News & updates
This is CLZ Alwin, with the newsletter for May 2025.
Obviously, the big news for this month is the HUGE update for all 5 flavors of the CLZ Web web-based software, dramatically improving the look and usability.
A more compact design and layout to help you fit more collection data on screen.
The first feedback from users has already arrived. Some examples:
“SO MUCH BETTER!!”, “I like it”, “It works a treat…..”, “The new updates are phenomenal.”, “FANTASTIC!! Thank You”, “The whole application looks more refined now. Thanx for the great job.”, “you all continue to surprise and impress me year after year” and finally…
“Just wanted you to know that i love the new visual redesign of the Web app(s).
It just flows better, i get more info on less area. Impressive work, and still it feels like it always has, just better.”
Thanks all for the praise! As is to be expected, the new design came with some bugs and annoyances too, which we fixed right away. (hint: since today, the Add button is back on the toolbar 🙂 ).
Full details about the CLZ Web re-design below.
Of course, the other big project at the “distributed CLZ HQ” (yes, we’re all working remotely), is the addition of Toys-to-Life support in CLZ Games (both web and mobile).
This one is taking a bit longer than expected, but… it’s very close now. We are planning to go live with the Web edition next week, with the mobile app following a week later.
Finally… I am happy to announce that we have hired a new web-developer, Michiel. Which means we can make even faster progress on the Web editions and other server side projects.
Michiel’s first project: a big update for CLZ Music, with many new data fields!
The topics today:
- CLZ Web: More compact design and layout: fit more collectibles on screen
- Very close now: the new CLZ Games, with NFC scanning for amiibo!
- Coming up: CLZ Music 10.0 with extra data fields
CLZ Web: More compact design and layout: fit more collectibles on screen
A huge update for the CLZ Web software this month, which dramatically improves the look and usability:
- A new, more compact, design and layout, so that you fit more data on screen
- Improved layout of the “details” panel, with better support for back covers
More compact design and layout
Our web-based software has been around since 2009, first called “Connect”, but renamed in October 2024 to simply “CLZ Web”. The Web software is currently the most popular solution for use on your computer, far exceeding the number of users of the legacy “Collector” desktop software.
However, through the years, there is one particular piece of feedback we kept receiving from both new users and from users who switched from the desktop software:
“It is all so BIG!” or “I can only fit a small number of items on my laptop screen”
And they’re right. CLZ Web was originally designed to be “big and bold”, as is common with web-based software. Large fonts, big buttons, etc… It looks nice, but the side effect can be that you can fit less items in your on-screen lists. Especially when:
- Using a low-res laptop screen (or tablet)
- Having several layers of toolbars active in your browser
To resolve this, we were initially planning to introduce an optional “Compact View” or “Compact Skin”.
But when we starting working on that, we liked the results so much that we decided to make it THE new look of CLZ Web for everyone. It looks so much better, more compact, more items on screen. But never too small to read.
Here’s what we did:
- Slightly smaller fonts everywhere, also using a different font style to fit the new CLZ styling
- In the main screen, we combined toolbars and made them “lower” overall
- Lower list rows in the Folder Panel and List View, by slightly reducing the spacing
- Reduced the height and width of all input boxes in the Edit screens
- Reduced the height of the screen titles of all popup screens
- Lots of other sizing and layout changes to make stuff more compact
Improved details panel
While we are doing design and layout work, we figured we’d also spend some time to enhance the details panels:
- Slightly more compact design, to fit the new look of the software
- Improved layout and field placement
- Better support for back covers:
- Switch between front and back using the “bullets” below the cover
- Now automatically shows front and back cover side by side when there is enough space
Screenshots: CLZ Movies / CLZ Games / CLZ Comics / CLZ Music / CLZ Books
Very close now: the new CLZ Games, with NFC scanning for amiibo!
Coming up next week for CLZ Games Web, then a week later for CLZ Games Mobile: catalog your “toys to life” figures, like amiibo, Skylanders, Disney Infinity and more. You can find some sneak preview screenshots here.
Today, I can disclose what I think is *the* coolest new feature of the upcoming 10.0 update of the mobile app:
Catalog amiibo by scanning their NFC!
This will be the easiest way to add your amiibo to the app. Just touch the base of the figure to the top right side of your phone. The built-in NFC reader of your phone will read the figure’s NFC ID and will recognize which one it is!
Here’s a quick sneak preview video of that feature:
This feature will be available for amiibo on both iOS and Android. On Android, we will probably be able to make this work for Skylanders too!
Coming up: CLZ Music 10.0 with extra data fields
As announced above, we have hired a new web-developer, Michiel. He is going to work with Sven and Joe on our web-based software and online infrastructure in general (Cloud, Core, CMS tools, etc..).
His first project is all about new data fields. We’re gonna add extra data fields to all 5 five of our collections tools, starting with CLZ Music.
These are the new fields we have planned for our CD/Vinyl tools:
- Listening history: track if and when you have listened to album, allowing multiple listen dates.
- Matrix numbers for vinyl
- Signed By: track who signed your albums
Coming up for Web and Mobile soon!
Enjoy!