Metadata |
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General |
The Sidebar Contact Box now differentiates between American and European postal addresses: it will output the correct format based on the website Language Settings [which now includes an EN/US option]. A new "intranet" feature can now automatically redirect "/login" requests to the FCIS intranet domain if desired. A Login Link for the Top Menu is also available. New Facebook URL field. Will add a Facebook Link to the Contact Box. |
Google |
The Open Graph LongLat function is now Google Maps-aware: if a longitude/latitude is filled in, a clickable map for that location will be generated in the Sidebar together with other Contact info [if checked]. The Google Webmaster Verification field is changed; it will now accept the verification code without surrounding meta tags. |
Compatibility |
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Browser Support |
Skin Design is moving towards more use of CSS3, since the advent of IE9 makes that practical. This means much wider freedom in design, but less support of older browsers in general. Internet Explorer 6 is no longer officially supported. This do not affect FM functionality. Only what designs will be delivered as built-in Skins. Any custom Skin written to accomodate any range of browsers will continue to work as before. |
Server Support |
Updated to work with FCIS 11.1x. Some changes were itnroduced with IS 11.1 that affected anonymous posting; these issues are resolved. FM 1.4.0 fully supports FCIS from 9.1 through 11.1. Since IS 11.1 appears to have fixed the Search Bug present in some 11.0 releases, the FirstMagic Search Filter is now OFF by default. It can be reactivated in the new FirstMagic Server Control Panel if needed. |
Layout |
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Built-in FirstMagic Skins |
All built-in FirstMagic Skins now have their own Mobile UI and Digital Sign counterparts. This means the design will be reflected in all possible views by all kinds of viewing equipment. The following Skins have been retired, and are no longer part of the default installation: MagicBlackBlog, MagicFixedBeige, MagicTimes, Photos8Mountains, Photos8Shore, Photos8Valentine, Photos8Yosemite, VignetteElementary, VignetteFlowers, VignetteGeometry. ... In most cases, these have been replaced with similarly themed new Skins. Further, all remaining built-in Skins has been significantly upgraded. A group of new Skins has been added, bringing the total up to 35 unique built-in Skins. In general, built-in Skins are upgraded to support higher resolutions, as are becoming common. The retired Skins, together with the original versions of upgraded Skins, are still shipped with the Installer as an add-on install for those that may need them. Built-in FirstMagic Skins now has a CSS Override function in FirstMagic Preferences. This makes it possible to tweak the Skin on the fly - change its styles, images, etc - directly from FM Prefs, without first exporting it to CustomCSS, and without changing the source code. |
FirstClass Communities Skins |
All FirstClass Communities Skins will now render in the Mobile Interface [handhelds will get a slimmed-down version of the active one instead of a generic layout, as in eariler versions]. |
SkinDesigner |
Two new presets are added, bringing the total to four. In addition, the CustomCSS functionality has been moved into the SkinDesigner Presets. The new presets includes a fullscreen option, as well as a new "tabbed" menu style. SkinDesigner Skins now automatically generates Mobile UI and Digital Signs counterparts. |
SkinDesigner Export |
FirstMagic 1.4 introduces a SkinDesigner Skin Export Tool: where one in older FMs had to pull up source code to grab SkinDesigner output, 1.4 has a dedicated page that will generate ready-to-use Website, Mobile and Sign stylesheets automatically. Converting these to CustomCSS stylesheets is now a simple matter of copy/paste. The SkinDesigner Exporter will also work with Built-In Skins, and takes CSS Override Tweaks [see above] into account, delivering a complete, updated variant of the chosen Skin. |
Modals |
Modals have a brigh new look, and is prepared for skinning; future updates will feature different themes to choose from. |
Core Engine |
The FirstMagic rendering engine is completely overhauled - consolidating CSS classes and rendering mechanisms. This means it is now easier to write Custom CSS Skins: there are fewer classes, and the framework is more intuitive - making it *much* easier to learn and work with. In effect, a custom Skin can now be written with about 50% less code - with no loss in control. Further, a Custom CSS Skin no longer needs to be installed on the FirstClass Server; it can be included from anywhere, something that makes it possible to buid FirstMagic designs with any third party web design software live. In other words, web designers can now create and deploy FirstMagic Skins without any access to the site [or the need for specific FirstMagic knowhow] - using the software of their choice. |
Backwards-compatibility |
