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Learning Centre

Windows

The Windows component is a grid layout tool that lets you create customized collages for image or video-based calls to action. Windows can include links, images, videos, blocks of text or combinations of these, such as a button link over an image or text over an image.

Add a Windows component

To add a Windows component to a page, you need to:

  1. Navigate to the page you'd like to add windows to
  2. Select the 'Add content' button under the 'Main content' area of the page 'Content' tab
  3. This will open the 'Add content' slide-out panel
  4. From here, select the 'Windows' component
  5. Under the 'Content' section, select 'Add content' next to 'Window items'
  6. You will now have the option to add image or video windows

Complete the image and video details

Depending on your preference, you can choose to add image windows, video windows or both to your page. Learn how to create and customize image and video windows.

Before you can add an image to a Windows component, you need to upload the image to the 'Media' area in the Govstack back office. 

To add an image window, select 'Image' from the slide-out panel. Then, in the 'Content' tab:

  1. Upload an image from your Media library by selecting the "+" icon next to the 'Image' field. From here, choose the folder that contains the image you'd like to add and select the image
  2. If you would like to have text overlay the image, add any combination of a heading, subheading and text in each applicable field. Choose the heading level or font size for the text
  3. If you would like the image to link somewhere, add a button in the 'Button' field. This will overlay a button on the image. If you want to hide the button, so that users can just click on the image itself rather than an overlaid button, turn on the 'Hide button' toggle

Image settings

Once you have created your image window in the 'Content' tab, move to the 'Settings' tab to adjust the image window settings.

Colour overlay

In the 'Background Colour' setting, you can choose a colour to overlay over your image. Turn on the 'Add colour overlay' toggle below if you would like to use this setting. Any text you added to the window will be placed over top the colour overlay. This can help improve the colour contrast of text over your image and can be potentially more accessible for users with colourblindness or low vision.

Text alignment and position

In the 'Text alignment' setting, select whether you want any overlaid text to be left aligned, centred or right aligned. In the 'Text position' setting, select where on the image you want the text to appear.

A video window lets users view the embedded video directly on the web page. Before you can add a video to a Windows component, you need to upload the video to the 'Media' area in the backend of Govstack.

To add a video window, select 'Video' from the slide-out panel. Then, in the 'Content' tab:

  1. Select the video source
  2. If you are using a video from YouTube or Vimeo, copy and paste the link URL to the video in the 'Video' field
  3. You can also upload your own MP4 video file from your Media library by selecting the "+" icon next to the 'Video' field. From here, choose the folder that contains the video you'd like to add and select the video
  4. In the 'Image' section, upload an image from your Media library to use as a thumbnail for the video window. Do this by selecting the "+" icon next to the 'Image' field. From here, choose the folder that contains the image you'd like to add and select the image
  5. In the 'Light window title' field, add any text you want to appear above the video when users open it to view
  6. In the 'Light window footer' field, add any text you want to appear below the video when users open it to view

Video settings

Once you have created your video window in the 'Content' tab, move to the 'Settings' tab to adjust the video window settings.

In the 'Background Colour' setting, you can choose a colour to overlay over your video thumbnail. Turn on the 'Add colour overlay' toggle below if you would like to use this setting.

Window settings

You can adjust the look and layout of your windows through the settings tab. To access the windows settings, select the 'Settings' tab located at the top of the 'Windows' slide-out.

Review each of the Windows settings to learn more.

Design and layout

In the 'Image order' setting, select how you would like to arrange the windows on your page. You can choose which window will appear first and how many windows per row you would like. It may be helpful to preview different layouts to find one you like.

Turn on the 'Remove item spacing' toggle if you would like to remove spaces between the windows.

Turn on the 'Enable random order' toggle if you would like the image order to be randomized every time a user visits the web page.

These settings will be available only if the component is contained within a split component.

Using the 'Column Width' sliders you can set the width of the component in split components. The slider allows for column widths from 1 to 12. A minimum width of 2 is recommended.

The total width settings for 'Split Section 1' and 'Split Section 2' should equal 12. If the sum of 'Split Section 1' and 'Split Section 2' is greater than 12, your split content will appear on two rows.

Separate options are available for desktop and tablet size screens. On mobile screens split components switch to a single column.

Component

You can customize the content colours of the component using the colours that are part of your website design. Depending on your website design, you can add a coloured background behind the component to create a hot spot on the page. 

Colour options

The colour options are based on the design of your website. You may be able to change the design colours depending on your Govstack plan. To get access to the website design features, speak with your GHD Digital Account Executive.

