Hmm...I wonder what the RocketTheme team has been up to?
-
-
- J!eremy
- Elite Rocketeer
- Posts: 2108
- Thanks: 8
- Yeah, you have to start with the plain template to see the potential.. sometime lots of folks get lost in the demo content and cant see any potential..
- Send moderators PMs ONLY if they request it.
James' First Blog Post lol
Top Tips for Support
Be SPECIFIC when posting.
-
-
-
- David Goode
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 17058
- Thanks: 890
- Web Designer and Host
-
Hi damo,damo wrote:
the "fluff" is just a demonstration of what is possible - not what you have to useOf course, but since the arrival of Gantry and selectable background levels, the templates have become quite similar.
Take a look at Juxta and Kinetic - not a million miles apart when you start reducing levels. Even elements of Somaxiom are similar, e.g. the curved scroll effect on headers and contentheading or menu tabs.
I am not knocking RT as I have been a member for a few years now. I am just highlighting that it will always get harder as there are only so many variations you can come up with.
Perhaps we need RT to highlight a template for a market sector rather than trying to display every template in a generic manner so they can appeal to everybody. As a developer I could spend a lot of time doing stuff myself but I am not as creative as the RT team. It's just that sometimes you need someone else to show the 'fluff' in the right setting so as to appreciate what can be done.
A classic example can be seen at Gavick.com - they have a template called Cool Photo. It is obvious where it is aimed it and it looks good. I am less impressed with their other templates. RT templates have been generic for a while now, apart from Mynxx which was an ecommerce special.
I often check the showcases so I can see ideas that others have had or see if a template works with a specific market arena. As with all successful businesses you can evolve at a rapid pace and lose sight of the real reason you were successful in the first place. For me it was RT's combination of variety and reliable templates that caused me to join and I'm still here.
Regards
David
Please search forums before posting. Please make sure your post includes the version of the CMS you are using and a link to the problem. Annotations on screenshots can also be helpful to explain problems/goals. Please use the "secure" tab for confidential information
-
-
-
- Henning
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 29362
- Thanks: 954
- Volunteer
-
What I love about Somaxiom is the clean and short css.
Really a "Lightweight-Champion" in its own class.
I did not like the tabs-variations that much but I dont have to use them.
I used it for a little Design-Dummy for a client with a small budget and an even shorter deadline.
I did not show all we can do with joomla. But I could do this really fast within a day.
formamente.bokelmann-net.de/ (Not the greatest design on earth
)
The clean and simple design was accepted so I can fill in the content and finish the IE-fixing (btw apart from Rokstories Somaxiom does not run bad in ie6).
So Somaxiom is a good template for me .. - Last Edit: 14 years 4 months ago by Henning.
-
-
-
- Mr Toast
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 152
- Thanks: 0
- Wanderer, philanderer, occasional web monkey
-
I agree with David, completely (I have just brought a dev. membership so I still have faith) the templates, aside from Crystalline which was an amazing effort (there is no other colour chooser like it!) have been same same. Dominion is nice but is it fundamentally that much different from Juxta!? I understand very well how to look beyond the demo site and pull the good bits out. I'd like to see some real radical styling changes to things like the Showcase (Rokstories), tabs, and some more 'below the fold' creativity (so much above the fold that gets turned off) etc.
The core code is there and has been for ages, the hassle of static-ish layouts is smaller now that Gantry is around (and very good) so lets mix it up. Saxiom added masking to Rokstories, other than that the look was bad and that addition is great but doesn't carry the June template for me (it could have been done through the extension alone).
I love you guys and I think the coders, documentation team, designers, moderators do an amazing job and its only out of that passion that I constructively criticize.
Cheers!
P.S. I just saw the free Grunge template, great work guys... maybe July will be amazing! - Cheers,
Mr Toast says... keep toasting!
-
-
-
- Sharon Gaughan
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 247
- Thanks: 0
- Information Science & Technology
-
David Goode wrote:
I still get asked for TerranTribune a fair bit so I am hoping that gets converted/updated soon.
Count me in on that! Imho, there are only two, maybe three RT templates that are useful for news sites. None of them exploit Gantry and the many other RT improvements. We have a site at http://www.ts-si.org that uses a modified version of TerranTribune that I ache to upgrade, but none of the recent RT template releases are suitable for what is needed. I suggested a TT upgrade several times but gave up trying.
That particular site also uses iJoomla News Portal, which has fallen behind the technology curve (JS conflicts, tables, etc.). We would make the site RT all over and all the time if the right template would come along and some of the extensions were more flexible.