The engine rewrite introduces substantial changes to how web pages are drawn, and this will affect older Skins [Skins created for 1.3 and older websites]. Specificially: The Sidebar Search Box no longer exists. It is now a Widget, a separate object one can choose to install. As such, it has a generic design. All other forms - Contact Form, Search Form, Comments Form, etc. are rewritten, and will have a somewhat different look-and-feel. To minimize the impact of these changes, FM 1.4 comes with a "backwards compatibility mode". This mode is enabled by default in all existing FirstMagic websites [all sites created with FirstMagic 1.3 and older]. This means that any skin in CustomCSS will continue to work like expected on the site it was originally installed on. If you move it to a new site created with FirstMagic 1.4+, it might in some cases need to be updated to work flawlessly with the new features. The backwards-compatibility feature will be turned off by default on new sites [sites created with the 1.4 installer]. A simple tool is available for Admins to convert back/forth between the compatibility mode for individual sites. |
Publishing |
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General |
Date stamps on pages and in lists now have an on/off switch, supporting dates in all Skins. Punch-through Calendars is now supported in all types of page views. Bookmarks can now be targeted [self or new]. By giving a FirstClass bookmark the "Globe" icon instead of the default "@" icon, they will open pages in new windows. |
Top Menu |
Top Menu Dropdown links now have an on/off switch for displaying FirstClass object icons or not. Menu documents can now drop down in it´s entirety instead of being clickable links. This means one can now use FirstClass Documents as Menus. Such menus can also mix with regular dropdown links. |
Slideshows |
Slideshows are now transparent [no background color, letting the Skin backdrop through]. The height of slideshows are now user-definable [slideshows will always use the Content Area width, but whereas height earlier was defined by the active Skin, it now has a control in FM Preferences instead]. |
Forms |
FormBuilder Forms dropped directly in the Sidebar will now display a preview of the intro text from the form in the Sidebar. |
Syndication Plugin |
It is now possible to distribute images / lists of images with or without thumbnails the same way one exports artlicle lists. In other words, any third party website can subscribe to image galleries from FM. |
Digital Signs |
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Sidebar |
The Signs Sidebar will now pick up and use all FirstClass Documents and Widgets in the Today/Tasks List [instead of the original single FirstClass Document]. |
Footer |
Signs now have a configurable Widgets Footer. |
Layout |
The original 9 Digital Signs Skins are retired. Instead, all Website Skins now have Sign counterparts - 68 different designs total, plus the SkinDesigner Presets. |
Ensemble |
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HTML Includes |
New "Metadata" Include added, for writing data to <head>. The "third party" commenting include is retired [Comments are now Widgets]. |
Widgets |
Two new containers in Ensemble: SiteWidgets and SignWidgets - for Web and Signage Footers. |
Global Library |
A Server Library for Widgets added. |
FirstMagic Preferences |
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Functions |
All Sidebar objects and publishable items - Twitter Feed, Sidebar Search, Commenting Modules, etc. is removed from FM Preferences; they are now stand-alone Widgets. Control for Slideshow dimensions is added. Layout in general is updated, in particular the SkinDesigner and Advanced Tabs. |
Help |
New "Help" Tab added, collecting all support resources in their own Tab. |
Widgets |
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General |
New "Widget architecture" introduced. Functions that previously were controls in FM Preferences are now separate objects. This means that, for example, one can have multiple Twitter Feeds, Searches, Skype Call Me Buttons, etc. on any page. Each Widget can be global or context sensitive. Widgets can reside in Sidebars or Footers, both on the Website and in Signs. Website Widgets have several modes - as Button, as Object, as Sticky. Widgets can inherit the Skin Design or, optionally, use a "dark glass theme" [will make pages look tidier if many Widgets are used simultaneously]. Each Widget can be turned on/off separately. All Widgets can also be turned on/off in FM Preferences, globally. Widgets will use data from the Meta Tab in FM Preferences to configure themselves. |
Widget Library |
FM 1.4.0 ships with a library of 20 Widgets: Analog Clock, Days Left to... Countdown, Featured Download, Facebook Activity Feed, Facebook Comments, Facebook Like, FirstMagic Comments, Follow Us on Twitter, Get News Items by Age, More Links [context-sensitive Sibling List], Photo Gallery, Print This, RSS Feed, Search FirstMagic, Search Wikipedia, Skype, Tweet, Visit Us on Facebook, Weather / Forecast, YouTube Clip. |
Widget Toolkit |
The Widget Library contains a Toolkit for website owners to produce custom Widgets. A supplied template will convert generic "web widgets" to FirstMagic Widgets with a simple copy/paste operation. A tutorial is included. The tutorial contains a step-by-step guide for producing a Google Website Translator, as well as other practical examples. |
Admin Ensemble |
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FirstMagic Global Settings |
A new server-wide Control Panel added, for defining general behaviour of all FM Installations [ how to deal with Sign timeouts / network outages, how Searches will work, and customizable device filtering for mobile browsers]. |
Widgets |
Added to Ensemble Site Conductor. |
Retired functions |
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JS-Kit |
The JS-Kit Echo Commenting system no longer ships with FirstMagic, since the publisher discontinued the Echo service as of October 2012. |
AddThis |
The AddThis Sharing Button is no longer part of FirstMagic. A Widget with Social Sharing functionality is planned as a replacement, and will become available with future updates. |