Getting Started with DesignPLUS Sidebar
This page provides an overview of Cidi Labs DesignPLUS new sidebar including information on how to get started with the DesignPLUS Sidebar and how to switch from the legacy sidebar to the new sidebar.
Getting Started with DesignPLUS Sidebar
The DesignPLUS Sidebar is part of Cidi Labs DesignPLUS suite of tools. The Sidebar helps you create and style engaging, organized, professional-looking content without requiring any HTML or CSS experience.
The DesignPLUS Sidebar just got a major upgrade. The upgraded version offers all of the same features available in the legacy sidebar as well as some new capabilities. The most noticeable difference is the user interface, which has been completely redesigned.
Switching Between Sidebars
If you would like to switch to the new sidebar or have already switched and would like to return to the old sidebar, see the page on how to switch between sidebars.
Sidebar Main Menu
The main navigation menu for the Sidebar consists of five tabs:
- Edit Current Element: Allows editing of the style and/or content of the currently selected element.
- Add New Elements: Adds new DesignPLUS elements to the page.
- Accessibility/Usability: Performs a variety of accessibility and usability checks.
- Help/Tutorials: Provides access to help and support information.
- More Options: Provides access to User Settings and advanced tools.
Edit Current Element
Use this tool after you have added or selected an element in the editor that you wish to edit.
Place your cursor in the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE) to select a current element
The tool options will update based on the context of the current element.
- Active Tool: The active tool will target a specific part of the current element’s content. The action toolbar buttons and editor panels will only apply to the active tool content.
- Action Toolbar: The Action Toolbar controls allow you to complete common actions like copying, cutting, duplicating, and rearranging the selected content type. To apply these actions to different content, change the current element or the active tool.
- Editor Panels: The editor panels have options to edit the content, style, or advanced settings of the active tool content.
Click the tool option in the Edit tab to set the active tool you’d like to work with to edit a page element
Add New Elements
Use this tab to add new elements using the DesignPLUS Sidebar.
Place your cursor in the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE) where you want to insert new content
Click the Add New Elements tab
By default, the list of tools is organized into categories like Getting Started, Basic Content, Navigation, etc. You can customize how the tools are displayed using the menu at the top of the page.
Select a tool to insert new content to the Canvas RCE at the cursor position
After content is inserted to the Canvas RCE, the new content is set as the current element and the Edit Current Element tab is activated.
Use the options in this tab to customize the element
Accessibility/Usability
Use these tools when accessibility/usability issues have been identified in your page content.
Note: Additional usability tools called External Assets and the Upgrade Tool can be used to convert legacy content.
Click on the Accessibility/Usability tab
The DesignPLUS Sidebar offers tools to check contrast, headings, image alt text, link text, math, and tables.
Use the indicators on to identify and fix accessibility/usability errors related to various page elements
User Guides/Tutorials
The Help tab has guides, tutorials, and other information to help you use the DesignPLUS Sidebar. The page provides quick access to Cidi Labs and institution-specific support and resources.
Note: The user guides and tutorials are still under development. Current content is subject to change and additional content may be added later.
Click on the Help/Tutorials tab to access available resources
Select the desired tool from the list of tools
More Options
The More Options tab provides access to the User Settings screen for personalizing your Sidebar experience as well as several tools that do not fit under the descriptions for the other tabs including Arrange Content, Preview Content, and Language Accents.
In User Settings, you can set some default Sidebar behaviors and enable advanced tools like the Style Editor and Advanced Editor for HTML and CSS editing.
