I've just run across the Mini Layout module... VERY exciting! I'll be trying it out very soon.

A quick question, though: 

From what I've seen so far, the stand-out feature here is that this new device allows us to build "nested layouts," which is for me an immediately more descriptive term than "mini layout."

Am I correct in my analysis, or have we always had the ability to nest layouts?

Also, is there another key enabling feature offered by Mini Layouts of which I should be aware? 

Accepted answer

@ericfoy - Yes, mini layouts are a way to "nest layouts" and yes it is very exciting and relatively new. Technically, the only way that I can think of that might be considered "nesting layout" prior to mini layouts is the Copy Blocks module.

The Copy Blocks module allows you to copy a region (with multiple blocks) into another block and place it in a different layout. This is really nested regions more than it is nested layouts. 

I've done screencasts on both modules:

Mini Layouts - https://youtu.be/-8S7UtVJ1II

Copy Blocks - https://youtu.be/6KqakxSDKBo

Comments

@ericfoy - Yes, mini layouts are a way to "nest layouts" and yes it is very exciting and relatively new. Technically, the only way that I can think of that might be considered "nesting layout" prior to mini layouts is the Copy Blocks module.

The Copy Blocks module allows you to copy a region (with multiple blocks) into another block and place it in a different layout. This is really nested regions more than it is nested layouts. 

I've done screencasts on both modules:

Mini Layouts - https://youtu.be/-8S7UtVJ1II

Copy Blocks - https://youtu.be/6KqakxSDKBo

The screencast on Mini Layouts is great. I like the quick tips at the start: how to manually install modules with a url and setting up a demo sandbox. Then it gets into the main subject of Mini Layouts.