Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/christmas-symbol-fonts/
Thinking of sprucing up your site or designs for the holiday season? Need some fonts to help share in the Christmas cheer? Here is a collection of Christmas Symbol Fonts full of Christmas-related…
Visit hongkiat.com for full content.
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Designrfix/~3/C-fRhDHUCwk/pay-what-you-want-master-game-development-bundle
Gaming is a billion dollar industry and has been for years. If you are a gamer, you have probably thought of getting into game development before. As the video gaming market continues to grow, so does the demand for game developers. You need to have the broadest skill set possible to get one of those […]
The post Pay What You Want for the Master Game Development Bundle appeared first on designrfix.com.
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/mrkOVZWjrh4/creative-resumes-11121419
We all know finding work in the design industry is an extremely competitive process, even if you do have a killer design portfolio. With so many talented people around, just getting noticed is a job in itself.
Designers and illustrators around the world have long been coming up with unusual creative strategies to give their resumés an edge in the hunt for employment. If you're in need of inspiration for your own CV, here are some of the best creative resumés out there to help get the creative juices flowing.
01. Victor Rodriguez
This cereal-themed resume is high in fibre and work history details
Colombian art director and designer Victor Rodriguez, also known as Vimarovi, has an appreciation for lots of different aspects of graphic design, including corporate identity, packaging and product design. So what better way to showcase all these interests than with a resume that brings together all these elements?
That's just what Rodriguez has done with the innovative VICK cereal box. Designed to look like an everyday cereal box, this CV humorously weaves his work history and creative skills into the design. Instead of ingredients, hungry clients will find information about his personality, strengths and previous employment, and if anyone needed any proof of Rodriguez's claims, the packaging speaks for itself.
02. Andy Morris
Andy Morris thought small when it came to his new CV
Art director, artist and designer Andy Morris caught the design industry's attention for all the right reasons with this fantastically creative resume. Rather than sticking with the traditional paper, Morris commissioned a LEGO minifigure in his own likeness, complete with a tiny laptop in one hand and a mini-CV in the other. To update prospective clients with the information they need, the packaging features a bitesized run-down of Morris' skills, plus contact details.
03. Pierre-Marie Postel
Click the image to see the full CV
Graphic designer and illustrator Pierre-Marie Postel – also known as Paiheme – decided to use his CV to show off exactly what he's best at. His creative resume displays his impressive illustration style, and mimics a Japanese print advert.
It's not style at the expense of substance, however – this CV includes plenty of key information, plus some quirky additions such as character designs to show off Postel's personality. The monochrome colour palette ensures it doesn't become overwhelming.
04. Brennan Gleason
Brennan Gleason decided to combine two passions
Interaction designer Brennan Gleason was nearing the end of university and needed to get his name known by potential employers. To do so in style he brewed up a batch of blonde ale, packaged it up in a neat cardboard carrier, and printed his CV on the back. The idea being that prospective employers could sit down for a quick drink and peruse Gleason's design skills at the same time.
05. Curriculum 3D
Benjamin Benhaim’s 3D CV really stands out
Inspired by this great-looking flat CV from Jimmy Raheriarisoa, Paris-based art director and motion designer Benjamin Benhaim set to work and made this stunning 3D rendered resumé. Created using Cinema 4D, Octane and After Effects, it covers all the bases and features plenty of playful touches, and each image took around seven minutes to render. Time well spent!
06. Robynne Redgrave
You’d be all over this if it turned up in the post
This portfolio mail package created by Robynne Redgrave, a Canadian graphic designer based in Helsinki, is a real attention-grabber. It contains not only her CV but a whole load of stuff including a hand-bound portfolio book, a letter of intent, application form and certificates.
07. Robby Leonardi
Robby Leonardi’s interactive CV caused a real stir when he launched it
Robby Leonardi is a multidisciplinary designer based in New York City. Specialising in illustration, graphic design, animation, and front end development, he has worked with the likes of Fox, Speed TV, FX Networks, myNetworkTV and G4. His incredibly fun interactive design resumé will have you scrolling for hours!
08. Julia Miceli
Julia Miceli’s CV is testament that creativity can also be practical
Julia Miceli – a graphic designer based in Buenos Aires, Argentina – managed to hit all the right notes with her creative resume. It's simple compared to many of the other in this list, but still oozes personality. The bold orange colour is unusual and eye-catching, and there isn't an element that hasn't been carefully art directed.
Miceli has also considered practical aspects: the CV is a standard A4 size, but sits in a wallet that shows it off to its full potential, and there's a neat slot that holds a business card the viewer can pop out and keep.
09. Zhi Liang
A simple and inventive approach to the résumé design
Singapore-based student Chen Zhi Liang was set a task by his graphic design tutor to create an inventive résumé that would make him stand out from the crowd. The semester-end assignment was to create an infographic résumé and we think he's come up trumps with this design.
Showcasing the all-important qualifications and skills, the résumé is eye-catching without being overwhelming. Liang's minimal approach is perfect for an overcrowded job market. We'd definitely hire him!
10. Ed Hamilton
Ed Hamilton’s Google Map resumé uses personalised placemarkers to highlight his skills
When London-based copywriter Ed Hamilton was out of work, he decided to put his time to good use and develop a creative way to stand out to prospective employers.
