Architect v1.2 adds animation and advanced device adaptive design for better mobile sites.
Adaptive
Currently, there are only three main device types displaying webpages – phones, tablets and desktop/laptops. Architect v1.2 lets you set a Blueprint for all or each of those devices.
With Google to begin downrating sites that are not mobile friendly, this update of Architect is an absolute boon. Responsiveness can only take you so far, ideally what you want is a design that is specifically targeted for the device type it is displayed on. This is what Architect’s new adaptive feature gives you.
With Architect’s adaptive feature, you choose a specific Blueprint, designed for the specific device type to display on desktops, phones and tablets. No longer will you have to use media queries to hack your design to scale up or down for different devices, or hide (yet still load in the background) some parts of your design.
See the tutorial here: Using Architect’s device adaptive settings
Animation
The most requested feature – since before Architect was even released – was animation. And now it’s here. Architect allows you to animate each whole panel or the individual components. Animation is quite powerful and flexible, and therein lies the risk that it’s very easy to overdo it. Keep it simple!
See the tutorial here: Using Architect’s Animations
For Headway users, note that Architect animation differs to that in Qoerz Animations block as Architect animates your existing content, whereas in Qoertz you create the elements in the block and then animate them. In that way, Qoertz Animations and Architect are not alternatives to each other. You will likely find the need for both.
Other updates
Architect v1.2 contains many fixes and improvements. Other notable changes since the last release (1.1.3) are:
- Added additional hooks, filters and functions for developers to extend Architect, including adding your own Presets and creating Blueprints through code.
- Added licensing. If no valid Headway or Pizazz licence entered and activated, Architect will run in “lite” mode
- Added Pizazz news feed to Help & Support
- Added a warning message if you are likely to encounter PHP’s max_input_vars limitation
- Fixed accordions not displaying
- Fixed Google fonts not rendering
You can view the full changelog here
Installation notes
Whenever you install an update for Architect, it is recommended to clear both Architect’s cache (Architect > Tool > Rebuild) and your site’s caches if it is running a caching plugin or service.
Availability
Architect v1.2 was sent off to Headway today, so will be available on their store soon at the Headway Extend, Architect page and in plugin updates for existing users.
For users of other themes, it is available immediately from the Pizazz shop and, again, in plugin updates if you already own it.