Biki-kini Template Support Thread

[anamika59]

Hello,
Submitting my first Zen Cart template Biki-kini which means "buy and sell" (actually "sell and buy") in Indian language. This template is meant to make your customers' shopping experience smooth and enjoyable.
Enjoy this template while waiting for more creative Zen Cart shops from CREATIVsite.

[anamika59]

Hello,
Submitting my first Zen Cart template Biki-kini which means "buy and sell" (actually "sell and buy") in Indian language. This template is meant to make your customers' shopping experience smooth and enjoyable.
Enjoy this template while waiting for more creative Zen Cart shops from CREATIVsite.

[kman55]

Hello,
Submitting my first Zen Cart template Biki-kini which means "buy and sell" (actually "sell and buy") in Indian language. This template is meant to make your customers' shopping experience smooth and enjoyable.
Enjoy this template while waiting for more creative Zen Cart shops from CREATIVsite.

Not to point fingers but how is this template any different from what Ann @ Picaflor-Azul has contributed?

[anamika59]

Not to point fingers but how is this template any different from what Ann @ Picaflor-Azul has contributed?

I am glad that you asked. Here are few main differences:

1. The main difference is the JQuery effect in the main page and organization of file structure. The jquery effect I used is called coin slider which is different from the animation effect used by Picaflor-Azul. Also, in this template Biki-kini the use of JQuery has been done in a cleaner way. Since this Jquery file does not have any embedded php script, a simple jquery file (.js) has been handled along with other jquery files. It is kept under template folder (in jscript) along with other jquery files rather than putting it in the module directory with a php extension to it. Most of the templates use straight forward javascript file for animation and it should be part of template rather than module as has been done in this template.

2. Language and currency used in the header has been done using "LanguageCurrency Links in Header" plugin and then customizing the display in the tpl_header_currencies.php and tpl_header_languages.php files. In this template, language and currencies can be disabled using configuration rather than by deleting the code in the files. It is done differently from abbington_mega @ Picaflor-Azul where this feature has been used from iC-AcadameV1.2F template without any change.

3. Some of the banner customization has been done. Banner can present important sales advertisement. "Free shipping" and "summer sale" are these two modified banners.

Finally, I should add Ann @ Picaflor-Azul has done a great job compiling different existing plugins into one template. So has been done by templates by brandonturpin. The work of both of the templates authors are very similar in the sense that there are commonalities in the plugins used but difference is the use of animations.

Hope I answered your question.

[SPH]

Yes, I did not want to be the first, but I also earlier took a look and immediately recognized this as a Picaflor template. You make a good point about common zencart plugins, and I suppose that at some point there is only so many ways to change-up Zencart besides simple color changes. But thus far, Picaflor (Anne) and Brandon pretty much have their own, unique styles while working with the same framework.

And I personally prefer the acoin slider.

Anyway, to all designers, if one wants to make something unique how about something similar to this template:

http://demo.devilthemes.com/vipdress...?id_product=18

It's a Prestashop template that just caught my eye. I'm not a template designer, but it looks deceptively easy to me (I know it probably isn't easy) but if I had the talent I'd work on something very similar right away. (My link is direct to product page but all look nice, IMO)

I somewhat kid myself that all I need do is make a fairly wide left column in Zencart with darker gray background, with lighter gray for rest of site, and addtional color touches in header and footer.

While we're grabbing templates, I'm thinking I could take Anne's recent Brighton template here:

http://www.picaflor-azul.com/free-de...=brighton_pets

Change the green horizontal nav to red/orange and be on my way to the above Prestashop template.

Seems so easy, but I'd probably mess it up.

May try though.

Anyway, good job with your enhancements and we're always excited to see new free templates.

[anamika59]

Yes, I did not want to be the first, but I also earlier took a look and immediately recognized this as a Picaflor template. You make a good point about common zencart plugins, and I suppose that at some point there is only so many ways to change-up Zencart besides simple color changes. But thus far, Picaflor (Anne) and Brandon pretty much have their own, unique styles while working with the same framework.

And I personally prefer the acoin slider.

Anyway, to all designers, if one wants to make something unique how about something similar to this template:

http://demo.devilthemes.com/vipdress...?id_product=18

It's a Prestashop template that just caught my eye. I'm not a template designer, but it looks deceptively easy to me (I know it probably isn't easy) but if I had the talent I'd work on something very similar right away. (My link is direct to product page but all look nice, IMO)

I somewhat kid myself that all I need do is make a fairly wide left column in Zencart with darker gray background, with lighter gray for rest of site, and addtional color touches in header and footer.

