I’m super excited about this new version of Catalyst because it not only fixes some bugs and adds some nice new options, but it also makes the process of creating Custom CSS less daunting than ever before!
There are four main features that I want to mention in this blog post and then I’ll leave the rest to the Catalyst 1.3 Changelog.
Custom CSS Builder Front-end Editor
If you’ve been using Catalyst for a while you should be very familiar with the built-in Custom CSS Building Tool. Whether you’ve used it to create a single font style or to manipulate entire designs, you’ll appreciate it’s ability to write CSS code for you, using the options provided.
What I felt was lacking, however, was more intuitive CSS Element Lists as well as the ability to view the changes as they take place.
First, regarding the CSS Element Lists, I not only added a number of Elements, but I also changed the way they’re presented to the user. Before you had a list of the actual styles which can get quite confusing, especially if you’re fairly new to CSS. Now, however, you’ll find understandable descriptions of each Element that then spits out the actual CSS code into the textarea.
Next, I’ve added the ability to enable a “Show/Hide CSS Builder” tab on the front-end of your site (note that this feature will not be visible to visitors, only logged in admins). When you click this tab it displays the CSS Builder on your site’s front-end, allowing you to see the actual content as you’re styling it.
The way it works is that once you select an element from the drop-down list it highlights all areas that will be effected by CSS for that element. Then as you style such elements you will see the changes in real-time, giving you instant feedback which can be useful when making those fine-tuning tweaks to your site.
Then, once you’re happy with your Custom CSS Tweaks you just insert the CSS code into your Custom CSS Editor box and save your changes to make them permanent. So that means that all style changes made with the CSS Builder are only visible to you and don’t actually do anything to your site’s design.
Descriptions can only explain so much, however, so be sure to check out this video to see for yourself!
Homepage EZ Widget Area Extras
With the release of the Vanilla Child Theme as well as many other Catalyst Child Themes based off of Vanilla, we added a Home Sidebar and Home Slider option. This gave the user even greater control over the structure of their homepages. Unfortunately the Dynamik Child Theme was lacking such features…until now!
Now under your Dynamik EZ options you’ll find these “Extras” allowing you to add a Homepage Sidebar and Slider with a few clicks of your mouse, adding to the amazing flexibility of the Dynamik Child Theme! With these options you also have the ability to control their positions on the page in conjunction with the other content on the page (Left/Right for the Sidebar and Inside Sidebar/Outside Sidebar for the Slider).
I also added some new [?]Tooltips that provide some visual references for the different structures to help in the process of picking the perfect layout for your Homepage and Featured Areas.
Catalyst In-Post/In-Page Options For Custom Post Types
When you create a Custom Post Type and then go into the Edit Page for such Post Types you will find something that resembles the Page/Post Editor. But before this update you would not find the Catalyst In-Post/In-Page Options giving you SEO, Layout, Script and Class controls, nor would you have the ability to add such options. That is no longer an issue.
With Catalyst 1.3 you now have the ability to include the Catalyst In-Post Options either to ALL Custom Post Types or to specific ones. This gives you the same control over your Custom Post Type pages as you have over all your other Catalyst controlled content!
Please Note that if your Custom Post Type is using its own physical Page Templates these In-Post/In-Page options may not work, or the Page Templates may require tweaking to get the options to work.
Category, Tag and Author Archive Options
Recently I added Layout Options for individual Category, Tag and Author archive pages, but now you’ll also find full SEO Options as well as the ability to control Custom Titles and Descriptions for such archive pages.
Just one more way Catalyst can help you take things to that next level!
Some Extra “Stuff”
Also added were a few other features worth noting like:
- 404 Page content option.
- jQuery Navbar sub-indicator add/remove option.
- General Page and General Post Layout Options.
- SEO Kill Switch Feature.
Catalyst 1.3 Overview:
Exciting Things To Come!
