cannot create new template without messing up display

[Owen Fowler]

v1.8.3a
New installation

I followed the wiki instructions for creating a new, custom tempalte. When I apply the template and refresh my storefront, the storefront display expands to cover the whole browser screen, and the colors are changed from the default greens to some crazy pinks. The page is really ugly.

What confuses me is that I would have thought the appearance would be primarily controlled by the CSS style sheet, which I copied over to the new template. Why did the width change? Also, I have not yet overridden any php files.

How can I create a new template while completely maintaining the look of the default template, so that I can use that as a baseline?

Thanks from a needy newbie.

[gjh42]

What you are seeing is the /template_default/ stylesheet, which is *not* the same as the stock template ("Classic") that is installed with Zen Cart.

If you want to start from the Classic template look, copy all /classic/ folders and files (except /classic/template_info.php) over to /your_custom_template_name/ folders.

[Owen Fowler]

Ah, thanks, that makes sense.

[afo]

You don't need to copy all the folders and files over. Just the ones you want to change. Copying all of them will lead to confusion later.

[gjh42]

You don't want any /template_default/ files that are not changed, but all /classic/ files have been changed from the original /template_default/, so they are all necessary for starting a new template based on Classic.

[WilpackPackaging]

I followed the instructions in the tutorial for creating a template and found the same problem as originated in this thread. I followed the instructions in this thread and now my custom template looks like the classic template.

However, all my sideboxes are gone. What am I missing?

Sorry, forgot to inlude my url.... http://americanwhitney.com/shoponline/

[WilpackPackaging]

Ah..... I found it. I didn't follow the last instruction to go and reset all my layout boxes.