Still exploring PP customizability

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Dave Gehman
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Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

In the pre-made responsive skins, can the zig-zag bit at the top be replaced by a photo or a different graphic. Zig-zag at top in this example:
Image

How about the shark-skin-like background pattern?

If these are configurable, is it a simple process?

(We want to use the responsive skin behaviors, but want to provide custom graphics.)
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Dave,

What you can do for anything like this is to put your own image file, with the same file name as the default file, in the Baggage Files section. During compilation they are added to the output folder last, so overwriting the default files.

It is also possible to configure the settings using the PP Toolbox program, which you can find in the H&M program installation folder. But that needs updating if you change to a different skin or the PP skins get updated. The Baggage Files method works regardless of any of that.

regards,

Martin.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Thanks, Martin.

Have you actually done this with a PP responsive WebHelp skin?

Somewhere here or in the PP help file I read that there are changes that cause the pre-programmed responsive skins to break - and therefore, changes are not recommended. I'm hoping this kind of change doesn't fall into that category.
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Dave Gehman wrote:Have you actually done this with a PP responsive WebHelp skin?
Hi Dave,

No, but I will go and try it now, while my meal is cooking. :)

I've done it lots of times with other skins, and none. The warning is about overwriting the JS an CSS files, but I've done that too! You can't break anything by changing image files, you can just make it look awful. :)

Martin.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Martin, many thanks!
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Dave,

Well that didn't work quite as expected. Trying a PP V3.2 Responsive skin.

It was necessary to overwrite the file in the Baggage files of the skin, instead of the Baggage files of the project. To do that, open the skin file (.hmskin) in H&M as if it was a project, and overwrite the file in its Baggage files section (Add New File with the same name, you will get an "Are you sure" message).

If you change to a different skin, or Tim upgrades the skins (which he does quite often) you would need to repeat the process.

In which case you may just as well use the PP Toolbox to make the relevant changes (as is intended). You can edit the existing image file in your graphics editor directly from the Baggage files section in the Toolbox, or add a new file and change the configuration variable setting to use it.

Tim, please can we have the previous functionality where the project baggage files are added LAST to the output folder, after everything else? I've relied on that for years. It's so much easier, and you can put files straight into the project Baggage folder from anywhere else on your computer without needing to have H&M open. And it's not affected by any upgrades to H&M or the skins.

cheers,

Martin.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Erg.

At least it can be done. But I'm lousy at remembering things... maybe I can tap into my company's version control system (proprietary to the company) for reminders and/or a repository of how to make the magic happen.

Or maybe Tim will offer some more automated workflow... I have to admit, though I don't know H+M or PP well at all, maintaining the changes in the project file (if that's what you mean by previous functionality) seems safer to me, with no overhead involved in applying enhancements.

Many thanks again.
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Dave Gehman wrote:At least it can be done. But I'm lousy at remembering things
Hi Dave,

Everything can be done. And you don't have to remember, just ask again on here (we've been going for 15 years, so not likely to vanish anytime soon).

And what am I going to do with my project, which now has a Forest Green background covered in pink blobs? :)

cheers,

Martin.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Martin Wynne wrote:....
And what am I going to do with my project, which now has a Forest Green background covered in pink blobs? :)
Dunno about that... help file for a box of children's band-aids... er, sticking-plaster...?
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Tim Green
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Tim Green »

Martin Wynne wrote:Tim, please can we have the previous functionality where the project baggage files are added LAST to the output folder, after everything else? I've relied on that for years. It's so much easier, and you can put files straight into the project Baggage folder from anywhere else on your computer without needing to have H&M open. And it's not affected by any upgrades to H&M or the skins.
That's still the case, it's never changed. However, if you use a skin then the skin comes last in the execution chain, and then its baggage files get output after the baggage files from the project. So if you have foobar.js in both the project and the skin baggage, the skin version wins, always.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote:.... if you use a skin then the skin comes last in the execution chain, and then its baggage files get output after the baggage files from the project. So if you have foobar.js in both the project and the skin baggage, the skin version wins, always.
Just to be sure I understand, the skin's background graphics (as well as any javascript code) are what appear in the output, correct? Thus, if I want custom graphics, they have to go into the skin's Baggage folder...

And am I right in assuming that any custom graphics designed by us have to be named with the original skin baggage file names?
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Tim Green
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Re: Still exploring PP customizability

Unread post by Tim Green »

Dave Gehman wrote:Just to be sure I understand, the skin's background graphics (as well as any javascript code) are what appear in the output, correct? Thus, if I want custom graphics, they have to go into the skin's Baggage folder...

That is correct.
And am I right in assuming that any custom graphics designed by us have to be named with the original skin baggage file names?
That's the easiest way, but as you will find in the documentation, there are also a series of configuration variables that allow you to enter your own file names for the key graphics. If you do use your own names they must be HTML-compliant (no spaces, no accented or special characters, no non-alphanumeric characters except - and _, don't start the name with a number).
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
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