We’re currently working on an exciting new addition to the Catalyst Marketplace that should be a huge new asset to both single site owners and Developer/Power Users alike. So keep your eyes peeled for the coming details! 
Regards,
Eric
Thanks guys
As usual; great comunication and clear ideas. really appreciated.
Well done
ii
Thanks for the update. It looks like tons of work has went into this one. Much appreciation and truly a great value.
You guys continue to amaze! Such a fantastic upgrade, especially the re-imagined css editor. Thank you.
Terrific! The biggest problem I have right now is styling design elements like tabs, pricing tables, lists, attention boxes, pull quotes, etc…
I’m not a good css coder so this will help… A lot. Customizing forms is hard too.
Say, is anyone reading this good at CSS?
I’m hiring.
I’d like to start building more creative sites like http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com
And get a package of basic elements developed.
Sam, I’d love to help you with your plans
. There’s a short (3.5 minute) video on my site (http://www.WorthToYou.com) that will give you an idea of who I am and how I do business. I look forward to hearing from you!
Really Amazing! You’ve done it again. I love the new custom CSS builder and was hoping that sliders would come at some point. Thanks! Really is the best theme framework around.
Way to go Erik!
Great update! I’m sure the CSS Builder Front-end Editor will be a game changer for the future of the theme, seeing changes of the CSS as you make them is something very useful, specially for beginners.
Whenever I need a bit of Advanced CSS I usually use Firebug, now it’s built in Catalyst, and actually it’s more intuitive! Very good
I’m also glad of the custom post type in-page options and the home slider/ sidebar.
I would like to know if there’s some solution for responsive design built-in Catalyst, to manage mobile traffic to our sites
Keep up the great work!
Cheers,
David
That’s a good question that I would like to know as well. The Twenty Eleven default theme is a responsive design. I’d like to know if the css classes can be borrowed from Twenty Eleven for other parts of a responsive design such as the images.
Will this update when applied remove “any” of the already out of the box changes using the tool that one has made to the site? I don’t want to risk losing what I did. Just being cautious.
Thanks
You won’t lose your current CSS, the editor will look and work differently, but your current code will be there… but now that I reread your comment I’m not sure if you meant CSS or your Dynamik settings. Either way, your current work will be safe.
upgraded and now my home page is having issues. wraps aren’t supporting 3 columns. i’ll update if i’m able to remedy….
By the way, fantastic theme, great work!
Nice one! That´s why I keep recommending Catalyst
Catalyst v1.3 comes out with awesome features. One question though did not see any update in wp-admin panel (looks like its for me only). Have to manually update the latest version
Did you try clicking the “Check Now” button in Core Options > Info > “Check for Updates”?
Eric
Thanks Eric, this will help out.
custom margins and padding are causing the problem…
Great update cannot wait to use the visual css! Keep up the good work.
aha… it’s left padding excerpt widgets…
Glad you figured it out. Was the left padding Custom CSS you had in there? Just curious as to what might have caused the issue.
Eric
Great news! If only it wasn’t nearly midnight here in the UK! Have to wait until tomorrow!
Awesome timing Eric, these new features will help me put up a new demo site much faster.
BTW, I purchased another system because it had a real-time css editor and now I really don’t need to use it, plus I prefer to use Catalyst anyway.
Great job and thanks.
Eric, as ever, you do not cease to amaze! Catalyst continues to be so much better than the “competition” that they can barely exist in the same conversation. Keep up the good work
.
Excellent update…i was thinking if Dynamik will have its own home slider area, and there it is!!
plus more additions.
Great job!
In a word – WOW!
Every new version of Catalyst reminds me yet again why I switched to Catalyst for all my WordPress needs.
Awesome product Eric!
Just watched both videos. This really is a wonderful addition to the best WP Theme framework.
Tools and Functions with NO guides are not very useful. Fairly easy ones made even easier to a major milestone.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been slowed down on projects simply because I wasn’t quite sure of the name of the element I was styling.
