Is This Possible?

Sam · April 21, 2014

OK, here is what I would like to have to work with.

This is a look at a my homepage. Simple number of boxes that provides an easy way to change
the contents, size, etc.

I can they play with contents, colors, location, textures, size, etc.

Does the new SmugMug offer anything like this?

Hikin' Mike · April 22, 2014

You current slideshow is Javascript-powered and the new SM slideshow doesn't support that, but there is a slideshow (I have one on my site). Other than that, you can do what you want.

leftquark · April 22, 2014

Yes:
1) Go to your customizer, click on "Homepage
2) Place a "Logo" content block on the top of your page.
3) Place a "Menu" content block on the top of your page. Add links by following the instructions
4) Place a "Single Image" content block on the top of your "body" of the page. Select the image.
5) Place a "Slideshow" in the middle of your page (below the Single Image block).
6) Place a "Multiple Photos" content block below the slideshow
7) Click on the "Background" tab and select an image to be used as your background.

7 quick steps and you basically have your site.

Sam · April 22, 2014

leftquark wrote: »

Yes:
1) Go to your customizer, click on "Homepage
2) Place a "Logo" content block on the top of your page.
3) Place a "Menu" content block on the top of your page. Add links by following the instructions
4) Place a "Single Image" content block on the top of your "body" of the page. Select the image.
5) Place a "Slideshow" in the middle of your page (below the Single Image block).
6) Place a "Multiple Photos" content block below the slideshow
7) Click on the "Background" tab and select an image to be used as your background.

7 quick steps and you basically have your site.

I will give this a try later today.

Thanks!!!

Sam

Sam · April 23, 2014

leftquark wrote: »

Yes:
1) Go to your customizer, click on "Homepage
2) Place a "Logo" content block on the top of your page.
3) Place a "Menu" content block on the top of your page. Add links by following the instructions
4) Place a "Single Image" content block on the top of your "body" of the page. Select the image.
5) Place a "Slideshow" in the middle of your page (below the Single Image block).
6) Place a "Multiple Photos" content block below the slideshow
7) Click on the "Background" tab and select an image to be used as your background.

7 quick steps and you basically have your site.

Tied it. I can't get past step #1. I can get a logo / text box but can't change the size or location of the box. Although I haven't got there yet I also want to use a font not currently available on the site.

Step #2 seems to go nowhere. I get a command to drag and drop content into a highlighted are but can't actually create a box or add anything to existing boxes on canned themes.

Tried to create a new blank home page to no avail.

I am like a damn monkey pressing the same buttons over and over in every conceivable order, but I don't gets my banana.

Sam

leftquark · April 23, 2014

Sounds like you should watch some of the tutorials.... http://school.smugmug.com/Video-Tutorials/NEW-SmugMug-Tutorials
for example this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LM3f1WSY6Q, starting around 3:27 shows basically everything you would want to do.

Here's some help pages on how to make a menu: http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/1222523-how-do-i-make-a-navigation-menu-

I think your biggest problem is that you might be "giving up" too easily. Adding things is pretty easy but there's one trick you need to learn first: there's only certain places you can drop the content blocks. You can't just drop them anywhere, you have to drop it where you want, but within its "sweet spot". You'll know it's in the sweet spot when a green box shows up, showing you where it's going to be dropped. You can see the green box pop up in the youtube video I linked above. As you try to drop a menu content block, move your mouse (while still holding down the clicker) around to various parts of the screen until you get the green box to come up.

To change the location, place your mouse over the content block until you see it highlight in green. There's a little 4 arrow icon on the far left that you can click and use to move the item. To change the size, click the wrench icon and you'll see the various size options.

In terms of your logo: I suggest starting with a basic font and once you have things OK, we can help you get the font you want. Another option is to create the logo in photoshop and use an image instead of a font. You need to remember that, unless you do a somewhat complicated method, if the user doesn't have the font you want, they won't see it and they'll see something else (probably very ugly) instead. In that case, you'd prob. want to use an image.

ChancyRat · April 23, 2014

Hang in there, once you get the mechanics down, you'll fly with the customizing.

