Dear Forum,<br />
<br />
We want to build a website for a client and use one of the project seven templates as our starting point. If you don't know these templates, they are full blown templates with rollovers, graphics and and really nice layouts and are designed to be used with Dreamweaver.<br />
<br />
I want to take one of these templates and make it into a site with frames.<br />
<br />
I've never actually built a site with frames before but it doesn't seem too complicated. But all my books give instructions for starting with a blank page. But I'm starting with a template. Can I take a page like this and then add the frames? Can somebody advise me how to proceed?<br />
<br />
Modify the code directly? Start with a blank page, build the frames and then cut and paste the template into it?<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->I think one of the main issues you will come up with is that the template is most likely not set up in frames. This would mean that you can't easily 'chop' it up into frames.... any layout/ scripting/ graphics would need to be recreated in the new frames. <br />
<br />
If you really have a nice template, I'd try to fit the 'customer wants/ needs' into it. Converting the template to a framed site is very possible, albeit with quite a bit of hands on coding, graphic editing, and scriping. <br />
<br />
Do you have a sample template url that we may look at? The simpler the template, the easier it would be to recreate in frames. We can give you a better estimate after looking at what you have to work with as well as what kind of frameset you want to use.<!--content-->Thanks Dr.Web,<br />
<br />
I've been sitting at my desk all afternoon with the template and realizing that you have to start with the frames and as you say, chop up the template to fit it into the frame structure. <br />
<br />
I would like to give to give this a try and as you suggested, I've loaded the template onto the server for you to look at. Maybe you can see by looking at the code just what I'm taking on and how feasible it is.<br />
<br />
template:<br />
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nltdesign.com/dp8/index.htm">http://www.nltdesign.com/dp8/index.htm</a><!-- m --><br />
<br />
Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->I had another thought I wanted to run by you/somebody on the same subject. On the template, where it has a white background and begins with "Welcome", we would want to link out to another site. Instead of creating frames around the entire template, couldn't I just use the IFRAME element for that one section/td cell? Does anybody know if most browsers support this html tag?<br />
<br />
Thanks again!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie<!--content-->Hi Laurie,<br />
Your template looks like an easy one to convert to frames. I suggest a 3 frame layout, A top frame, left frame and main content frame. Make sure your javascript for making your mouse-over buttons on your menu is placed in that frame page and add a target to your existing menu links like so:<br />
<br />
<a href=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"index.htm" Target="main" ...<br />
<br />
etc..<br />
where "main" equals the name of your main content frame name.<br />
If you also need help creating a set of frames, let us know.<br />
I hope this helps.<!--content-->I wouldn't suggest Iframes as they alienate netscape users, and offer no real advantage over traditional frames. <br />
<br />
Your layout seems pretty basic, and to convert it will take a bit of graphic/ coding ability. Are you familiar with a certain grahics software?<!--content-->Thanks to Ian and Dr. Web who have answered my questions and offered advice!<br />
<br />
Okay, I will stay away from IFRAMES and attempt to use traditional frames. My partner is the graphics person and the graphics software she uses is fireworks and photoshop.<br />
(why does the graphics software package matter?) <br />
<br />
I will do the actual coding. I'm not sure whether to try to do this in Dreamweaver or just stick to the straight html code and use a more straightfowarder editor like homesite. Do you think this will make a difference? <br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie<!--content-->i dont mean to budge in but.. ususally hard coding looks best..just somthin i learned from front page..not shure bout dreamweaver though...<!--content-->Originally posted by Ms.Hebrides <br />
<br />
(why does the graphics software package matter?) <br />
<br />
I will do the actual coding. I'm not sure whether to try to do this in Dreamweaver or just stick to the straight html code and use a more straightfowarder editor like homesite. Do you think this will make a difference? <br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie A graphics program will allow you to cut any existing images if that is needed when converting your page into a frameset.<br />
<br />
<br />
Looking at your page source code, there is very little coding required, basically all the code is already there, you just need to select the parts of it and place it into each of your frame pages.<br />
For example:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><br />
<tr align="left" > <br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif"><br />
<table width="602" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br />
<tr> <br />
<td width="161"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr1.gif" width="161" height="63"></td><br />
<td width="74"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr2.jpg" width="74" height="63"></td><br />
<td width="60"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr3.jpg" width="60" height="63"></td><br />
<td height="0" width="90"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr4.jpg" width="90" height="63"></td><br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif" width="67"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr5.jpg" width="67" height="63"></td><br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif" width="150"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"images/banner.gif" width="150" height="63"></td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
<br />
would go inside your top frame (as well as part of the preload image code inside your head and/or body tags.)<br />
It is really just a matter of copy and paste, and knowing which parts.<!--content-->Thanks for your replies. The example about what goes into the top frame is very helpful and a good start! Will give it a try this week!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->
<br />
