Adding Layouts to Layouts? Err...

[Mark Crisell]

I'm struggling a bit, as you can probably tell from the title.

Been working with the design side of Actinic since v3, and have been working with HTML for the last 6 or 7 years.

But put v8 in front of me and I'm so eager to get to the good bits that I'm falling over at every hurdle.

I've fiddled around for a few days now and have spent so much time going through the help, advanced guide, knowledge base and this forum.

There is a v6 site that the owner wishes to move to v8 and I'm going through the steps of creating it from scratch using the same product data, but I want to modify a v8 theme to match the existing site (rather than let AC upgrade the v6 to v8).

Using a base "Executive" theme, I now want to add some links below the "main pages" heading (where the 'Best Sellers' appears) which will link to non actinic generated pages. In my head I'm thinking I want to create a "block" of code that I then add to the layout? I cannot seem to grasp the design tree usage and I'm flying a bit of a white flag here... can anyone point me in the right direction?

[leehack]

If they are non actinic generated links, then hard code them into the layout within the design view using normal html. No need to be clever with static anchors to non actinic pages, keep it simple.

[jont]

Best to forget all you know about Actinic and start thinking afresh!

In the design mode always check you are cilcked onto the right layout - the name appears in the title bar above - clicking the yellow up arrow at the bottom left of the design window navigates to the parent template - it is very easy at first to be clicked onto a child layout and edit the wrong template.

[Mark Crisell]

Best to forget all you know about Actinic and start thinking afresh!

I'm rapidly deciding you're right!

Am still very impressed with v8 though - certainly a positive move from v6.