Using Google Maps' My Maps feature, Hamilton mapped his resumé, using different coloured pins to create personalised placemarkers, each accompanied by explanatory text. The brilliant design includes pins for where Hamilton lives, his interests and his previous employment.
Related articles:
20 tips for design interview successHow to be the designer every agency wants to hire14 free resume templates
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Designrfix/~3/TRuzvAYIaj0/typographic-posters-project
We all need a bit of inspiration every now and then to motivate us to tackle a difficult task, or simply to get out of bed. Images have always had that power. As they say, one picture can say more than a thousand words ever could. In addition, the correct application of graphic images and fonts […]
The post Tips On How To Create Your Next Typographic Posters Project appeared first on designrfix.com.
Original Source: https://inspiredm.com/jotform-pdf-editor/
Here at Inspired Magazine, we’re always looking for tools that make the lives of our readers easier- which is why we love JotForm PDF Editor.
JotForm listened to the concerns of their customers and responded with new features and benefits.
Prior to JotForm’s PDF Editor, users had to sift through the information collated in their online forms manually. Usually, copying and pasting each response into a Word Doc and arranging the data into a professional looking PDF document.
Luckily for you, this long and tedious process isn’t necessary anymore.
This is what Aytekin Tank, JotForm founder, and CEO had to say about their PDF Editor;
“Our users told us about wanting a better way to present and distribute their form data,”
“Our new PDF Editor makes the entire process significantly easier. The best part — anyone can use it, even without any technical skills.”
How awesome is that? With all that in mind, let’s delve into meat and potatoes of this review.
What’s Jotform PDF Editor?
As you may have already guessed, PDF Editor is a tool that makes editing PDF documents online, easier.
Simple right?
JotForm is an industry leader for creating easy-to-use online forms for business owners.
Their simple drag-and-drop customizing tool is part of what’s helped make them so popular. Within a matter of minutes, you can have an interactive form up and running- without having to write any code yourself!
What’s JotForm Used For?
These online forms are great for:
Collecting payments online
Customer contact forms
Job applications
Invoices
Lead collection
Client/ Staff surveys
Registration forms
Online booking forms
Event registration
You get the idea!
Just name the online form you need, and JotForm probably has a template with your name on it.
Where Does JotForm PDF Editor Factor In?
JotForm’s taken things further by adding PDF Editor into the mix. You can now combine their fabulous online forms and integrate your responses to form one comprehensive PDF file- with incredible ease.
When Does This Come In Handy?
This is just one of many situations you might resonate with:
You launch a customer survey using a JotForm. However, you want to collate all your responses in one place. Not an email, not a copy and pasted Word Doc, or an Exel file- but a stylish PDF that reflects your brand.
Typically this requires a lot of time and effort on your behalf. This is where JotForm PDF Editor comes into its own. In no time at all, you can create numerous PDFs displaying all the data you’ve collected from your interactive forms.
Each document presents the information in a uniform design that exudes professionalism.
It’s safe to say, JotForm has officially taken this burden off your shoulders.
Why Do Teachers Love This Tool?
Here’s another quick situation to consider.
All teachers have to edit PDFs at some point or another. Whether its a hand out for the class, or a complicated parental form- teachers are always utilizing PDF documents.
However, it’s time-consuming editing all these kinds of files. This is why teachers love JotForom PDF Editor; they can create a professional looking PDF document from scratch or modify an existing doc without needing any coding or tech skills- how cool is that? JotForm also has a nifty guide on editing PDFs, which is a helpful resource for educators.
What Features Come With JotForm PDF Editor?
JotForm provides all the fields you need to customize your PDF. You’ll be hard pressed not to be able to create a document to suit your needs.
It doesn’t matter which payment package you opt for; you can insert as many fields as you like (even in the free Starter package)! You can also have the option of allowing users to add their electronic signature- how neat is that?
Any signature you receive via a JotForm form can be neatly displayed on your PDF doc. If your business involves a lot of contract signing, this feature’s a godsend. Users can even send an online signature using their smartphone!
Plus, you have the ability to edit each individual element to ensure that every inch of your finished product exudes the voice of your brand.
You can:
Add new sections,
Edit colors,
Upload photo and logos,
Choose fonts,
If you’re unsure where to begin in terms of design, not to worry, JotForm provides hundreds of PDF templates for you to choose from.
Then, once you’ve set up your PDF template, it’ll automatically update each time you get a response through from your digital form. It really is as simple as that!
Then, once you’ve collated all your data, you can easily share the info with your team. Or, you can pick individual team members to send the PDF to (it’s entirely down to you).
This ensures your staff’s notified as soon as they’re able to access the information they need to complete their tasks- eradicating the need to continue forwarding emails to the relevant parties.
If you’re handling personal information, you can increase your privacy settings by password protecting your PDF documents. This works wonders for ensuring you don’t accidentally leak any of your customer’s private details- not cool!
Plus, PDF Editor integrates seamlessly with other major programs such as Google Drive, and Dropbox. Once you’ve set up these integrations, any new PDFs you create will automatically save onto these online storage services.
Again, this is another handy feature that enables your team to stay informed with all the latest info you’ve pulled from your online forms and gives them access to the most updated documents, immediately.
