Objects and Order exhibitions are built with Blocks specifically designed for exhibition projects. Blocks help you add and style content for headings, text, quotes, media, objects, and more.
Starting Blocks
In this guide, we’ll add Blocks to an exhibition called Over the Moon. We selected EXH-1 as the type, for a minimal, clear, and focused look. We'll begin on the homepage with 3 Blocks (an Image Block, a Header Block, and a Text Block, respectively) and some placeholder content to help us get started.
Block UI
Let’s select the Image Block to get acclimated with the interface. You'll see the Block Bar (A) at left and the Universal Editor (B) at right. Both elements appear when you select any Block.
The Block Bar
We’ll begin with the Block Bar, which appears in the upper left hand corner of every block.
C. The dragger icon (6 dots) lets you drag the Block to another location.
D. The ellipsis icon (3 horizontal dots) opens a menu with options to move, copy, duplicate, or delete the Block.
When you copy a Block, you can paste it anywhere; when you duplicate it, it creates a duplicate below the current Block.
The Universal Editor
The Universal Editor appears when you click on any Block. You can relocate it anywhere on your screen for ease of use and access. Close it by clicking the X in the upper right.
Your options, advanced options, and animation options will change depending on the type of Block. For example, for an Image Block, in the Properties Tab you'll see menu items for Source (where you choose your image); Display (where you select display options); Spacing (where you adjust padding); Link (where you can add a link); and Metadata (where you can add a display name).
At the bottom of the Universal Editor, you can reset a Block to its default settings (resetting any updates you’ve introduced), duplicate, or delete it. As you build your pages by adding Blocks, remember to Save along the way.
E. Properties Tab
F. Advanced and Animation Options Tab
G. Reset Block to Default Settings
H. Duplicate Block
I. Delete Block
Adding Blocks to a Page
On every page, below your existing Blocks, you’ll see a + sign icon. Click to add additional Blocks to build your pages. You’ll select from Blocks related to text and layout, media, or your collection.
You can also add a Block above or below an existing Block in the Block Bar (click the ellipsis icon).
Let's take a closer look at the available Block types.
Page Title Block
Every page you add to the Structure tab of your exhibition will automatically display a page title (except Home). However, if you want to change how a page title displays, you can do this by adding a Page Title Block.
- In the Structure tab (left column of the Builder), click the ellipsis icon next to a page and select Edit.
- Under Display, toggle off Show Page Title.
- Now you can add and style the page title using the Page Title Block.
Heading Block
Add a Heading Block to introduce text or other exhibition content. Type or paste in your heading, and highlight text to add bold, italics, or links.
While you can update global styles for headings in Settings (color, typography, etc), it’s also easy to update headings individually.
Text Block
Paste in or type in your text. Highlight a word or selection of words to add bold, italics, an underline, or links.
You can also add Notes to a Text Block. Just highlight a word, phrase, or longer selection, click the Notes icon, and add your citation or descriptive note. You could even use this provide a definition or translation of a word or phrase.
To add italics, bold, or links to a Note, you’ll use Markdown:
- To italicize a title, add an asterisk on either side
- To add bold, add double asterisks on either side
- To add a link, add brackets around the linked word or phrase [Page Title] and follow it directly, with no spaces between, with the URL in parentheses (url).
In Preview Mode, or when the exhibition is published, the note will appear on hover. See also the Notes Block section below.
Pull Quote Block
Add a quote and attribution to your page. You can adjust typography, spacing, and colors, and you can add a bar to the left hand side to help set off the quote.
Links Block
You can add links to other pages (those inside your exhibition or external) or to a particular exhibition object by adding a Links Block. This is perfect for highlighting exhibition programming, related articles, etc.
You can add up to 10 links, and you can format these as buttons or text.
Card Block
Card Blocks allow you to add text over an image (either an object or an asset) or a background color.
In this example, we’re adding Card Blocks for each of the thematic section pages to the Explore page. You can select an Object, Asset, or URL, adjust your typography and text placement, and add a link.
In Display, you can change the height and aspect ratio and introduce rounded corners. In Spacing you can adjust the padding.
Separator Block
Add a separator, a horizontal line, to help define and separate page content. You can change the color, thickness, and length.
Notes Block
The Notes Block displays any notes you add to a page, across Text Blocks (see above).
This Block type works especially well on an Article page, for an essay, article, or post about the exhibition.
As you add notes to the text in a Text Block, or after all notes have been added, you can add a Notes Block to the bottom of your page. This will automatically aggregate and number your notes across Text Blocks on that page.
Container Block
The Container Block is the most versatile Block type that allows you to add and arrange Blocks within it.
Use a Container Block when you want more control over your page layout.
You’ll begin by choosing a layout option (here, we’re using an equal split), and then add the Blocks you need in each column. In the left column, we have a Text Block and an Audio Block. In the right column, a Video Block and a Links Block. Notice that we've relocated the Universal Editor to the far left.
When you click an individual Block you’ll see the Universal Editor options for that Block.
To view the Universal Editor for the Container Block, click the ellipsis icon and choose Select Container
Image Block
Add an Image Block to display an image for an object, an exhibition asset, or an image available at a publicly available, external URL.
You can adjust image quality and display and decide whether or not to show captions or allow zooming. You can also add a link.
Use the animations tab to fade in or fade the image up, down, left, or right, or scale or rotate it.
Video Block
When you add a Video Block to your page, you determine if it autoplays, is muted, and how it's controlled. You can also decide whether or not to show a display title or caption. A video file can come from an object, an exhibition asset, or a URL.
Audio Block
Add an Audio Block if you’d like to share an audio file (for example, of an introductory text or an audio guide tour stop). You decide how you want the playback to function and style the display. An audio file can come from an object, an exhibition asset, or a URL.
Comparison Block
Add a Comparison Block to compare two states of a print, two prints of a photograph, or a painting and its infrared reflectogram or a preparatory sketch.
You’ll add Source A (appears at left) and Source B (appears at right) from an object, exhibition asset, or URL. Try to make sure the images you’ll be comparing are as close in dimension and format as possible.
You can decide whether or not to show display titles and/or captions, and you can determine the position of the slider.
Object Block
Unlike an Image Block, an Object Block offers an opportunity to select and display object data. This Block type works well when you want to highlight single exhibition objects.
You choose your preferred layout and then, in the Fields Tab (the icon with 4 horizontal lines), you toggle on and arrange information fields.
You can also decide whether or not to allow zooming and if the full object detail display opens when clicked.
Objects Block
The Objects Block will automatically appear on two types of pages: Section and Object List.
All exhibition objects associated with the Exhibition Blueprint will appear in the Object List. To update the display order, go to the Object Manager, click the grid icon at upper right, and drag and drop into the preferred order. Remember to save.
When you organize objects into their respective sections in the Object Manager, those objects will automatically appear on section pages.
You can determine the format of the images and the number of columns in which they appear. You can also enable an overlay of information on hover.
Click the Fields Tab icon at upper right (4 horizontal lines) to toggle on information you want to display below each object (for example, title only or full tombstone).
You can also create a custom selection of objects. Here we’ve selected objects to display as a carousel of exhibition highlights. Once selected, you can arrange via drag and drop.
Blocks allow you to customize the look and feel of your exhibition and the display of your objects and content.
If you’d like a short demo, need some help getting started, or want to strategize about Blocks for your exhibition, reach out.