wit How to Paint a Fantasy Woman Portrait with Photoshop By psd.fanextra.com Published On :: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:09:28 +0000 In this tutorial I'll show you how to paint a fantasy woman portrait with Photoshop. You'll learn how to use brush to paint properly as well as take care of details. A graphic tablet is highly recommended for this tutorial. Full Article Drawing Tutorials
wit Create a Dark Landscape Matte Painting with Photoshop By psd.fanextra.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:15:19 +0000 In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a misty landscape matte painting with a dark castle. We'll create a misty scene with the layered mountains and the light from afar. The main technique here is blending with adjustment layers, masking and brushes. There are something basic you should know about contrast, distance, intensity etc, and we'll dive into all of those in today's lesson! Full Article Photo Effects Tutorials
wit Create a Dark Night Hunter Scene with Photoshop By psd.fanextra.com Published On :: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 19:58:24 +0000 In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a dark night hunter scene. You'll learn how to combine different stock images together, turn a scene from day to night, add a moonlight, create a dark atmosphere as well as make some special effects. Along with this tutorial, you'll also learn how to work with groups, manage your layers and pay attention to the details. Full Article Photo Effects Tutorials
wit Great Homes with Mid Century Modern Furniture By www.photoshoplady.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Sep 2020 15:02:18 +0000 A beautiful house is never complete without comfortable furniture that coordinates with the style of the home. Furniture transforms a block of stones into a beautiful space that you can then call home. While there are a variety of furniture makers and designers out there, none of them can match up to the style and elegance of mid-century modern furniture. Your home will never look the same again if you just get your furniture from mid-century. Here is why they are that popular. Vintage Appeal If you want a vintage look in your house, then mid-century got you. You The post Great Homes with Mid Century Modern Furniture appeared first on Photoshop Lady. Full Article General
wit Niall Shukla’s Creates Intricate Portraits by Cracking Laminated Glass with Precision Strike By designyoutrust.com Published On :: Sun, 03 Nov 2024 14:05:10 +0000 Niall Shukla, a remarkably skilled and self-taught artist, creates stunningly intricate portraits on laminated glass by meticulously cracking it with controlled hammer strikes. This unique art form is paradoxical and captivating; Shukla wields various metal hammers and chisels to chip away at glass panels, generating cracks that eventually transform into beautifully detailed images. His technique […] Full Article Design carefully creating fresh magazine media metal nature often portraits random
wit Build an Infinite Horizontal Scrolling Logo Display With Pure CSS By webdesignernews.com Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 17:36:38 +0000 Creating an infinite horizontal logo scroll effect with pure CSS is a simple yet powerful way to add dynamic movement to a website. This tutorial will walk you through building an infinite scroll effect with added hover effects that allow the user to pause scrolling and scale each logo slightly when hovered. Full Article Web Dev
wit Create a breakout game with HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript By webdesignernews.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:34:10 +0000 Let’s create a Breakout game using Vanilla JavaScript. In a Breakout game, the player uses a paddle to bounce a ball and hit bricks, removing the bricks one by one. Full Article Web Dev
wit How to create Twitter widget with WordPress and SimplePie (Part 1) By blogdesignstudio.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:42:32 +0000 There are a lot of Twitter widgets for WordPress but in my experience none of those utilize the powerful SimplePie PHP class that is in the WordPress core. SimplePie is a powerful RSS reader class that has very nice built-in caching system since as we all know the Twitter API is limited to only 150 […] Full Article Wordpress Plugins Wordpress Tutorials
wit How to create Twitter widget with WordPress and SimplePie (Part 2) By blogdesignstudio.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:24:15 +0000 In the second part of this tutorial we will extend the widget with more options. Let’s start by defining what sort of options we want it to have. Show timestamps Discover Hyperlinks Discover @replies Discover avatar Followers count You can download the extended plug-in here. Step 1: Getting the form ready for the new options […] Full Article Wordpress Plugins Wordpress Tutorials
wit 5 Ways to Make More Money with Your Design Skills By www.designer-daily.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 06:32:47 +0000 As a designer, there are endless opportunities between your creation potential and your usual clients. With the growing demand for visual expertise, the possibility of earning more and increasing income is growing. By specializing in graphic design, web development, or UX/UI, you open doors to new ways of developing your revenues. Selling design templates, coaching, […] The post 5 Ways to Make More Money with Your Design Skills appeared first on Designer Daily: graphic and web design blog. Full Article Articles Blog Business Web design
wit 3 Tools That Will Let You Examine What Software Your Competitors’ Websites Are Built With By www.designer-daily.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:57:40 +0000 Understanding the software that powers a website can be invaluable for web developers, digital marketers, and business owners alike when they want to analyze their competition. The process of building and maintaining a website is ongoing; it involves constant updates, feature enhancements, and user experience improvements. As you navigate the digital landscape, you may find […] The post 3 Tools That Will Let You Examine What Software Your Competitors’ Websites Are Built With appeared first on Designer Daily: graphic and web design blog. Full Article Blog Resources Tools Web design
wit Treat Yourself to an Early Gift With The Winter Wonderbox By blog.spoongraphics.co.uk Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:12:55 +0000 Unwrap a hamper full of fresh art and design tools with this festive-themed bundle! The Winter Wonderbox has everything you need—from frosty watercolor cliparts and shimmering textures to heartfelt greeting cards and fun ugly sweater effects. This collection is perfect for the holidays and will keep you inspired for Christmases yet to come. Don’t miss […] The post Treat Yourself to an Early Gift With The Winter Wonderbox appeared first on Spoon Graphics. Full Article News
wit File Upload Progress Bar with jQuery and PHP By sharebrain.info Published On :: Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:26:00 +0000 In this tutorials we tell how to create file upload progress bar with PHP and jQuery. In this post we had developed few lines of code using PHP APC library, it is very simple getting the server file upload process every few second and increasing the bar color using jquery css property. Just take a [...]View and Vote Full Article Scripting