Anyway, I too wonder what the RT Team has been up to behind the curtain.
Sharon - Sharon Sinéad Gaughan
Fairfax, VA USA
Apache / MySQL 5.0.95 / PHP 5.3.24 / Joomla! 2.5.20 / Gantry 4.1.20
Custom: rt_hexeris-custom.css and rt_hexeris-custom.less
-
-
-
- Andy Miller
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 9919
- Thanks: 96
- Web Kahuna
-
I know we periodically get these threads springing up about how the templates looks alike, but I just want to point out a very simple fact. We sell "templates", this means they have to support a lot of the same functionality and capabilities, not to mention 3rd party extensions, month-to-month. We do like to mix things up a bit with some "demo" styling on the homepage of the demo, but even with that, we do have to show off the capabilities to ensure people know that it can do all these things. This may give the illusion that the design is similar, but I think it's a misconception, because we are not developing finished, custom sites, only the templates you can use to build your own finished sites. It's the building blocks that enable you to do whatever you like. Just look at the definition of the word "template" : A pattern or gauge used as a guide in making something accurately.
The problem is that the majority of people only look at a template for a couple of seconds before making a decision about it. If they see a template demoed as a 'gallery', they think it's only good for a gallery, and if they don't want a gallery they ignore it. The same goes for any 'niche' demo. The fact of the matter is that with the power of Gantry + Joomla + 3rd party extensions, you can make any template into any kind of site you like. We try to show this kind of flexibility in our demos as much as possible.
All you have to do is look through the member submissions forums to see fantastic sites developed on top of our club templates to realize that the sky is the limit. We provide you with a wealth of tools and functionality every month to help you create stunning websites, but as I said before, we only develop the template side of things. You still have to provide quality content, clear site architecture, features and functionality that appeal to your target audience etc. Those are the elements that will make your site unique and set it apart.
-
-
-
- Judd Boyer
- Rocketeer
- Posts: 74
- Thanks: 0
- Gee Andy, Can't you do all the work for us! Wink Wink, Know what I mean. I think you put this quite well.
- I may not always post here. But when I do - I post Dos Equis!
-
-
-
- Mr Toast
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 152
- Thanks: 0
- Wanderer, philanderer, occasional web monkey
-
Andy you are right, it's a template and you guys do a great job... that's why, in a world of 'internet free', I choose to subscribe!
We all get a bit greedy and want more more more, I appreciate the groundbreaking work that has gone on this year behind the scenes with Gantry, it's flexible far beyond the basic template sliders for the masses... I am only just grasping it. It's this and the crazy flexibility that Crystalline has that make up for the months that don't knock my socks off (sorry to keep hammering Saxiom, criticism for any artist, coder, musician is harsh). I COMPLETELY agree, most people look at templates for a few minutes and then decide, I have found lots of options I never saw until a third, fourth or fifth look... and yes too many people are lazy and hope the template will mean no Ps, Fw, CSS or PHP skills are needed. I often scour the Members submissions for examples that stand out in the hope that I can find something in a template I missed.
I'm sure the spirit of many recent posts carries some weight, but you have helped keep it in perspective, thanks for taking the time.
As a big picture I'm happy (as long as I can find the answer to my other silly AJAX question) and I will be hitting refresh like a twitchy crack addict over the next 24 hours waiting to see the new magic. - Cheers,
Mr Toast says... keep toasting!
-
-
-
- David Goode
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 17058
- Thanks: 890
- Web Designer and Host
-
Hi Andy,
I still think RT is streets ahead of the competition but I will always want more - but as has already been said we are greedy and have been spoiled over the years.
Gantry does indeed add a new perspective and I have to say that the great thing is that the flexibility is enormous. I accept that a 'template' is just a framework as I proved by modifying the vertigo template into several versions that were themed to suit the customer and used in one site. ( http://www.sharingcontracts.com )
The new mask option for RokStories is great too. The community is one of the best I have belonged to.
In short I personally feel that when you demo a template that is stylised for a market arena then it becomes easier to visualise what else can be done. I loved the idea of Juxta being an arty type template and it lends itself so well to make you think of more ideas when you see theme.
As you guys say over there - YMMV - but one thing is for sure, I will be renewing my developer subscription.
regards
Please search forums before posting. Please make sure your post includes the version of the CMS you are using and a link to the problem. Annotations on screenshots can also be helpful to explain problems/goals. Please use the "secure" tab for confidential information
-
Time to create page: 0.396 seconds