Elevated X CMS Version 4.0 - Now With PHP Templates!
 

I'm happy to announce Elevated X CMS version 4.0 based on a new PHP driven template engine, which replaces former “Smarty” technology.

Details and New Features:
The PHP template system features easier operation and simpler code, with shorter, more sensible variable names, and the ability to integrate with other features, such as live cams that operate via PHP code.

The old Smarty variable constructs are a thing of the past, so now instead of using variables such as $root.page.content.item, easier to use variables such as $sets, $set and $news, can be employed. Standard CSS and <div> tags that make it easier for designers to customize the site, while PHP makes it possible to directly integrate more code into a site.

The new template engine and templates offer an updated look and feel, with easier to browse photos, and no longer need to compile Smarty code — so any template code used by the system can potentially be tied in with PHP caching systems.

Other upgrades include a new video player setup that allows all videos to play inline on gallery pages, so end users won’t have to click around to find content; while light box-style photo browsing offers an easy popup within the gallery page. Users can quickly scroll through pictures using their mouse or arrow keys, click small preview thumbnails, or enable a slideshow. The system also intelligently loads the right sized photo based on the window size and customer’s display — with customers using Retina displays seeing crisp, full images — while customers on smaller displays will see smaller, faster loading images.

Another upgrade makes it easier for customers to find and enjoy the site’s content, and to engage and interact with admins and other members. It’s possible to rate scenes, DVDs and models from anywhere in the site, not just on the DVD, model or scene page. This encourages more customer interaction, as they tell you what they like, and what they don’t like, about your site. Users can also ‘favorite’ scenes from the front page, category and DVD pages, so they can browse a site, save the scenes that they find interesting, and then later go to their ‘favorites’ page to see those scenes.

Users of sites produced by Elevated X can also report any problems they have, directly from the site.

If there’s a problem with a video for example, the user can report their problem directly from the page and site admins will receive the report as a private message inside their CMS admin pane. This way, you’ll know right away if something is missing, or if a customer can’t view your content, and as an admin, you can then message back the customer to let them know that you have fixed the video — and all of this happens via the Elevated X CMS.

Finally, Elevated X powered sites get an SEO boost through automated support for Google Sitemaps built into the new tour templates, to help boost traffic for a competitive advantage.

Design and Cost Benefits:
The new design code is 100 percent tableless CSS, so this template is easier to customize by designers using standard CSS. Page elements and CSS have been combined, so styles edited in one area can be applied to the other, simply by copying and pasting. Templates now contain up to 30 percent less code, making editing much faster, and the templates have been reduced to now require only a handful of template files to be worked on to change a site’s theme, or to make more extensive design changes inside and out.

There are lots more PHP developers out there than Smarty developers, so your coder of choice can now more easily customize your templates,” Hall explains. “Less code and more friendly code means customizations can be made in a fraction of the time, reducing coding, design and development costs.

See it here:
A full product demo is available here: Elevated X: Adult CMS Demo

Existing customers:
This is a FREE CMS update. Please DO NOT contact me directly. Please submit a support ticket if you would like to be upgraded and have the new PHP templates installed.

This will NOT impact current sites.

The new PHP templates are 100% plug-and-play so switching to them does NOT require any settings changes, re-cropping of images, etc.

At the present time we will continue to support Smarty templates by way of providing support to our users, bug fixes, etc., however, we will NOT be updating them with new features.

AJ

xml, smarty
PHP Finally!!!! :)
So can we make our own responsive mobile members areas now?

You always could do this...but it will be much easier to code designs now. :thumbsup

AJ

Congrats guys! I know you have a lot of clients looking forward to these!

AJ, won't changing over to PHP mean having to "start over" with my design and little tweaks that we've made?

Or does your team go through on a case by case basis and make sure that all of that still works the same when they transfer it from Smarty to php?

Wow, great move :)
I guess this move will be for new customers only...
People with custom integrations would be a pain to get things moved to PHP.

Glad to see it announced live. Getting a major upgrade like this from 99.99% done to 100% done is never easy. Congrats on crossing the finish line.

Yeah probably a pretty big job for most to migrate over to the PHP if they don't need too.

Nice to have it in PHP though. Nice job AJ.

Congratulations AJ, Great Stuff!! :pimp
BUMP For ElevatedX!!!

Nicely done guys. I've never worked on your CMS but definately the step towards php templates instead of smarty is a good one imho

Well done! Congrats on the update :thumbsup

The ones (current customers) that will benefit from this the most, is those (like me) that have been left to use the default smarty templates and make only minor changes due to smarty not being that easy for those not familiar with it... if your site already works as you like, then this upgrade will effect you less... that is until you are ready to upgrade your sites at which time you will have to edit the templates same as you did before. Myself, I am not worried as I made minimal changes, due to that being my easiest and cheapest option. Now... I can edit php and create the members areas the way I originally intended.

There's no way for us to do that even if we wanted to - because we have no way of knowing what a customer has modified.

In your case, most (if not all) of the feature requests or suggestions you've made since you've been an Elevated X customer are present in the new PHP templates so aside from design stuff you've done on your own you should lose much, if anything.

Email me if you want to get into specifics as to old vs new.

AJ

It depends on how "custom" the integration is. The new template code is much smaller and there are less templates. It's also 100% CSS so if the customizations are mostly design/aesthetic and not functional it's probably not that bad...although it will still require some work.

Bingo. I couldn't have said it better. :)

We have customers still doing major internal development using Smarty even though they had plenty of advance notice that PHP templates were in the works.

There's nothing wrong with Smarty in that regard. The benefits to using the PHP templates (or dealing with the work of migrating a custom Smart site to them) is that they have updated features in addition to being easier to work with. Also, this is the base we'll be developing on now so all the new features we have planned will only be added to the PHP templates.

AJ

I can't wait to use this on a new design. Congrats guys!

Nice! I'll be waiting on my check for "product development" :1orglaugh

Should I go ahead and put in a ticket to do the change over, or do you want me to wait a bit until the initial rush is over? I'm good either way. :)

Everything you've asked for or suggested has been coded into Elevated X by us...But if you want to start paying us instead of us adding things for free that's good... or if you want to start coding for us I'll start paying you! :1orglaugh

I would submit a ticket now for the templates so you get in the queue. They're being updated for everyone based on the order the requests are received. :thumbsup

A

Okay, I'll go ahead and make the ticket. I didn't know if you wanted me to wait until after the stampede to give your guys a breather. :)

great update!

I appreciate it but nah, go ahead and jump on top of the dogpile. :)

AJ