Suggestion 'Styles and properties' add-on idea

[Vercingetorix]

[Sorry. I'm not sure if this is the right place to post or not. Please feel free to move it.]


So I've been trying to customize the nzfsf.nz theme for nearly 13 months now, however I've barely made any progress because it's almost impossible to figure out what each of the 'Styles and properties' settings actually do.

I still can't seem to identify a simple sounding thing like a 'Block Header'.

And guess what?

ffs, apparently Xenforo doesn't even provide any basic instructions for the 'Styles and properties' section at all.

How are we supposed to work out which specific theme element each of the settings correlates to out the front end?

Arbitrarily guessing?

It might be easy for individuals who are already highly experienced computer geniuses.

But for anyone who isn't, it's completely confounding.

In real life I was a highly experienced decorator-(*painting houses & etc...)-as a full-time tradesman for over 20 years.

I can take the ugliest of houses and make them look like gold.

So I also see these Xenforo forums as being much like digital versions of ugly/generic prefabricated houses...coz in most cases they are barely distinguishable from one-another—& also from many other forum brands too.

Like generic houses, XF forums fulfill their basic purposes and generally function as intended—but they're still boring af aye brah.

Anyway, so after ~13 frustrating months I am as yet still unable to effectively use my real world expertise to create my own unique forum theme because I just can't utilize most of the XF customization tools.

Spoiler: nzfsf.nz example

Just to be clear, I specifically mean the > Xenforo Admin Control Panel > 'Styles and properties' > customizable theme design options.

People on these forum often quote some nonsense about "content is king".

Lmfao."Content is king"

It is a completely ridiculous concept.

Of course content is a high priority, for sure. However "content is king" is almost like suggesting it's logical to do up the interior of a house, adding the fanciest expensive furniture, taking pride in it's presentation >>> but at the same time completely neglecting the exterior of the house.

I know plenty of other forum administrators who struggle with the 'Styles and properties'. I'm definitely not the only one.

Seems like a pretty good opportunity for motivated developers to potentially capitalize on a totally untapped market.




So my idea is basically what Apathy has created with the [AP] 'Style Suite' add-on.

It's got this real time visual preview panel showing the theme changes as ya play around with the theme settings.

Spoiler: [AP] example

Honestly, it is incredibly helpful.

I reckon the XF 'Styles and properties' section desperately needs an option available for utilizing a similar real time visual preview panel to show us amateurs just exactly what were doing.

This would be massively advantageous if it's doable. Probably easily get $75+/per add-on.

Considering that hiring someone to do a custom theme can cost anywhere from $1000usd and up.

Spoiler: [AP] resource link

[AP] Style Suite

This addon allows users to customize the appearance of their username, custom title, posts, postbits, profiles, and tooltips, by a "Style settings" link to the Account Details section. Users can also choose a frame for their avatar from this...

xenforo.com

Spoiler: 😉👍

(Don't worry. This actually has nothing to do with the add-on suggestion)

*Bitchbot GPT > is just nzfsf.nz's custom prompted > GPT⁴ character.

A while ago I thought it'd be funny to include a long list of extremely offensive words in my "Ultimate Shitposter" custom Chatbot-prompt.

Bitchbot has since become hilariously offensive and pretty bloody hostile too.

Guaranteed to offend most people.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I had suggested this add-on idea to another developer who has been reasonably cool with me.

Yet for some unknown reason, ever since I made the suggestion to him a few days ago, he's suddenly become noticably defensive. I really can't figure out why that is though.

Judging by his recent responses, it seems like he doesn't want average administrators having a user friendly means available for effectively utilizing the 'Styles and properties' functions to easily create their own custom theme designs.

I don't see why that would be a problem for him.

The only reason I can think of, is that he's possibly protecting the monopoly currently held by third party theme designers.

So now I'm feeling a competitive urge to make this add-on a reality.

CRUEL-MODZ & SyTry in case you guys would be interested in creating this 'Styles and properties' visual preview panel add-on idea I've suggested.

I would like you to know that I am very willing to cover the costs entirely.

