I'm new to ViArt. Is there any way to include a pre-defined Site Navigation set in my custom layout? So far, all I've done is copied default.css to my own css and added a new CMS layout with that name (using the default template folders) on the CMS Layouts admin page. But there are no menu items.

Mitsy, The existing menuing system looks pretty tightly integrated into ViArt - in fact its one of its strengths. You can do a lot with it.
Can you provide a URL of the type of menu you want and forum users might be able to suggest a solution?

Greetings
 
Hi mltsy
 
Checkout this Flash tutorial about layout and menu.
 
Link:
http://www.holleyland.com/viart/viart-changing_global_layout_templates.html
 
 
Tony
HolleyLand

Thanks for the tips. Tony, I did check out that Flash video - unfortunately it stops just short of what I need to know.
 
Ned, I'm not looking to change the integrated system. I'm just wondering how to use it :) I've created a custom layout, as I said, by copying default.css and renaming to epicurean.css - then going to "Add New Layout" and titling it Epicurean. When I choose this layout, however, the Site Navigation is empty. I noticed that for all the other layouts, the site navigation is pre-populated with some nice menu items, etc. I'm wondering how I can get my custom layout to be pre-populated with menu items (so that if I were to save it, and install it again later, I wouldn't have to manually setup all the menu items individually).

There are two steps to this:
Create a new css from an existing one which you've done.
but also copy the existing default "templates/user" as "templates/epicurean"
 
In the Add New Layout page you can then type in the new style "epicurean.css", select the new templates from the dropdown "./templates/epicurean" and leave the default admin templates as they are.
 
All should then work..?

Well, so far I'm not planning on making any template changes (just style), so I just used "./templates/user" rather than creating an identical copy... which should work just as well, right?
 
And it does "work" - the only problem is that back on the Admin homepage, when I click "Site Navigation" on my custom layout under the "CMS Layout" section, it shows me an empty navigation. Is there a way to pre-populate that? In the same way that it has been pre-populated if you click "Site Navigation" for one of the other Layouts?

No, from what I've played around with, you have to create these navigations manually. There's no "global" navigation creater as far as I know if that's what you're looking for.

Well, I'm not looking for a global navigation creater. I'm just wondering how it is that all the bundled layouts have their navigations pre-populated with menu items. I want my layout to have its Site Navigation pre-populated. Then I can send my layout to someone, and they can just install it, and not have to manually insert all the menu items that are supposed to go with it.
 
But it's sounding like (since nobody knows how to do that) maybe those that are pre-populated are just inserted into the database as part of the sample data in the install process or something? I would think they would be part of the layout, since you'd want a customized layout to also include customized menu items, but are they actually completely independent of the layout - and only associated in the admin interface?
 
And if they are independent of the layout, then is there any reason that the site navigation is tied to a layout at all (in the Site Layout admin interface)? Right now, when I add a custom layout, it *removes* all my site navigation - which is just silly... why do that? If it's not possible to install navigation with a layout, then why not manage the site navigation entirely independently?
 
I guess that would be the global navigation creater that you said doesn't exist :) Anyway, can anybody confirm, then, that there is no way to setup a default Site Navigation for a customized CMS Layout? (other than getting your layout included in the ViArt installation so that it's navigation can be inserted as sample data during the installation process)

oh, okay. I understand what you're saying. I believe the only way to do that would to not only provide a custom .css but also a custom made template for ALL of the pages.
 
The ones that are already there are pre-polutated by sample data.

Okay, good to know! Thanks :)
 
Although, it would be nicer if there were a way to do it *nudges ViArt* ;)

Yeah, I would think they would have a "global" control for new templates. Automatically places those links in the navigation, however everything is link related so it's not in the .css and templates by default.