To reduce the header width, how about using a slideshow of those four images. As a starter, try this thread http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=19682
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If you want the logo area to scale then you need to do something a bit cleverer than just define a large image. A normal approach to this is to set up the header area to be 2 parts, one part is a set size and the other part changes according to the rescale. Ths often involves having a repeating background or just a white background on the scaling area. Your logo of course has to be able to cater for that. You can also have the header in 3 parts, left and right static and central area expanding accordingly.
For what it's worth, unless you have the whole site designed using CSS, upscaling is a pretty useless exercise as it tends to stretch things, not show more content or gain any real space or use the user's screen any better. Stick with fixed width as a much better option IMO.Comment
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Normans Collapso is very easy to add into V8 or V9 sites and provides a menu system that contains search engine friendly links. Another good menu system is the code provided by Gabe here on the forum (do a search on navigation) but it is more complex to get the same effects that Collapso provides.Originally posted by pgimson View PostComment
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LeeOriginally posted by leehack View Post
I used the "Smart" theme template that was with the install. I have messed with a little of the HTML and installed add ons. As far as I am aware the whole site is CSS.
Are you suggesting that I fix the width. I can see that everything stretches in upscaling. What is the ideal width to fix at with all the modern monitors? Where do I fix the width? Does it affect the page and the header? If I then resize my large header image to fit the fixed width I should solve the problem I have with loosing the right side, shouldn't I?
Thanks for the reply.PaulComment
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I fix at 1003px overall width, that fills a 1024 screen completely.Originally posted by pgimson View Post
The width is defined on the outer most site container usually, so that all within it conform to that width.
The smart theme is not full CSS, no actinic theme is, you wouldn't set section column counts if it were as that would be decided by the screen width, not something you set in the interface. In fact that is one of the main points why scaling is useless if not using full CSS layouts. I don't see more sections, i just see 3 stretched instead, which looks crap.
If you set a fixed width for the site, then everything should work and be set up to that size, header included. These are blanket rules you are creating, no exceptions.
You'd probably do better using the site wizard, the smart theme leaves a lot to be desired in some areas, particularly navigation.Comment
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Fixed width
Lee
Too far into smart theme to change now and will be looking at navigation next.
Can you tell me where I go to change to a fixed width of 1003?Can't find it anywhere!! thanks.
PComment
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I couldn't tell you exactly no as i never use it, you will know more about the smart theme than me. What I can say is that you will need to be working on the overall layout and downloading Firefox and Firebug will help you to see and also change code in real time to test. You will be looking for width="100%" maybe a couple of times. You could add your own container around the whole lot and set the width on that instead if you preferred, setting the left and right margins to auto, so it centered automatically.Comment
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Lee
Appreciate the help. This is the layout code from the top level works best with Smart Theme in the design tree.
I am no expert and have only been doing this a feew months. I would have thought I should find the width somewhere in here or under settings/siteoptions/layout. Still cannot find it.
I have read that Smart theme is not the best layout, too bad I didn't know before I started.<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<LINK REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="http://www.mymerino.com/acatalog/favicon48pxsmoothxp.ico" />
<head>
<meta name="verify-v1" content="k54SX5GjQAn4ChhSxsFEdGS1bm04JIbZUsJ8ZSDj3mI=" />
<title><actinic:variable name="PageTitle" /></title>
<actinic:variable name="BaseHref" />
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<meta http-equiv="MSThemeCompatible" content="yes" />
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22MetaKeywords%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >
<meta name="keywords" content="<actinic:variable name="MetaKeywords" />" />
</actinic:block>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22MetaDescription%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >
<meta name="description" content="<actinic:variable name="MetaDescription" />" />
</actinic:block>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsP3PPolicyUsed%22%20%2f%3e" ><link rel="P3Pv1" href="<actinic:variable name="P3PFullPolicyLink" />"></actinic:block>
<link href="actinic.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="actiniccore.js"></script>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="actinicextras.js"></script>
<!-- Placeholder of cookie checking javascript code. Do not remove it! -->
<Actinic:COOKIECHECK />
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
saveReferrer();
// -->
</script>
<actinic:variable value="All Data From All Sections" name="JavaScriptArray" />
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
function YahooSections(ar)
{
var strIDs = '';
for (var i=1;i<=ar.length;i++)
{
if (ar[i].sURL != null)
{
strIDs += '<a href="' + ar[i].sURL + '"><span class="actxxsmall"><b>' + ar[i].sName + '</b></span></a><br />';
{
if (ar[i].pChild)
{
for (var j=1;j<=ar[i].pChild.length;j++)
{
if (ar[i].pChild[j].sURL != null)
{
strIDs += '<a href="' + ar[i].pChild[j].sURL + '"><span class="actxxsmall">' + ar[i].pChild[j].sName + '</span></a><br />';