If I did assume the full financial responsibilities, I would freely allow you guys to keep it as your own to market the add-on as a commercial product that you guys can keep 100% of all profits. I do not want any of it.

Though I would request 1 small courtesy...which is that I would like to have the name > CuriousFiend < included somewhere prominently in the add-on's official title.

Maybe something like: [XCU] 'C.F.'s Theme Design Suite'...or whatever you guys think would work best.

 

[CRUEL-MODZ]

Hello,

So, it's really interesting, but we'll have to see to what extent we can apply it, there are so many style properties.
We'll discuss it with SyTry and keep you posted

As for the price of the addon, it all depends on whether XS shares it or if it's a custom addon,

Personalized addon = Addon development prize
Share addon = addon price

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

 

[Vercingetorix]

Hello,

So, it's really interesting, but we'll have to see to what extent we can apply it, there are so many style properties.
We'll discuss it with SyTry and keep you posted

As for the price of the addon, it all depends on whether XS shares it or if it's a custom addon,

Personalized addon = Addon development prize
Share addon = addon price

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

Well, if youre keen, and whenever you're ready, just name a price.

$1000?
$2000?
$5000?

There definitely is a market for this too.
I was just @XF community reading threads by admins asking for help with the styling because they want to create their own unique vision.
And yet they are simply told to go buy a premade theme.

In my opinion, an add-on like I've suggested here, will be a big deal for a lot of admins.

 

[CRUEL-MODZ]

Hello,

Do you have any idea where you want the rendering to be displayed?
Currently there are a lot of style properties, and certain style properties if you change them will not only affect a block :'(
Personally, I have no idea how to make such a thing possible :'( it's a great idea, but complicated to set up.
What's more, if you want to make your own theme, you won't just have to modify the style properties, most of the style properties modify the border, color, etc... of a block.

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

 

[Vercingetorix]

Hello,

Do you have any idea where you want the rendering to be displayed?

Oh, I dunno really.
Ahhh, maybe could try something like a little pop-up display panel with a toggle on/off button positioned somewhere within each of the 'Styles and properties' sections headers(?)

So basically a little preview render could be optionally opened/& closed and would perhaps float above any of the dozens of dozens of 'Styles and properties' while we're playing around with them(?)

But the thing is that I just don't know this stuff anywhere near as good as you guys, so in my opinion, it'd probably be best if you decided on the most appropriate ways to set things up.
Coz you'd know what can and can't work.

Currently there are a lot of style properties, and certain style properties if you change them will not only affect a block :'(
Personally, I have no idea how to make such a thing possible :'( it's a great idea, but complicated to set up.
What's more, if you want to make your own theme, you won't just have to modify the style properties, most of the style properties modify the border, color, etc... of a block.

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

Oh, ok, yeah, I think I see what you're saying here.

I take it you're referring to the templates that sometimes need to be modified aye?

Hmmm, yeah true aye. Tbh I hadn't thought about that.

Wonder if we could strictly focus on just the basic available 'Styles and properties' that come as stock standard settings with the Xenforo system(?)

One thing I have been thinking about over the last several days, is how to deal with any additional 'Styles and properties' settings that might exist/or eventually be added from installing any other add-ons(?)
I'm guessing this factor would probably also make things a bit trickier too....

...so, all in all, it's beginning to sound like a major task to try and achieve.

It's perfectly fine if you're not keen to develop an add-on like this.
Maybe we could leave it alone for now and save it as a potential future project at some stage down the line aye.

The main thing for me, and which is motivating this add-on idea, is because I've reached a point now where I've literally spent well over $20K(nzd) in total on hiring dozens of different freelance & professional developers since December 2022, and hardly any of the theme design jobs I was intending for them to do—were actually ever fully completed.

Dunno if I can adequately describe how absolutely frustrating it's been starting off trying to create a unique looking forum without knowing how to do any of this stuff, and especially considering the majority of the freelance developers I've hired over these recent 13 months—bloody well ripped me off.
(*Coz apparently the standard practice is to demand full payments upfront before starting any work.)