Are There Any Drawbacks to JotForm PDF Editor?
There are a couple of improvements JotForm PDF Editor could make.
For example, some users complain that JotForm could do a better job organizing survey responses.
For example, you can create a graph displaying the results of your digital form. However, it looks a little distorted. We’re sure this just a bug that needs ironing out, but for now, this is an area that certainly needs improving.
This means if you need to conduct extensive surveys that require you to plot graphs displaying your results- this might not be the best software (at the moment).
Customers also said JotForm Editor could improve by offering users the option to create default email formats. Presently, you have to select an email template for each form you create.
This involves manually adding your logo and other defining features. To be fair, this doesn’t take up a lot of time, and it’s still pretty easy to customize- however, this update would still be much appreciated (really and truly, at this stage, we’re just nit-picking!)
Last but not least, if you own a Shopify store, you might be trying to get feedback from your customers. At the moment, users can’t integrate their JotForms with a Shopify popup plugin to get feedback after someone’s made a purchase.
What Are Other People Saying About JotForm PDF Editor?
On the whole, we think this software’s pretty awesome.
However, you don’t have to take our word for it. I took the liberty of scouring the internet to get the opinions of those who frequently use this tool.
This is a small snapshot of what customers had to say:
‘This is a so much wanted feature by many of us who are regular Jotform users. I appreciate the effort to make it so easy and intuitive to use, that is why I say: Way to go! Just another awesome product from the Jotform gurus!
Jeanette BM has used this product for one week.‘- Jeanette BM, Multitask manager
‘I think this product will enable especially small and medium businesses to send beautifully designed, automated PDFs both internally and to their customers.’– Çağrı Sarıgöz, Digital Marketing & Analytics Consultant
Final Thoughts
All in all, JotForm PDF Editor‘s super simple to use. If you’re a business owner, you should definitely try their free Starter package. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a try- especially if your team’s wasting hours copying and pasting data into PDF documents!
Like most products, there are a few things that could be improved. However, on the whole, this tool provides a comprehensive solution to a genuine problem.
If you have any questions, comments, or direct experience with JotForm PDF, please feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comment box below; we always love hearing from our readers!
The post JotForm PDF Editor: Your Questions Answered appeared first on Inspired Magazine.
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/h7-qJQXMYPk/
Modern JavaScript is surprisingly powerful. Especially with support from WebGL libraries and SVG/Canvas elements.
With the right tools you can build pretty much anything for the web including browser-based games and native applications. Many of the newest groundbreaking features run on 3D, and in this post I’ve curated my list of the best 3D JS libraries currently available for web developers.
Three.js
There is no doubt that Three.js deserves to be at the top of this list. It can be somewhat complex to learn from scratch but it’s also one of the better 3D libraries out there.
It’s managed by a core group and released for free on GitHub. ThreeJS primarily works on canvas elements, SVG elements, and the WebGL library for rendering.
Learning the ropes is a challenge and will require at least mid-level JavaScript knowledge. But you can find the complete setup in the Three.js documentation.
If you’re serious about doing 3D on the web, this library is for you. It’s not the only choice, but it’s probably the most popular choice for a beginner to start building stuff fast.
Babylon.js
Another powerful library I like is Babylon.js. This one again relies on WebGL and runs solely in JavaScript.
It’s a bit more popular than other libraries but doesn’t have the same reach as Three.js.
Still it’s widely regarded as a powerful choice for web developers who want to create browser-based web games. On the homepage you can find a ton of demo previews and tips on how to get started with 3D game design.
There’s also a bunch of important links to resources like the GitHub repo and the Babylon JS tutorials.
All of those tutorials were designed by the Babylon team, so they’re an excellent place to start learning this library.
Cannon.js
For something a little off the beaten path check out Cannon.js. This doesn’t push the usual 3D concepts but instead works as a JavaScript-based physics engine for gaming.
Canon is meant to load fast so you can render elements quickly on the page. It supports most modern browsers and comes with a powerful API for building your own physics ideas off of this.
It works great with Canvas elements and with WebGL apps. The only tricky part is studying the library and getting over the initial learning curve.
Take a peek at the GitHub demos page to see how Cannon.js looks in the browser and why it’s so great.
CopperLicht
With a name like CopperLicht you might not know what to expect. But this is a powerful 3D JavaScript rendering engine built solely for web-based JS games.
Again it’s 100% open source and free to use for any project. The company that built CopperLicht does have some premium software & tools but these are not necessary for learning the CopperLicht library.
In fact, learning all the features will be tough since it supports an array of 3D functions like shadows/lighting, special effects, and 3D page element interactions.
The tutorials page is the best place to start and if you take this route be willing to take it slowly. There is a steep learning curve to get CopperLicht under your belt, although the payoff is well worth it.
Phoria.js
For web-based motion and 3D effects on the screen you might try Phoria.js. It’s really more of a graphics library but Phoria is rooted in 3D rendering inside HTML5 canvas elements.
The main site runs a bunch of demos and it’s a pretty reasonable library for creating 3D graphics. The learning curve isn’t too tough, and you’ll find a bunch of code snippets on the site that you can copy/paste.
Plus it doesn’t even use WebGL, so you don’t need to worry about that library. Although you will need to be comfortable working on the canvas element, but that just comes with practice.