wit Designing a Chic Striped Business Card with Photoshop By sharebrain.info Published On :: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:14:00 +0000 If you want a simple yet chic and sophisticated approach on your business card design, then this is the tutorial for you. You will learn how to design your own chic and striped style business card using Adobe Photoshop.....View and Vote Full Article Photoshop
wit Educational logo with PSD and fonts By sharebrain.info Published On :: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:58:00 +0000 College logo, educational Logo with psd, Institute Logo, School Logo, University LogoCollege logo, educational Logo with psd, Institute Logo, School Logo, University LogoCollege logo, educational Logo with psd, Institute Logo, School Logo, University LogoView and Vote Full Article Design
wit 40 Best Free WordPress Themes with Image Slider and Slideshow By sharebrain.info Published On :: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 22:57:00 +0000 Here is best free WordPress themes with image slider and slideshow with demo and download link. It is professional WordPress themes with slider that i have collected for more purpose of website company that you can choose which one are compatible with your business or personal.View and Vote Full Article Webdesign
wit Three or more concussions linked with worse brain function in later life By www.brainline.org Published On :: Tue, 31 Jan 2023 09:23:37 EST Experiencing three or more concussions is linked with worsened brain function in later life, according to major new research. The study – the largest of its kind - also found having just one moderate-to-severe concussion, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), can have a long-term impact on brain function, including memory. Full Article
wit WPCandy Roundtable #3: WordPress Meetup Discussion with 4 co-organizers By wpcandy.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Feb 2013 02:34:11 +0000 Let’s talk about WordPress meetups! On this episode of The WPCandy Roundtable Podcast, I asked four awesome WordPress meetup co-organizers to chat about what makes a quality meetup and how they do what they do. We also went over what they would recommend to new WordPress meetup organizers. Joining me on the podcast are Angie […] The post WPCandy Roundtable #3: WordPress Meetup Discussion with 4 co-organizers appeared first on WPCandy. Full Article Roundtable Podcast Shows Master Feed WordCamp
wit ‘The legacy I want to leave': How a Maine teen is helping with concussion research By www.nbcboston.com Published On :: Wed, 30 Oct 2024 08:25:15 EDT A high school senior from Bangor, Maine, has decided that when the time comes, he will donate his brain to science. Fionn Parker-Cummings is the youngest person to donate his brain to the University of Pittsburgh National Sports Brain Bank. Researchers will check in with him every year for the rest of his life. Parker-Cummings said he hopes the contribution will advance traumatic brain injury research to protect players like NFL quarterbacks Drake Maye and Tua Tagovailoa, who have recently suffered concussions. Full Article
wit Transform Your Website with These 10 Multipurpose WordPress Themes for 2023 By webdesignledger.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Apr 2023 08:00:52 +0000 If you are looking for the best multipurpose WordPress theme you might feel the need to clearly understand what “best” means. On the other hand, you shouldn’t worry about that too much since you don’t have to drill down to selecting a single multipurpose WordPress theme at the exclusion of all others; and the reason […] Full Article Inspiration Resources Trends Web Design WordPress multipurpose themes multipurpose WordPress Themes
wit The Importance of Getting Your Teenager with TBI to Join a Support Group By www.brainline.org Published On :: Mon, 30 Dec 2013 00:00:00 EST It’s hard to get teenagers to do anything they fear will make them feel “other,” but a TBI support group will help during recovery. Full Article
wit Testing Brain Injury-Related Vision Issues with People Who Can’t Communicate By www.brainline.org Published On :: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 00:00:00 EST How do you test the vision of someone with TBI who cannot communicate — talk or respond otherwise to questions? Full Article
wit Designing Houses for People with Brain Injury By www.brainline.org Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 00:00:00 EST Specific accessibility adaptations in the home depend on the person's specific impairments from TBI. Full Article
wit Rode goes tiny with the Rode Wireless Micro for smartphones By www.diyphotography.net Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:53:49 +0000 Rode, the company that kicked off the wave of compact wireless microphones seen over the last few years, has scaled down even further for its... The post Rode goes tiny with the Rode Wireless Micro for smartphones appeared first on DIY Photography. Full Article news Gear Announcement Microphone Rode Microphones
wit Improve your Audio with our new Automatic Filler Word Cutter By auphonic.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:44:33 +0000 We all know the problem: the content is perfectly prepared, and everything is in place, but the moment you hit the record button, your brain freezes, and what pops out of your mouth is a rain of “ums”, “uhs”, and “mhs” that no listener would enjoy. Cleaning up a record like that by manually cutting out every single filler word is a painstaking task. So we heard your requests to automate the filler word removing task, started implementing it, and are now very happy to release our new Automatic Filler Cutter feature. See our Audio Examples and Usage Instructions below. What is removed? While the definition of filler words is not the same, depending on who you ask, some words can be used as filler as well as content. For example, “like”, “well”, “you know”, etc. cannot be removed without the risk of removing also content and destroying sentences, even if those words are used as filler words in some cases. Therefore, we decided to focus on the removal of the obvious fillers, namely any kind of “ums”, “uhs”, “mhs”, German “ähm”, “äh”, “öh”, French “euh”, “euhm” and similar. Audio Examples 1. English Male Speaker The first audio example is an excerpt from the interview “From Racing Failure to Red Bull Champion: The Untold Christian Horner Story”. Our algorithm found and removed a remarkable ten filler words in this 45-second snippet: Screenshot of the Auphonic Audio Inspector: each pale red shaded area corresponds to a cut-out filler word. Original: Cut: 2. Austrian-German Female Speaker The following example is an interview with the Austrian Ex-Foreign Minister, Karin Kneissl, who uses seven filler words within 26 seconds: Original: Cut: Usage Instructions To use the Auphonic Automatic Filler Cutter feature, you just have to create a production or preset as you are used to and select “Cut Fillers” for “Automatic Cutting” in the section “Audio Algorithms”: When your production is done, all cut-out filler words will appear as pale red shaded areas in the Auphonic