While we're grabbing templates, I'm thinking I could take Anne's recent Brighton template here:

http://www.picaflor-azul.com/free-de...=brighton_pets

Change the green horizontal nav to red/orange and be on my way to the above Prestashop template.

Seems so easy, but I'd probably mess it up.

May try though.

Anyway, good job with your enhancements and we're always excited to see new free templates.

Thank you for your words. All templates start with some existing ones. If you look at the early version of the authors you described, all look very similar to the templates they started with. At some point of time there was not too many free Zen cart template.

My starting point was picaflor-azul and Abbiamo Supremo. Both are nice templates but I liked coin slider better and wanted to create a column slider with more options in a three column layout. And as I said, I wanted to have a cleaner design.

So far all the free Zen cart templates I have seen, differs mostly in skins, by which I mean color schemes and style of the landing page and the plugins one installs as a part of the template.
I followed both of your links. Both are nice. One of the reasons for these free templates is many do not have access to create matching button sets, color scheme.
The column sizes of Biki-kini are standard. Since brighton_pets has a white background, the column size is looking deceptively narrow. Brighton_pets is a nice template though.

Saying all these, if someone likes the scheme I used and cleaner way of using jquery and handling currencies and languages, download the template and go for it. It is free... :)
Again, this is just a first template from CREAIVsite. Hope that you'd like future templates from CREATIVsite.

[picaflor-azul]

I am glad that you asked. Here are few main differences:

1. The main difference is the JQuery effect in the main page and organization of file structure. The jquery effect I used is called coin slider which is different from the animation effect used by Picaflor-Azul. Also, in this template Biki-kini the use of JQuery has been done in a cleaner way. Since this Jquery file does not have any embedded php script, a simple jquery file (.js) has been handled along with other jquery files. It is kept under template folder (in jscript) along with other jquery files rather than putting it in the module directory with a php extension to it. Most of the templates use straight forward javascript file for animation and it should be part of template rather than module as has been done in this template.

2. Language and currency used in the header has been done using "LanguageCurrency Links in Header" plugin and then customizing the display in the tpl_header_currencies.php and tpl_header_languages.php files. In this template, language and currencies can be disabled using configuration rather than by deleting the code in the files. It is done differently from abbington_mega @ Picaflor-Azul where this feature has been used from iC-AcadameV1.2F template without any change.

3. Some of the banner customization has been done. Banner can present important sales advertisement. "Free shipping" and "summer sale" are these two modified banners.

Finally, I should add Ann @ Picaflor-Azul has done a great job compiling different existing plugins into one template. So has been done by templates by brandonturpin. The work of both of the templates authors are very similar in the sense that there are commonalities in the plugins used but difference is the use of animations.

Hope I answered your question.

Hello :-) I just wanted to respond to this for clarity:

1. The reason for adding the javascript file for the slider in the modules/index directory is that it is a page specific javascript to be used only on the main page. Adding the jscript or jquery files to the templates/jscript directory will cause the script to be called on every page of the site which may cause conflicts with other scripts or a slightly slower page loading time. See this:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.p...s_-_Javascript

2. The langages and currencies in the header in all of our templates can be easily disabled by turning off the currencies header sidebox and languages header sidebox in the admin--tools--layout boxes controller.

Also, just a note, I noticed that you left a path to the Abbington Mega template in your readme file. This should probably be changed to your template override name.

Thanks,

Anne

[SPH]

Thank you for your words. All templates start with some existing ones. If you look at the early version of the authors you described, all look very similar to the templates they started with. At some point of time there was not too many free Zen cart template.

Again, this is just a first template from CREAIVsite. Hope that you'd like future templates from CREATIVsite.

I very much agree. All templates do have to start somewhere. For example, take a look at the old Blingthemes Digital shop template on my demo here:

http://www.prom-mart.com/demo-3/inde...id=digitalshop

Ignoring for a moment it's background image and Brandon's Abbiamo slider I am working with (replacing the Digitalshop's original slider, which I don't think will work properly but an interesting idea), it is basically the Classic template with mostly just color and font changes! And color and font changes alone can drastically change the look of a template.

I guess all templates can trace themselves back to the Classic one way or another.

