can be incorporated into images when you publish your site