Audio Inspector on the production status page, as you can see in the upper screenshot of the Audio Inspector. If you want to remove silent segments from your audio as well, please also enable our Automatic Silence Cutting feature. NOTE: Our Automatic Cutting features (for filler and silence) are not available for video files! Behind the Scenes For the training of our Automatic Filler Cutter AI-Algorithm, we created datasets that contain manually labeled audio files, collected from 'real world' audio data. So far, we have labeled, trained, and tested the system with English, German, Spanish, and French data. However, in the Auphonic Web Service, you can activate and test the Automatic Filler Word Cutter for all languages. We would be very happy to hear how the filler removal works out for completely different-sounding languages from, e.g., the Asian, African, or Slavic language families. Please send us feedback on any problems or error patterns you discover! This will help us generate specific data for the training to improve the algorithm and eliminate your problems. Conclusion Automatic filler word cutting is a powerful tool for podcasters looking to enhance the quality of their content. It boosts clarity and professionalism, all while making your editing process more efficient. Some users, however, see a touch of authenticity in filler words within podcasts. So, we leave it up to you to enable or disable the Automatic Filler Cutter feature for your next Auphonic production, depending on your desired style. We are currently working on filler word cutting optimizations for more languages, so watch our channels to get all the news on our upgrades! If you have any feedback for us – how the filler cutter is working in your language, what you do or don't like, what you miss, what else you would want to remove from your audio besides silence and filler words, etc. – you are welcome to contact us via email or directly comment on our production interface! Full Article Audio Development News
wit Crafting Impact with Negative Space Photography By www.photodoto.com Published On :: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:01:37 +0000 Picture a scene where the main act is not just what fills the frame, but also what doesn’t. That’s negative space photography, a technique that turns emptiness into expression and silence into storytelling. In this deep dive, we’re peeling back layers to reveal how much weight nothingness can hold in your shots. You’ll grasp why every photographer needs to give their subjects some breathing room and learn how empty areas are not missed opportunities but rather essential for creating balance and drawing attention right where you want it. We’ll explore ways to use plain backgrounds or blurred surroundings as powerful tools that add feelings of calm, tension, or intrigue—all by letting less say more. The Essence of Negative Space in Photography Negative space photography, often seen as the quiet hero of composition, plays a crucial role in how an image is perceived. It’s not just about what you capture—it’s also about what you leave out. This technique can make your main subject pop by simply giving it more breathing room. Defining Negative Space and Its Role in Visual Composition Negative space refers to the area surrounding the main subject—or positive space—of a photograph.… Continue reading Crafting Impact with Negative Space Photography Full Article Photography Tips & Tricks
wit How to Make Money with AI Photography By www.photodoto.com Published On :: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:26:54 +0000 Hey there, fellow shutterbugs! It’s your favorite AI-obsessed photographer here, ready to spill the beans on how to use Artificial Intelligence to make money in photography. I know, I know – I used to be the loudest anti-AI voice in the room. But then I realized: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em (and make some cash while you’re at it)! So, I dove headfirst into the world of AI-generated/modified images, and let me tell you, it’s been a game-changer. No more hours spent editing and retouching – now, I can create stunning, sellable images with just a few clicks. And the best part? The money’s rolling in like never before. Ready to join the AI revolution and start raking in the dough? Let’s get started! How to Make Money with AI-Generated Photography AI art is taking the world by storm. And if you’ve got a knack for creating stunning visuals with AI tools, you might be wondering how to turn your passion into profit. Well, I’ve got good news for you. There are plenty of ways to monetize your AI-generated photography skills.… Continue reading How to Make Money with AI Photography Full Article Photography Tips & Tricks
wit Build Your Audience with These 5 Key Strategies By chasejarvis.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:00:05 +0000 Does this scenario sound familiar? You’ve poured countless hours into creating something amazing—perhaps a product, website, artwork, or work presentation. With anticipation, you release it to the world, sharing it with your intended audience. Then… silence. No response, no engagement. It’s as if no one cares. Frustrated, you might find yourself enviously eyeing other creators, wondering how they manage to gain traction while your equally impressive work struggles for attention. You review your process, searching for mistakes, but find none. After all, you followed advice from experts, books, and industry gurus. You meticulously planned, designed, and executed your strategy. Moreover, you promoted extensively, creating accounts on every social platform and using all the right hashtags—yet still, crickets. So what’s the missing piece? Why are others succeeding where you’re not?While it’s tempting to blame factors like bigger budgets or larger teams, these aren’t the real culprits. Although such resources can be helpful, the true key to gaining traction is simpler: building an audience.Fortunately, I’m here to help. Let’s explore five crucial steps to effectively build and grow your audience: 1. Balance Creation and Promotion As creators, we often focus solely on producing content. However, to make a real impact, it’s essential... The post Build Your Audience with These 5 Key Strategies first appeared on Chase Jarvis. The post Build Your Audience with These 5 Key Strategies appeared first on Chase Jarvis. Full Article chasejarvisLIVE Podcast attention authenticity community marketing the other 50% voice
wit You’re Wasting Your Life (Without Even Realizing It) By chasejarvis.com Published On :: Wed, 14 Aug 2024 13:00:43 +0000 In this episode, I sit down with Jodi Wellman, who calls herself “The Grim Reaper’s Cheerleader,” to dive into the deep stuff—how thinking about our own mortality can actually help us live more fully, with no regrets. Jodi breaks down her 4000 Mondays project and how we often get stuck fantasizing about our goals instead of taking real action. I also share a bit of my own journey after selling my company, where I had to rethink what really matters. We talk about the power of breaking out of our routines, why journaling can keep us on track, and how small, intentional changes can make a big impact on living a meaningful life. Some highlights we explore: The dangers of positive fantasies and how the idea of “temporal scarcity” can kick us into gear. Why shaking up your daily routines can break the autopilot mode and bring more vitality into your life. The role of reflective practices like journaling in staying true to your goals and living with purpose. And more… Enjoy! FOLLOW JODI WELLMAN: instagram | linkedin | website Listen to the Podcast Subscribe The post You’re Wasting Your Life (Without Even Realizing It) first appeared on Chase Jarvis. The post You’re Wasting Your Life (Without Even Realizing It) appeared first on Chase Jarvis. Full Article chasejarvisLIVE Podcast daily routine intentional living life goals life lessons living a meaningful life motivation no regrets self-reflection
