BookBlock: A Content Flip Plugin

A jQuery plugin that will create a booklet-like component that let’s you navigate through its items by flipping the pages.

By Pedro Botelho in Playground on September 3, 2012

demo download

BookBlock is a plugin that can be used for creating booklet-like components that allow a “page flip” navigation. Any content can be used, such as images or text. The plugin transforms the structure only when needed (i.e. when flipping a page) and uses some overlays as shadow for the pages to create more realism.

We will be using jQuery++ by Bitovi which has some add-ons for jQuery (specifically, to add the swipe event).

The following structure will allow to add custom content in a wrapper with the class “bb-item”, which represents an open page (left and right side):

<div id="bb-bookblock" class="bb-bookblock">
	<div class="bb-item">
		<!-- custom content -->
	</div>
	<div class="bb-item">
		<!-- ... -->
	</div>
	<div class="bb-item">
		<!-- ... -->
	</div>
	<div class="bb-item">
		<!-- ... -->
	</div>
	<!-- ... -->
</div>

The plugin can be called like this:

$(function() {
			
	$( '#bb-bookblock' ).bookblock();

});

You also have to include the other scripts that are needed (see one of the demo files).

Options

The following options are available:

// vertical or horizontal flip
orientation : 'vertical',

// ltr (left to right) or rtl (right to left)
direction : 'ltr',

// speed for the flip transition in ms.
speed		: 1000,

// easing for the flip transition.
easing		: 'ease-in-out',

// if set to true, both the flipping page and the sides will have an overlay to simulate shadows
shadows		: true,

// opacity value for the "shadow" on both sides (when the flipping page is over it).
// value : 0.1 - 1
shadowSides	: 0.2,

// opacity value for the "shadow" on the flipping page (while it is flipping).
// value : 0.1 - 1
shadowFlip	: 0.1,

// if we should show the first item after reaching the end.
circular	: false,

// if we want to specify a selector that triggers the next() function. example: '#bb-nav-next'.
nextEl		: '',

// if we want to specify a selector that triggers the prev() function.
prevEl		: '',

// If true it overwrites the circular option to true!
autoplay        : false,
		
// time (ms) between page switch, if autoplay is true. 
interval        : 3000,

// callback after the flip transition.
// page is the current item's index.
// isLimit is true if the current page is the last one (or the first one).
onEndFlip	: function( page, isLimit ) { return false; },

// callback before the flip transition.
// page is the current item's index.
onBeforeFlip: function( page ) { return false; }

The following public methods are available to use in combination with navigation elements: