Realmac Software has released RapidWeaver 3.6, a new version of their visual Web site editor for Mac OS X. RapidWeaver costs $49 to register. Upgrades from previous versions cost $25.
RapidWeaver uses a template system to enable you to create your own visually engaging Web site. Features include support for podcasting, adding comments to your blog posts, RSS feeds, “permalinks” and tag support. It lets you produce Flash-based “slideshows” for groups of photos, supports .Mac, FTP and SFTP protocols, and is a Universal binary.
New features in RapidWeaver 3.6 include easier theme customization using Theme Styles. You can pick colors and layout using a visual feature instead of having to manipulate HTML or CSS code. New Theme Styles are available as downloads through RapidWeaver’s Add-Ons page.
RapidWeaver doesn’t limit you to visual Web page creation — you can also tweak sites with your own code. The new “Snippets” feature stores frequently used code that you can drag and drop into place.
The Flash slideshow feature has been redone in the new release, offering new transitions, background audio and the “Ken Burns” effect (used for panning and zooming digital photos). The slideshow capability now supports libraries stored on the Flickr service, as well.
The upload client has been improved, multiple tag and category support has been added and you can make lists easier.
RapidWeaver 3.6 requires Mac OS X v10.4.3 or later. A demo is available.