wit Leveraging Automated Market Analyzers: A Developer’s Guide to Building Financial Tools with Web Technologies By cssdeck.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:51:10 +0000 Building financial tools has never been more accessible. With the rise of web technologies, developers can create powerful market analyzers that are quick, responsive, and packed with features that were previously only available to large trading platforms. Here, we outline [...] Read Article The post Leveraging Automated Market Analyzers: A Developer’s Guide to Building Financial Tools with Web Technologies first appeared on CSS Reset. Full Article Uncategorized
wit How to Create Green Screen Videos with CapCut By pearsonified.com Published On :: Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:31:29 +0000 Improvements in cameras and image filtering have made it easy to create videos with green screen effects from the comfort of your phone (without requiring a real green screen). I use CapCut in the example below, but you’ll find similar functionality within Instagram and any other reputable video creation app. Sometime during 2023, I started […] Full Article Improve Your Site
wit Amusing Pieces Made with Shadows By www.fubiz.net Published On :: Tue, 10 Jan 2023 01:43:46 +0000 Parfois, en levant les yeux au ciel et avec un peu d’imagination, on peut imaginer des formes dans les nuages. Une sorte de jeu qui parle à tous et qui aide à apprécier la beauté de ce qui nous entoure. Dans un autre genre, ce sont les ombres que Vincent Bal interprète. L’artiste utilise en […] Full Article Graphic Illustration
wit How to tackle big goals by narrowing your focus with two simple questions By nathanrice.me Published On :: Wed, 08 Jul 2020 11:49:38 +0000 I made some poor decisions in my 20s. Or rather, a series of poor decisions that seemed to stack and compound. I took on tens of thousands of dollars of credit card, student loan, and tax debt. I gained 70 pounds since graduating high school, because I ate way too much fast food and pretty … The post How to tackle big goals by narrowing your focus with two simple questions appeared first on Nathan Rice. Full Article Personal Development
wit Crafts With The Fine Arts By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Tue, 09 May 23 18:12:31 +0300 The phrase “crafts with the fine arts” captures the connection and interplay between the fields of fine arts and crafts. Fine arts typically include discipl ... Full Article Learning
wit Pushing Creative Boundaries With Experimental Video Effects By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Tue, 16 May 23 16:52:10 +0300 Video effects have revolutionized how we experience visual forms of entertainment. They're used in almost every type of show, commercial, or film available ... Full Article Learning
wit Gradientti Creative Watch With A Twist By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Tue, 07 May 24 21:35:59 +0300 Gradientti: The paragon of style and sophistication, featuring a captivating gradient color-blending effect that sets it apart from the ordinary. Are you re ... Full Article Product
wit 5 Ways To Break Boundaries With Conceptual Art In Photoshop By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 24 16:38:37 +0300 From a mere, individual concept idea discovered in a random online pic to an ordinary shot taken with a camera, there’s hardly anything that software like P ... Full Article Learning
wit Theme: Perfect for Photoblog with Creative Works By www.blogperfume.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:18:28 +0000 Onward is perfect for a photoblog as well as showcasing visual creative work of any kind. It is super simple to use and the asymmetric grid design looks fantastic on any device. It has beautiful grid-like display to show all your posts, whether it be blog posts, portfolio work or anything else you like. Pricing: […] Full Article Theme
wit Stuck with Apple’s Aperture? Adobe will give you a hand By www.tzplanet.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 08:13:58 +0000 After the announcement that Apple will not be continuing development of Aperture, Adobe announces the development of a migration tool to help those thinking about switching. Related posts: Upload your photos to Flickr with Adobe Lightroom Great Deals on Adobe Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 Lots of prizes to give away on PhotoNetCast Full Article Photography News Adobe Aperture Apple Catalog Featured Library lightroom Software Workflow
wit What’s new with Woo: July 2024 By woocommerce.com Published On :: Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:03:18 +0000 What’s happening with WooCommerce in July 2024? Cart and Checkout upgrades, Buy Now, Pay Later, and more! Full Article News Product News Sell Online
wit Spain-based DOMMA sees 350% YoY growth with WooCommerce and Google By woocommerce.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:31:25 +0000 How the wellness brand DOMMA achieved 350% year-over-year growth with one key tool. Can’t-miss success tips from a successful women-owned brand. Full Article Customer Stories
wit Kellox and Maksimer: Speeding up 800,000 SKUs with WooCommerce By woocommerce.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000 How one of Norway's largest importers migrated to WooCommerce and scaled an 800k SKU operation for a better user experience, performance, and results. Full Article Customer Stories Enterprise Ecommerce
wit Prepare your checkout for the holidays: 5 ways to reduce cart abandonment with Amazon Pay By woocommerce.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:54:49 +0000 Make the most of the holiday shopping season — convert more visitors into customers. Quick changes that can make a big difference in 5 steps. Full Article Payments Sell Online
wit Florida to Colorado with 4Runner and Liteboat Rowing Shell By photokayaker.fit2paddle.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 16:47:03 +0000 In late November, I embarked on an 8-day trip from Colorado to Florida and back. The primary goal was to bring home a rowing shell and, of course, capture as many pictures and video clips as possible. I drove my […] Full Article boats trip reports 4runner Florida Liteboat Literace rowing rowing shell
wit Never worry about your Sony Batteries Again with this Battery Magazine By alphatracks.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:56:21 +0000 Never worry about your Sony Batteries Again with this Battery Magazine The original design spec... The post Never worry about your Sony Batteries Again with this Battery Magazine appeared first on Alphatracks. Full Article Battery Tips & Tricks Accessories battery