We want to build a website for a client and use one of the project seven templates as our starting point. If you don't know these templates, they are full blown templates with rollovers, graphics and and really nice layouts and are designed to be used with Dreamweaver.<br />
<br />
I want to take one of these templates and make it into a site with frames.<br />
<br />
I've never actually built a site with frames before but it doesn't seem too complicated. But all my books give instructions for starting with a blank page. But I'm starting with a template. Can I take a page like this and then add the frames? Can somebody advise me how to proceed?<br />
<br />
Modify the code directly? Start with a blank page, build the frames and then cut and paste the template into it?<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->I think one of the main issues you will come up with is that the template is most likely not set up in frames. This would mean that you can't easily 'chop' it up into frames.... any layout/ scripting/ graphics would need to be recreated in the new frames. <br />
<br />
If you really have a nice template, I'd try to fit the 'customer wants/ needs' into it. Converting the template to a framed site is very possible, albeit with quite a bit of hands on coding, graphic editing, and scriping. <br />
<br />
Do you have a sample template url that we may look at? The simpler the template, the easier it would be to recreate in frames. We can give you a better estimate after looking at what you have to work with as well as what kind of frameset you want to use.<!--content-->Thanks Dr.Web,<br />
<br />
I've been sitting at my desk all afternoon with the template and realizing that you have to start with the frames and as you say, chop up the template to fit it into the frame structure. <br />
<br />
I would like to give to give this a try and as you suggested, I've loaded the template onto the server for you to look at. Maybe you can see by looking at the code just what I'm taking on and how feasible it is.<br />
<br />
template:<br />
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nltdesign.com/dp8/index.htm">http://www.nltdesign.com/dp8/index.htm</a><!-- m --><br />
<br />
Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->I had another thought I wanted to run by you/somebody on the same subject. On the template, where it has a white background and begins with "Welcome", we would want to link out to another site. Instead of creating frames around the entire template, couldn't I just use the IFRAME element for that one section/td cell? Does anybody know if most browsers support this html tag?<br />
<br />
Thanks again!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie<!--content-->Hi Laurie,<br />
Your template looks like an easy one to convert to frames. I suggest a 3 frame layout, A top frame, left frame and main content frame. Make sure your javascript for making your mouse-over buttons on your menu is placed in that frame page and add a target to your existing menu links like so:<br />
<br />
<a href=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"index.htm" Target="main" ...<br />
<br />
etc..<br />
where "main" equals the name of your main content frame name.<br />
If you also need help creating a set of frames, let us know.<br />
I hope this helps.<!--content-->I wouldn't suggest Iframes as they alienate netscape users, and offer no real advantage over traditional frames. <br />
<br />
Your layout seems pretty basic, and to convert it will take a bit of graphic/ coding ability. Are you familiar with a certain grahics software?<!--content-->Thanks to Ian and Dr. Web who have answered my questions and offered advice!<br />
<br />
Okay, I will stay away from IFRAMES and attempt to use traditional frames. My partner is the graphics person and the graphics software she uses is fireworks and photoshop.<br />
(why does the graphics software package matter?) <br />
<br />
I will do the actual coding. I'm not sure whether to try to do this in Dreamweaver or just stick to the straight html code and use a more straightfowarder editor like homesite. Do you think this will make a difference? <br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie<!--content-->i dont mean to budge in but.. ususally hard coding looks best..just somthin i learned from front page..not shure bout dreamweaver though...<!--content-->Originally posted by Ms.Hebrides <br />
<br />
(why does the graphics software package matter?) <br />
<br />
I will do the actual coding. I'm not sure whether to try to do this in Dreamweaver or just stick to the straight html code and use a more straightfowarder editor like homesite. Do you think this will make a difference? <br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie A graphics program will allow you to cut any existing images if that is needed when converting your page into a frameset.<br />
<br />
<br />
Looking at your page source code, there is very little coding required, basically all the code is already there, you just need to select the parts of it and place it into each of your frame pages.<br />
For example:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><br />
<tr align="left" > <br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif"><br />
<table width="602" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br />
<tr> <br />
<td width="161"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr1.gif" width="161" height="63"></td><br />
<td width="74"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr2.jpg" width="74" height="63"></td><br />
<td width="60"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr3.jpg" width="60" height="63"></td><br />
<td height="0" width="90"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr4.jpg" width="90" height="63"></td><br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif" width="67"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"tblhdrimg/hdr5.jpg" width="67" height="63"></td><br />
<td background="images/tblcntrbg.gif" width="150"><img src=http://www.htmlforums.com/archive/index.php/"images/banner.gif" width="150" height="63"></td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
<br />
would go inside your top frame (as well as part of the preload image code inside your head and/or body tags.)<br />
It is really just a matter of copy and paste, and knowing which parts.<!--content-->Thanks for your replies. The example about what goes into the top frame is very helpful and a good start! Will give it a try this week!<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Laurie Hebditch<br />
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iviews.biz">www.iviews.biz</a><!-- w --><!--content-->