ClassCreator.com | Blockbuster sites, amazing reunions

Share Tips

New Topic Subscription Options  

Advanced Design Quirks

Forums: Questions and Answers About Building Your Site
Created on: 02/04/13 05:42 PM Views: 1505 Replies: 21
Monday, February 4, 2013 at 5:42 PM

I have been testing and experimenting with the new Advanced Designs and have run into some problems. I am not concerned with modifying the individual elements and layers of the default .psd images using Photoshop or Serif. I am only interested in totally replacing the side and/or top image panels with my own .jpg images.

In Designs #1 and #3 the left menu links disappear, at least the background color does, and just shows a white blank space. If I hover my mouse over the area the link outline will appear, not the text, but the links do function; you just do not know which one your are clicking on.

On Design #2 it seems that if you delete the horizontal black band in the top panel where the top links are located, or replace the entire panel, you may not clearly see the link text displayed if you have a white or very light background, although they do function if you hover over them. The side panel size has to be 210 x 567 pixels, yet only about half that is displayed as the rest seems to be covered up by the left hand links menu. I thought this was to be the School Photo area, but if it is replaced with a .jpg image you cannot use an animated .gif file; it will only display the first frame. We use Professional Design #5 and use the School Photo area to run a continuous logo animation display, a feature we do not want to eliminate.

The CC video said all these designs are all re-built from the ground up so I am hoping that eventually these other designs will have similar design functionality as the Advanced Designs.

Another suggestion is to have the ability to change the link background and link text colors similar to the Site Colors options. I think many users would like to use this option to compliment or contrast their site color schemes.

Reply
Monday, February 4, 2013 at 8:59 PM - Response #1

1) Wow that's interesting. Haven't heard that one yet. Left link background completely disappears? What browser and browse version are you viewing in?

2) Right. You should either leave the black strip in place, or keep that some dark color. If you replace it your links will wind up on top of exactly what you're replacing it with. We have some things cooked up to make this scenario better but right now if you replace something you're going to get precisely that.

3) Yes this is the school photo area. Photo intended to be at the top. Rest of left image can appear under your links. Only if you have a few left links though. Can also look different if you're logged out (where less links are displaying).

4) Hmmm yes you are indeed correct. You can't upload a gif even if it's the right dimensions. I see now reason for not allowing that. Will put in a note to Programming on this. Thanks!

5) Yes we see no reason to not make all color variables possible here. Initial thought that lots of variables adds more confusion. I don't think this is a big deal. We'll add those.

We'll do all of these at the same time in an upcoming release. Thanks very much Gary.


Reply
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 10:21 AM - Response #2

Thanks for the reply, Brad.

This morning I deleted IE 8 Browsing History options, ran Disk Cleanup, Defrag and re-booted. Now Advanced Design #1 looks fine but not on #3: no links background color and no links text showing. Go figure. What is strange is the link text color on #3 is supposed to be black (as opposed to white in #1) but does not display. The links do function if you hover your mouse over them, but you have to guess at the locations.

I use Windows XP and usually do CC website work within AOL's Internet Explorer browser; I cannot ascertain that version number in AOL. I also have IE 8.0 on the desktop that I run outside of AOL, but I get the same results.

We like our Pro Design #5 because we can use our logo animation in the School Photo area, but we would like to be able to change the top text color, size, location, etc. Maybe revise Advanced Design #2 so there is an option to include a side .jpg or not, and leave the School Photo area as before.

Reply
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 1:39 PM - Response #3

From Brad's comments above, it sounds like he will be considering some of the options that you are requesting for an upcoming release.

I cannot recreate the issues you are mentioning above, although I am certain that we do not support the AOL IE. But you also mention that you see the same results in IE8. Maybe include some screen shots for us to review.


Reply
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 2:03 PM - Response #4
AD-3-Screen-Shot.jpg

Screen shot in attached file

Reply
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 2:26 PM - Response #5

Thanks. I will see if anyone else can reproduce this.


Reply
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 12:41 AM - Response #6

I attempted to download and install AOL IE8 but apparently it's only offered for 32 bit computers. I couldn't install it at all. I wouldn't be at all surprised if your AOL IE8 is sharing the same cache as your regular IE8. I'm curious, can you do a test for me?

Close down everything except for your regular IE8. Make sure your AOL IE8 is not running. Clear your browser cache and then clear cookies. Log out of your web site. Open your regular IE8 browser again and log back in. View page again. Are you still seeing this now? I'm going to bet that you're not (don't tell anyone but I've been known to be wrong before). If I'm right and you're not at least I've got it narrowed down to the 32 bit version of IE8 for AOL.


