Menu button disappears when I modify a skin

[Michelle Johnston]

I am using a copy of the CHM_PlainJane skin and have selected the Mail Feedback Option. Everything works correctly at this point.

Then I modify the skin copy to change the Header background color and to deselect 'Tops with header have...links' option. When I publish again the Menu button is missing.

I worked back to see what is triggering this and have found that it happens even if I don't change anything, but instead just click the Reset Template button. (I'm not sure why I need to click the Reset Template button at all since I just made a copy of the skin, but the Simple Template Layout tab is disabled unless I do).

Am I approaching this incorrectly?

[Tim Green]

Hi Michelle,

Am I approaching this incorrectly?

Unfortunately, yes. Resetting the template destroys the skin and makes it permanently unusable, because it deletes all the custom code and replaces it with the standard template. Similarly, if you have managed to get to the "Topics with header have links..." option you have already reset the template and permanently destroyed the skin. Preventing this is the purpose of the dire warning messages displayed when you try to reset the template... That is also why the Simple tab is locked once the source code has been edited.

What you need to do instead is start with a fresh copy of the skin. You should almost never need to edit the source code of the templates in these skins. They are designed for configuration with the variables included in the skin. See the corresponding sections in the documentation of these skins, which you can find in the Help+Manual Premium Pack x.xx chapter added to the main Help+Manual help when you install the Premium Pack. It contains lots of information on how to get the most out of the many features included in these skins, all without editing the source code.

[Michelle Johnston]

Hi Tim,

This is where I'm confused because I did note all the warnings and therefore used a copy of the skin and I didn't edit any of the source code.

Here's what I did:
1. Used Premium Pack Toolbox to make a copy of the skin.
2. In Premium Pack Tool box, updated the copy of the skin to enter my company's email address in the Mail Feedback variables.

Now I want to change the header color and deselect 'Topics with header have links....'. So in Help & Manual I opened my copy of the skin. This is where the Simple Template Layout tab is locked which doesn't make sense to me as I haven't changed anything. If I want to make my changes my only option is to reset it.

[Tim Green]

If I want to make my changes my only option is to reset it.

No, doing that is not an option at all. That is why it is locked. I can only repeat that if you destroy it you will destroy the skin and make it permanently unusable. And gaining access to the simple tab does not give you access to anything that would help you in this case. It is only for very simple changes in the very simple standard template, which is not being used at all in the skin. When you activate it, it replaces the Premium Pack skin template with the standard template, destroying the skin.

To change the header background color in this skin you need to replace the background_header.jpg file which you can find in the baggage files section of the skin. If you double-click it in Toolbox to edit it in Impict you can edit it to apply the colors you want to have. Ideally, however, you should keep the gradient it is using since the design is built around that.