Scene.js
For something that does run on WebGL check out Scene.js. Currently in version 4.2 this massive open source library lets you render elements in 3D for any modern browser.
It’s supported by a large team of developers and has years of major updates making it one of the best 3D rendering scripts you can use. However, this calls itself more of a visualization library, so it’s not just for rendering basic graphics.
Instead this could be used for much more complex tasks like designing multiple views of objects from different angles, or even creating basic 3D game graphics.
The homepage has a bunch of links to great examples if you’re curious to see how this works.
D3.js
While surfing the web you’ll often find charts and graphs that rely on 3D effects. Many of these run on D3.js which is a powerful JavaScript library for rendering data in 3D.
It’s also a totally free open source project with a very helpful GitHub page. The goal is to use SVG & canvas elements inside HTML to create dynamic data that can animate, rotate, and ultimately display information visually.
Take a look at the wiki entry on the GitHub page for more info. This includes some basic setup details along with documentation for anyone willing to dive into the D3 library.
LightGL.js
I don’t see much mention of LightGL.js around the web but it’s an excellent choice for 3D rendering in the browser.
This free open source library runs on the WebGL framework, and it’s meant to be the fastest, lightest library you can use. This works at a lower level than most abstraction libraries so it does require a stronger understanding of JavaScript.
Most developers just want simplicity so that could be why fewer people are sharing it around the water cooler.
But if you’re comfortable working in JavaScript then LightGL will give you a lot more control over your codebase.
Seen.js
For its complete lack of dependencies I had to include Seen.js in this list. Again this runs on the HTML5 canvas element but it works in vanilla JavaScript without any other required libraries.
It’s totally free for all developers and free to customize under the Apache 2.0 license. Some of the demos are pretty crazy considering they’re built solely in JavaScript.
Anyone who’s willing to push the boundaries of basic 3D visualization might take a look at Seen. It may not have a large following like Three.js but it’s a great canvas/SVG alternative that doesn’t rely heavily on WebGL.
If you are curious to start with WebGL then take a peek at our example gallery of 30 awesome WebGL experiments.
Original Source: https://inspiredm.com/best-free-software-for-designers-and-developers-for-2019/
When getting ready for the year ahead, it’s a good idea to fill in the gaps in your software collection, especially when there is so much good software you can now get online for free.
Beware however – not all “free” things are really free. First, of course, you should avoid cracked versions of payware, because that can get you into trouble in more ways than one. Another thing to watch for is that some free software is supported by ads, while other software may have undesirable behaviors such as tracking what you do online.
In this guide, we’ve focused exclusively on titles that are 100 percent free, easy to find, useful, productivity boosting, and devoid of any malicious or annoying “extra” content. You may not need all of these applications, but this list is sure to include some titles that will help you work better in some way.
1. Portable Apps
For users of Microsoft Windows, this is a great piece of software. It’s a platform application launcher that allows you to use portable applications instead of installing software on your PC. It’s excellent because this means:
Less chance of registry corruption and registry bloat
Fewer vectors for viruses to get into your system
Applications you can take with you and use on any Windows machine
No wasted space on your HDD or SSD. Everything can be installed on a thumb drive
Applications can be updated when a new version becomes available
All your portable applications are grouped together in a categorized list
Portable Apps is a tiny application itself, and is very easy to use. You can download it straight to a USB drive and have all your applications always with you anywhere you go, and configured just the way you like.
Over 100 applications are available for instant download through the interface, and you can easily create your own portable applications as well. Designers will also appreciate the feature that allows you to add all your fonts to the platform, which also means you can uninstall them from your PC to save even more space.
Overall, what makes the portable apps concept so good, apart from the obvious factor of portability, is that it’s much more organized and tidy than the traditional system of installing software.
You can get it from here and it’s 100 percent free to download and use anywhere you want, as much as you want, and you can also share it with anyone you want. It’s not necessary for Linux, as all Linux applications are portable by default, and not yet available for Mac.
2. Blender
For a free application, Blender is huge on features. Most users will put it to work for what it was originally designed for, which is 3D modeling. However there is another important thing you can do with Blender. It provides a full-featured non-linear video editing system which supports all kinds of features normally found in expensive stand-alone video editing software.
It’s even good enough that it has been used to make feature length movies by major studios. The main competitor in the free of charge video editing space is DaVinci Resolve from Black Magic Design, but that has much steeper hardware requirements, is built with proprietary code, and has more restrictions on what you’re allowed to do.
Blender makes it easy to do all your 3D modeling, 3D and 2D animation, video editing, and more. It’s free, open source, easy to use, portable (on Linux and Windows), and works like a charm. On the negative side, there’s a steep learning curve, but you’ll get that with almost any professional 3D modeling software. The big difference here is the $0 price tag, huge support community, and total freedom to install it any way you want.
You can get your copy from the official Blender website or download it through Portable Apps. Blender is also included with most Linux distros. There’s an OSX version, too.
3. GIMP
GIMP is almost a replacement for PhotoShop, and it’s certainly a lot more affordable at $0. The two applications are often compared side by side, but this isn’t really fair to either one, since they’re designed for different purposes.
