First time use...

[lagom]

I have purchased a license for v9 and have the following questions:

1. After installation a default site (site1) is created together with lots of files including sample pages and products etc. I want to create my own site design utilising the Dreamweaver Plugin and registering an existing page layout. How do you 'start afresh' as there does not seem to be an option for starting a new site or deleting the sample files? Is there a better 'getting started' guide than the included PDF?

2. If a CSS based design works fine in Firefox and IE but appears differently/corrupted in the Actinic workspace and the Actinic Preview (in IE) is there a way of debugging what is causing the problem if the html/css is correct?

3. If you make an error is there a way of restoring the site to a basic default in order to start again?

4. I cannot find any in depth tutorial for using Dreamweaver to create a site template. Can anyone recommend one - especially if there is a tutorial video such as the ones produced by 'Lynda.com'.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer some help!

Ben

[NormanRouxel]

Welcome, Benjamin.

It's late so I'll only answer (3).

Use File / Snapshot / Export Site to make a complete backup of your site. Do this often when tinkering as it's then easy to backtrack via File / Snapshot / Import Site.

Hopefully others will be along to deal with your other points.

[Duncan Rounding]

1. The simplest way to start over is to uninstall and reinstall Actinic. Otherwise restore from a snapshot as Norman has described.

2. There are a number of ways to help debuging. In Firefox download and install te add-ins called Firebug and the Web Developer Toolbar. In IE the IE Developer Toolbar.

4. You will need to get acustomed to how Actinic works before jumping in to use DW. Trial and error is the best way - making many many snapshots along the way.

[RuralWeb]

Call actinic as you have 30 days free support to get your site built

[Firecom]

I also copy the site1 folder when I back-up.

I keep ebay css templates etc in there for easy reference and upload to the server. I did a snapshot import recently but it didn't bring in my folders I use to store stuff for the site.

so occasionally I delete the site1 file and import a whole new one.

And like the guys say, back-up regularly. If I'm working on design I back up after each change. At least 10 a day normally.

[lagom]

Thanks and another question...

Thanks for all your suggestions!

I have thus far sucessfully imported a css site layout into actinic and added the various content snippets.

What I am struggling with now is editing the css to style the top level section list. By testing the site in FF and using Firebug I have identified the classes that need changing in actinic.css but when I make the changes in Dreamweaver or via the Actinic Stylesheet tab it has no effect whatsoever.

I am completely stumped at the moment - can anyone offer any ideas? Is there a good tutorial for working with Actinic stylesheets?

Many thanks,
Ben

[leehack]

The actinic stylesheet is like any other css stylesheet, only real difference is that some of the settings are added by variables, so any css tutorial will teach you all you need to know in that area. The only other thing to bear in mind is that you should always change the actinic stylesheet on the design tab or from within the design library, that is all.

If your changes don't work after upload, firebug them again, did they get loaded, why not working now, if not loaded you added them into the wrong place.

[lagom]

Found the problem!

The only other thing to bear in mind is that you should always change the actinic stylesheet on the design tab or from within the design library, that is all.

Thanks,that was the problem!
I was editing the file from within DW...

Ben