What is your default theme?

[Jumpmasterrt]

not to be terribly vague but... learn how to read the install scripts, then follow the steps manually on the custom theme.

Yes, 99% of the time that works. However every once in a while a theme is is written independantly and is not a variation of a stock theme thereby making it more difficult to mod. I learned how to read the install scripts shortly after I began using SMF and have gotten most of my mods to work on other themes using this method. However when you have to search for something that's not there (and I don't mean not in the right place, I mean not there), you need to understand how the author wrote the script in order to incorporate that mod. I didn't say I couldn't do it, I said I haven't been able to do it as of yet.

The mod parser is an invaluable tool like Gary said, unfortunatly it didn't work with the example I gave.

I will eventually figure it out. That's what I love about SMF, I'm free to learn as I work through a problem.
Update I figured it out.

[Bancherd]

I use a slightly modified default core theme(1.1.5), just wish that it is more search-engine friendly. 

[Jumpmasterrt]

Have you edited your Meta information?

[Krysia]

Aside from saying that the default theme is horrible which is not exactly that helpful to us, there's a new theme being designed by the team for 2.0.

But if you really don't like the default theme, we're not forcing you to use it, look on the theme site and you'll find available around 700 themes to pick from.

I actually love the default theme. It has an uncluttered, classic, and distinguished look. It isn't even all that difficult to customize, if you know some basic graphic-making skills. (I've done so here and here.)

There are some elements that could be easier to customize, I suppose, but what really helped me was the info about creating a "header.php" file and a "footer.php" file and inserting the code to call both into the template. Once I figured that out, it's been gravy.

You guys do an amazing job and have for years.
Thank you for such gorgeous and user-friendly messageboard-ware.

ETA: Just remembered that guests can't view my board, so I created a user for those of you who'd like to check it out from here: Member name: SpecialGuest, Password: invited.

[Antechinus]

We run a customised version of OutlineMultiTP as our forum default. I wouldn't use any of the three basic SMF themes without a lot of work on them. They are, as you'd expect, rather dated.

So far the poll results seem to reflect my expectations. Most people use third party themes, but out of the three basic themes default is the most popular and babylon the least popular.

As an example we currently have 332 members. None of them use babylon and only two of them use classic. Seven of them use the default multicolour and the rest use one of our selection of third party themes.

[Jumpmasterrt]

Krysia,

Your site is fabulous!!! Using the default theme like you did works beautifully. Did you design the shell/portal yourself or are you using someone elses script?

[Krysia]

Krysia,

Your site is fabulous!!! Using the default theme like you did works beautifully. Did you design the shell/portal yourself or are you using someone elses script?

Thank you!

Ummm... what's a shell/portal?

P.S. - ETA: Just remembered that guests can't view the boards, so I created a user for those of you who'd like to check it out my board from here: Member name: SpecialGuest, Password: invited.

[Jumpmasterrt]

Krysia,

A "shell/portal" is the common term for how you wrapped your site around the forums. A very good example is TinyPortal by bloc.

[Krysia]

Krysia,

A "shell/portal" is the common term for how you wrapped your site around the forums. A very good example is TinyPortal by bloc.

Oh. LOL. Thank you.

I don't think I have a shell/portal in place. I just followed the instructions Unknown left in a "how to customize SMF to your site" type of thread a year or so ago by doing the "header" and "footer" thing using my web page source file to do so, and then tweaked the default graphics and color scheme to coordinate with my site.

[Jumpmasterrt]

Do you have to manually edit the side panel blocks or is there something in your admin panel that runs the scripts for you?

Again Krysia, very nicely done!!

[Krysia]

Do you have to manually edit the side panel blocks or is there something in your admin panel that runs the scripts for you?

Again Krysia, very nicely done!!

Awww! Thank you.
It's a manual edit... Well, except for the SSI feeds from the forum - that's just using the php feed.

I got the layout idea from a very old version (now defunct) of the Adium Mac-chatware site.

[CalvinB]

I use m3talc0re's SlickPro Graphite, the TP version. The best free 3rd party theme out there. 

[neil h]

Versatility, by RT. Why no one chooses to build matched Joomla/SMF themes any more is beyond me....

[Dannii]

Versatility, by RT. Why no one chooses to build matched Joomla/SMF themes any more is beyond me....

One problem is surely the licence incompatibility.

[Relyana]

I'm using Dilber MC - light navy. It's easy to edit its files when it comes to mods and my forummembers don't want me to replace Dilber with any other theme although I tried lol. 

[babjusi]

So until now based on the answers of this survey, it seems that the default theme it ain''t so popular let us say.  Maybe it is time to change it in the 2.0 final

[Eliana Tamerin]

Considering that a third of the respondents use the default theme (well, those that voted in the poll anyways), I'd say it's still pretty popular. But as for a new theme, hold on to your horses.

[babjusi]

Considering that a third of the respondents use the default theme (well, those that voted in the poll anyways), I'd say it's still pretty popular. But as for a new theme, hold on to your horses.

Personally, it makes no difference to me if a new theme gets introduced or not. I like the default, but I said that as a suggestions based on the answers from the survey

[malfunkshun]

Current SMF 1.x default theme, there is nothing wrong with it, at all. But it is the default theme and is therefore common, people will want to replace it for that reason and also to select a theme that more closely fits in with their site.

[Krysia]

Well, I'm curious about the new "default" for the public release of whatever, but I hope that this current default won't be completely replaced. I happen to like it fine, as I mentioned before.