Curatescape 3 introduces a bunch of new features. Read on for an overview of the key changes and check out the latest version of Cleveland Historical for a live preview. We’re excited to begin rolling out Curatescape 3 to new and existing projects over the next several weeks.
New and Improved Interface
Version 3 brings platform-specific layout, with the new tabbed navigation appearing at the top for Android, and the bottom for iOS devices, making the app feel more at home on your device. Switching from the sidebar layout to tabbed layout also makes using the app a little more intuitive, surfacing the main content instead of burying it behind a menu button.
New Discover Page
The Discover page is the new default view, offering users a more dynamic overview of the content when they open the app. Randomized featured items are highlighted in a slider, followed by nearby stories, and recent tours. Version 2 defaulted to a list of nearby stories; showing more varied content at startup will help users engage with something new each time they open the app (even if they always use it in the same location).
Native 3D-Enabled Maps
The new and improved mapping functionality – powered by Google Maps – brings crisp vector tiles, smooth hardware-accelerated animations, 3D buildings (where available), offline functionality, and more. Try a two-finger swipe up or down to change the map’s camera angle, or a two-finger turn gesture to change the map bearing (north, south, east, west, and anywhere in between). You can also use the new buttons for showing your current location, returning to the default map position, or fitting all story locations on the screen for a full geographic overview.
Offline Functionality
Maps aren’t the only feature you can use offline. Users may now opt to pre-fetch all text content using the Offline Settings option on the Discover page. We’ve also added more aggressive caching to make previously rendered images available without using more data. While browsing new images and other media may still require an internet connection, this change will be a boon to users areas where connectivity is limited or nonexistent.
Expanded Story Sorting
The Stories section can now be sorted by date (recent), proximity (nearby), or featured. Along with the new Discover page, this should make it easier for users to find new content each time they open the app.
Expanded Search Results
Likewise, the search functionality has been expanded to enable fulltext search for stories, tours, and individual media files.
In-Tour Navigation
Navigating between tour locations in version 2 required going back and forth between the tour detail page and the story detail page. With version 3, users can also choose to navigate between tour locations using the Next and Previous arrow buttons in the header for the story detail page.
iPad Support
The app is also now supported on the iPad. If you were previously running a phone-only version on your iPad, you’ll love the new full-resolution, fullscreen experience.
Metadata Fields
All Curatescape metadata fields are now supported. This means your Related Resource citations will finally be available at the bottom of each story. And the Lede is no longer… buried… it’s right there at the top of the story, helping to introduce your narrative.