PhotoShop is primarily intended for using in the CMYK color space, although you can wrangle it into saving images in RGB. GIMP on the other hand is designed for the RGB color space from the outset, and needs a lot of push and shove to get it to co-operate with saving anything in a CMYK color profile.
That difference aside, the only real drawback to GIMP is that it doesn’t currently provide native support for creating primitives. You can do it, but nowhere near as easily as it can be done in PhotoShop. Then again, there are many things that seem to be much easier to achieve in GIMP.
Deciding which of these two giants will suit your needs best is not an easy choice. To make it a bit easier, the biggest factors to consider are learning curve, support, and cost. That last factor is easy to assess because GIMP is free and PhotoShop requires a monthly subscription.
When it comes to learning curve, PhotoShop may be ahead because most online photo editing tutorials are written with PhotoShop users in mind. Take int account that most PhotoShop plug-ins will work in GIMP, but it’s not a certain thing that many GIMP plug-ins will work in PhotoShop. Thus a tutorial aimed at PhotoShop users may still be relevant to GIMP users (with a few adjustments), but a GIMP tutorial will often be unhelpful for PhotoShop users.
Finally there is the matter of support. As paying subscribers, PhotoShop users can expect to get instant support for all kinds of problems.
GIMP support is really different. As it’s free, there’s no dedicated hotline you can call to get help with every little problem you face. You’ll need to depend on what’s called “community support”, which basically means using forums to seek answers to your questions.
GIMP is available as a web application, for download from the official GIMP site, and through portable apps. It is included by default in nearly every Linux distro, and is always available in every Linux repository. For OSX, you need to download an installer and copy the launcher into your Applications folder.
4. Inkscape
InkScape is a competitor to Adobe Illustrator and other similar vector drawing programs. It doesn’t yet come close to the level of Illustrator, but it is way cheaper at $0 and the learning curve is far less steep. InkScape can create browser compatible SVG graphics, including animations.
SVG animation can be used for teaching, special effects, games, and simply for making more impressive images on websites (small footprint and almost infinitely scalable). An often cited example of what can be done with SVG animation and interactivity is the MCDU Emulator Project. This demonstrates that complex systems can be built simply with SVG, and no plug-ins or special players are required.
Inkscape still trails behind Illustrator, but the gap is closing as the Inkscape development community continues to expand. We may some day even see Inkscape take the lead, especially since it is such an easy application to get started with and doesn’t cost anything. It’s available as an installed application on all platforms, and as a portable application on Windows and Linux.
Inkscape is available at the official Inkscape website and also through Portable Apps. It is included in all major Linux distros and will be found in the repositories of others. An installer can be downloaded for OSX.
5. Dia
Drawing technical charts and diagrams is made easier with Dia. It’s quite easy to use and has all the tools you need to make complex technical diagrams quickly. There are basic drawing shapes in the top left corner of the toolbox. The center of the tool box is where all the special items are located for the selected diagram type you’re currently working on. The list of types includes:
assorted shapes
flowchart symbols
UML diagrams
electric / electronic circuits
BPMN diagrams
chemical & engineering symbols
Cicso computer and networking diagrams
civil engineering diagrams
cybernetics diagrams
database design diagrams
entity-relationship (ER) diagrams
function structure (FS) diagrams
Grane & Sarson symbols
GRAFCET diagrams
jigsaw charts
ladder diagrams
lighting charts
logic charts
isometric map elements
MSE diagrams
common network symbols
pneumatic / hydraulic charts
SADT/IDEF0 charts
specification and description language (SDL) chart
Sybase symbols
To create any kind of diagram, simply place elements on the drawing area and then use connectors to join them together. You can get your copy from the official Dia website, or download it from Portable Apps. The software is also available for OSX.
6. Pencil2D
Pencil2D takes over from Inkscape when you need longer and more complex 2D animations. It fills a similar role to Adobe Flash, but is considerably better for making feature length 2D animated films.
It contains all the tools you need to create professional quality animated cartoons. Paired with a decent graphics tablet, or even hand drawn images scanned in, you can bring your images to life with Pencil2D.
You can find out more about it at the official Pencil2D website, and you can download it either from that site (for all platforms) or from the Portable Apps site if you’re a Windows user.
7. Greenfish Icon Editor Pro
This is both an icon editor and icon extractor. It only works on Windows (but may run on Linux with WINE or POL). It is able to extract and create Windows icons and Mac icons.
There are plenty of different ways to create and edit icons, but this simple tool makes the whole process a breeze. Depending on your skill in operating it, the software is capable of producing icons with a crispness and vibrancy that is rare in icon editing software.
The best way to get this software is through Portable Apps. The official site for the software has been down for a long while.
Concluding remarks
You don’t have to spend a fortune to have access to software that will give you truly professional results. In the end, your skill as a user is far more important than the software tools that you use for the job. What can be said is that using the right tools for the job will always make it easier than using the wrong tools.
Traditionally people have held the view that free software can never be as good as paid software, but the quality of free software is improving all the time, and because they’re free, you can experiment with them at no financial risk. So why not give some of these free software applications a try? You may be surprised at the quality, and you can potentially save yourself some money if they manage to meet all your requirements.
header image courtesy of Ilona Rybak
The post Best Free Software for Designers and Developers for 2019 appeared first on Inspired Magazine.
Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2018/11/getting-started-with-dommy-js/
DOMmy.js is a super-lightweight, standalone Javascript library, designed to work easily with the DOM and produce powerful CSS3 animations via JS.
Full disclosure: I developed DOMmy.js. And in this tutorial I want to demonstrate how it can be used to keep your webpages nice and light.
DOMmy.js has a very shallow learning curve; it’s even shallower if you have ever used an old-generation style framework such as jQuery or Prototype.
DOMmy.js isn’t a next-generation framework like Vue.js, React, or Angular; these are tools which use new technologies such as the virtual DOM, dynamic templating, and data binding; you use next-generation tools to build asyncronous applications.
DOMmy.js is a Javascript frame work for writing “classic” Javascript code, working with the DOM at the core level. A Javascript framework like jQuery does a similar task, with three big differences:
jQuery uses a proprietary, internal engine to work with selectors and to produce animations. This engine is entirely Javascript-based. Conversely, DOMmy.js allows you to select any element in the DOM and create powerful animations, by using the modern and super-powerful specifics of both Javascript and CSS3. I didn’t need to write a Javascript engine to work with DOM and animations. The cross-browser, flexible and powerful tools that allow you to do it are already available. I just wanted a Javascript structure that would assists developers in writing DOM controls and CSS3 animations using the Javascript language.
DOMmy.js is a Javascript structure that looks at the future. It is written to be compatible with some of the latest versions of the major browsers, but I don’t want my code to be compatible with very old software like IE6/7 and similar.
jQuery and Prototype both have complete APIs based on an internal engine, DOMmy.js provides controls for just two main things: DOM operations and animations; other tasks can easily be accomplished with vanilla Javascript or by extending the DOMmy.js central structure.
So, DOMmy.js is a cross-browser, super-lightweight (the minified version weights only 4kb), super-easy to learn, super-fast to execute, Javascript library. In a nutshell, with DOMmy.js you can:
navigate throughout the DOM, by selecting and working with HTML elements and collections of elements;
create powerful CSS3 animations and collections of animations;
add (multiple) events, CSS properties and attributes to elements;
use an element storage to store and retrieve specific content;
work with a coherent this structure;
have a cross-browser DOMReady fashion, with which you do not need to wait for resources (like images and videos) to completely load in order to work with DOM.
Installing DOMmy.js
Implementing DOMmy.js into your web page is simple. You only need to include the script through the script tag, and you’ll be ready to start. You can download the script and use it locally or load it through the project’s website:
<script src=”https://www.riccardodegni.com/projects/dommy/dommy-min.js”></script>
<script>
// use dommy.js
$$$(function() {
// …
});
</script>
The DOM is Ready!
Like I said on before, with DOMmy.js we don’t need to wait for the resources of the page to load in order to work with DOM. To do this, we use the $$$ function. The content placed inside this handy function will be executed when the DOM structure (and not the “page”) is ready. Writing code with DOMmy.js is super-fast. I wanted to create a snippet that allowed me to write as less code as possible, so I guess that nothing is faster than writing:
$$$(function() {
// when DOM is ready do this
});
…in a standalone fashion. Of course, you can use as many DOMReady blocks as you want or need:
// block 1
$$$(function() {
// when DOM is ready do this
});
// block 2
$$$(function() {
// when DOM is ready do this
});
// block 3
$$$(function() {
// when DOM is ready do this
});
Select DOM Elements
So now we can start to work with our DOM structure. You can select the element you want by using an HTML “id”. This is done with the $ function:
// select an element by ID.
// In this case you select the element with ID “myElement”
$(‘myElement’);
And you can select the collection/list of elements you want by using a CSS selector. This is done with the $$ function:
// select a collection of elements by CSS selector
$$(‘#myid div.myclass p’)
Of course you can select multiple elements by using multiple selectors, too:
// a selection of HTML elements
$$(‘#myfirstelement, #mysecondelement’)
// another selection of HTML elements
$$(‘#myfirstelement div.myclass a, #mysecondelement span’)
There are no limits to DOM selection. The elements will be included in the final collection with which you can work with the DOMmy.js methods.
Adding Events
Adding events to elements (in a cross-browser fashion) is very simple. Just use to the on method on the collection of element you want to attach the event(s) to with the specific event:
// add an event to an element that fires when you click the element
$(‘myElement’).on(‘click’, function() {
log(‘Hey! You clicked on me!’);
});
Note: the function log is a built-in function that works as a global-cross-browser shortcut for console.log. If the browser does not support the console object the result will be printed in a global alert box.
You can add multiple events at once, of course:
// add a events to an element
$$(‘#myElement p’).on({
// CLICK event
‘click’: function() {
log(‘Hey, you clicked here!’);
},
// MOUSEOUT event
‘mouseout’: function() {
log(‘Hey you mouseovered here!’);
}
});
As you can see, you don’t need to apply the DOMmy.js methods to each element. You apply the methods directly to the result of the DOM selection and the internal engine will properly iterate through the HTML elements.
