Hello World

This is my submission for the 1.5 Template Contest

Free (as in freedom AND as in beer) Joomla1.5 Template System


UPDATE 17/01/2008 : Download FreedomBlocks_layoutbuilder here:
(this is not a submission for the contest , only a next step in my project )
http://www.joomlafreak.be/freedomblocks ... uilder.zip

FB_LB is a "light" version of the 1.0 BETA

    *

      Blueprint CSS Framework http://code.google.com/p/blueprintcss  is included (but not yet used to create layout)
    *

      Select style of module ( raw, table, xhtml, roundedcorners, roundedcorners with 4 images)
    *

      Choose horizontal menu style
    *

      module chrome style : Rounded Corners with 4 images (create images here: http://www.roundedcornr.com/ )
    *

      Admin complete multilangual
    *

      date added: 17/01/2008



Before:
A time ago Dries Buytaert (Drupal) was blogging about "eliminate the middlemen"
http://buytaert.net/drupal-and-eliminating-middlemen

If we can eliminate the webmaster and the developer, the next question is: can we eliminate the designer? A lot of people will be inclined to say we can't. Others will say it is too hard. And, while it might be difficult, there's still a lot of specific tasks we can eliminate. Just as we'll always need webmasters and developers to accomplish certain tasks, we'll never be able to totally eliminate the role of the designer. How many of the designers tasks can be killed by technology, replaced by a script?

Now:
With the idea in mind of "eliminate the designer" i started with the Template "FreedomBlocks"
with more than 350 parameters  you can create a new template in 5 minutes !

And Yes , Joomla! 1.5 can eliminate the designer!

Hmmm when this template is finished i need to find other work 
because everybody can create his own template with only a few clicks.

Download the 0.7.BETA version here:
http://www.freakout.be/freedom_template ... 07BETA.zip

Download the 0.9 BETA version here:
http://www.freakout.be/freedom_template ... 09beta.zip
http://www.joomlafreak.be/freedomblocks/
Download the 1.0 BETA version here:
http://www.joomlafreak.be/freedomblocks/

new in 1.0 beta:

• Select style of module ( raw, table, xhtml, roundedcorners, roundedcorners with 4 images)
• New module chrome style : Rounded Corners with 4 images (create images here: http://www.roundedcornr.com/ )
• More text in language file (but far away from finished)

1.0 beta is not the end, it's just the beginning...
The default theme is not one of my best works, but it's not about the theme, it's about the technology behind

New themes can be downloaded in future from: http://www.joomlafreak.be/freedomblocks/

NEW (under construction) :FreedomBlocks_Light (working title)
A Basic Template with only parameters to create a layout for your J!Site
Objective: Create a complete Joomla!1.5 Template "Framework"

• Easy to use Joomla!1.5 Template Builder Component with a lot of mootools (in future...)
• no tables, only css for layout (ofcourse valid)
• Choose width an positiong of blocks (included files with DIVS and code) and import your own!!
• Choose css menu-styles ( mainmenu, horizontal) and import your own!
• Share the template paramers with your friends
• Choose Colors and Background-images (beta)
• Set easy roundedcorners (under construction)
•   +more to come...

Sure does have a lot of options hehe. I see still a lot of testing is required, which I'm not sure if you can post non-finished templates.
Anyway keep up with the good work.

zammbi wrote:Sure does have a lot of options hehe. I see still a lot of testing is required, which I'm not sure if you can post non-finished templates.
Anyway keep up with the good work.

The 07BETA is indeed full of bugs and parameters that not work for 100%, But they will be fixed on sept 22 .
There are a lot of options, maybe in future i could write an admin component to edit the parameters and save and share the param.ini ...
more to come.... 'eliminate the designer'

Wow that's cool 

I think your default colours are in desperate need of scheming though 

See http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,210643.0.html concerning language files 

infograf768 wrote:See http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,210643.0.html concerning language files 

Thanx,(Empty) Language files are included in version0.9Beta
Hmmm more than 350 parameters now (v0.9Beta), gonna take a time to translate...

Hi OSFreak

I don't wish to be discouraging, but I find the prospect of 350 parameters rather intimidating. It is clear there is an awful amount of work invested in this template, but I struggle to have the confidence that I can get the best out of it.

Will the final version make it easy for a novice like me to use it?

Thanks for all your efforts...

BaldrickThe4th wrote:Hi OSFreak

I don't wish to be discouraging, but I find the prospect of 350 parameters rather intimidating. It is clear there is an awful amount of work invested in this template, but I struggle to have the confidence that I can get the best out of it.

Will the final version make it easy for a novice like me to use it?

Thanks for all your efforts...

350 is indeed a lot , the idea is also to create an admin component to "generate a template easy" like : http://templatr.cc/ ( template generator)
( but admin component will not be finished on 22 sept)

in version 1.0 there will be also a set of  demo param.ini files to get you started

And in future a website where you can download and share the param.ini file.

a very good idea! I like the idea to have a template so flexible... and I think that a template not all fixed ins't a problem for that contest.

