Cute Site & Custom Style Sheets

[hidden]

Can a custom style sheet and/or a web page template purchased from a generic web page site be placed into Cute Site using Insert/HTML code. Is there a way to place one of these purchased web pages into Cute Site and then be able to customize the text, links, etc?  Thanks, Don

[hidden]

Quick answer: NO.

Longer answer: MAYBE. You can not just Buy and Import and have the template load into CSB. CSB does not allow the user to edit the HTML . CSB stores all the design information in the tld and tlx files. Then converts that to HTML during publishing.

BUT the good news is that often the images, styles, etc offered in many template packages CAN be implemented in CSB as separate components or in similar ways.

Many of us have taken "professionally designed" templates and revised to fit CSB. Do you have a specific template in mind?  Maybe we could tell you how to make it or something similar work for your site.

To take an HTML template that works in another program can take just a few or MANY steps to convert to a CSB version. The whole process is hard to define in general terms because each template requires its own adjustments and treatment.  

The key is usually the background images.  If you use a top border and publish with frames turned on, then you will need an image that is cut to fit your top border.  If you do not publish with frames, you can either use separate images for the border areas, or one large image for the whole page then put an invisible table over it.... Anyway.... Start with changing the background colors and images...  

CSB also offers STYLES under FORMATTING.  This allows for Headers, and other text formatting to be saved and reused quickly. (Most people do not use this feature, eeven though it is a great time-saver!)

Trudy used to make lots of templates, some from her own images shown here. She said on the Globalscape forum:

If you want to make a web design just for that one file, you don't have to save it separately. If you want to be able to use it for other files, though, you need to save it separately as a .tld file. When you start the new file, just keep the home page without adding any more pages, edit all the page layouts you want to edit using the Format>edit page layouts, and save the file as a .tld rather than a .tlx .

If you look up "page layouts" and "web designs" in the CSB help file, you'll find lots of suggestions, but generally it's something you learn by playing around with it.

[hidden]

Don, if you want to do more modern, creative websites, which I think is what you are alluding to, then I would strongly suggest that it is time to move on from CSB. Doing what you want to do with CSB is very messy, as Sami already indicated.

I recommend that you have a look at Xara Web Designer 6. I consider it a modern version of CSB, as it operates in a similar way, but with huge flexibility to do what you want. It is not very expensive, and has a good range of templates that you can change almost without limitation. It is also easy to build your own designs from scratch, or copy other templates that you like.

You can find it here: www.xara.com

Rick

[hidden]

Thanks Sami and Rick for both of your replies. Truly appreciated.  Time to hit the learning curve once again.  It seems I could spend my whole life in school.    I'm going to check out Xara.com.  Sami - - I really like your site.  Thanks again for the help & support.  Don

[hidden]

Please check this thread on the samisite forum  http://samisite.com/forum/index.php?board=58.0  for reviews and comments related to the xara products and CSB users!

Let us know what you think!   

[hidden]

Time to hit the learning curve once again....  

That's also my problem, and that's why I stay nailed to CSB...

Good work, Don, and please, tell us how it's going, it may help some of us         to change mind...  

[hidden]

I was taking a look at Xara's page.
There are two offers with a substantial difference in price.

These are the the only features that cheaper version does NOT have:

Shortcut key configuration      
Color Separation Support      
PANTONE® color support      
PDF/X export      
XPS Support      
Multi-core processors      
HD Photo import      
Panorama Studio      
HTML Website Creation      
Navigation bars & menus      
Widget Support      
Pop-Ups and Slid

Question: If I go crazy and want to try, should I BETTER start with the more expensive version or his little brother would be enough?

[hidden]

Here is the website I am working on at the moment, built with Xara Web Designer 6. It has not been launched live yet, but is nearly ready to go, still a few refinements to do.

h**p://www.bushtrack.com.au/mars

[hidden]

Tony, the basic Xara Web Designer 6 is only 49USD. It is what I use, and is all you need to build websites. The other products you referred to are graphic design software, which incorporate the web design program. You don't need those unless you really want to do a lot of the graphic design yourself, or do not already have some kind of photo editing software.

But the basic Web Designer 6 is full of features, and you can do most aspects of building a website, including basic editing of photos. if you don't need complex graphics software XWD 6 is all you need.

I am sure Sami can add a lot more explanation about the different versions.

PS: I am at Shanghai airport waiting for the plane to Sydney! The temperature will jump from about 3 degrees to 30!

[hidden]

Thank you Rick!

I think I will try it.   
Hope to get some time to do it   

Have a good trip Rick, looking forward to hear you from your home 

[hidden]

I have posted info about XWD6...like the program very much.  I think many CSB users will like this program a lot.

I have posted comments about the latest version of the fullphoto program too.  Look at my previous post for link to those posts.

Tony, remember that neither program uses TABLES.  You can make a table in WORD or excel and paste it into your page but can NOT build and edit tables in the Xara programs!  For most people this is not a problem.  It might be for your price structures.  PLEASE read my reviews for details. 

I have no internet at home.  Working on my cell phone only. Every time they climb that pole out front to work on someone else's cable tv or internet, they take ME off line.  I saw the worker yesterday and she put the connection back, but only for a couple minutes...1/2 hour after she left, my internet went out!

