Ok, I have spent some time browsing the forum and the Help PDF's that came with the software looking to try and answer my questions without bothering anyone...I've found some clarification and answers but I just want to be sure I am right, so I'm just going to have to ask. Please excuse me if this is a repeat of a repeat of a repeat of a repeat....you get the idea.

I have just bought the Super Pack to design a website and webstore for our small business, and it's great, it's got everything I need But I need some help ensuring that my site and store will look the same.

First question: To ensure this continuity, I am presuming I should be using themes. A) If I purchase a theme or use one that came with VSD, can I edit it (colours graphics etc)? I am under the impression I can do this, using WIS but B) how do I edit themes in WIS?

Second Question: If I don't purchase/use a pre-existing theme, if I create my own page from scratch, how do I ensure that the basics on each subsequent page are the same (layout, colours etc)?

Third Question: How do I ensure that my theme can be used in the Shopping Cart Designer? If I purchase a theme from Coffee Cup to use in VSD, how can I know if I can get the same theme in Shopping Car Designer?

Thank you for any help offered towards my understanding

Rachel

To edit themes in WIS you open the graphic in the theme folder with WIS and edit at your discretion.
If you don't use a theme for your site you want to design the home page with everything you want to see on all subsequent pages then select "Add a new page" and check the "duplicate page" option and select the page you want to duplicate. As far as themes that have the same look in VSD and SCCP I would check to see which one you like in SCCP then check to see if it's available for VSD. If it's not available for VSD don't worry so much has you can design the look of your shop first with the theme then make VSD look very similar to the shop. It's much easier to make your VSD page look like you shop then your shop look like VSD.

Since the Shopping Cart graphics are editable in WIS, that would make it easy to create a matching look for the VSD site (same background, button styles, icons...).

Have a look through here to see all the themes:
http://designers.coffeecup.com/

Bit of an odd way, but but if you have an idea already in mind, and you produce it with no buttons at all in VSD, you can can infact do preview of page, then save as to desctop,,followed by making three copies of it, then crop in photoshop or similar, so you have a header image, main body, and footer.

Save the three as save for webb (got that one of paintbrush i think) and you can then import into SCD using blank template, to create the buttons, top left or right.

once its sorted you just copy the buttons in VSD to match (which is very easy to do)

This is especially useful technique if your using something like a brochure as a theme

Thanks everyone for such a quick response! It's fantastic!!

@Eric - I like your thinking, so I'm going to design the shop first, then the rest of the site. But, I'm having a problem opening the images in WIS. Once I launch WIS, I click on Open File. I followed the files down through the User - in this case Desktop - Paul - My Documents - Coffeecup Software - Shopping Cart - then Images and Themes - nothing in either folder that I can open.

I then tried Program Files - CoffeeCup Software - Shopping Cart Designer - again, nothing that I can open.

Any help??

Scratch that - I closed that first window that pops up (the one with the dragon) and went File - Open. I can open the Theme Graphics folder and choose the theme name and then open the Shopping Cart folder and then voila!! all the graphics are there.

So would I be right in assuming if I purchase a Shopping Cart theme, this is where I will still be able to open the graphics?

And I am starting with Shopping Cart Designer Pro. Is this correct or should I be using Shopping Cart Creator Pro? What's the difference between the two?

Yes, that is correct. All the source images will be in that location. As to your other question, I think this will clear things up.

http://www.coffeecup.com/help/articles/ … -designer/

Thanks Scott. The article was helpful, but I'm still slightly confused. Do I create it in Shopping Cart Creator, save it, then open it up in Shopping Cart Designer and design it?? Or have I really got the wrong end of the stick??

No, it's the right side of the stick

when you are working in SCCP go to the theme you are using >themes

Then click on the edit link (pencil image) it will automatically open up SCDP in the correct place, with the correct theme.

Do any alterations and then save

Go back to SCCP and> themes, and refresh the theme, your changes will automatically appear and have been saved

you can repeat as often as you like till you get what you want