You can access the “current” element in the iteration simpy by using the this keyword:
$(‘demo’).on({
‘click’: function() {
this.css({‘width’: ‘300px’})
.html(‘Done!’);
}
});
Working With Attributes
In the same way, you can add, edit and retrieve the values of HTML attributes:
// get an attribute
var title = $(‘myElement’).attr(‘title’);
// set an attribute
$(‘myElement’).attr(‘title’, ‘my title’);
// set multiple attributes
$(‘myElement’).attr({‘title’: ‘my title’, ‘alt’: ‘alternate text’});
The attr method works in three different ways:
it returns the value of the specified attribute if the argument you provided is a string;
it sets an HTML attribute to a new value if you pass two arguments;
it sets a collection of HTML attributes if you pass an object of key/value pairs representing the element’s attributes.
Setting CSS Styles
Just like HTML attributes, you can set and get CSS values by means of the css method:
// set single CSS
$(‘myElement’).css(‘display’, ‘block’);
// set multiple CSS
$(‘myElement’).css({‘display’: ‘block’, ‘color’: ‘white’});
// get single CSS
$(‘myElement’).css(‘display’);
// get multiple CSS
$(‘myElement’).css([‘display’, ‘color’]);
As you can see, with the powerful css method you can:
set a single CSS property to a new value, if you pass two strings;
get the value of a CSS property, if you pass one string;
set multiple CSS properties, if you pass an object of key/value pairs;
get an array of values, if you pass an array of strings representing CSS properties.
Getting and Setting HTML Content
With the html method you can set and get the element’s HTML value:
// set html
$(‘myElement’).html(‘new content’);
// get html
var content = $(‘myElement’).html();
// logs ‘new content’
log ( content );
Iteration
If you select more than one element, you can apply a DOMmy.js method to every element just in one call.
However, when you want to work with each element manually, like when you are getting contents (i.e. HTML content or stored content). In this case, you can use the handy forEach function in the following way:
// get all divs
var myels = $$(‘div’);
// set a stored content
myels.set(‘val’, 10);
// ITERATE through each single div and print its attributes
myels.forEach(function(el, i) {
log(el.attr(‘id’) + el.get(‘val’) + ‘ n’);
});
The forEach funtion is the preferred way to iterate through HTML collections of elements using DOMmy.js. When applied on a DOMmy.js element, it uses two parameters:
element: the DOMmy.js element you are selecting. You can apply every DOMmy.js method to it;
index: an index representing the position of the element in the collections of elements.
Storage
The storage is a place, that belongs to elements, where you can store as many values as you want and retrieve them at the desired moment. You can work with the storage by using the set and get methods:
// set storage
var myVal = “hello”;
$(‘myElement’).set(‘myVal’, myVal);
// multiple storage
var mySecondVal = “everybody”;
$(‘myElement’).set({‘myVal’: myVal, ‘mySecondVal’: mySecondVal});
// get
$(‘myElement’).get(‘myVal’) + $(‘myel’).get(‘mySecondVal’);
// “hello everybody”
As you can see, you can store single item or multple items at once. The items you store belong to the element that you are selecting.
Note: remember that if you are selecting multiple elements, the item will be stored in each of these elements, even if the CSS is slightly different, because DOMmy.js recognizes each specific element:
// set an item to div#a and div#b
$$(‘div#a, div#b’).set(‘myStoredValue’, 10);
// get from #a, that of course is the same as div#a
$(‘a’).get(‘myStoredValue’); // 10
Of course DOMmy.js internal mechanics identify “div#a” and “a” / “#a” as the same pointer to the same element, so you can safely work with storage and others DOMmy.js methods in a coherent way.
If you store the DOM element in a single variable, which is the best way to work with HTML elements, you can bypass concurrent calls and earn memory space:
const myEl = $(“div#a div”);
// store data
myEl.set(‘myStoredValue’, 10);
// get data
myEl.get(‘myStoredValue’); // 10
CSS3 Animations
The crown jewel of DOMmy.js is its animation engine. This is based on CSS3 animations engine, so it works with all the major browsers. Animations are generated through the fx method, that accepts the following arguments:
an object, representing the CSS property to animate;
a number, representing the duration of the animation, in seconds. Default value is 5 seconds;
a function, representing a callback that will be called once the animation is done;
a boolean, representing whether to chain concurrent animations or not. Default is false.
Let’s see how to use the fx method, by creating two simple animations.
// simple animation
$(‘myel’).fx({‘width’: ‘300px’, ‘height’: ‘300px’}, 2);
Here we simply alter the CSS properties width and height of #myel in 2 seconds. In the following example we create the same animation with a duration of 1 second and with a callback function that will edit the HTML content of the element with the “Completed!” string.
You can access the current element by using the this keyword:
// simple animation with callback
$(‘myel’).fx({‘width’: ‘300px’, ‘height’: ‘300px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘Completed!’);
});
Chaining
You can create magic with “animation chaining”: by using true as a value of the fourth parameter, you can chain as many animation as you want. To do this, simple use the fx method more than once on a specific selector. In the following example we change the width of all HTML elements that match the “.myel” selector on multiple times:
var callBack = function() {
// do something cool
};
// queue animations
$$(‘.myel’).fx({‘width’: ‘400px’}, 2, callBack, true);
.fx({‘width’: ‘100px’}, 4, callBack, true);
.fx({‘width’: ’50px’}, 6, callBack, true);
.fx({‘width’: ‘600px’}, 8, callBack, true);
Of course you can chain everything. DOMmy.js’s structure allows you to set concurrent calls to elements:
// multiple calls
$$(‘div#e, #d’)
.fx({‘font-size’: ’40px’, ‘color’: ‘yellow’}, 1)
.fx({‘font-size’: ’10px’, ‘color’: ‘red’}, 1)
.attr(‘title’, ‘thediv’)
.attr(‘class’, ‘thediv’)
.attr({‘lang’: ‘en’, ‘dir’: ‘ltr’});
Remember that the chained calls will be executed immediately. If you want to chain something at the end of a specific animation you have to set a callback for that animation.
