new zen cart user trouble getting override to work

I'm sure I am doing something wrong here. Just started using zen cart, and was trying to do a minor change to the product display page.
so I copied
\z-cart\includes\templates\template_default\templates\tpl_product_info_display.php
modified slightly and saved to
\z-cart\includes\templates\CUSTOM\templates\tpl_product_info_display.php

and also saved a new template_info.php under the CUSTOMS dir.

The problems is that it doesn't seem to be using the override system as intended (ie. if files are not found in CUSTOM then pull missing files from template_default).

I should be able to make the CUSTOM folder empty except for the template_info.php file and it should look like the default template since there are no files to override correct?

with my custom folder selected

default template

Did you select your custom template from the pulldown menu in admin->tools->template selection?

afo:

Did you select your custom template from the pulldown menu in admin->tools->template selection?

yes when my custom template is selected from the admin menu, I get the top picture, even if the file I copied into the CUSTOM/templates folder is unmodified or if the CUSTOM folder is empty.

If I select the default green template from the admin menu the default template comes up like it should

Are you copying files from /template_default or /classic? You should be copying them from /classic if they're available.

After you change templates, admin->tools->layout boxes controller and click the reset button at the bottom.

Since you don't have a css folder/stylesheet in your includes/templates/custom folder, Zen Cart pulls what it needs from the includes/templates/templates_default directory. If you're basing your template on Classic, copy the css folder to your custom folder, also. Don't forget to
reset the sideboxes in admin/tools/layout boxes controller. :thumbsup: (oops...Mary Ellen done
did that reminder thing)

Good catch, TShooters!

copied the css folder from the classic folder and reset the layout boxes. Getting me much closer!

So the classic folder is/was overriding the template_default folder? that's why I am missing part of the header banner (sky pic) and the colors are still off, since those files are not in my CUSTOM folder (but were in the classic folder, overriding template_default)?

original

If you want the images from Classic also, copy the templates/classic/images folder over to your templates/custom folder.

I get it now. Was a bit confusing since I assumed that template_default is what I was seeing when I first installed zen cart (not classic overriding template_default). So If I wanted to modify/override 1 file I assumed I would need just that 1 file in my custom folder. Without the contents of classic in my custom folder my minor change was causing things to look very different.