Reply
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 2:11 AM - Response #7

AOL Internet Explorer is built 'on top' of the stock IE. IOW it IS IE8 or IE9. You CAN run 32bit IE on a 64 bit system. It's in a different folder. You might have to make that the default browser for AOL, don't know, never tried and I'm not gonna (see below)

So what you might have to do is switch to the 32-bit IE first. But do not think you can go back to IE 8 if you are running Win 7 for example. There are versions for IE9

IE 32 is in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

IE64 is in "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

However, the one time I did test AOL in 2010 ( IE 8 ), it was not a pleasant experience. I did that because one admin used that and it caused various errors on CC and did not display pages correctly. I have no idea how they could mess all that up, but they did.Evil or Very Mad

Reply
Edited 02/06/13 2:12 AM
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 2:31 PM - Response #8

Brad- I tried what you suggested and came up with the same results. Advanced #3 does not display the left links background color. No. 1 and 2 display okay.

The only reference I find to an IE browser in AOL is from the Settings/Browser_Settings option. There is a link to "Internet Explorer Settings" but this opens the same "Internet Properties" window in the Windows Control Panel. The AOL Settings/Browser_Settings window also has a "Clear My Footprints" option which does the same thing, presumably for the AOL browser. I am no expert on these browser issues. I do a lot of photochopping work and I have had no problems with uploading and displaying images on the Internet using the AOL browser. Chances are the problem stems from some isolated quirk at my end. We do not plan on changing to any of the Advanced Designs so I will end my testing. Thanks for your help.

Reply
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 2:58 PM - Response #9

AOL explorer is based directly on IE. Hence the IE settings.

Has to do with a settlement with MS in 2003 where they got the IE code .. and.. messed it upWink This LINK has historical origin.

Don't know what they did after IE8 since the term was for 7 years.

FWIW, you do not have to use AOL explorer to get AOL email. I had to personally show my admin how to do that. It's simple.

Reply
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 1:58 PM - Response #10
Picture 1a.jpg

Hi Brad
I'm not sure if the problem mentioned above has been solved. I seem to have the same problem. The attached picture is worth a thousand words. Please let me know the status of the solution.

Reply
Edited 02/12/13 2:17 PM
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 2:11 PM - Response #11

Thank you David. I will forward this info.


Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 12:21 AM - Response #12

David, it looks like that's a very old version of Firefox 3.6.28? Current version for Windows is 18.0.2 and I think same for Mac.

If so, that's possibly the reason for the odd display.

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 6:28 AM - Response #13

Jack... One of my MacBooks has an operating system that doesn't support the newest version of Firefox, but the other has the newest version. I get the same results using Safari on both Mac's and IE on my PC. I will verify and investigate further. Thanks

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 12:05 PM - Response #14

David, which design template number were you using in the screenshot?


Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 12:11 PM - Response #15

Never mind, I see it was advanced #3.

Also, if you select a different color than white for the Secondary color, the links become visible. This is because the link text is white.

The link text should be changed depending on the color against which it is placed, so we'll have to tweak that.


Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 1:26 PM - Response #16

David, I think I see an old version of Safari. Current version is 5.1.7 (7534.57.2) vs 4.1.3 Safari/533.19.4

Could all be a matter of old browser code?

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 2:34 PM - Response #17

I confirmed it in the latest version of Safari on a Mac running OS X 10.7.


Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 3:01 PM - Response #18

So you think the same version of Safari (the one I listed) on a Mac vs Windows behave differently? Also works on iPod with current IOS updates (more or less the same as an iPad).

Could be, but then Safari for Mac has a bug since it works on Safari for Windows too - same version numbers.

Left menu background is black in everything I've tested with.

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 4:27 PM - Response #19

Also just ran on a iPad(3) and works exactly the same there.

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 5:05 PM - Response #20

I'm a bit confused. I'm not sure if you're saying I can correct the problem or I have to wait of for ClassCreator to make some adjustments.
For the record, my newest MacBook has an OS of 10.7.5 with Safari at the 6.0.2 level. My Firefox is version 18.0.2. I get the same results no matter what browser I use.
I don't see where it would matter, but just in case, I constructed the picture on an old PC because Serif PhotoPlus is not available for Macs.

Reply
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 8:54 PM - Response #21

Now I understand. It works. All I have to do now is find the correct color and shade. Thanks

Reply
New Topic  
Subscription Options: Have all new forum posts sent directly to your email.
Subscription options are available after you log in.