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    #1

    Bespoke Atinic Site - Edit OR create templates?

    Hi,

    New user alert! ;-)

    I want to create a site similar in overall style to http://www.steelcube.com (ie. nice looking, navigation across the top, store links down right hand side).

    Where do I start? Should I edit the templates OR is it quicker and easier to create from scratch? And is it necesary to edit ALL the templates.

    The documentation presumes you might want to make the odd tweak but I want a totally different look and feel. None of the Actinic templates would work (would be great if Actinic supplied some 'real world' templates...).

    Has anyone created templates from scratch?

    Any help greatfully appreciated!

    R
    Tags: None
    #2
    I would start with a clean layout theme and then remove the code you don't want. This is a better route as you will need allthe netquotevarsetc.

    Comment

      #3
      OK thanks.

      How about the netquotevars I dont need? Comment them out OR edit the relevant template so its blank (im thinking of the logo one).

      Also Im guessing its best to hard code the navigation rather than editing the navigationitem template?

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by RobertN
        OK thanks.

        How about the netquotevars I dont need? Comment them out OR edit the relevant template so its blank (im thinking of the logo one).

        Also Im guessing its best to hard code the navigation rather than editing the navigationitem template?

        I always hand code navigation, although I use the individual NQVs for each link (these are in the NQV dictionary at the back of the AUG.)

        I think if you use a clean layout, you only have to ditch the NQV FOOTERGUIDE rather than ACT_HEADER.HTML

        I tend to be undisciplined in my approach,sometimes I remove, sometimes I comment. I depends on the code that remains as i like that to be squeeky clean.

        sometimes I know I will never need a certain NQV so I remove it, othertimes I comment them out and leave them at the bottom of the template, this way they are there if you want to put them back in.

        Comment

          #5
          OK, Im understanding this a bit better now. Do you have any example code for inserting the hard coded buttons?

          Also, do you have to have all files (images etc.) in the 'site1 directory or can you use sub directories? Seems a bit messy.

          Finally, do you get a lot of work doing Actinic sites? Worth going for the Dev version?

          Cheers

          R

          Comment

            #6
            I've posted below my Act_Primary for www.surf-wax.co.uk (its a v6 site, and fairly customised)

            but it will give you an idea


            <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
            <HTML>
            <HEAD>
            <TITLE>CUSTOMVAR:METATITLE</TITLE>

            <META NAME="ACTINICTITLE" CONTENT="NETQUOTEVAR:PAGEHEADER">
            <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
            <!--@act NETQUOTEVAR:HEADERMETA -->
            <!--@act NETQUOTEVAR:LOADFUNCTION -->
            <!--@act NETQUOTEVAR:SUBMITFUNCTION -->
            <!--@act NETQUOTEVAR:P3PFULLPOLICYLINK -->
            <Actinic:BASEHREF VALUE="NETQUOTEVAR:BASEHREF"/>
            <LINK HREF="actinic.css" REL=STYLESHEET type="text/css">
            <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="actiniccore.js" TYPE="text/javascript"></SCRIPT>
            <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="actinicextras.js" TYPE="text/javascript"></SCRIPT>
            <!-- Placeholder of cookie checking javascript code. Do not remove it! -->
            <Actinic:COOKIECHECK/></Actinic:COOKIECHECK/>
            <!--@act NETQUOTEVAR:SECTIONTREE_RAW -->
            <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" TYPE="text/javascript">
            <!--
            function SectionList(ar)
            {
            var strIDs = '<table border=0 width=100% cols=1>';
            for (var i=1;i<=ar.length;i++)
            {
            if (ar[i].sURL !=null)
            {
            strIDs += '<tr bgcolor="#F2F3F7"><td><a href="' + ar[i].sURL + '"><span class="actxxsmall"><b>' + ar[i].sName + '</b></span></a></td></tr>';
            {
            if (ar[i].pChild)
            {
            for (var j=1;j<=ar[i].pChild.length;j++)
            {
            if (j <= ar[i].pChild.length)
            {
            strIDs += '<tr><td bgcolor="#F2F3F7"><a href="' + ar[i].pChild[j].sURL + '"><span class="actxxsmall">' + ar[i].pChild[j].sName + '</span></a></td></tr>';
            }
            }
            }
            }
            }
            }
            strIDs += '</table>'
            return strIDs
            }
            //-->
            </SCRIPT>
            </HEAD>
            <BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF" OnLoad="bPageIsLoaded=true;">
            <table width="760" height="25" border="2" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000066">
            <tr><td>

