Paintbrush and all the people on this thread THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've only been using CC for 3 days but The platform finally came to light yesterday. I am sold on it and the forum is like none other. I have over the last week looked at numerous program when we decided to switch our host which was template based. I was left with the task of the learning curve. We already owned this software but never really put it to use.

I know I need to learn more but "click to enlarge" is an important part of the J12 site. Please I am open to suggestions. I've gotten a few of them and did get it to work by creating a single page for a larger version of the picture and linking to that page. It's a lot of work but it does work. I'm hoping if I take that route that I can choose which pages I want displayed when I upload it live on the internet. I assuming that is possible because it has been possible with every other program I've used. So with that said If anyone, Paintbrush? Has "click to enlarge" suggestions please I want to hear them. At the very least I can start looking at them and learning.

Again to all you People..... THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel, I've had a look through Eric's how-to page and also some things I had bookmarked. I think this one might be one of the easiest to use:
http://highslide.com/
Notice the Tip Box – A built in WYSIWYG if you don't want to mess with the code
If your site is for commercial purposes, you would need to purchase a license, otherwise it's free to use.

What ever you do, you're going to need to get familiar with a few things in VSD:
1. Edit > Edit Header
2. Edit > Add Files
3. The HTML Tool > Insert HTML

Just about every script out there will give you a code snippet to add to your site's header (#1), and some html code to add to your site's body (#3). Then you'll have your image files to be added to your site's root folder (#2). Basically 3 steps after you have your images sized and saved.

As in Eric's Colorbox tutorial, you would begin by downloading the file to your computer, then unzipping it to get to the head/body code snippets. You would then need to make some edits to add your own images and maybe change the dimensions to suit your image sizes. You can use Notepad to make your changes then save your code.

If this is making sense, you might try having another look at Eric's tutorial (since Colorbox is free ).
You also might want to open a new blank page on your site (call it test) and give it a try with just 2 or 3 photos to see how it goes.
I'm out of here for tonight, so I'll wish you Good Luck!—if you're going to tackle this now.

Paintbrush Hi and thank you for that info I will look at it.

So here is where I am. the building part is prety clear and the platform is clear it is this file name and folders and saving files that is just confusing. Things were not clean so I uninstalled everything, wiped out my sight and began again. My sight is not hard to build. It is 4 pages and then it takes you to paypal.

I go to VSD, click on new website, fill in page title and page ID I used Home for title home for ID, set my settings and click OK. Now I just wnat to save it. So I click save and it prompts me at that point to type in file name. I have no idea what to type in as user name. There are some suggestions in the drop down but I have no idea where they came from or what they are. Home do I know which one to choose?

Thanks again

Paintbrush Hi,

I believe I figured which to choose on the drop down. I tried them all and only one found the path on my computer and brought me to where I want to be. I now have things set up in the folder "myj12site". Under this is j12website_website, images folder, .vsn folder. I think it is nice and organized. Our websites are pretty simple and straight forward. Products are stand alone but detailed, look at the WalkYourDogWithLove.com site. Nothing to fancy. The J12 site is a little more funky and wild but still simple. Anyway I'm rambling and anxious to get back into VSD this morning and move along.

I built back my home page last night just to get back on track. This morning my plan is to get all of my photos into images and start putting them on the site. I did Breathe a sigh of relief! now that I'm back on track but in a more clear and organized way. Little by little CC becomes more user friendly. I'm pushing the learning curve here a bit because the sound of that deadline wooshing by will not be music to my ears at this time.

Thanks again forum. I'm sure I'll be back here today again when I fall out of Love with CC. About the 10th time in three days. Relationships can be rocky! I tried to put a smiley picture up but couldn't get it to work. How do you put the smiles on the posts?

That's it till later.

Thank you

I see with the smiley's they change from text to pics after you post your thread. So I guess the Love relationship with CC is back on.

If it helps, think of an actual file cabinet (your computer's C drive is the file cabinet). My Documents is a drawer in the cabinet. Pull open the My Documents drawer and put a folder in there for your website files. Put a name tab on it (myj12site). Now, you can just dump any and all website files right in there, or you can be better organized and keep your images in an envelope (folder) instead of scattering them loose in there.

Daniel – For you Home page, put index (lower case) as the ID. Every site needs to have an index page. When VSD opens your site, it looks for that index page. To open your site, click the file that has the VSD logo next to it – that will open to your index (home page). Your other pages will be available under the "Show Page" drop-down.

User name... Are you filling in the FTP settings? If this is an SDrive site, you don't need that. You'll use your email/password to publish to your SDrive.
The very first time you save your site, choose 'Save As' and give it a name (j12 for example). Choose the myj12site folder to save it to. After you have that set up, you only need to click save (or Ctrl+S) when you make changes/additions.

Sounds like you're making some progress

WOW! You have just blown my mind. I was going along here so fine. The problem is not building the site it is getting all of the technical settings correct.

1. The Id on my first page says home Not index. How do I change this? This what I was told to do 2 days ago never any mention of index as the first page.

2. User Name what? do not know what you are talking about or where it is. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. FTP settings what? SDrive what? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. I have saved my work many times as I move along and have never done this. How would I possibly know that i needed to do this. again HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Using the platform and building the site is not the problem. I understand buttons, in word you couldn't give me enough buttons. In templates that I've used the more buttons the better. Once you see how they work it makes total sense. I am very visual and mechanically inclined I just need to get the feel to how they work. Settings which essentially if not done properly will render the site with functioning flaws. So after our discusions Yesterday I uninstalled the entire software and started again so it is organized and clean. The folders are set up just as was explained so now what do I do? this is where I am at.

Paintbrush if you can help without having to start again. Somewhere on CC's site or opening it needs to put up warnings about how important these things are and what must be done with ID settings, user name setttings, FTP settings, the save as as you just explained. Maybe they are there and I didn't see them. I read the manual numerous times and it doesn't mention any of these things. Not everyone is technical. As you can see this is very frustrating. Please if you can set me straight on this it would be so appreciated. Starting from scratch again? I think I would rather stick needles in my eyes.

I even figured out the click to enlarge and it works beautiful. In fact nicer then I've ever had it on any site before.

Please help and I thank you in advance.

Sorry but this is really upsetting. There should be a big WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!! that says stop before you begin make sure of of these technical things are done properly and set up. if you have never done this before how would you possibly know. It talks about how to use the platform in the manual but nothing about what to correctly put in all the areas where it asks for Id, user name and so forth. I asked about the id section two days ago and was never told about index on the first page.

So sorry for getting frustrated but these things are so important.

I really look forward to your help and please realize not everyone who comes to CC is advanced in the technicals.

Any help to move forward gracefully will be so appreciated and I apologize if my frustration is showing thru

This information would have been already given to you by your hosting provider. This is the company who you pay monthly for your website.

If you want to use S-Drive, this is all you need to do:

1. First, you need to create your S-Drive Account

2. Go to Publish > CoffeeCup Account Settings and enter in your CoffeeCup account information

3. Go to Publish > Choose a Publishing Destination and select your S-Drive account

4. Click Publish

Was that just a typo? If so, good – one less thing to deal with

As for your page settings, in the Name box you would have Home. In the box right under it (ID), delete home and type in index. Check the box underneath that for homepage.

Ignore the FTP Settings. Here's the SDrive how-to:
http://www.coffeecup.com/help/articles/ … te-with-s-
drive/

As for Save As and Save... these are standard options for any file on any computer, not just VSD. I think the instructions assume one would have the basic computer-user skills in place before tackling a website Don't panic, take deep breathes... you're OK


From Eric's example? I'm impressed – well done!