wit Sony NP-FW50 Batteries: Charge ’em without AC Power By alphatracks.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:51:24 +0000 Don’t lose a shot, Keep your Sony NP-FW50 batteries topped off, even without an AC... The post Sony NP-FW50 Batteries: Charge ’em without AC Power appeared first on Alphatracks. Full Article Battery equipment Tips & Tricks battery battery charger NP-FW50 power bank
wit Create Better Images with Enhance and Super Resolution By alphatracks.com Published On :: Mon, 16 May 2022 12:24:28 +0000 If you haven’t used Adobe’s brand-new Enhance feature yet, I urge you to give it... The post Create Better Images with Enhance and Super Resolution appeared first on Alphatracks. Full Article Adobe Lightroom Digital Workflow Software Adobe Alphatracks Camera Raw Photography Tom Bonner
wit Self-Host Your Identity Provider with authentik By www.viget.com Published On :: Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Authentication! What a hassle! Evans, where's that SAML from Earth!? You start off simple enough — username / password authentication in your application. Then, well, someone mentions that traditional passwords are a security vulnerability, so maybe we should use one-time passwords. That inevitably leads to discussions about magic links and multi-factor authentication. Next thing you know, one dev is in a corner, rocking back and forth and muttering something about SAML, and another dev just left — walked out the door, never to be seen again. Well, not to worry, we've got just the tool for you. authentik is an open-source identity provider written in Python. I'm going to focus on the self-hosted version, but they also offer a paid enterprise plan if you want some extra support. Self-Hosting The philosophy of open-source tools and self-hosting is a big, complex topic for another post. In the world of SaaS products, you likely don't need to self-host. I quite like hosted identity providers like Clerk and Auth0. They're good and appropriate solutions for different types of apps and companies. But I just love to self-host tools. Tinkering and toying with Docker, reverse proxies, and sometimes even server hardware is a lot of fun to me. It does add complexity in some (or many) places, but a little extra complexity means you've got a little more control over your tooling. Self-hosting also allows me to disconnect from the Internet and still be able to work on features and enhancements in my projects. As long as I've already installed the relevant packages or pulled the right Docker images, I can keep working if I'm in a place where I can't (or don't want to) connect to the Internet. This is a small thing, but really important to me. authentik makes it really easy to self-host your application. Right out of the gates, they provide a Docker Compose example and a Kubernetes example. Getting authentik running took me about 10 minutes using the Docker Compose example. Most of that was reading. This can make authentik a great tool during the proof-of-concept or beta phase of your application, getting authentication out of the way so you can focus on building the cool and unique features of your app. Integrations One of the great things that authentik has waiting for you is a bunch of documentation on integrating with a lot of tools you probably already use. These integrations range from other self-hosted apps like Outline (another favorite of mine) to cloud providers like AWS and even platforms like WordPress. authentik's integration docs show you how to set up authentik for your existing providers and applications, so no need to dig around for the right configuration. Sure, if you're building your own application, you don't have the luxury of a README (until you write one, of course!), but don't worry — all the documentation you'll need for your choice of providers is at your fingertips. Personally, I'm fan of the OAuth2 provider for most my pet projects, but I also find the Proxy Provider to be a really great tool if you want to secure a static site that doesn't have any means of authenticating users. Customization This is a pretty nice default login screen, but maybe a mountain road isn't your vibe. You can change this background, add your own company logo, and add your own CSS. Just add your static files to your authentik deployment and modify to your heart's content. But actually, that's not even the cool part of the customization to me. authentik has the concepts of Flows and Stages that are used to determine what steps a user should take to log in, log out, and more. First, you define Stages that represent a single step of authentication — something like requiring a user to enter their username or a password. There's a whole lot to choose from. Once you've set up your Stages, you'll create a Flow, stringing those Stages together until you have a complete process to authenticate, register, or even delete a user. Flows can be imported and exported as .yaml files, making it easy to keep your Flows and Stages synced between different environments. authentik comes with a pretty reasonable set of default Flows and Stages. If you're setting authentik up just to try it out, you might not need to add anything. They do have a couple of example Flows to get you started, though. Flows and Stages can feel pretty intimidating. On your dev server, I'd recommend basically deleting all of the default Flows and Stages and building up new ones from scratch. It's the easiest way to learn how these pieces fit together. If you accidentally break something in dev, you can always just drop your database and spin up a fresh install. Conclusion authentik is an awesome tool and I've only scratched the surface of what it can do for you. As a self-hosted identity provider, it gives you a lot of control on how your services are authenticated. It's great for local development and beyond, and it has a lot of ready-to-go integrations for services you might already use. If you're interested in further reading, I'd definitely recommend checking out the docs on Outposts and External Sources. Hopefully this has given you some inspiration to spin up a local instance of authentik and try it out! It will definitely simplify your authentication needs. Here's your SAML, Mr. Horrible Gelatinous Blob! Full Article Code Back-end Engineering Security
