masonry with post formats or custom fields

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Post_Formats

Is it not possible to create your own post formats?

I tried to create one called 2col but it doesn’t show up on the side bar in create new post

add_theme_support( 'post-formats', array( 'aside', 'gallery' ,'2col') );

No – you cannot create your own post formats but you can create custom posts types.

right -thought so. That’s a shame. Looks easier to use.
So if I have custom post types how do I configure the different write panels or way they are displayed – for example video having no title etc., do I need to create custom write panels and then assign them to the custom post types i.e. its pretty complicated!

No – you create different single-xxx.php template files and use conditionals in post listing pages.

ok – do you mean like mentioned here
https://mondaybynoon.com/2011/05/20/revisiting-custom-post-types-taxonomies-permalinks-slugs/

and then to get them to appear

https://www.wprecipes.com/how-to-display-custom-post-types-on-your-wordpress-blog-homepage

But say I had an image post to go across 1 column and another image post to be 3 column.
Would it be possible to add a write panel to the image post custom post type that let me choose 1col or 2col and inserted code into the Div class based on that choice. Or would be be best to do that with a custom field inside the image custom post type.

Thanks for the help BTW

Would it be possible to add a write panel to the image post custom post type that let me choose 1col or 2col and inserted code into the Div class based on that choice

That would be a difficult approach, to say the least.

Or would be be best to do that with a custom field inside the image custom post type.

Definitely the simpler option.

yes, I’m thinking that, thanks. Keep the custom post types for the formats and the custom fields for any refinements needed. Seems like wordpress has a good ways to go to simplifying this, although it’s nearly there just a little disconnected and messy.