How to build a home page

[westcoasthd]

I am new to smug mug and would like to create a clean home page and use it as a front end to future galleries via a nav bar. My limited web experience is a stand alone site that I used Front Page to create everything, except the slide show which I used another tool to create the code. I have asked support for help, but they referred me to the forum. How difficult is it with in smugmug to create your own home page.

It doesn't seem like you can just upload code and photos for a default home page. From what I found so far, everything has to go into a gallery, is that true. If I want to simply upload a photo and use it with some html code and a nav bar, can some one explain how to do that? Under customize I see boxes that let you insert code for headers and footers. How do you create or insert a whole page with photos that not part of a gallery?

[Erick L]

In your control panel, click on the "homepage" tab. There you'll see several "boxes" which you vcan show or hide. They all have a more or less specific function but the bio box allows you to put whatever html code you want.

[denisegoldberg]

There are links to a couple of tutorials in the >>> CUSTOMIZATION: Start Here <<< sticky at the head of this forum - http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=52812. That's a good place to start. The tutorials include setting up a banner, a navbar, and a homepage slideshow. You could easily use a single photo / splash image instead of a slideshow.

And yes, for the most part, everything is shown in the context of a gallery. That gallery may contain photos, or it may be an html-only page that is text or that references photos stored in other galleries. You can also have pages that are not within galleries, like keywords, or a find page.

Do not use Front Page or any similar tool. You will end up with unneeded (and unwanted) code that will just get in the way.

First step is for you to decide how you want your home page to look. Tell us here, and there are plenty of people who will be happy to help.

Also - please add your site to your signature. That way when you ask a question everyone will be able to find your smugmug site. Click You! in the menu bar above, then Edit Signature.

--- Denise

[westcoasthd]

Denise,

I obtained some information via an email and added a photo to my bio page, but the photo does not show up as my home page, also the code that I entered for a nav bar does not display on the home page. The actual page is black except for the header. I find this a very tedious process, when all I want to be able to do is to view the photo and nav bar.

[denisegoldberg]

Denise,

I obtained some information via an email and added a photo to my bio page, but the photo does not show up as my home page, also the code that I entered for a nav bar does not display on the home page. The actual page is black except for the header. I find this a very tedious process, when all I want to be able to do is to view the photo and nav bar.
You sound pretty frustrated. Are you aware that there are a couple of people here who customize sites for a fee? If you really don't want to do this yourself, more info on hiring someone is in this thread - http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=89938.

I'm going to assume that you are going to continue with this though, so I'll try to provide some answers.

When I a view source on your page I don't see any navbar entries at all. I did find some navbar entries in your javascript - all pointing to your home page. Move the navbar entries to your header, and remove them from your javascript. Once you add the galleries you want to point to with your navbar entries you will need to update those entries to reference the galleries instead of your home page.

The javascript that sets up a galleries page separate from your home page is also missing.

When I attempt to view the photo you used for your banner I get a "not found". Is the photo in a gallery that is either public or unlisted - but without a password specified?

I'd recommend going back to this tutorial - http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/2160039. Make sure that you have followed all of the instructions in the tutorial.

--- Denise