New:

• Category layout. We created a new layout for meal categories. If earlier categories and meal items were displayed on the same page, now meal categories are the top-level categories leading to a meal items page. The categories are styled with meal images slideshow displayed on hover. You can add a short description to a meal category, for example, a price range or any other specific information. 

• 3 columns layout. We added a parameter allowing to set 3 columns menu. Works perfectly with the image on top new parameter. As a result, the menu looks differently and engaging.

• Image top/right/left parameter. We added a parameter allowing to choose where you want an image to be shown in relation to the text description. This feature adds flexibility to configuring your menu. 

• Meal item color and image background. We added parameters allowing to configure meal item background. Now the meal item background can be styled with different color or image. However, promo meals styling will still overwrite default coloring.

• Recommended promo option. We added a new badge to indicate meals you want people to pay attention to. Now you have more options for promoting your special meal items.  

• Category description left/right parameter. We added a new parameter allowing to place category description at the right/left of the meals columns. Now you can keep the text on the side and show meals in column(s) rather than underneath.


Updates:

• Promo Category filter. The parameter allows to group not only categories but also promo options to show them on a separate page and style the way you need.

Fixes:

• Cascading layout description. We missed description for Cascading layout. Now it is there.

• Select categories for Cascading menu. We added select categories parameter to Cascading layout settings. Now you can choose the categories you want to display on the separate page.


In this version, we have improved the product with several new features and a set of updates and bug fixes. Video gallery cover has become one of the most prominent features of this release. Let’s review its benefits and all other changes below:

• Gallery video cover with preview.  Earlier you could use only images as preview covers for your galleries, now you can also use videos as preview covers. The video is automatically played on hovering. Video preview cover allows to animate your galleries enabling your customers to quickly scan through the gallery content. This feature is particularly helpful for businesses using catalogs and portfolios to showcase their products and services.

Documentation reference: Galleries.

• Beauty design. A new Beauty design with new fonts and green/spa colors is a sound solution for beauty industry websites. Now you have more options for styling your galleries.
• Option defining the length of gallery/image preview description. Now you can set the length of the gallery/image preview description. This feature allows to save screen space and improve web page usability. It is particularly helpful when a gallery/image description is too long.

Documentation reference: Displaying settings.

• Lightbox for all designs. Lightbox allows to view images on the same page without leaving it. Thus, the user receives information faster and doesn’t have to take extra actions. Now Lightbox is available for all designs - Palaroids, Pinterest, Classis, Default, and Masonry.
• New full image preview lightbox script. The previous lightbox script cropped images and had glitches on responsive views. We have replaced the script to ensure better visual presentation and good user experience.
• Removed formatting from gallery preview description.In order to improve the readability of the gallery preview image, we have removed formatting from gallery preview description. Now the description on the gallery preview image is displayed as plain text.
• Default gallery cover parameter. We have added this parameter to make it possible for you to choose a gallery cover from the images that are already present within the gallery. Thus, you don’t need to upload it manually every time you need to set a gallery cover.

Documentation reference: Galleries.

• Slideshow/latest module display via file/gallery description.We have added the ability to insert a slideshow or latest module into the image description. This feature is particularly helpful if you need to provide additional information to the image/gallery.  
• Download button for a menu item. This feature allows for more flexibility. For example, if you use FW Gallery not as a photo gallery, but as a tool to promote your products and services, you might not need a download button on all pages. So now, if you don’t need the download button to be present for all galleries, you can easily disable it where it is needed.
• Files counter for a menu item.If the number of files is not required to be displayed for a particular menu item, you can disable/enable the parameter on the menu item level.
• Safari optimization. We have optimized the component for Safari to ensure smooth Safari experience.
• Watermark display. We have resolved the problem with watermark text display over the images.
• Comments display.It was impossible to disable comments via menu item settings. Now you can work with comments on both levels -  menu item and default gallery configuration.
• Latest module optimization for a lightbox. We have fixed the problem with Latest module layouts display within the lightbox. Now all layouts work fine with lightbox.
• Links display in gallery preview description.We have resolved the issue with incorrect links display within the gallery preview description.
• Show backlink option for default gallery settings. It was impossible to set show backlink option via default gallery settings. Now it is available in default gallery settings.
• Bellow gallery description display.We have fixed the problem with the below description option. Now you can place a description underneath the gallery.
• Gallery preview display in Masonry. We have aligned the gallery preview image for Masonry format.
• Files ordering.We have added files ordering buttons in the files section.
• Language files update. We have updated language files to fix some missing translations.  

Get familiar with FW Gallery documentation to find more information about our product. Please use the comments section at the bottom of each documentation page to comment and suggest improvements that will make the product experience better.

This release was basically centered around one very specific and important feature -  package renting. Having thoroughly analyzed all our customers’ requests, we have found that sometimes there is a need to rent several products at a time on the same dates, especially when it comes to party or camping rentals. As a result, we have come up with a new solution that facilitates package renting -FW VM Rental Dates Module.

FW VM Rental Dates Module works in pair withFW VirtueMart Rental Plugin. If earlier you had to enter rental dates for each particular product to see its total rental price, now you can specify them via the corresponding fields of FW VM Rental Dates Module and they will be automatically filled within the plugin calendars for each particular product within the category. In other words, once the dates are picked in the module calendars, they automatically appear in the plugin calendars for each particular product within the category. The total rental price also gets automatically calculated with regard to the specified dates. As a result, the only thing you have to do is to add a needed product to your shopping cart.

Another new feature of this release is availability display. Earlier, you could spot availability of the product only by the availability indicator signifying whether the product is available in stock or not. Now you can see the exact quantity available in stock via the corresponding field on the booking form.  

Get familiar with FW VirtueMart Rental documentation to find more information about FW VM Rental Dates Module and FW VirtueMart Rental. Please use the comments section at the bottom of each documentation page to comment and suggest improvements that will make the product experience better.

In this release, we have implemented several important functionalities allowing for better product usability. Let’s review all of them below:

• Booking form display in different positions. Earlier, the only obligatory term was to set an “addtocart” position for a booking form, otherwise, it didn’t work. Now it is possible to assign a few extra positions to the booking form - ontop, normal and onbot. As a result, you have more options for positioning the booking form in your template.
• Total rental price and stock details on the category page. Earlier, the total rental price and stock details displayed only on the individual product page. Now this information can be displayed on the category page. This feature allows to quickly scan through all total rental prices and stock number and choose the product you need to add it to cart. This feature works in pair with FW VM Rental Dates Module. If the FW VM Rental Dates Module is displayed, you can specify the rental dates in the module fields, and all products available for the specified rental period will be displayed on the category page along with calculated total rental prices and stock details. 
• Calendar translation. Now the booking calendars can be translated to different languages. The language of the calendars depends on your website language so if your website language is French, the calendar gets automatically translated to French, and there is no need for any specific configuration.

Get familiar with FW VirtueMart Rental documentation to find more information about our product. Please use the comments section at the bottom of each documentation page to comment and suggest improvements that will make the product experience better.

The new FW Gallery is a feature-rich component with many new powerful solutions. Now it is an entirely new component with grids, designs, file info display effects, and on hover effects independent from each other. The additional features such as video display, import/export functionality, tags functionality, etc. are implemented via Add-ons (FW Gallery specific functional extensions, data types and designs) allocated in its own section in Admin Panel.