wit Fluid Breakout Layout with CSS Grid By www.viget.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:23:00 -0400 So you're building a site and you've got a nice containing element around your content — but wait! Not all the content is the same width! That nice, neat tube of content is not so much a straight tube as a pile of different sized bricks. It's a common layout problem, but how do we account for these 'breakout' widths in the layout? There's a couple ways we could go about it: Encapsulate each component and set widths and margins. (Works fine if you have full control but can be fiddly). Force the component out of the containing element with negative margins. (Works fine if there's only a little deviation). Use CSS Grid to build a fluid universal grid! (????). That last one is what we'll be exploring: how to use CSS Grid definitions to allow for consistent component sizing across all breakpoints — no media queries required! This is a technique that's based on Ryan Mulligan's 'Layout Breakouts' which is based on Josh Comeau's 'Full-Bleed Layout' and is especially useful when creating a fully fluid layout. This also pairs well with fluid type techniques resulting in layouts that TRULY scale with the viewport size. Setting Up the Grid # Here's the layout we're going to be building: If we break apart the design, we've got 4 possible widths for components: Full-Width Feature Popout Content We've also go some special side-anchored elements that 'stick' to one of the screen edges but also honor the other element widths. We'll come back to these later on. Now that we've categorized the widths, lets start drawing column edges and defining areas: Left margin / Full-Width Left Feature Left Popout Center Content Right Popout Right Feature Right margin / Full-Width That's a lot of columns! Yet on mobile, we only need 3 columns, just left margin (1), center content (4), and right margin (7). We want some of these intermediate columns to disappear! Fortunately, CSS Grid gives us some powerful tools to create the measurements needed—yes, even for the disappearing columns! We won't even have to write any media queries for this one. We can make just ONE definition that works at all sizes. We'll store our measurements as CSS variables for easy use later on: :root { --gap: clamp(1rem, 4vw, 2rem); --full: minmax(var(--gap), 1fr); --feature: minmax(0, 12vw); --popout: minmax(0, 2rem); --content: min(clamp(30rem, 52vw, 60rem), 100% - var(--gap) * 2); } Let's break these down. --gap: clamp(1rem, 4vw, 2rem); gap will be our side margin, allowing it to stretch up to 2rem at max, with a preferred width of 4vw, but never going below 1rem. --full: minmax(var(--gap), 1fr); We're going to use the minmax() function for these next three measurements to say: "If there's room in the CSS Grid, you can expand out to here but then don't go smaller than the minimum". The full area is going to expand from left edge to right edge (remember we have to split the areas to allow for the other columns) and will double as our margin, so we'll pop in our gap value as our minimum and tell it that it can expand up to 1fr, or basically as much space as the rest of the grid will allow it. --feature: minmax(0, 12vw); --popout: minmax(0, 2rem); The feature and popout both have a minimum value of 0. This is what powers our disappearing columns! As other areas of the grid expand, these will collapse when there's no longer any room for them, essentially taking up no space. --content: min(clamp(30rem, 52vw, 60rem), 100% - var(--gap) * 2); And then finally, our content area is our most complex measurement. It's saying, take the minimum value of either: A fluid measurement that can be 30-60rem (with the help of clamp()) OR full width minus our gap value (but doubled for both left and right values). These measurements can be changed to fit the needs of your layout. Specifically the feature and popout maximum values and the first content value. For example, our use of vw for the feature means it will fluidly expand out as the screen grows whereas the popout will remain only 2rem larger on each side than the content column. Now we can assemble these measurements in a CSS grid column definition. We'll name our column edges with [custom-ident] and use the -start and -end endings to help make assignment easier later on. .grid-breakout { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [full-start] var(--full) [feature-start] var(--feature) [popout-start] var(--popout) [content-start] var(--content) [content-end] var(--popout) [popout-end] var(--feature) [feature-end] var(--full) [full-end]; } The definition is complex, but if we visualize the start and end lines of our columns as well as the measurements, it looks like this: You can see we have our middle content column, our disappearing feature and popout columns, and finally our full columns that double as our margin. To finish off the definitions, we need to create column assignments. Because we named our columns with custom identifiers and specified the start and stop lines, we don't have to fiddle with grid numbers. We can assign them directly like: .full { grid-column: full; } .feature { grid-column: feature; } .popout { grid-column: popout; } .content { grid-column: content; } And if we want to create a default assignment for elements in the grid (which is especially useful if you don't have full control over the markup) you can create one like this: .grid-breakout > * { grid-column: content; } Now you can attach any of these classes to components in your grid and have them snap to the width you want. Watch the screen capture below as the grid scales down. You can see the feature and popout columns disappearing as everything transitions to a mobile width, and then expands back up. A video showing how the intermediate columns collapse down to transition to the mobile layout and then expand as the window increases in width. You can see a demo of the base setup here: See the Pen Universal Breakout CSS Grid - Basic by Nathan Long (@nathanlong) on CodePen. Nesting Grids # Now let's go back to our header element. You can see that though the header is full-width, we actually want its inner content to honor the feature width. Fortunately, because of the flexible nature of this grid definition, we can repeat the definition and then continue using the same column names on the inner structure. Because our grid only goes one layer deep we're free to replicate as much as we need or even break out and use different layout methods for the component interiors. <main class="grid-breakout"> <section class="full grid-breakout"> <div class="feature"> <!-- inner content --> </div> </section> </main> You can see it in action here: See the Pen Universal Breakout CSS Grid - Basic by Nathan Long (@nathanlong) on CodePen. Anchoring Left and Right # Remember those side-anchored components? This is where we need to get a little tricky to line everything up. Going back to our diagram, we want an element to span MOST of the way across the page, but end at the opposite feature edge. We can reuse our column definitions for the first part. .feature-left { grid-template-columns: full-start / feature-end; } Great! That gives us exactly what we want... except for when we try to nest the grids. Our original grid definition assumes that our content, while different widths, is centered in the window. We have to rethink our inner grid definition a little bit. We're shaving off one end of the grid, specifically a full definition. So two things need to happen: We need to adjust our content width to now account for only having one gap. We need our new grid end to stop at the edge of the feature column. We can achieve this with a new measurement and a new grid definition: :root { /* previous definitions... */ --content-inset: min(clamp(30rem, 52vw, 60rem), 100% - var(--gap)); } .grid-breakout-feature-left { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [full-start] var(--full) [feature-start] var(--feature) [popout-start] var(--popout) [content-start] var(--content-inset) [content-end] var(--popout) [popout-end] var(--feature) [feature-end full-end]; } We've replaced the inner content measurement with the new value and combined the feature and full ends with the final line of the template column definition: [feature-end full-end] This will allow redefinition inside the new side-anchored component. You will notice that you'll need to supply your own padding for the inner as they no longer have that final margin to prevent it from reaching the new grid edge. <main class="grid-breakout"> <section class="feature-left grid-breakout-feature-left"> <div class="feature"> <!