"Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Talk with others about anything shrine-related, be it presentation, content or something else.
Laura
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Re: "Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Post by Laura »

I use Google Drive's Word editor to write up all of my content. First I brainstorm ideas for different topic/pages that I want to include; once I'm satisfied, I organize them all into categories that are intuitive and user-friendly. Then I go about writing all of the content. I feel that it's the biggest part of working on a shrine and I try to get it out of the way first. This way, if I end up with more pages/topics than I originally set out with (or less), I'll be able to better reflect that in a layout.

Second, I design a layout for the site in Photoshop (usually the latest version). I might actually start working on a layout before I'm done writing all of the content because I need a change of pace. xD I also now design link buttons based on the current layout in a variety of sizes.

When the layout is designed, I write all the HTML/CSS by hand in Notepad++ (used to use Smultron on my Mac). I don't really like using tools like Dreamweaver that does the HTML for me... I feel that doing it by hand keeps me from forgetting how to do it myself. xD I also use Cyberduck for FTP; it also allows me to make updates on server-side very quickly, which is super handy for making quick edits. <3

I guess that's about it... Google Drive, Notepad++, Cyberduck and Photoshop. :)
melzillah
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Re: "Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Post by melzillah »

For layouts: Photoshop. I usually do a general mockup of a layout first or just create a layout and add the text later. There's usually about 4 different versions I create and just pick the one I like the most.

From there I start compiling shrine/site names and content structure. I'll use the Memo app on my phone or just write it down in one of my notebooks. I usually peruse songs or the thesaurus for interesting words so I can come up with a proper title :)

For content: I was using GoogleDocs for a while but just recently started using Evernote. I do all the easy stuff first and save the hard stuff for last because I love punishing myself.

For graphics/media content: If I'm taking screencaps I'll use the VLC screenshot tool since it's so easy. For graphics and whatnot I use Photoshop.

For coding: SublimeText2. Really great program that helps you keep your code all organized neatly. Plus there's themes you can choose from which is really A+ for someone like me (all about visuals).

I code in HTML until I start uploading stuff on a live site where I'll switch to PHP. I constantly tweak the CSS because I'm terrible at making up my mind.

Other stuff I use...FileZilla! I also browse DeviantArt a LOT for resources.
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Camy
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Re: "Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Post by Camy »

Ohhh it's been a while since I posted here, so I'll say what's different now for me~.

I completely switched over to Brackets now, it loads super quick unlike Dreamweaver. I use it to code and also just type all the content in there XD

For graphics/layout making, I still use Photoshop.

To upload everything, I use FireFTP~
I accept your challenge, "high prince", but I am no general.
Lethe
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Re: "Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Post by Lethe »

Excellent topic to revive! :D

Coding: I'm pretty sure this topic and Camy's other posts around the forums are a big reason why I got Brackets; that live preview feature is just the best thing ever, and has become indispensable to me. ;_; Modifying colours in real time with the colour wheel, adjusting sizes and fonts, seeing where the hell your divs actually are, etc. It saves a lot of time, considering how often you'd save, refresh and switch windows otherwise.

Writing: I brainstorm shrine ideas in Evernote at any time, whether I'm getting a random idea during the day or while I'm reexperiencing the thing. I also dump any links to text resources in there for any given shrine. Once I feel like dedicating myself to making the shrine in question, I set up the outline there too. A few months ago, I purchased Scrivener thanks to recommendations from cool Amassment people, and ever since then, writing for shrines has become a much smoother process, free of HTML tags, while also allowing me to easily switch between different pages I'm working on. When I'm done writing a page, I throw it into Markdown Dingus to convert the Markdown to HTML, then fine-tune the design in Brackets.

Misc: I use Listography to keep track of what still needs to be done/cleaned up on already created shrines. Resources and guides I often refer to while making shrines are also listed there for easy access. Keeping a public list of the progress on current projects also motivates me and gives the process more structure. For anime screencaps, I use the KMPlayer. :D And FileZilla to upload stuff.

Now that I think about it, I was introduced to the majority of these tools by Amassment members - you're all so great. <3 <3
Both despair and ecstasy are part of the elements that compose a person.
Aku
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Re: "Tools" and ways to make your shrines?

Post by Aku »

Wow, I'm really interested in checking out Brackets! :O< Tbh I'm pretty comfortable using Sublime Text, but I'm kinda curious about this live preview feature because I'm the kind of person who will design in browser and refresh stuff constantly to make sure my changes look good while I'm coding, haha. It might be worth looking into if it would give my command + R keys a break.

My tools haven't changed too much since I posted here ~2 years ago, but recently I switched over from Evernote to Ulysses for my writing app. There are a few things I like about it, but one of the things I like a lot is the grouping feature. I can make a group for each shrine I'm working on writing, and you can make groups within groups! Meaning, I can make a group for my notes + as well as organize & basically build my site sections within the app. :heart: I think Evernote does something like this too with folders, but Ulysses does it a lot more elegantly imo. You can also click and drag any sheet within a group, so you have control over how it's organized (not like Evernote which I think will re-organize itself based on when things are edited?)

Other than that, I also love that you can collapse all the menus & just view the text editor. It's just very very minimal, which is my style, and I think it makes it easy to just focus on writing without being distracted by all the UI! You can also download / make themes for it so if you're not the type who likes BRIGHT WHITE BACKGROUNDS, you can find something that will be easy on your eyes. :inlove:

... Sorry for all the censoring btw, it's too WIP for me to not feel embarrassed about what's written. :sob:
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