If you'd like, you can add an image to the background of your component. To do this, you need to:

  1. Select the "+" icon next to the "Background image" field
  2. This will open the 'Media' folder
  3. From here, choose the folder that contains the image you'd like to add
  4. Select the image you'd like to insert
  5. Press the "Select" button 

Please note

Background images ignore the focal point and cropping information added to your image in the media tab. Instead they use the settings provided under "Background image options".

Adding an image behind text can cause colour contrast issues for users with low vision or colour blindness. You should only add an image behind text if it meets the colour contrast ratio requirements associated with accessibility legislation in your region.

Background images do not use alternative text and are not called out for those using screen readers. Make sure that background images do not contain information critical to understanding the meaning or context of your content.

You can also set a few options for a background image, including the placement of the image, size of the image and whether or not the image repeats. 

Image Size

These settings replace the cropping and sizing settings added in the media section image editor.

Cover - The image will stretch to fill the available space. This is the most popular option for a single image background.

Full-Width - The image stretches to fill the full width of the available space. Depending on the characteristics of the image this may result in gaps at the top and bottom of the component.

Auto - The image displays at it's actual size. This may leave gaps around the edges of your component.

Repeat - The background image with tile vertically and horizontally. Use a smaller image or a tiling image for best results.

Repeat Horizontal - As repeat but the background image tiles in a single row.

Repeat Vertical - As repeat but the background image tiles in a single column.

Image Placement

This setting replaces the focal point setting added in the media section image editor.

Select the origin point of your background image. The image will fill the space behind your component starting from the selected point. You may need to experiment to find the best contrast and focal point position for each image.

This setting only applies if you are using a page with a 'Full' page layout. Typically, full page layouts are reserved for the home page of your website or any landing pages you've created.

Animation

You can add animation to the component by selecting the 'Animate' toggle. Once the 'Animate' toggle is selected, you'll have the option to customize the:

  • Animation style
  • Animation delay (seconds)
  • Animation duration (seconds)

From the 'Animation style' dropdown menu, select the type of animation you'd like to add to the accordion. There are a variety of different animation options in the following categories:

  • Attention Seekers
  • Bouncing Entrances
  • Fading Entrances
  • Flippers
  • Light Speed
  • Rotating Entrances
  • Sliding Entrances
  • Zoom Entrances
  • Specials

We recommend testing out a variety of animation styles to select the one you like the most. 

Please note

Animation styles can cause accessibility issues for some users visiting your website. For example, some users may experience motion sickness when viewing animated elements on your website.

Using the 'Animation delay' slider select the time in seconds that you'd like to delay the animation. 

Please note

Animation delay can cause accessibility issues for some users visiting your website. Certain animation styles and delays can combine to make your animated component invisible to screen readers. Please test your animations to make sure they are accessible.

You can select how long you'd like the animation to last on the component by using the 'Animation duration' slider. Select the number of seconds you'd like the animation to continue on the public website. 

Advanced

In the 'Name' field you can give a unique name to the component. This will make it easier to differentiate between components, both on your page as well as in your clipboard.

You can create an anchor link that will link a user directly to the top of this component. 

When linking to this page add the anchor to the "Anchor / querystring" field in the "Select link" dialogue box. The link will then jump to the top of the target component rather than to the top of the page.

Note that anchor names are case sensitive. For best results use lowercase characters, numbers, and dashes only. Avoid spaces and special characters.

In the 'Custom classes' field, you can add any custom CSS classes you may have. Custom CSS classes can be found in the Design node under the 'CSS' tab in the backend of Govstack. 

If you'd like to add more than one custom class, you'll need to leave a space between each class. 

Please note

Depending on your Govstack plan, you may not be able to access the Design node in the backend. If you'd like to be able to add custom CSS and get access to the website design, contact your GHD Digital Account Executive.

We cannot guarantee that future updates to Govstack will not break or negatively impact custom CSS.

You can select additional styles to the component, including:

  • Spacing
  • Visibility
  • Design

Spacing

You can remove the spacing around the component by selecting one of the following options:

  • Remove spacing
  • Remove spacing top only
  • Remove spacing bottom only

Visibility

You can customize the visibility of the component. Select one of the following options:

  • Hide on all screens
  • Hide on extra small screens
  • Hide on small screens
  • Hide on medium screens
  • Hide on large screens
  • Hide on extra large screens

Design

Select one of the following options if you'd like to customize the design of the component:

  • Show shadows - this will add a shadow effect to the component. Note that by default most Govstack websites do not have shadows. You can add these in the Design node
  • Sticky - the component will stay on the screen even as users scroll down the page

Turn on the 'Hide from website' toggle if you'd like to hide this component from the web page.

Preview and publish changes

Once you've added windows to your page, make sure to preview and publish the page to complete the process.