Heavy Customization

[Enric]

Hi,
I'm trying to customize Zen-Cart with a completely different layout. I'd really appreciate some guidance or advise in how to get my way through all the process.

These are the design mock-ups i've already done, as you can see will be totally different from the standard zen-cart website...

http://www.winknyc.com/wink_drafts/default.html
http://www.winknyc.com/wink_drafts/category.html
http://www.winknyc.com/wink_drafts/item.html
http://www.winknyc.com/wink_drafts/cart.html

Any of you has gone through a heavy customization like this?

Mostly: Can it be accomplished in Zen-Cart?

I'd really appreciate some advice in the methology and how to get started, I'm new into shooping cart packages and completely lost at the moment.

Thanks in advance

[bmac]

Really beautifull layouts, congratulations.

About the custumization, just my opinion, i think that you should build a wireframe for each diferent layout, index, categoris, product, etc...
Then you have to know in witch tpl files to edit. Reorder the div's, custumize theire id's or classes if needed.
Finally, ajust your css for yours div backgrounds, colors, typos, etc...

now if you are familiar with php and css (and xhtml for backward and forward browser compatibility) you won't have much trouble. If it isn't your case then it will be a little more dificult, but don't dispair, I haven´t seen a unanswered question in this forum...

Good Luck (sorry for my english...)

[Enric]

Thanks Bmac!!
Really appreciate your comments!! I know a little bit of php and really lots of experience with css.. I'll keep trying in making it work...

[eediva]

If it's not too much trouble can you let us know how you're doing this?
I'm new to ZenCart and I want to do what you're attempting to do, so any help is appreciated!!
Thanks

[Enric]

What I figured out so far,I'm going to try following these steps:

1. Create a New Template for my site Design here you can find out how

2. Change as much as I can that template from the Administration panel

3. Finaly change the php hardcoding to get the site to look the way I've done my designs...(Sure this is going to be the hard part, as I have many .swf includes....)

I presume It's going to be a tough way... any troubles I come through i count on you guys in helping me out ;)

As we say in Barcelona "toco fusta!!!!" (knock on wood!!) I'll need tones of luck, help, coffee, etc...

[eediva]

i'll be following your progress, so please update! thanks :)

[kuroi]

You entitled this "heavy customization" and you are absolutely right. That said, most of this can be done and, provided you have reasonable php skills, should not prove too difficult.

I think that you will face four specific challenges

1. Getting to grips with the structure of Zen Cart, particularly templates and overrides, because you're going to be in that code a lot and if you understand it it's easy to work with, but if your don't .....
2. generating the scroll bar with designer names (and I assume links to their products) because I don't believe that there's anything quite like this in Zen Cart at the moment, so it's probably a new mod - that said, it is relatively standalone, so if youi know how to do it, it should be easy to add the links and integrate it into your Cart
3. To achieve the effect where products flow down the center column and outt to the sides would require stripping out the layout table that currently holds the structure of each page together. In many ways this would be a good thing, but achieving cross browser compatibility will be a b*%@#
4. although not entirely clear from the mockups how the checkout would work, this area is not currently a strength of Zen Cart and is scheduled to be re-written, so there are bound to be some wrinkles to be dealt with in there.