I like how you made your own red and I want to make my own. I made a custom one for a yabb board, but those are so much easier to mod. How can I Change my board easily? Should I just download the standard blue template and then mod from there? I am so confused because this board broke the templates into so many sections and also included php code and MySQL along with java if I am correct. I plan on making my own graphics and such and I want to change around the layout as well. I like this kind too:
http://bb.exocrew.com/metalpen666/index.php?


I guess I will be checking here and letting you know how it all goes. Thanks red.



** this might make for a good article **

Yep, that's what I did, I downloaded the standard blue one and individually modified the html for each section. It was not that easy, but it was not impossible either. But by the end I figured not to bother with the user CP, mod CP and PM manager since those alone had like 10 files each to edit and to consider it's hardly ever seen is just not worth the effort. I might eventually do it, but not any time soon.

For the images, there are seperate folders in conf_image (or something like that) and they go in there, just create a new folder and make sure to use the same file names.

Hey, I just switched my skin to the default IPS skin and then downloaded that from my browser. I know this isn't the best way since, some things in the stylesheet can't be shown on one page; like the post window and rows and such like that.

But reguardless, I messed with some of the colors to see which section they were effecting (#ff0000 shows the best) and I got a much better idea of how the board works. It's just like the yabb so I do not think I will have too hard of a time, since I plan on adding a little side menu bar to the forum as well.

I know that graphics are going to be a pain in the , but ohh well.


Thanks for the help red, There is a lot of css in there that I don't understand. I think I am going to look for a map of the forum, funtion wise.

Yeah it's quite complex compared to YaBB, but it's also much more customizable.

suggestions though? On how to see the other parts of the template including the post window and replies and such? Also, how will I ulpload this? As a new skin and do I need a macro? i do not know how to make one ;(

You need to go in admin CP, and go to manage html templates, and edit it there. That's how I did my skin. To save the files (for backup so you don't loose all your work if something happends) download the skin/ folder, the files will be in there somewhere. You don't need to create a macro, thank goodness since I would of been clueless there too.
You might want to create a new CSS template though.

Yeah, what I am doing is just editing the CSS template for the default blue one. But how will I go about changing the layout as well with adding a side table to it?

You can edit CSS for the colors, but you'll have to edit the html templates to actually change the layout. If you want to change it globally (ex: dump everything in a table so you can have a side cell for stuff) you can edit the wrapper. For more specific things you need to edit the html templates and check for the ones you want to edit. A good thing to do is to add characters at places and save it, refresh the forum and see where they are, that way you can give yourself an idea that you are editing the right template and right sections.

QUOTE

A good thing to do is to add characters at places and save it, refresh the forum and see where they are, that way you can give yourself an idea that you are editing the right template and right sections.

I usually just change the color to #ff0000, bright red


But I started work on the custom buttons and it seems to be a pain in the arse. I will finnish it soon though.

Yep it's quite long to do!

hahah that was me above, using Opera with my cookies being all gay. Umm, Do i have to mess with php files and re-synching my templates and what not?

You have to go where the html template section and there's an option on the bottom to resync. If you don't do it, if you go to edit your templates, they will apear like the "old" ones (ex: if you uploaded modified files).

I have this skin right now that I need to edit the title tags since it doesn't say my forums name, but somehow I can't edit it like the other ones. I tried to download the html for it for the board wrapper and stuff, but that didn't work. How can I change this?

I had similar problems, did you do the sync thing like I mentioned? That usually solves this problem.

check here for nice free skins,and also links to tutorials for skinning ipb:

nbsdesignz

Yeah I've seen that site they have pretty slick skins. That's where I thought of putting the watermark in the text box as it was in css code in one of the skins we use at Anything Forums.

yeah,its nice!

you can find my skins in the database also,lol...
but like i told before,i'm new in this stuff....

cool I'll have to check it out.

I am making a portal and making it look like one of my main skins that I use. I want it to be something like this as well... http://bb.exocrew.com/metalpen666/index.php?act=portal

Although, there is some on there that I can live without, but I want that kind of info on my main page. I know that I can look through some of the php files for the right code, but I Know that people say to use portals that are already made.

anyone have any ideas? I found a mod on Ibplanet, but it's an empty .zip file, and I can't seem to find another.

yeah that's a good idea, especially if you don't want to learn how to code, but if you want to learn how, you can even go further than a portal and design it. Sort of like my home page, but everything is static but the news, but if I wanted to I could make it so I can simply add affilates by submitting it etc... but no use lol. But I heard with a portal it's very easy to just add stuff like that. You can make the news come from a specific forum too, that's pretty cool since it makes it simple for people to post comments and stuff.