-- inner content --> </div> </section> </main> If you want to reverse this to be anchored to the right, you can flip the grid definition, moving the double start to the top like: .grid-breakout-feature-right { display: grid; grid-template-columns: [full-start feature-start] var(--feature) [popout-start] var(--popout) [content-start] var(--content-inset) [content-end] var(--popout) [popout-end] var(--feature) [feature-end] var(--full) [full-end]; } You can see a demo of the side-anchored component here: See the Pen Universal Breakout CSS Grid - Side-Anchored Elements by Nathan Long (@nathanlong) on CodePen. But What About Tailwind! # We love using Tailwind at Viget as a Team Accelerator™, and it's straightforward to implement these measurements and definitions in your Tailwind config. /** @type {import('tailwindcss').Config} */ import plugin from "tailwindcss/plugin"; export default { // the rest of your other definitions theme: { // the rest of your theme definitions extend: { gridColumn: { content: "content", popout: "popout", feature: "feature", full: "full", "feature-left": "full-start / feature-end", }, gridTemplateColumns: { breakout: `[full-start] var(--full) [feature-start] var(--feature) [popout-start] var(--popout) [content-start] var(--content) [content-end] var(--popout) [popout-end] var(--feature) [feature-end] var(--full) [full-end]`, "breakout-feature-left": `[full-start] var(--full) [feature-start] var(--feature) [popout-start] var(--popout) [content-start] var(--content-inset) [content-end] var(--popout) [popout-end] var(--feature) [feature-end full-end];`, }, }, }, plugins: [ plugin(function ({ addBase }) { addBase({ ":root": { // grid sizing variables "--gap": "clamp(1rem, 4vw, 2rem)", "--full": "minmax(var(--gap), 1fr)", "--content": "min(clamp(30rem, 52vw, 60rem), 100% - var(--gap) * 2)", "--popout": "minmax(0, 2rem)", "--feature": "minmax(0, 12vw)", "--content-inset": "min(clamp(30rem, 52vw, 60rem), 100% - var(--gap))", }, // force unspecified content blocks into 'content' grid ".grid-cols-breakout > *": { "grid-column": "content", }, }); }), ], }; Everything is effectively the same, but you'll call your grid classes like grid-cols-breakout to set the grid, and your columns like col-feature per Tailwind naming conventions. Forwards to a Fluid Future! # And there you have it! A media-query-less fluid breakout layout defined with CSS grid! While the setup is more complicated at first glance, I've found that the more fluid your layout rules are, the FEWER rules you have to write overall! Especially when paired with fluid type, dynamic viewport units, and all the amazing features that are landing in CSS — it's truly a fluid future! Full Article Code Front-end Engineering
wit Building Magic with Webflow: A UI Developer's Perspective By www.viget.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0400 In the fast moving and constantly changing landscape of web development, codeless solutions like Webflow and Squarespace have emerged as an alternative to more traditional development. These platforms allow users to design and build websites through intuitive visual interfaces, and are viable solutions for many use cases out there. For the past several months, I've been working as a frontend development support specialist alongside one of our talented designers, Blair Culbreth, who is managing a large, established Webflow project. Here are my candid thoughts and impressions from this experience, along with some critical considerations for those looking to integrate Webflow into their own workflow. Spoiler alert: while Webflow has some impressive strengths, it also comes with limitations that can be both unexpected and frustrating at times.What Webflow Does Really WellSmall Team EfficiencyWebflow truly shines for smaller teams or products, especially those with limited resources. For a team that’s just a single designer or a small development crew, Webflow can help lower the technical debt involved with getting a website to production. By mitigating some of the more complex aspects of development such as responsive design, cross-browser compatibility, and hosting, teams are able to focus on other aspects of the site. This makes it a strong option for startups, freelancers, or small businesses looking to create professional-grade websites efficiently and effectively without the necessity of a developer.Animation ToolingWhen I say professional-grade websites, I’m talking about more than just functional designs. Webflow has some fantastic animation tooling making it incredibly simple to build rich, full-page animations and interactions without ever touching a line of code. Users can create scroll-bound animations or interactive moments of joy all from the comfort of a relatively simple and straightforward GUI. Through the use of animation keyframes, you can elevate a static site into something that feels modern and expensive. Heck, I could even see using the animation tooling itself as a prototyping tool for design handoff in a more traditional web development process. This ability to easily add sophisticated animations allows smaller teams to produce polished, dynamic websites that rival those created by much larger teams with dedicated development resources. Documentation & EducationBeyond its design capabilities, Webflow also stands out for its educational impact. The platform offers incredible documentation that covers core frontend principles, effectively bridging the divide between design and development. Through simple, digestible, and intuitive videos and written documentation, Webflow equips designers with knowledge that shores up many concepts and intricacies of web development.Working with Webflow provides designers with numerous takeaways they can apply to future projects, including those outside the realm of Webflow. The platform educates users on HTML structure, CSS styling properties, and responsive design. This deeper understanding of web development makes designers more versatile and effective in their roles and inherently benefits communication between designers and developers, as their thinking will be more aligned with one another.Navigating Webflow’s LimitationsClass StylesWebflow's class-based styling system is a standout feature, especially to those familiar with CSS. It allows you to bundle properties into classes and apply them efficiently across different elements, minimizing code duplication. When used effectively, this approach facilitates the creation of reusable styles and design systems; however, mastering it requires attention to detail, similar to working with CSS directly, which can be made challenging within the Webflow UI.Due to the separation of pages and content in Webflow, tracking down existing CSS classes and applying styles consistently throughout a project can be challenging. Keeping track of which class names apply what styles can be a struggle. While Webflow offers a Style Manager to help organize and manage classes, it can be difficult to use for quickly identifying how styles are being applied across