}
}
}
}
strIDs += '<br />'
}
}
return strIDs
}
//-->
</script>
<script language="JavaScript1.3" type="text/javascript" src="tabbeddescriptions.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<actinic:variable name="TabberStyle" />" />
</head>
<body onload="<actinic:variable value="PreloadImages" name="OnLoadScript" />">
<actinic:variable value="Smart Header Area" name="HeaderArea" />
<br />
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="0">
<tr>
<td valign="top" class="sidebar">
<actinic:variable value="Smart Left Sidebar" name="SideBar" />
</td>
<td valign="top">
<a name="top"></a>
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="<actinic:variable name="Palette1" />" width="2%"><img src="theme_tab1_left.gif" alt="Left tab" /></td>
<td bgcolor="<actinic:variable name="Palette1" />" width="92%" height="20"><span class="boxheading"><actinic:variable name="BrochureName" /></span></td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="<actinic:variable name="Palette1" />" width="6%" align="right"><img src="theme_tab1_right.gif" alt="Right tab" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="bulk" colspan="3" style="padding: 5px;">
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsNotPreviewMode%22%20%2f%3e" >
<!-- When logged in, this gives the company name, username and a login link -->
<actinic:variable name="NowServing" /><actinic:variable name="CurrentAccount" /><actinic:variable name="LogoutSimple" /><br />
</actinic:block>
<div align="center">
<actinic:variable value="Header Text" name="HeaderFooter" />
</div>
<actinic:variable name="INNERLAYOUT" />
<div align="center">
<actinic:variable value="Footer Text" name="HeaderFooter" />
</div>
<actinic:variable name="ReferrerLink" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td valign="top" class="sidebar">
<actinic:variable value="Smart Right Sidebar" name="SideBar" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
PaulComment
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It took me weeks of reading and practising Paul to learn what I have, you can't give it a quick flick for 5 minutes and expect to understand, it takes time. People expecting me to try harder than they do themselves, do not generally fair too well with me, so I'll leave it to someone else to jump in and assist you.
I put in effort when I see effort, i'm not offering a free design service here, this is after all, how I earn my living also.Comment
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I didn't mean any offence. I was simply carrying on the conversation. Contrary to your suggestion, I have put much effort into my design including many customisations from these forums without asking for help. I don't expect to be an expert in 5 minutes, I do however work hard to climb the curve.Originally posted by leehack View Post
I have bought add ons from Norman Rouxel that I found on these forums, so I don't expect free advice nor take it for granted when it is given.
I am just stumped on this issue, not the original subject in this discussion I may add. Maybe someone else will come up with some help that can point me in the right direction.
Thanks for your time. In fact I have just finished looking at your site in detail.
I have always found your comments on the forum interesting and useful.
All the best
PaulComment
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No offence taken Paul. I understand you may have worked for days on your site, I was simply addressing this particular issue, which is a new one (discussed this evening) and clearly hasn't been looked at for a long time, illustrated by the times in between our posts.
You were told to look in the overall template (you got there ok) and told what to look for, you should see that in there too. Did firefox and firebug help at all?
My stance in forums is to push you in the right direction or jump on board when I see you are really stuck and have exhausted all avenues. Don't take it personally, it's the same for all.Comment
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Back to the original discussion points
Let's get off the width issue, I will investigate the forum for that solution.
Back to the point.
Do you think I made the suggested improvements to my site for SPP and the other excellent suggestions from my initial posting as you all intended?Comment
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Searched the forums and found this thread
http://community.actinic.com/printth...?t=31620&pp=15
I now have the logo centred in header which at least is a quick fix for my drifting problem. I narrowed the logo from 1563 to 1280 px as well which should help.
My priority now is the navigation issue with Smart Theme which I do not understand but hope that after putting in one of Norman's add ons will be improved.Comment
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Hi Paul,
As a word of encouragement, I have 3 sites using Smart theme, and have modified them using Norman's Collapso. I'm no expert, just a shopkeeper, but we're consistently in the first three or four places on G for all our keyword phrases, even the more general ones. I've read the discussions regarding smart theme, but don't feel it's hurt us at all using it. If perhaps you're in an extremely competitive market it may be different, but I think that good text, clear images and attention to detail in titles and layout more than compensates for any potential CGI problem.
All the best,
BenComment
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CGI nav has only ever been the real problem with the smart theme, so if you've removed that, there is no problems in relation to other themes. You've removed the achilles heel, that's the area that contributes 95% to the performance issues. The other dislike of the smart theme is design, it's a rip off of another package from years and years ago and it's common as muck offering no individuality at all, this opinion isn't helped of course when you have seen it a 1000 times.
One of my most successful sites is a modern day take on the smart theme, so the concept is fine.Comment
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