Sam · April 24, 2014

Just to keep those have patiently offered their help, I have semi successfully created a home page and about me that are starting to approach what I had in mind.

I still find working in the new SmugMug frustrating. I can't actually place various content blocks precisely where I want them. They are close, but just not where I want them and many times when I try and move something the other blocks will revert to some former state?

I will keep at it and when I get to the point of specific questions I will get back to you.

You efforts are not in vain.

Sam

Hikin' Mike · April 24, 2014

Sam wrote: »

Just to keep those have patiently offered their help, I have semi successfully created a home page and about me that are starting to approach what I had in mind.

I still find working in the new SmugMug frustrating. I can't actually place various content blocks precisely where I want them. They are close, but just not where I want them and many times when I try and move something the other blocks will revert to some former state?

I will keep at it and when I get to the point of specific questions I will get back to you.

You efforts are not in vain.

Sam

Once you've unveiled, somebody here can help you with the fine-tuning with some specific CSS to make it what you want.

Sam · April 24, 2014

Hikin' Mike wrote: »

Once you've unveiled, somebody here can help you with the fine-tuning with some specific CSS to make it what you want.

I will be very, very, very, very cautious to the point of paranoid prior to the non revocable, it's set in concrete, no going back unavailing.

Sam

Ann McRae · April 24, 2014

Sam wrote: »

I will be very, very, very, very cautious to the point of paranoid prior to the non revocable, it's set in concrete, no going back unavailing.

Sam

Hey Sam

I just want to be sure that you know your design can be changed whenever, however, you wish after unveiling. You cannot go back to using legacy but that doesn't mean you cannot make changes. I've spoken with customers that were under this misconception, and want to be sure you know not to fear unveiling.

ann

Sam · April 24, 2014

Ann McRae wrote: »

Hey Sam

I just want to be sure that you know your design can be changed whenever, however, you wish after unveiling. You cannot go back to using legacy but that doesn't mean you cannot make changes. I've spoken with customers that were under this misconception, and want to be sure you know not to fear unveiling.

ann

Thanks Ann,

I know I can continue to make changes after the unveiling, but if the base new site isn't close and fully functional I think I would be in trouble.

I know I can continue to make changes after the unveiling but it needs to look OK and work upon the unveiling.

I anticipate making additional changes / upgrades but I don't want to be in a panic because I unveiled a piece of doggy doo.

Sam

ChancyRat · April 24, 2014

Sam wrote: »

Just to keep those have patiently offered their help, I have semi successfully created a home page and about me that are starting to approach what I had in mind.

I still find working in the new SmugMug frustrating. I can't actually place various content blocks precisely where I want them. They are close, but just not where I want them and many times when I try and move something the other blocks will revert to some former state?

I will keep at it and when I get to the point of specific questions I will get back to you.

You efforts are not in vain.

Sam

Regarding placing blocks, blocks by default will fill up the width of the page.
Place the blocks - example, say, 3 - side by side. Start with the one on the left, click the triangle ruler icon on the upper left corner of the block, and set the pixel width you want. Go to the 2nd block and set that width. The 3rd will automatically adjust to fill up the rest. If you then change any one of the blocks, some one of the others will automatically adjust because the full page width needs to fill.

One additional option is to set the margins of any one block. This is another way to control positioning.

And, you can set negative margins. In the image, the two rows of blocks, the purple line is the bottom of the top row. The method to move block 4 up above the line is to give it a negative top margin. The movement down of block 5, is by adding positive top margin.

Allen I believe has another way using CSS to control spacing of blocks. Margins, positive and negative, work well for small adjustments, but large ones can result in messy page loading.

jasonscottphoto · April 25, 2014

The design concept you posted in your original post is almost exactly what we have on our site, using the new smugmug.

Sam · April 25, 2014

jasonscottphoto wrote: »

The design concept you posted in your original post is almost exactly what we have on our site, using the new smugmug.

This is very close to what I have in mind!!

I do feel better now and am working on the site.

Sam

Sam · April 25, 2014

Questions
I am getting to the point of having specific questions.

