Created my theme, what now?

[bearcat]

Hey SMF.

I have in the last days, worked my way around making a theme that i like, and I used a fresh install of SMF and then i customised the diffrent files. Its based off another theme, but its modified enough to call it my own. Anyway I wanted to make it public. Now I want to ask you, how do i like. Extract the theme from my site? Do i copy some files of ftp or what?

A tutorial would be preferred, but anything will do really.

Thank in advance.

[Joseph H]

You were supposed to edit the curve theme. But you can download the theme from you FTP's or just copy and past the codes to notepad then keep them in a zip folder

[bearcat]

So just copy the whole folder that contains my edited theme??

[Joseph H]

No.. Open the theme folder and find the theme that u edited. Download it and edit it futher offline.

[bearcat]

But how am i suppose to see the outcome without it being hosted? Like, right now its on wamp. But i want it down so i can zip and save

[Orangine]

First of all - congrats! I've just made my first theme so I'm just after doing all of this myself.

Did you edit the default theme, or have you started with a different one? If you started with a theme that you obtained, let's say here, from the theme site, then you might need the permission from the author to distribute it. If however theme you started with have more lenient copyright then you might redistribute it but stating clearly that it's a modification of existing theme. Without knowing which theme it is it's hard to say.

As for the procedure to create your own theme file, you will need to zip the content of theme folder zipped but first you will need the thumbnail replaced (it's thumbnail.gif file in theme's image folder) and theme_info.xml updated to reflect the changes.

If you end up uploading your theme here, make sure there's no hard-coded text in the template files before you do it, as it's one of the most common mistakes people do here (I've been told).
If you have more questions, just let me know

[bearcat]

First of all - congrats! I've just made my first theme so I'm just after doing all of this myself.

Did you edit the default theme, or have you started with a different one? If you started with a theme that you obtained, let's say here, from the theme site, then you might need the permission from the author to distribute it. If however theme you started with have more lenient copyright then you might redistribute it but stating clearly that it's a modification of existing theme. Without knowing which theme it is it's hard to say.

As for the procedure to create your own theme file, you will need to zip the content of theme folder zipped but first you will need the thumbnail replaced (it's thumbnail.gif file in theme's image folder) and theme_info.xml updated to reflect the changes.

If you end up uploading your theme here, make sure there's no hard-coded text in the template files before you do it, as it's one of the most common mistakes people do here (I've been told).
If you have more questions, just let me know

Its a basic edit of the default, since its my first lol

anyway, thanks for the reply. Ill go change the info, tho i dont really find it that necessary but oh well. It gotta be done right hehe.

[Orangine]

Your theme won't be accepted by the Customization Team if you don't do it. And your theme needs a name, which goes into the .xml file.

So, it's the default theme then? Is it in the default folder? If so, then there's loads of rubbish there that doesn't need to be added to the zip file (i.e. the whole languages folder, scripts folder - apart from theme.js file, and probably more). If you create your first zip, just add it here and I will have a look if you want if there's anything lese that may be taken out.

[bearcat]

Your theme won't be accepted by the Customization Team if you don't do it. And your theme needs a name, which goes into the .xml file.

So, it's the default theme then? Is it in the default folder? If so, then there's loads of rubbish there that doesn't need to be added to the zip file (i.e. the whole languages folder, scripts folder - apart from theme.js file, and probably more). If you create your first zip, just add it here and I will have a look if you want if there's anything lese that may be taken out.

Okay, i took some random theme, for testing only!!! And just quickly wanted to test it, so i edited it a bit. Zipped the folder and tried to install it on another site, but it seems like the css wasn't loaded hmm..

[Orangine]

did you zip the folder with the theme in it (wrong) or the content of that folder (right)?

[bearcat]

did you zip the folder with the theme in it (wrong) or the content of that folder (right)?

Lets say i go in themes, then the folder thats named lets say "MyTheme" then i zipped that, and inside of it. Theres index.template etc.

[Orangine]

Wrong,you need to go inside that folder and then zip all files/subfolders

[Deaks]

(i.e. the whole languages folder...

I wanna point out this is wrong, you should keep the Settings.english.php aswell (also any other langues you have of this file that the theme supports), also edit this to suit your theme.  It isnt a guideline, but it looks better for the theme otherwise in profile - look and layout it will say "the default theme from SMF" for that theme.

[Orangine]

As long as the theme is using the same set of settings as the original Curve, your advice is pointless, Poύνικ.

[Deaks]

so your saying that an author cant take credit for there theme in a page where they can for examnple lets look at this site:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?action=theme;sa=pick;u=0

SMF Default Theme:

The default theme from Simple Machines.

Author: The Simple Machines Team

Core Theme:

The default theme of SMF's previous incarnation, codenamed Core.

Author: The Simple Machines Team

So someone makes a variant of say core, the Settings.english allows them to add a line in here to advertise there site and work ... still pointless?

example:

SMF Total Core Theme:

The default theme of SMF's previous incarnation, codenamed Core, but now with less flash, css3 and js.  With images from famfamfam[size=78%].[/size]

Original Author: The Simple Machines Team


Variation Made By: BryanDeakin.com

[Orangine]

where did I say that?

[Deaks]

As long as the theme is using the same set of settings as the original Curve, your advice is pointless, Poύνικ.

has nothing to do with settings, so my advice isnt pointless is it

[Orangine]

Let it be your way. This time

[Deaks]

lass I have been making themes since 2005 and approving them since 2007,  i know themes

[bearcat]

Okay, so i went inside the folder marked all the files, zipped them and tested again. But samething happend....