[hidden]

Tony, remember that neither program uses TABLES.  You can make a table in WORD or excel and paste it into your page but can NOT build and edit tables in the Xara programs!  For most people this is not a problem.  It might be for your price structures.  PLEASE read my reviews for details. 

OMG... my WHOLE site is table based...!!   

[hidden]

Tony, maybe it is time to consider life beyond tables!  

We were so accustomed to using tables in CSB, because they were essential to get the site structured, and hold everythig in place the way we wanted. This aspect of tables is not necessary with XWD, and you may find that you do not need to use tables anywhere near as much as before.

As Sami said, there are ways of incorporating content which typically is better presented in tables. For example, you can incorprate content such as price lists, by preparing them firstly in Excel (for example). Save the Excel file as an HTML page. Then, simply copy the HTML code into a placeholder in XWD. You may well have a much better outcome than you would have with CSB, and you can certainly do a lot more with it. For example, you can move it around the page wherever you want. I know how difficult it is to get tables in just the right place with CSB!

Give it a try, Tony.

[hidden]

These are very good news, thanks Rick. 

I will give it a try. I'm not really displeased with my site the way is it now, but I could be happier if I could include some features that are not actually possible, or at least more complicated or restrictive with CSB.

With a fabulous team backing me up, like you are guys, how I shouldn’t? 

My only problem will be TIME, and redoing an entire site like mine is not an easy task, worse if you must learn a new software while you do it... but my site is working good so far, so I can take this change easy and as school for the near future, when CSB will be really obsolete.

Let's cheer up this section of the forum following this thread on the right place for further questions that I'm sure I will make you.

Thanks

[hidden]

Please read my reviews Tony!
I think you will like using XWD. It would do a lovely job for your site. 

[hidden]

Tony, since your existing site is still working well, now is the time to try out XWD. Don't wait until you need to build a new site in a hurry. If you start now, you can build a new website piece by piece, without any pressure, maybe take 6 months, and only go live with it when you are satisfied that it is worthy to replace your CSB site!

The other good thing about XWD is that they have a very helpful forum. So as well as Sami and I who use it, you have those guys to help you. If I post a question there, I usually get an answer within 1 or 2 hours.

[hidden]

You can publish to a subdirectory as you did before, playing with the toys that are built-into the program.
You can get a feel for the program pretty quickly and maybe you want to put some pictures up with it.  It has some really nice picture options that leaves CSB standing in the mud!
Just like CSB, you can make different files for different subdirectories. 
The Xara forum has been going through some changes lately. Very helpful, was always friendly.
(**Rick, Over the last few months some moderators and other things have changed at TG causing some real growing pains, some of the threads have been pruned, some have been removed because of snippy attitudes and problems. A few people have left the board over disputes w/Xara.... But still ABSOLUTELY recommend their products!)

[hidden]

The guy at TG who generally answers my questions (I guess because he is also Australian and in the same time zone) is Steve Ledger. I had a look and can't see any posts by him lately. I hope he is still around (or maybe I still have his email address somewhere).

Anyway, I guess these things happen with forums. As we know, people come and go, for whatever reasons. However, that has no affect on the products, which generally are excellent.

XWD6 is now a great product. I still can't imagine what prompted them to release it in its original form, with so many key features missing. Anyway, now it is great!

[hidden]

Tony, since your existing site is still working well, now is the time to try out XWD. Don't wait until you need to build a new site in a hurry.

Yep... that's the idea...
I count on your suggestions for add/mod the site. Making an exact copy is not what I would like to do... but I do like the black background. That will be the starting point 

[hidden]

Tony, I agree, don't make an exact copy. Maybe now is the time to give your site a fresh, new style, while still keeping the original look and feel. The trick is to give people the feel that your site is modernising, not being replaced.

I think you will have fun with XWD, and like Sami said, there are so many cool things you can do with photos. For example, with the click of your mouse, you can create large popups of small photos on the site. I remember what a procedure that was with CSB. What are container pages?  

Of course, I will be delighted to assist in any way. Now about that black background....!!! 

[hidden]

... Now about that black background....!!!  

 

It's just because I like the high contrast that some bright colors make over the black... besides, I think that black backgrounds give kind of "tridimensionality" to the page, making objects to pop up on the screen

[hidden]

Haha, yes, I can understand what you mean about the black background and "tridimensionality" (usually known as 3D, hehe)

On my side, I prefer the fresh bright look of white backgrounds, and I use white on most of my websites. To each his own! 

[hidden]

Hooray for the Differences! 

I prefer white too, but as you have seen from samisite.com, I do not feel locked into that for everything.  Some sities I have designed, modified, I have purposely used white as the base color to make them easier to post gifs on (didn't have to worry about making images transparent backgrounds).

[hidden]

My site is based basically on images.
I tried many colors before I chose the black. In my opinion, it was the color that more empathized the pictures.

Yes, I'm familiar with 3D term, but I meant that a picture, with a black background, seems to me as if it is "suspended in the air", with nothing behind, not placed flat over a surface... I don't know how to explain myself...

[hidden]

Know what you mean Tony. Makes images more vivid.  Some restaurants choose to use dark plates (black, navy, maroon) because the contrast of bright colors of food is heightened.  Lots of food photos are photographed against dark backgrounds for the same reason.