Default Theme Copy

[Dominator1701]

Hello fellow members ,  I have tried to search for the right thread but could not find one relating to my problem , i am relaitvely new to this and smf but i am enjoying getting involved and want to do  a lot more . I have  question's and need your help before i screw it up . I have installed a brand new 2.0.10  and added a few mods to to site and already have a few members onsite . I had intended to install a red/black theme to give it a general feel but there is not one for this install of 2.0.10 available .

I have read the thread dealing with copying the default theme rather than editing the default theme itself  but it also states that any copy you make is better if it is a clean copy of this default with no mods at all. Now i have removed all my mods and intend to copy the default theme, and then to modify the copy curve theme to suit .

Question , To get a clean copy of this default curve theme would i have to overwrite the index file with a clean copy of  one from a 2.0.10 zip install file.

Question2 . If i overwrite the index file in the copy of the curve default will it wipe any messages on the forum itself.

Question 3 Can i use a curve  theme file from a clean 2.0.10 zip install file and add  a new name other than default it already has and then add it to the forum before modifying it. Is this going to cause any problems to the site doing it this way?.

If anyone can help I believe it is you people here.

[Kindred]

Updating or replacing files will have no effect on the database, which is what holds your messages and users....

When we say, create a copy of the theme, we do not mean copy ALL theme files....   There should actually be an option in the themes section of your smf admin to copy a theme, which will copy the minimal files needed for a separate theme.  You can then modify the CSS and/or layout as you see fit... Adding additional template files into your custom theme as you desire to modify from the default... But you can create a compketely custom theme by ONLY modifying the index.css file in your custom theme.

Not actually sure why there is that warning about mods actually...

[Dominator1701]

I fully understand what you have said in terms of making a copy through the forum itself and modifying the index file itself . I was making a point that if you copy the theme in that way , then the original default theme index file will copy the links to the mods that were on the forum before being removed to the new copy index file in the new theme . thus you will have both copies with old mods links within the index files itself .

therefore to get a clean original and new theme index files i would need to overwrite them to make sure they both are clean . I enclose the article to let you see what is meant by the article.

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=349582.0

[Kindred]

Yeah, that instruction is for making a eme to be released to others...   If you are just making a theme for yourself, there is no need to remove mods

[Dominator1701]

Thanks for the help , all is well and the new theme has been copied.