Little things in terms of a theme’s user interface have a HUGE impact on use just like little things matter in terms of lead capture.
Congratulations Again guys!
Sam
Beautiful updates Eric! Thank you for your hard work.
WoW! Great Job man.
Love the “Inspect Element”. Just like an implanted firebug. Awesome.
A monsterpiece!
Okay, now I think I am ready to tackle CSS. Before I was just overwhelmed by the coded versions of the elements.
Thanks!
Andy
PS – I am looking forward to what changes you have coming to the market place. Are these plugins or themes? I am sure it will be good, so I better start saving up
Hey Andy,
I can’t say. It’s a secret!
That, and we’re still hashing out the details, but it should be a nice addition to our community.
Eric
Keep the really good job Eric!
Awesome new features with a really fantastic end result.
Take care!
This is just fantastic and cements Catalyst as my favourite theme.
Eric, you have rocked it with this update! Catalyst has changed my entire workflow and saved me immense hours of time and I’m putting that to good use by being able to spend more time advising my clients about the marketing capabilities of their websites while still creating beautiful sites. Thank you Eric for all your hard work, energy and brilliance ~ you’re making a big difference for alot of people
Hi Eric
Any plans to include in the next upgrade, to have the ability to add ez-widgets to each page or post separately? I was hoping you were going to roll that out on this new version, but I don’t see that in the videos. I really like ez widgets, but I would like to have individual control and adding them on separate pages/posts as I choose.
Cheers and good job on the latest update.
Awesome job on this upgrade Eric. Having now seen a little of the way you work behind the scenes, your attention to detail and your insistence on refining again and again to get things just right really shows through in the quality of the finished product.
Catalyst keeps pulling further and further away from the ‘competition’, and this baby is still in it’s first year! So many awesome things still to come for Catalyst and the community.
I really love being a part of this!
Cheers,
Ben
I know the time and effort that went into Catalyst Theme 1.3 was tremendous Eric, and once again Catalyst is pushing the boundaries of what a WP theme can be. You’ve got a great result here!
Upgraded to Catalyst 1.3 the CSS feature is awesome. However, all of my screens below the Catalyst Dynamic and Advanced Options Navbars are shifted to the left so I can’t access the controls?
Hey Doug,
Be sure to post this in the Catalyst forum and we’ll see what we can do to help resolve it.
Eric
Been using framework themes from Eric since the Frugal days.
Totally amazed with this latest version of Catalyst which simply blows everything else out of the water.
Fantastic job Eric!!
Very good stuff there Eric.
A suggestion though. Give us the option to put the Slider on all pages rather than just the home page.
Thanks a bunch!
Hey everybody,
Thanks for all the great feedback! It’s always appreciated.
Eric
Eric is the “Wright Brothers” of our age. He gives flight to the imagination. Thanks again Eric for going above & beyond.
Eric… every update I think: ok… you can’t beat THAT.
And then you go and do this.
I just tried it the front CSS feature, and just made some nice rounded borders on my blockquotes… in half the time it would have taken me using Firebug and typing out code.
This feature is simply beautiful.
Excellent update…plus more additions.
This upgrade is fantastic Eric – well done and thank you! From Frugal to Catalyst to Catalyst 1.3 you keep improving things and taking things to the next level. I have just been able to add a nice little box with a light blue background and a shadow on a top widget and it looks great – before this update that would have taken me a day to work out how to do with a few questions posted on the forum for good measure. I did it today in 10 minutes!
You rock!
Ian
great work, I’m loving the flexibility of catalyst!
Love the latest features. Glad to be part of the catalyst family, I use catalyst on all my sites. Keep up the great work Eric, you are a genius! Take care, karen
Catalyst is developing very quickly. Still surprises me such rapid development. In addition, great communication with users and e-books by David. Great work!
Catalyst is definitely great, I recommend to my colleagues and friends.