            <table width="760" height="100%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
            <tr>
            <td height="25" colspan="3" valign="middle"><table width="100%" height="110" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" background="bg_banner.jpg">
            <tr>
            <td height="100%" align="center" valign="baseline"><img src="j_banner1.jpg" alt="surf wax" width="293" height="110"><br>
            </td>
            <td align="right" valign="baseline"><img src="j_banner3.jpg" alt="ecommerce case study" width="444" height="110"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="right" bgcolor="#990000">
            <td height="20" align="left" valign="middle" bgcolor="#b40000" class="whitetext">&nbsp;&nbsp;NETQUOTEVAR:PAGEHEADER</td>
            <td height="24" valign="middle" bgcolor="#b40000"><img src="basket_icon.gif" width="18" height="14">&nbsp;<a href="NETQUOTEVAR:NAVBCARTLINK" class=dark2bg>BASKET</a> <img src="checkout_icon.gif" width="18" height="16">&nbsp;<a href="NETQUOTEVAR:NAVBCHECKOUTLINK" class=dark2bg>CHECKOUT&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</td>
            </tr>
            </table></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="center" valign="top">
            <td width="165" rowspan="4"><script language=Javascript1.1>document.write(SectionList(section_tree))
            </script></td>
            <td height="12" colspan="2" nowrap><a href="NETQUOTEVAR:NAVBHOMELINK">Home</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/acatalog/index.html">Shop
            Front</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/cgi-bin/crosssellpro/topproducts.cgi?">Bestsellers</a> | <a href="NETQUOTEVAR:NAVBSEARCHLINK">Advanced
            Search</a> |&nbsp;<a href="NETQUOTEVAR:NAVBINFOLINK">Terms &amp; Conditions </a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/acatalog/quick_email.htm" target="_blank">Contact
            Us</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pinbrook.net/actinic/press.htm" target="_blank">Press</a> | <a href="http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/acatalog/sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="center" valign="middle">
            <td height="13">NETQUOTEVAR:SIMPLESEARCH</td>
            <td align="right"><b><a href="javascript:history.go(-1)"><img src="back.gif" alt="back" width="57" height="36" border="0"></a></b>&nbsp;</td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="center" valign="middle">
            <td height="13"><strong><font color="#CC0000">Free Delivery within UK mainland</font></strong></td>
            <td align="right">&nbsp;</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
            <td colspan="2" valign="top" nowrap >NETQUOTEVAR:FORMBEGIN <a name="top">
            <input type=HIDDEN name=RANDOM value="NETQUOTEVAR:RANDOM">
            </a> NETQUOTEVAR:HIDDENFIELDS <Actinic:NOWSERVING/> <Actinic:CURRACCOUNT/><Actinic:LOGOUT_SIMPLE/> NETQUOTEVAR:HEADERTEXT<br>
            NETQUOTEVAR:BULK<br>
            NETQUOTEVAR:FOOTERTEXT<br>
            NETQUOTEVAR:FORMEND<br>
            </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
            <td colspan="3" valign="top" nowrap ><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#D3D7E3">
            <tr align="left" valign="top">
            <td height="1" colspan="3"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="top" >
            <td height="1" colspan="3"></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="top">
            <td width="26%"><ul>
            <li>Delivery is free within the UK mainland</li>
            </ul></td>
            <td width="48%"><ul>
            <li>If you need to <strong>remove an item from your order</strong>,
            please use the <strong>basket link at the top of the screen</strong></li>
            </ul></td>
            <td width="26%"><ul>
            <li>Read what the <a href="http://www.pinbrook.net/actinic/press.htm" target="_blank">press</a> are
            saying about us </li>
            </ul></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="top">
            <td><ul>
            <li>There are no hidden charges in the checkout</li>
            </ul></td>
            <td><ul>
            <li>When you want to <strong>pay for your shopping</strong>, use
            the <strong>checkout link at the top of the page</strong></li>
            </ul></td>
            <td><ul>
            <li>Our designers <a href="http://www.pinbrook.net" target="_blank">www.pinbrook.net</a> </li>
            </ul></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="top">
            <td><ul>
            <li>See our <a href="http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/acatalog/surf_wax_terms.htm" target="_blank">terms</a> page
            for delivery options outside the UK</li>
            </ul></td>
            <td><ul>
            <li>Please use our quick currency converter below (note these conversions
            are offered as a guide only) <a href="http://www.xe.com/pca/launch.cgi?From=GBP&To=EUR">convert
            to EUROs</a> </li>
            </ul></td>
            <td><ul>
            <li>We use <a href="http://www.worldpay.co.uk" target="_blank">Worldpay</a> to
            process credit cards, thus you can be assured of total security</li>
            </ul></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="middle">
            <td colspan="3"><center>
            CUSTOMVAR:MENU
            </center></td>
            </tr>
            <tr align="left" valign="top">
            <td colspan="3"></td>
            </tr>
            </table></td>
            </tr>

            </table>
            </td></tr>
            </table>
            <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
            </script>
            <script type="text/javascript">
            _uacct = "UA-219226-1";
            urchinTracker();
            </script>
            </BODY>
            </HTML>
            personally I don't use Developer as I don't want to deploy order manager as this involves me having to update clients products. I supply all my clients with their own copy of catalog or business

            Yes I throw all images into site1, its untidy by it works.

            Comment

              #7
              You can put product images into sub-folders but for template images (add to cart, logo's etc) best to keep in the root of the folder as Jo suggests. Once on the server Actinic lumps everything into the same folder anyways but does make finding products on your hard drive a little easier.

              As to what to comment or delete best to comment out to start with as it can break the template if missing and then tidy the template once you know it is working


              Bikster
              SellerDeck Designs and Responsive Themes

              Comment

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