Like that Prestashop template I link to above. For someone who knows what they are doing, it should be a fairly easy mostly color change adaption to Zencart perhaps using the Brighton template or even the old Apple Zen template (which also comes with a full-width horizontal nav color area with fixed body width.) Quick color changes, but probably not quite that easy...and you are correct about getting matching buttons. The details can make or break a project.

Anyway, looking at and often testing templates is pretty much what I do, and I'm looking forward to your future projects.

Good luck!

[brandonturpin]

I am glad that you asked. Here are few main differences:

1. The main difference is the JQuery effect in the main page and organization of file structure. The jquery effect I used is called coin slider which is different from the animation effect used by Picaflor-Azul. Also, in this template Biki-kini the use of JQuery has been done in a cleaner way. Since this Jquery file does not have any embedded php script, a simple jquery file (.js) has been handled along with other jquery files. It is kept under template folder (in jscript) along with other jquery files rather than putting it in the module directory with a php extension to it. Most of the templates use straight forward javascript file for animation and it should be part of template rather than module as has been done in this template.

2. Language and currency used in the header has been done using "LanguageCurrency Links in Header" plugin and then customizing the display in the tpl_header_currencies.php and tpl_header_languages.php files. In this template, language and currencies can be disabled using configuration rather than by deleting the code in the files. It is done differently from abbington_mega @ Picaflor-Azul where this feature has been used from iC-AcadameV1.2F template without any change.

3. Some of the banner customization has been done. Banner can present important sales advertisement. "Free shipping" and "summer sale" are these two modified banners.

Finally, I should add Ann @ Picaflor-Azul has done a great job compiling different existing plugins into one template. So has been done by templates by brandonturpin. The work of both of the templates authors are very similar in the sense that there are commonalities in the plugins used but difference is the use of animations.

Hope I answered your question.

Its true I have used some modules in my templates. I like column display so I include it as a option for my templates. In a way I have used others work in my templates, but I have not claimed to create those, just the template.

Every template I create I start with the classic template files and turn it into the template that I am looking for. There have been things that Ann has done that I liked and put in my templates, for instance when she released a full width slider, I was thinking of it but liked it so much I changed the template I was getting ready to release (TB Sempre) to have that feature. When I released the Mega Menu in Abbiamo Supremo it was not a script that I created. It was pre-created by someone else and I customized it on my template for the first mega menu in a Zen Cart template. Add has done a great job at taking that menu and customizing it to her templates. I think to this point we have had a fair balance of trying to put out the better template, taking ideas and still creating our own templates.

I do not know what work you put in your template but personally every template I make I code and create from scratch. I take ideas and create them on my own, when I use someone elses work in my template, I let you know in the release that the module was included. And Ann has also done a great job coding her own templates with her ideas and others ideas to make them her own. Keep the templates coming, I like being pushed to come out with new things for templates. Just make sure you give credit when credit is due as Ann and others spend hours creating each module/template.

[anamika59]

Its true I have used some modules in my templates. I like column display so I include it as a option for my templates. In a way I have used others work in my templates, but I have not claimed to create those, just the template.

I do not know what work you put in your template but personally every template I make I code and create from scratch. I take ideas and create them on my own, when I use someone elses work in my template, I let you know in the release that the module was included. And Ann has also done a great job coding her own templates with her ideas and others ideas to make them her own. Keep the templates coming, I like being pushed to come out with new things for templates. Just make sure you give credit when credit is due as Ann and others spend hours creating each module/template.

With due respect to your comment on "code and create from scratch", I hope you you meant that you installed Zen cart application and installed the plug-ins you chose on the top of it...just to be sure we meant same thing about creating code from scratch.

I am not sure what you meant by your email but that is exactly the approach I used for my template. That is, I took Zen cart classic and hand installed each and every files in the plugins I used in my template. Not only that, I examined each and every files to make sure the diffs they suggested is something I really want to enhance my template with. In fact, as I mentioned in my earlier email, I enhanced the "Currency language link in the header" plugin by using my custom php code in the template files. Also I gave due credits to each and every plug-ins I installed. None of the files I used, has been modified in any way to eliminate the original contributor. As you said, mega menu is a menu that has been done by someone else (actually it is a CSS menu bar any one can install and customize). But, I have mentioned that in my template defintion as well.
Hope this clears up the confusion a bit, my template Biki-kini is causing. :)