I simply wish to make a sexy looking—unique forum that stands out from all the hundreds of thousands of others.
Plus I'm hoping to figure out how to somewhat hybridize the basic forum functions with some of the cooler features we see on social media platforms, like: Telegram, FB, YT, Bitchute, X.

I guess in simple terms I'm intending to mash the good bits of the various social media platforms with all the good bits of community forums in such a way that would result with something that's attractive & fully functional as a hybrid 'Community Social Discussion Multimedia Forum' type thing...

 

[CRUEL-MODZ]

Hello

It's perfectly fine if you're not keen to develop an add-on like this.
Maybe we could leave it alone for now and save it as a potential future project at some stage down the line aye.

It's not that we don't want to, but we need to think about how to integrate it, but for that we need time :'(

I currently have an addon update in progress (Custome color picker) plus an addon in development, and I have 1 or 2 other addons waiting to be developed.

There's also a big update of the SEO addon which is scheduled to have several new features.

It will also have XF2.3, so I'll have to update all the addons to make them compatible.

There's also a project that's more for XenSoluce, an addon that will replace an addon we use a lot.

So for the time being, we have a lot of projects for 2024 and we have to prioritize all that, plus I can only work on addons at weekends, because during the week I work, because yes XS me as SyTry does not allow us to live. XenSoluce/XenForo is a passion, WEB development in general is a passion for me personally. That's why XS still exists, I like it when customers are happy with the work we can provide.

And I hope customers are happy (we can't please everyone )

By the way, thank you for all the support you can give us! Not only with donations, but also with messages!

Anyway, my English isn't perfect and I'm sorry, but I hope you understood what I meant!

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

 

[Vercingetorix]

Hello


It's not that we don't want to, but we need to think about how to integrate it, but for that we need time :'(

I currently have an addon update in progress (Custome color picker) plus an addon in development, and I have 1 or 2 other addons waiting to be developed.

There's also a big update of the SEO addon which is scheduled to have several new features.

It will also have XF2.3, so I'll have to update all the addons to make them compatible.

There's also a project that's more for XenSoluce, an addon that will replace an addon we use a lot.

So for the time being, we have a lot of projects for 2024 and we have to prioritize all that, plus I can only work on addons at weekends, because during the week I work, because yes XS me as SyTry does not allow us to live. XenSoluce/XenForo is a passion, WEB development in general is a passion for me personally. That's why XS still exists, I like it when customers are happy with the work we can provide.

And I hope customers are happy (we can't please everyone )

By the way, thank you for all the support you can give us! Not only with donations, but also with messages!

Anyway, my English isn't perfect and I'm sorry, but I hope you understood what I meant!

Regards, CRUEL-MODZ

Hey your English is actually pretty good mate and yeah I can definitely appreciate what you're saying regarding workloads too.

Apologies if I've unwittingly seemed to be pressuring ya at all.
I possibly get a bit too overly enthusiastic quite often without realizing how others may potentially perceive my excitable goonishness....

Geez I actually feel slightly guilty now aye....so, to dispell this uncomfortable sensation... I'm going to hit the donations again

 

[CRUEL-MODZ]

Hey your English is actually pretty good mate and yeah I can definitely appreciate what you're saying regarding workloads too.

Ahhh, thanks !

Apologies if I've unwittingly seemed to be pressuring ya at all.
I possibly get a bit too overly enthusiastic quite often without realizing how others may potentially perceive my excitable goonishness....

Geez I actually feel slightly guilty now aye....so, to dispell this uncomfortable sensation... I'm going to hit the donations again

Don't worry, I'm not saying all this for that, it's to explain why and how, the addon won't be developed immediately
And so you don't get frustrated waiting for an addon, which I hope will be developed one day, because we'll have found a way to make a nice addon.

I wish all customers were like you!

 

[Vercingetorix]

Ahhh, thanks !


Don't worry, I'm not saying all this for that, it's to explain why and how, the addon won't be developed immediately
And so you don't get frustrated waiting for an addon, which I hope will be developed one day, because we'll have found a way to make a nice addon.

I wish all customers were like you!

Yeah absolutely no worries at all mate, I actually made myself feel guilty....