the platform.Moreover, the inability to open multiple pages in designer mode at once presents a significant frustration. Without the ability to compare elements across different pages simultaneously, users may face challenges in ensuring consistency and troubleshooting design issues efficiently. This limitation may lead to a slower, more cumbersome workflow, particularly in larger projects where maintaining a coherent design system is critical.Another struggle with managing styles within the UI comes in the form of applying styles to combo classes. Combo classes are when you combine multiple classes together to create a variation or modified state of an element. Inadvertently applying styles to a combo class when intending to apply a style for the base class was a common issue I found myself running into, highlighting some challenges users should be aware of, especially when getting more familiar with Webflow.These challenges underscore the value of implementing a strong and consistent CSS class naming system, such as BEM (Block Element Modifier). Adhering to a standardized naming convention will help mitigate some of the challenges posed by Webflow's class-based styling system, but it does come with the added overhead of needing to learn a new class naming convention.Preset Web ElementsWebflow provides users with a diverse selection of default web elements, ranging from simple divs to intricate lightbox elements, which serve as the foundational building blocks for websites. These preset elements occasionally impose rigid structural constraints. For instance, when attempting to create a tabs menu with a filter, users may encounter a problem with adding additional elements to the tab menu block. This restriction forces users to either conform their design to Webflow’s constraints or devise creative workarounds to achieve their desired functionality.Navigating such limitations can be challenging, particularly when striving to realize a specific design vision. It may involve exploring alternative solutions or compromising on the original plan. Yet, as users gain familiarity with the platform, those limitations can be anticipated, allowing them to develop strategies to circumvent the constraints.Custom ScriptsOne of the most powerful aspects of Webflow is also one of the most challenging features to balance. It requires careful management to avoid issues like performance degradation and increased technical debt. It’s incredibly easy to have a website get bogged down with bloat, especially when a larger team might be working on a project.Webflow lacks a built-in feature to view all custom scripts at a glance, making it difficult to track and manage them. Maintaining a documented list of all custom scripts used in your project and detailing their purposes and locations can help mitigate this issue, but that’s a fair amount of overhead to maintain. Additionally, custom scripts do not function in Webflow’s editor mode, requiring a site deploy for testing and troubleshooting, which can be time-consuming. The ability to add custom scripts opens up a world of options, including third-party plugins and libraries that can expand Webflow's native features. Tools like Jetboost or Finsweet can help fill in the gaps, and are oftentimes worth the investment as they provide relatively easy-to-use integrations that will make for a better user experience.That’s all to say that applying custom scripts to a Webflow project is not necessarily bad, but should be approached with considerations on how to mitigate technical debt. Here are a few suggestions to help with integrating custom scripts into your Webflow project:Maximize Native Features: Use Webflow’s built-in features as much as possible. If a design can be achieved with Webflow’s interactions and animations, avoid adding custom JavaScript.External Development: Develop and test scripts in an external environment to reduce time spent deploying and debugging within Webflow.Reusable Components: Save frequently used custom code as reusable components to simplify maintenance and ensure consistency across the site.Regular Audits: Periodically review and clean up scripts to ensure that only necessary ones are loaded, improving site performance and maintainability.Mitigating Difficulty Through TeamworkI started this article by mentioning that I recently served as a frontend development support specialist alongside our designer, Blair, on this project. Blair took on the primary responsibility of building many of the pages, and I want to share more about our collaborative experience. Webflow is as close as you can get to building a traditionally coded website without necessarily needing to touch code, but that doesn’t mean there’s no value in having someone more familiar with the technical side of website building available. From accessibility considerations to complex layout structures, a lot of time can be saved by having a developer serve as a pseudo consultant on the project.On numerous occasions, Blair reached out to me to help set up more complex custom implementations that required JavaScript or weren’t coming together as expected. By being able to jump in and solve those issues quickly for Blair, she was able to focus on building out the other pages. Similarly, I was able to audit and review her work to ensure it was inclusive for all types of users.There are various development tricks we can implement to enhance user experiences for visually impaired users. For example, hiding text specific to a screen reader to provide greater context is a technique that a designer might not generally think about or even be aware of, but a good frontend developer would know to include. By being involved in the building process, I was able to highlight and advise on such instances, ensuring our project was accessible and user-friendly for everyone.ConclusionWebflow presents a robust solution for web development, particularly for smaller teams or projects with limited resources. Its intuitive visual interface and powerful animation tools enable the creation of professional-grade websites without the need for extensive coding knowledge. Webflow’s educational resources also empower designers to deepen their understanding of web development, bridging the gap between design and development and fostering better collaboration.Webflow is not without its limitations. The class-based styling system, while efficient, can be challenging to manage, and the need for site deployment to test custom scripts adds to both the complexity and time investment required to build a project. Despite these challenges, many of the difficulties can be mitigated through careful planning and teamwork. Leveraging native features, developing and testing scripts externally, and creating reusable components are all strategies that can help maintain site performance and manage technical debt.Collaborative efforts between designers and developers can further enhance the process, as seen in my experience working alongside Blair. This teamwork allows for efficient problem-solving and ensures that accessibility and user experience are prioritized throughout the project. By combining the strengths of Webflow with thoughtful collaboration and strategic planning, teams can create dynamic, user-friendly websites that meet modern standards. Full Article Design & Content Tooling