Help With Home Page Design

[FlashGordon]

I want to design a home page with the following general layout:

-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|-Section 1 Image--| |-Section 2 Image--| |-Section 3 Image--|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
|------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
Section 1 Title------ Section 2 Title-------- Section 3 Title
-Subsection 1-1---- -Subsection 2-1------- -Subsection 3-1
-Subsection 1-2---- -Subsection 2-2------- -Subsection 3-2
-Subsection 1-3---- -Subsection 2-3------- -Subsection 3-3
. . .

As you would expect, clicking on "Section 1 Title" displays section 1, Subsection 1-1 displays subsection and so on...

(The tricky bit!)
Also I would like the section images to have rollovers that:
1. Are all a bright image when cursor is not over them.
2. When cursor moved over one image other two go dull.
3. If you click on a bright image that section should be displayed.

I do not have Dreamweaver.

My questions are:

Can this be done using Actinic only?
If so, what is the easiest way to do it?
Does it make any difference if the home page is a brochure page or a
section page?
Seems easier for the above design if the home page is a section with
subsections. But can a section be a home page with no brochure pages in
the site design? If so, how? Any problems with this?

Regards Gordon

PS I have tried a number of different approaches to the above but have not
been able to find a working solution --- HELP!

[cdicken]

Gordon - I have to say, this is a very complex set of requirements. This is the sort of thing you would normally give to a web designer that you are paying to come up with a custom design for you.

I'm not going to advise on the section image rollover issue. There is some advice in the Advanced User Guide about making section images rollover when you move your mouse over them - and you can implement that if you want, but your more detailed questions are way beyond the sort of help we can provide in this forum.

However, I have taken a look at your section layout issues and come up with the following code.

<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td valign="top" align="center">
<img src="theme_shim.gif" width="1" height="1" />
<actinic:block type="EntireSectionList">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22SectionLevel%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%201">
</td>
<td valign="top" align="center" width="33%">
</actinic:block>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22SectionLevel%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%201" >
<a href="<Actinic:Variable Name="SectionPageName"/>" target="_self"><img alt="<actinic:variable name="SectionName"/>" src="<actinic:variable Name="SectionImageFileName"/>" border="0" /></a>
<br />
</actinic:block>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22SectionLevel%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%201">
<span class="actlarge">
</actinic:block>
<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName"/>" target="_self"><actinic:variable name='SectionName'/></a>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22SectionLevel%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%201">
</span>
</actinic:block>
<br />
</actinic:block>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Stick that into your site and it will insert a section list that does what you want. I suggest putting it in the 'Main Product Area' layout (called something like 'Section Page With Section Name At The Top').

[FlashGordon]

Home Page

Thanks Chris, I will give your code a go as soon as I can.

What are your views on my Home Page questions?

Regards Gordon

[cdicken]

Seems easier for the above design if the home page is a section with
subsections. But can a section be a home page with no brochure pages in
the site design? If so, how? Any problems with this?

I didn't really understand this bit, I must admit.

But the code I gave you above could sit on a brochure home page if you want, and then it will just link through to the sections in your store.