Create an Event Handler That Fires Animations
Now, we want to set up a snippet that produces an animation on a specific element. This animation will fire when the user moves the mouse over the element itself and when he leaves back the mouse. At the end of each step, a proper HTML content will be set:
$(‘myElement’).on({
‘mouseover’: function() {
this.fx({‘width’: ‘300px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘Completed!’);
});
},
‘mouseout’: function() {
this.fx({‘width’: ‘100px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘Back again!’);
});
}
});
As you can see, with DOMmy.js is super-easy to work with CSS3 animations. Always remember that this refers to the current element.
Now, we want to produce a chained animation that alters the CSS style of an element in four different steps, using four different callbacks and fire this animation when the user clicks the element:
var clicked = false;
$(‘myElement’).on({
‘click’: function() {
if( !clicked ) {
clicked = true;
this.fx({‘width’: ‘300px’, ‘height’: ‘300px’, ‘background-color’: ‘red’, ‘border-width’: ’10px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘1’);
}, true)
.fx({‘height’: ’50px’, ‘background-color’: ‘yellow’, ‘border-width’: ‘4px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘2’);
}, true)
.fx({‘width’: ‘100px’, ‘background-color’: ‘blue’, ‘border-width’: ’10px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘3’);
}, true)
.fx({‘height’: ‘100px’, ‘background-color’: ‘#3dac5f’, ‘border-width’: ‘2px’}, 1, function() {
this.html(‘4’);
clicked = false;
}, true);
}
}
});
You can see these snippets in action directly in the Demo section of the DOMmy.js project.
Add Realistic Chalk and Sketch Lettering Effects with Sketch’it – only $5!
Source
p img {display:inline-block; margin-right:10px;}
.alignleft {float:left;}
p.showcase {clear:both;}
body#browserfriendly p, body#podcast p, div#emailbody p{margin:0;}
Original Source: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/11/smashing-membership-first-anniversary/
Happy First Anniversary, Smashing Members!
Happy First Anniversary, Smashing Members!
Bruce Lawson
2018-11-21T14:00:59+01:00
2018-11-28T09:44:08+00:00
Doesn’t time fly? And don’t ships sail? A year ago, we launched our Smashing Membership programme so that members of the Smashing readership could support us for a small amount of money (most people pay $5 or $9 a month, and can cancel at any time). In return get access to our ebooks, members-only webinars, discounts on printed books and conferences, and other benefits.
We did this because we wanted to reduce advertising on the site; ad revenues were declining, and the tech-savvy Smashing audience was becoming increasingly aware of the security and privacy implications of ads. And we were inspired by the example of The Guardian, a British newspaper that decided to keep its content outside a paywall but ask readers for support. Just last week, the Guardian’s editor-in-chief revealed that they have the financal support of 1 million people.
Welcome aboard — we’re celebrating! It’s the first year of Smashing Membership (or Smashing Members’ Ship… get it?)!
Into Year Two
We recently welcomed Bruce Lawson to the team as our Membership Commissioning Editor. Bruce is well known for his work on accessibility and web standards, as well as his fashion blog and world-class jokes.
So now that the team is larger, we’ll be bringing you more content — going up to three webinars a month. The price stays the same. And, of course, we’d love your input on subjects or speakers — let us know on Slack.
When we set up Membership, we promised that it would be an inclusive place where lesser-heard voices (in addition to big names) would be beamed straight to your living room/ home office/ sauna over Smashing TV. Next month, for example, Bruce is pleased to host a webinar by Eka, Jing, and Sophia from Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines to tell us about the state of the web in South East Asia. Perhaps you’d like to join us?
Please consider becoming a Smashing Member. Your support allows us to bring you great content, pay all our contributors fairly, and reduce advertising on the site.
Thank you so much to all who have helped to make it happen! We sincerely appreciate it.
(bl, sw, il)
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tympanus/~3/0VgRsK13dTU/
Today we’d like to share a set of link hover effects with you. The main idea is to reveal a thumbnail image with a special effect when hovering a link. The inspiration for this idea comes from the effect seen on Fuge’s website where you can see a thumbnail showing when hovering the underlined links. More effect inspiration comes from Louis Ansa’s portfolio and Zhenya Rynzhuk’s Dribbble shot “Blown Art Works and News Platform”.
The animations are made using TweenMax.
Attention: Note that we use modern CSS properties that might not be supported in older browsers.
Have a look at some of the effects:
We hope you like this little effects and find them inspirational!
References and Credits
Images from Unsplash.com
TweenMax by Greensock
imagesLoaded by Dave DeSandro
Image Reveal Hover Effects was written by Mary Lou and published on Codrops.