You are to be congratulated and encouraged! This is the way to go. I hope this contest is just the start of this project. There is much potential here and it will likely take a great deal of time to fully develop. In a sense, you are creating a template builder and that will not be done quickly, but, if you can make it happen, it will be useful and used.

Cheers to you!
Amy

wow what a good idea for the perfect name of that template: template builder! 

WOW, i have never seen anything like it!
amazing template.

newart wrote:wow what a good idea for the perfect name of that template: template builder! 

Yes, i was thinking also of another name , first name was freedom , second name (now) is freedom blocks, third name (under construction) could be : FreeBlocks, but very simply " Template Generator" could be the best name,...

Anyway working title is now : Freedomblocks

And ofcourse thanx to everybody for the positive vibes. (y)

Let's make Joomla!1.5 happen together!

Let's make Joomla!1.5 happen together! 

OSFreak wrote:

newart wrote:wow what a good idea for the perfect name of that template: template builder! 

Yes, i was thinking also of another name , first name was freedom , second name (now) is freedom blocks, third name (under construction) could be : FreeBlocks, but very simply " Template Generator" could be the best name,...

Anyway working title is now : Freedomblocks

And ofcourse thanx to everybody for the positive vibes. (y)

Let's make Joomla!1.5 happen together!

I love it when Danny puts his rock 'n' roll into Joomla!

Love the idea of creating your own personal version with this template! I should stick with "Freedomblocks"; because it exactly describes what you can do. Freedom of choice and shuffle your own site together with blocks. I Like it already; it's exactly what Joomla! stands for.

I'm a bit of a Joomla noob but I thought this looked interesting, so I installed it on my test site I'm messing with. Damn what a mess it looked, so I decided to look at the template options... then I deleted the template sorry. Just FAR too many settings to mess with and would take an eternity to even start setting up as I would want Now, if there was some sort of really clever designer where I could do all this in live preview then save those setting, it would be awesome. Just my POV as a newb joomla man so please don't be annoyed.

Mat-D-Rat wrote:I'm a bit of a Joomla noob but I thought this looked interesting, so I installed it on my test site I'm messing with. Damn what a mess it looked, so I decided to look at the template options... then I deleted the template sorry. Just FAR too many settings to mess with and would take an eternity to even start setting up as I would want Now, if there was some sort of really clever designer where I could do all this in live preview then save those setting, it would be awesome. Just my POV as a newb joomla man so please don't be annoyed.

I understand what you feel, there are too many parameters to do it all the from the "Template Admin".
The idea is also to create a component to edit the parameters in an easier view. Now i'm working on some "demo templates" because the default theme now(0.9beta) is a mess

but the template has a very good concept, the idea of freedom in design... you cannot drive a Ferrari and using it for buying the newspaper...

This template is really thinking and designing out of the box (or blocks!)
the 1st moment I was puzzled by the vast amount of parameters. But it allows a tremendous flexibility to create your own front page.

My compliments (chapeau) for this amazing art of exceptional and technical design.

I'm definitely interested to see V1.

(Do you have a fanclub? I'll join! )

sorry but I don't see any v 1 around, any problem? We are close to the "final rush"...

newart wrote:sorry but I don't see any v 1 around, any problem? We are close to the "final rush"...

4 hours before deadline is the 1.0 beta here, default template is better , but not one of my best works
no time anymore to finish the css
BUT in future new themes can be downloaded from my site
AND there are more options in backend AND the rounded corners
Language file far from complete

This is amazing! Great idea for the contest. Although you took a lot upon yourself to do everything you wanted before the deadline, I think you have a wonderful idea that will be utilized by tons of joomla-ers if you continue on the path you're going. Thanks for putting all the time you have into this!

Rapunzl wrote:This is amazing! Great idea for the contest. Although you took a lot upon yourself to do everything you wanted before the deadline, I think you have a wonderful idea that will be utilized by tons of joomla-ers if you continue on the path you're going. Thanks for putting all the time you have into this!

Yes it was a lot of writing code and run out of time to do the design
But this is just the start, now i'm looking for some php/mootools developers to write my ideas in code and to create a "Template Builder Component"
I have a lot of ideas in my head but technically i can not finish them all, so i will need the J! community...

nice Job
Good Like

Nice Work, and I think a lot of Joomla users need this type of tools for creating own templates.

But, were can I find a Demo??
(Don't want to install all those templates in the contest for having a look of them).

Can be 1 of 5 soon ....

/Sven

svenl wrote:But, were can I find a Demo??

There is no demo (yet) because it's about the /admininistrator what you can do with the template parameters.
see the screenshot of parameters (version 0.9) in first post or at my site.

What a great way to show what can be done with joomla.

Wonderful!

Cannot find the demo the images looks very colorful though - maybe focus on a one  or two??

Cheers

Wow!! This is a Template or a full blown software framework?

Take my word; Whether this "template" wins or not in the shootout, it is here to stay and will probably overshadow all the rigid templates. Very very original idea. Bravo.

Another thing completely unrelated to the quality of the "template". Isn't it is rude to put two unoptimized large jpegs in your posting? Please optimize it to 8 bit png.