I can change the name of existing Nav bar buttons but not the bread crumb name o match the nav bar name?

I tried to create a new page called Portfolio. It seemed to create the page but I couldn't get what I wanted I thought I saved the page for future efforts, but the page went poof. When I tried to recreate the page it said the url was already in use???

My thought is to create a Portfolio page with specific categories, like food photography, product photography, event photography etc. These galleries / folders would contain a limited number of images so those interested in a specif type of photography can quickly access the category of their interest and see my style.

While I was able to create a box for images, I couldn't figure out any way to chose the images I wanted and put them into the box.

Sam

denisegoldberg · April 25, 2014

Sam wrote: »

I can change the name of existing Nav bar buttons but not the bread crumb name o match the nav bar name?

The breadcrumb entries match the title of the folder and/or the gallery. If you want the breadcrumb entry to match the name you put in the navbar you'll need to edit the folder or gallery settings to match.

Sam wrote: »

I tried to create a new page called Portfolio. It seemed to create the page but I couldn't get what I wanted I thought I saved the page for future efforts, but the page went poof. When I tried to recreate the page it said the url was already in use???

It's probably there - but the page won't show on your site until you reference it. TO find your Portfolio page go into the Organizer. I suspect it's at the top level of your site so it should show after your folders and galleries. To customize it, click from the organizer.

Sam wrote: »

My thought is to create a Portfolio page with specific categories, like food photography, product photography, event photography etc. These galleries / folders would contain a limited number of images so those interested in a specif type of photography can quickly access the category of their interest and see my style.

While I was able to create a box for images, I couldn't figure out any way to chose the images I wanted and put them into the box.

It depends on what kind of box you selected. Edit the box and you should see an entry where you select photos or galleries or photos.

If you look at my site for some examples, the kaleidoscope page has a "galleries" box on it. It's set to "Galleries I choose". I then clicked on the galleries entry (next line in the box) and clicked to the galleries I wanted to show. The gallery page is similar but it contains a "folders" box instead of a "galleries" box.

--- Denise

Sam · April 26, 2014

denisegoldberg wrote: »

The breadcrumb entries match the title of the folder and/or the gallery. If you want the breadcrumb entry to match the name you put in the navbar you'll need to edit the folder or gallery settings to match.

The specific nav bar and breadcrumb I am referring to is what was called "Browse" I can change the name to "Galleries" on the nav bar, but the breadcrumb remains "Browse". I have nothing on my legacy site named "Browse". I do have a category "Galleries".

It's probably there - but the page won't show on your site until you reference it. TO find your Portfolio page go into the Organizer. I suspect it's at the top level of your site so it should show after your folders and galleries. To customize it, click from the organizer.

Yes I can see it, but still can't seem to do what I want. (I am working on it now).

It depends on what kind of box you selected. Edit the box and you should see an entry where you select photos or galleries or photos.

I want to create a page called "Portfolio". I then want to create individual folders representing various type of photography. I want to choose a small select number of images from my galleries for each new folder. I seem to be able to choose an entire gallery from the legacy site but not individual images.

If you look at my site for some examples, the kaleidoscope page has a "galleries" box on it. It's set to "Galleries I choose". I then clicked on the galleries entry (next line in the box) and clicked to the galleries I wanted to show. The gallery page is similar but it contains a "folders" box instead of a
"galleries" box.

I see this and it looks like your kaleidoscope matches your galleries image for image. This is not what I want.

Please note: I do appreciate your help!!!!!

Sam

denisegoldberg · April 26, 2014

Sam wrote: »

I want to create a page called "Portfolio". I then want to create individual folders representing various type of photography. I want to choose a small select number of images from my galleries for each new folder. I seem to be able to choose an entire gallery from the legacy site but not individual images.

I think the problem you are having is that folders contain galleries, not photos.

You can place photos on pages.
You can place folders or galleries on pages.
You can place galleries in folders.

If you want a portfolio page with entries representing sets of photos, have you considered having each representative item on that page jump to another page that contains the selected photos?

Another option would be to create a set of portfolio galleries that are collections of photos from other galleries.

--- Denise

Is This Possible?

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