xScape 1.4.2 will have several new features:

• Use of WordPress media manager. With this you can use images you might have in media manager already. This will work for all images used by theme.
• Upload of Gravatar default image to replace default images in WordPress.

lightScape detail

As for lightScape, image on the right shows a detail from one of the current two color styles. This one is called Autumn. You can see transparent content area (this will be used for some styles, not all), and there are two menus. Top header area for now can have menu and search box, and I plan to add rss feeds, twitter and similar links there.

There will be slider on the page, and layout supports one sidebar and one widgets footer area.

So, very soon, all current themes will get new framework, and demo of lightScape goes on xScape by the end of the week.

xScape roadmap is updated from time to time, and you can always use it as a reference to see what’s coming. I can’t guarantee the dates of releases, and that’s why plans are milestone based. Next milestone is 1.5.0 and at least 6-7 versions will be released until it’s reached. So, the features in the roadmap will be split in the releases leading to the milestone.

For the 1.5 milestone, current list of planned features is as follows:

• Gravatar: you can upload custom gravatar to use instead of default ones.
• Breadcrumbs and archives customizations. You can specify the format used to display what these heading blocks display.
• GD Press Tools Pro Maintenance Mode: themes can add templates for maintenance mode.
• GD Affiliate Center: custom locations to place banners into each theme.
• Improvements to templates dealing with custom taxonomies and custom post types.
• Login form drop down or widget like to be integrated on the each page.
• Conditional layouts control based on taxonomies.

As for the Lite version of the framework to be used in free themes, it’s not happening any time soon, so xScape will remain exclusively premium framework and all themes only premium. Once I get time to make lite version, some themes will get free versions, but I have no idea when that’s gonna happen.

This is not set in stone, and I am sure that many other things will be added also. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment.

Custom Taxonomies now have number of visibility options allowing to control even the availability of taxonomy in the navigation menus designer. Custom post types is expanded with several new options for export and search features. And, few minor bugs are fixed and few other things updated for full compliance with latest build of WP 3.0.

Pro version 2.0 is in works and new widget will be added to it, with few more interesting features. It will be available in about 2 weeks, just after the release of final WordPress 3.0.

With function use bug, there was a problem with terms links on the taxonomies page, and that is fixed also. I have added flush of rewrite rules for taxonomies also as it was added for post types earlier. List widget now uses modified version of WP default list function that will allow great flexibility to add more options to this widget later.

New icons are added to this release, again work of our designer Vladan Vasic.

Few small bugs are also fixed. In the next few days there will be more changes added. First, I will add more custom post features added in latest builds of WP 3.0. Next, improvements to widgets will follow. In about same time when WordPress 3.0 is finally released, you will get GD Custom Posts And Taxonomies Tools 2.0 Pro and 1.2 Lite.

This latest version of the plugin needs WP 3.0 nightly builds released after beta 2 to work. Nothing is changed for support for WP 2.8 / 2.9, and that will continue to work as it was before. New changes allow for deeper capabilities support and also more elaborate support for different labels. But, to make things easier, with this plugin, you need to set only to labels (singular and plural), and plugin can generate the rest of the labels automatically. Capabilities are also pre-filled, and you don’t need to change them.

Hopefully, these are the last changes before WP 3.0 is released. In the next two versions of the plugin, I will add few more settings for custom post types and expand terms widget to support drop down list display.

Bugs Fixed

There are many bugs fixed with this release. This include minor problem with breadcrumbs on the 404 pages, missing nesting UL classes for drop down menus, small problems with Contactable module and several bugs with layout manager and other control panels.

gMap This module

This module now uses different jQuery library for Google Maps because of the problems with previously used gMap. And in the same time, a new features are added: traffic and streetview overlay and working change of the map type. Also, another display mode is added, allowing to display only static image instead of whole map. It’s limited with API for this, but most settings will work, and in the end you will see only static PNG image.

And more

Footer block is improved with few more tags added for customization including post and category. But, basis is created for adding menus into the footer: simple links and sitemap like menu elements (like the one on this website). This will be first introduced in eScape theme this week, and next week current themes will be changed to support that.

On april 26 2010, xScape 1.3 will be released and existing themes updated to use and to allow use of GD Affiliate Center plugin. Widget for single ad has a new option to use the plugin and select filtering based on ad size and affiliate. Same goes for header ad in the baseScape theme. More locations for ads will be added in different theme locations and all will support this plugin.

But, that’s not all. If you decide to purchase Standard or Developer membership license for xScape Themes, and you don’t already have license for GD Affiliate Center plugin, you will get Standard Membership License for the GD Affiliate Center. License for it will be valid as long as the themes license is valid.

More info on integration of this plugin and themes will follow soon.

