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CraftCMS Demo

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT | Recorded: 2018-05-09 | Verify against current system state

Abstract

Mighty Citizen presents Craft CMS as the recommended content management system for AANP website redesign. Demo covers key features: flexible custom fields, matrix blocks for modular page building, image transformations with focal point cropping, native S3/cloud storage support, multilingual/multi-site capabilities, live preview editing, and draft/revision workflow. Craft 3 recently released (April 2018). License cost $209. Key differentiator from Drupal/Joomla: supported product from Pixel and Tonic with plugin ecosystem.

Key Procedures

  • Create content using custom fields and matrix blocks
  • Upload and manage images as assets with folder organization
  • Set focal points for intelligent image cropping
  • Use live preview to see changes before publishing
  • Save drafts with notes for review workflow
  • Roll back to previous versions using revision history
  • Configure entry types for different content needs (article vs link)
  • Relate entries to each other using relationship fields

Notable Statements

  • 0:05:29 "The CMS we're going to look at today and one I'm recommending is we build this type of thing called Craft CMS."
  • 0:06:08 "CMS is going to be easy for you guys to work with that content, that big content that needs to be really flexible."
  • 0:07:03 "The license for Craft is $209. So it's very minimal."
  • 0:07:18 "Craft comes with support from the people who make it... a company called Pixel and Tonic."
  • 0:10:04 "PDF search...is not included in any CMS. So it's almost like we're looking at a third party search tool."
  • 0:14:00 "The matrix field gives us the ability to have these defined sort of chunks of content that you can add and reorder."
  • 0:24:15 "Craft has a concept of a focal point... when it crops to a thumbnail, it's going to crop this way."
  • 0:30:05 "You can click the little live preview button... and see exactly what this page is going to look like as you go."

Systems & Configurations

Systems Mentioned

  • Craft CMS (recommended, v3)
  • Joomla (current site)
  • Drupal (comparison)
  • WordPress (comparison)
  • Expression Engine (Craft's predecessor)
  • Amazon S3 (cloud storage)
  • Google Cloud Storage (cloud storage option)
  • Rackspace Cloud Files (cloud storage option)

Specific Configurations

Item Value/Setting Timestamp Notes
Craft License $209 0:07:05 One-time cost
Craft Version 3 0:08:43 Released April 2018
Image Max 2000px wide 0:25:11 Recommended upload size
Entry Types Article, Link 0:19:52 Switchable within section
Matrix Limit Configurable 0:22:14 Can limit blocks per field

Credentials/Access Mentioned

  • Craft CMS demo site access (craftcms.com)
  • Plugin marketplace access

Errors & Troubleshooting

  • Issue: PDF search not native to CMS
  • Cause: CMS search only indexes database content
  • Resolution: Use third-party search tool or add description metadata

  • Timestamp: 0:10:04

  • Issue: Large files need external storage

  • Cause: Web server storage limitations
  • Resolution: Native S3/cloud storage integration

  • Timestamp: 0:11:27

  • Issue: Image cropping cuts off subject

  • Cause: Default center-crop behavior
  • Resolution: Use focal point feature to control crop position
  • Timestamp: 0:24:15

Transcript Gaps & Quality Notes

  • Mighty Citizen presenter demonstrating Craft CMS features
  • Demo using sample site, not AANP-specific content
  • Discussion of matrix field capabilities for flexible page building
  • Entry types concept for different content within same section
  • Relationship fields for connecting related content
  • Revision history and draft workflow explained
  • Live preview feature highlighted as major benefit
  • Questions from AANP staff throughout presentation