Transfer customisations from one design to another

electrolyteelectrolyte Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
edited June 10, 2014 in SmugMug Customization
I have used the Sierra design successfully since the launch of new Smugmug. I would like to freshen up my site and use a different design. However, when I choose a new design none of my customisations are copied across to the new design (eg logo, menu, social icons, homepage slideshow etc). So it is difficult to visualise what my site will look like with a new design.

Is there any way to copy across these customisations? If there isn't then it is like starting again and will take me hours to create which really sucks. At the very least, surely it must be possible to copy across my logo, menu structure and social icons as these aren't custom HTML or CSS.

Please could someone help?
My site: www.simonbutlerphotography.com

Comments

  • electrolyteelectrolyte Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited June 10, 2014
    Is there really no way to do this? If there isn't it is almost like starting from scratch. I can't believe for instance that the site navigation / menu titles aren't transferred across for instance.
    My site: www.simonbutlerphotography.com
  • ChancyRatChancyRat Registered Users Posts: 2,141 Major grins
    edited June 10, 2014
    electrolyte wrote: »
    Is there really no way to do this? If there isn't it is almost like starting from scratch. I can't believe for instance that the site navigation / menu titles aren't transferred across for instance.

    I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news... but... no, you can't transfer content over.

    You can do these:

    - Go ahead and set up a test folder and apply a new theme there. Play with edits/additions/customization, to see if in fact you really want to make it permanent. If you do, then go back and make the change to the entire site. Go ahead and re-do your customization, by first backing up your old site using the Fantastic Chrome tool: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=240752. This will let you see any CSS or HTML you've added, and you can copy-paste where needed.

    - Inside a single section (all folders, one folder, pages, a gallery), choose a new theme that would apply there only. I have not done this myself, so if there are caveats or cautions, hopefully someone will chime in. Purpose? Your custom site is about ABC, and now you want to branch off and do something new and different. Clicking New XYZ link will take the viewer to the "new world" theme.

    - Apply a ton of CSS to perhaps achieve what you want to your existing theme.

    At one point before I unveiled, I thought I had gotten myself into the situation you describe. I tried the test-method on a different gallery. In the end I decided I could get where I needed with CSS alone. Unfortunately SM doesn't give new users a list of limits that might apply to each theme choice, so I'm not actually sure if there are any.
  • ChancyRatChancyRat Registered Users Posts: 2,141 Major grins
    edited June 10, 2014
    By the way, it may not be so hard to re-do your customization, if you really want to switch.
    Maybe tedious, but straightforward.
  • electrolyteelectrolyte Registered Users Posts: 59 Big grins
    edited June 10, 2014
    Thanks very much for confirming what I had suspected. Yes I could re-do my customisations but you are right that it is tedious. Plus I installed each one back when Smugmug changed and of course I can't remember what bit of the HTML and CSS code relates to what.

    It certainly isn't encouraging me to stay...
    My site: www.simonbutlerphotography.com
  • ChancyRatChancyRat Registered Users Posts: 2,141 Major grins
    edited June 10, 2014
    What do you want to accomplish with a new theme? You might ask and see if there is CSS to get you there.
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