Hi, I have transferred from Adobe Muse to Rapid Weaver and I am very happy with the results. I bought Stacks which was great and have transferred two of my websites to Rapid Weaver with no problems, they even look better.
I now want to move on and I was looking for recommendation for framework software, i.e. Foundry, Foundation, UIkit etc. They all seem to do the same thing I just the easiest to use for a newbie.
I have no knowledge of any programming language.
Here is the site I need to transfer to RW. any recommendations would be helpful.
Thanks
Michael
For ease of use look at Platform and Foundry.
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There is no “BEST”… This is an everlasting debate among users. People like what they like. The only way to really figure out which one clicks with you is to try them yourself IMHO. Watch various videos about each framework to get an idea of how they work. There are a ton fo other threads here on the forum that compare them. Most of them will be Foundation vs Foundry as they are the 2 bigger ones.
As you have probably noticed from recent posts, I have just released Foundation 6. Its a completely new way of building sites with RapidWeaver. I have 6 hours of live streams right now teaching how to use it. More detailed, short form videos/docs are forthcoming.
A fellow Muse user has reached out to me recently and we will be doing a live stream (hopefully in January) about his transition from Muse to RapidWeaver. He is currently using Foundation.
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There are also quite a few templates that ship with F6 
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His reference is to “ease” not “best”. I own all frameworks (except for new F6) and have used them and can say, just my opinion as rapidweaver user since rw3… Platform and Foundry are the easiest to pick up… you can buy whatever you want. As for trying each framework out to find out, that is not financially feasible ($300-400+), the developers don’t offer a try before buying option. Do your research, whichever you pick, I’m sure you will build a great site.
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Another one to consider is Source. You get a decent starting point for free, and a useful set of extra stacks for an extra cost. You would likely need to buy an extra stack here or there that would normally come with other framework sets (like a Gallery for example).
I’d agree that Foundry is probably a bit more user-friendly for a beginner (I can’t speak for Platform). Your biggest challenge might be your current menu, though, and Foundry isn’t the most flexible sometimes when it comes to customizing.
I’ve used the previous Foundation lots but haven’t had the time yet to dig into the new Foundation, so I can’t speak to that.
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The title of this thread is Best Framework Software. My comments are the same for ease though. Each framework clicks for different users. Definitely do your research and try to watch videos and the community built around the product.
Hi Michael,
if you would like to check out Platform, there is currently a 50% discount available:
There is also a lot of documentation available, as well as videos and example projects.
Best regards,
Juergen (developer of Platform)
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Hi Juergen, thanks for the offer. It is a no brainer for me. I can try an advanced framework at a good price. I can always try something else later if I need to.
Michael
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Hi Michael,
if you need my support, just reach out.
Thanks and best regards,
Juergen
Hi Juergen, I purchased the software but some of the icons seem to
be missing. I followed your installation instructions as shown on
your videos three times but the icons are still missing. Am I
missing something in the installation process.
Thanks
Michael
Hi Michael,
this is a small thing and indeed RapidWeaver related.
In the RapidWeaver stacks library, there is a “cog” menu at the bottom which is labelled “Library”. Inside this menu, you have activated the option “Show Hidden Stacks” as displayed in the screen shot. Please disable this setting.
To organise the Platform stacks further, you can create a new stack group, filter for “platform" (see “Getting Started” video), and drag+drop the stacks over onto the new group. Tip: after filtering, click on a stack, then CMD-A, this marks all stacks which you filtered for and makes any Drag+drop action so much easier!
Best regards,
Juergen
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Hi, Juergen, thanks for that, it works ok now. I will let you know
how I get on.
Thanks
Michael
Hi Michael,
great that it worked.
Best, Juergen
Hi Joe, I aim looking forward to that.
I would suggest also looking at the framework pricing models. Some are per domain and others are unlimited. This makes a serious difference in cost.
Which frameworks charges per domain?!? I can not think of any that do. You might be thinking of CMS stacks, but no Frameworks do this…
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Yes my apologies, I’m referring to CMS’s, although to a newbie the difference may not be evident at first.
My experience:
I own Foundation 6, Total CMS, Source, Source Full Addon, and Pulse CMS.
Source I completed two classes in about 4 nights of a couple hours. It looks great, pretty easy to use, and the classes are very helpful. You can start for $0 or get the full bundle for ~$100. The support & community is very helpful & speedy. So you may find yourself publishing a full website a little faster out of the gate.
Foundation 6 I recently bought & still working through the live streams. Foundation is far more broad a framework. Joe is great & cares a lot about his products & people. Its also ~$100.
I think the best way to describe the difference is a comparison between legos vs duplos. F6 is the legos. Source is the duplos. The legos have smaller & more numerous pieces but you can build many more variations in design & structure. It may take you a little longer (at first) to get there. The duplos are bigger blocks & fewer. You can achieve the same basic design, however fewer design options to customize.
Total CMS vs Pulse is a similar comparison. TCMS is the legos. Pulse is the duplos. Total CMS is one time cost per domain & can be updated over time for free (dot releases). Pulse you can pay one time price for unlimited domains, but you must pay it annually if you want to continue to get upgrades (even dot releases).
Hopefully that helps. You could always start with Source for free, get your feet under you using a framework. It is a much different task starting with a blank page vs auditioning templates. I would then recommend you pick up F6. This gives you two frameworks that are very unique from one another. Having a few horses in the stable is never a bad thing in my opinion,
Then move on to a CMS solution if / when you need one. These will let you change the content (not the design) via a web portal. Which is great when away from your RapidWeaver setup or if your clients want to have some control. Even if it’s to provide a special message by their days & hours, update a welcome message, etc…
Here are a few Source based sites I’ve worked. Keep in mind these are prototypes & just Has placeholder content.
Http://exposedpixels.studio
Http://prototypetest.exposedpixels.studio
Http://col.exposedpixels.studio
I hope this helps. Keep in mind. Its just my opinion after a few weeks of working with both.
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Don’t know how CMS’s got into the discussion. The OP was about frameworks.
Sounds like the original poster (@MickH) started out with Platform ( on sale) and is waiting for the tutorials and documentation before giving F6 a try.
Michael, please keep us updated on your progress with Platform.
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