GD Affiliate Center:
http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-affiliate-center/

xScape Themes:
http://www.dev4press.com/themes/

Menus Designer

New items are added to menus including Admin options (dashboard, profile, new post) and Login options (login, logout, register). But, more importantly, menus are nested by design. Previously you could add elements that are going to make drop down, but now you can move any element deeper within the menu.So, if you compare xScape Menus to WooNavigation or WordPress 3.0 native NavMenus, you will see that xScape is much more powerful and flexible with more options you can use to create wide range of items. A tutorial covering more aspects of menus coming later today.

New mapping desinger

Layouts Manager

As you can see, middle blocks got new buttons for moving blocks left and right. This will allow you to move sidebar from left to right. Also, master templates introduced in xScape 1.1, are now functional. Many more things are changed in layouts code allowing some of the things planned for next two themes (multiple sidebars is one of them).

Two tutorials covering all the changes and use of master template will be published later today.

Author Widget

Author Widget

Another new widget is added. This one allows you to set up About Author area to display some info about the author, gravatar and a read more link.

Both current themes are updated with new framework. Next theme is eScape and this one will be released by the end of the week. After that we are planning one news styles theme and long overdue starScape II.

Also, I can confirm that by the end of this week, or over next weekend, lite version of baseScape will be released. Making lite version of the framework wasn’t easy, but it’s almost done now. Lite framework will not get any new features any more, and only, if needed will be fixed from time to time.

Beside new themes, we have planned few more things for the framework, including 3 more widgets, but more on that soon. Stay tuned for number of new tutorials this week, and more improvements to Central Documentation.

We plan to add more tracking websites, so if you use some other service, leave a post in the forum, and it will be added with next version. As for the footer modifications, if you have idea what else can be added, also leave post in the forum or on the suggestion box page.

Also, some changes were made in core class that is used to create folders, and in next version this will be improved to display installation messages and errors.

Demo Loader: http://xscape.info/load/
Demo Home: http://xscape.info/

photoScape had some broken elements in IE6, and all that is now fixed. Same problem was with Networks widget and missing icons in IE6, and that is also fixed.

Demo website xScape.info is updated with loader page with drop downs to select theme and style to preview it. And don’t forget to sign up for free blog and try all the features first hand with no limitations.

Demo Loader: http://xscape.info/load/
Demo Home: http://xscape.info/

Pro version also had few minor issues that are also fixed now. And, as previously announced, over the next 2-3 weeks, Pro version will get more work done including caching of entire widgets that will improve speed of the widgets, and also 2 more widgets will be added.

Plugin Page: http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-simple-widgets/
Free Download: http://www.dev4press.com/free-downloads/

Edit: GD Simple Widgets 2.0.4 Pro is released with another fix for the plugins page settings link.

There was a bug in Popular Posts widget, causing for number to duplicate if the filtering by categories is used and some posts are in multiple categories. This is now fixed. Main widget class had few minor bugs, including bug in excerpt function in Pro version, also now fixed.

Over the next 2-3 weeks, Pro version will get more work done including caching of entire widgets that will improve speed of the widgets, and also 2 more widgets will be added.

Plugin Page: http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-simple-widgets/
Free Download: http://www.dev4press.com/free-downloads/

For each plugin you can see now improved download page. You can see main latest releases for download, and also a closed block that contains list of the previous versions of the plugin. On all pages (except front) I have added new widget at the top that shows current status of the support activity. If it’s red, than we are off-line, and we will respond to questions as soon we are back on-line or within the support policy periods. If it’s green, than we are on-line and will be able to respond much quicker, most likely in the matter of hours, or even less. Same widget is added to forum also.

Some minor bugs, both visual and access are fixed. If you find any more problems, you can use contact form to report it.

My portfolio website is completed, and most important recent projects are there. I also updated main portal webpage. You can check them out on the links bellow.

Portfolio: http://portfolio.gdragon.info/
Portal: http://www.gdragon.info/

I have removed some unneeded elements from the widget rendering, like [] elements from post items.

Pro edition of the plugin is released few days ago, and I plan new version during next week with changes in templates, and number of new rendering templates and tags that support images and thumbnails within post elements in widget.

Plugin Page: http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-simple-widgets/
Free Download: http://www.dev4press.com/free-downloads/

Post Editor Tool

All fixes from Lite are also in this one, but there are some interesting features added. On the image on the right. If you decide to purchase Pro edition, you will be able to access already posted video tutorial about this feature and how can you use it to add terms from the actual post content and to make them into hyper links.

All Pro editions have Roadmap and suggestions page and you can see what’s ‘cooking’, and again if you purchase membership license you will get access to Suggestions page and influence the development.

Plugin Page: http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-taxonomies-tools/

This version fixes few bugs from previous release and improves on some functions. Also, we added info files with functions references and other useful info. Plugin can be updated from WordPress.org, or you can download it from this website.

Plugin Page: http://www.dev4press.com/plugins/gd-taxonomies-tools/
Free Download: http://www.dev4press.com/free-downloads/