Can I use two layouts?

[DCooke]

Hi All

Hope you can help with this. I was hoping to use two page design layouts:

Homepage (for the homepage)
MainPage (for all others).

They are very similar. However, whenever I make a change the layout on one it effects the other!

For example on the Mainpage layout I want a New Products sidebar list. This is fine, but it also adds it to the Homepage Layout. If I delete it from the Homepage layout - it deletes it from the Mainpage layout!

I don't want sidebar this on the homepage (it already has the Homepage New products layout).

Can anyone help. Is this a bug - or 'by design'.

Thanks very much

Dcooke

[wjcampbe]

You can use a 'condition' block to control when the sidebar is/is not visible.

[pinbrook]

or have one layout for brochure pages and another for all other pages, set layouts in Settings menu, site options

[DCooke]

Thanks guys.

This actually now seems like a bug in my installation.

Bill - I know how to do a condition so a sidebar etc appears on the homepage. However, I don't know how to do one which says to NOT appear when the page is the homepage.

Jo - your suggestion is what I was doing. However, the two layouts would always be exactly the same. A change to the homepage layout (brochure page) would update the Mainpage layout and vice versa.

The problem was resolved with a workaround. I exported the homepage layout to Dreamweaver. Made the changes and then exported it back to Actinic. This way the changes stayed in the Homepage layout and were not transferred to the Mainpage layout as well.

Thanks.

Dcooke

[wjcampbe]

It's the same condition only change equals = to not equals != or <>

[thedoc01]

registering 2 pages within dreamweaver

is this the same problem?
I registered 2 web pages within dreamweaver so that i could use modified designs for the cart pages vs the main section pages. Did not work.
Can you register more than one page per actinic site?

[Nadeem]

Hi Ian

Yes you can do this, taken from the help file

Using the Dreamweaver Extension
To begin, open up a page that you have designed in Dreamweaver. Then save it as a new filename (such as 'actinic.html'). This will just ensure you don't overwrite any of your current pages. When you are ready to start the integration:

1. Go to the 'Actinic' menu and select 'Register a Design With Actinic'

If you don't have Actinic open at the moment, Actinic will now open.

2. You will be prompted to decide which Actinic pages you want this new layout to be used for. The different pages are discussed in Editing Other Actinic Pages. To use the design for the whole site, select 'All Page Types'.

This came from "Help | Help Topic | Content | Overall Page Layout | The Dreamweaver Plug In"

Kind Regards

[thedoc01]

changes

Thanks Nadeem,

Can you tell me how to 'change' these allocations? I made a mistake and applied the wrong page design to the 'Bounce' page. 'Site Options' can be modified for the PSP Bounce Page layout, but not for the ordinary Bounce Page.
Thanks.

[Nadeem]

Hi Ian

Best thing you could do, is open Actinic, then go to "Design | Library", here under "Layouts", click on the "+" sign next to "Web Page Inner Layout", and you will see "Bounce Page Bulk Area". Right click on this and select "Revert to Factory Settings". It will apply the default layout for you.

Kind Regards

[thedoc01]

slight complication

thanks Nadeem.

But I applied a registered design 'A', whereas I need to register design 'B'. I do not want to register 'factory' design.
Any comments please?
Ta

[wjcampbe]

To get from A to B without retaining any of the changes A made to standard settings, you need to first go back to standard settings and then apply B.

No-one on this forum would ask you to do such a thing just for fun.

If you really insist you just want to replace A with B on this one page, re-import B and when you reach the select pages to apply to just select 'Bounce'. Don't be surprised if you end up with a mish mash.

[thedoc01]

confused

sorry Bill, but I do not understand your reply.

Is this via the
"Design | Library", "Layouts", click on the "+" sign next to "Web Page Inner Layout"
as suggested by Nadeem?

Thanks.

[pinbrook]

This may not be the best way of applying different custom layouts but this is how i do it.

1 create my design in DW and then register it with actinic, I apply it to "all page types".
2 If i consequently decide to have a different layout for my brochure pages and another different layout for my checkout pages, I go to Design Library, Layouts, Web page Outer Layout right click my custom layout, new layout, based on my custom layout.
3 I edit this layout within Actinic - it tends to be a simple edit job
4 I then repeat for any other custom layout I want based on my design
5 Go to Settings, Site Options, layout tab and set my layouts to the appropriate pages.

[thedoc01]

yes . . . but . .

Thanks Jo, that makes good sense and I follow your logic.
But, the Site Options | Layout does not include the 'Bounce' page does it. Should this page be here? Seems the rest are.
Any thoughts how I can modify the layout for the 'Bounce' page?
Thanks

[pinbrook]

Any thoughts how I can modify the layout for the 'Bounce' page?

I thought that was what I had just posted. Quite often with this type of question if it is not possible to directly supply a solution, you will be given ideas. You then have to go away and process the ideas and mould them to your own dilemma.

I cannot give you a definative reply so I have offered a workaround. But I would have thought you should have enough info now with Nadeem, Bill's and my suggestion to come up with a resolution. All the replies you have had should work, you may need to be a little more creative to see the solution.