The article system gives you a CMS system tightly integrated with your forum. No need for bridges, double registering or other kludgey interface schemes with complex CMS software. Write articles in php, html or bbcode, and choose what member-groups can access them, who can contribute, and how they are approved. Choose the inbuilt menu options for these pages, or write your own, the flexibility to accommodate your choices is built in.
Blocks and Panels:
The options are endless. Choose to layout your page with a left, right, upper, or lower columns. You can fill these panels with an array of different types of blocks. Ranging from the available built in blocks like a shoutbox, recent topics, or even a theme changer. Or customize your own using either the bbc, html, or a php code block.
Downloads Manager:
A built-in module for TP that lets you offer files for your members to browse and download. Its works by having the downloadable files placed in categories. These categories have permissions on them, letting you restrict member groups access level per each category. Allow members to upload files, controlling which member groups are allowed.
Menu Manager:
A built in menu manager allows you to create multiple menu's. These menu's are displayed in a block. You get all the features of blocks to display these menu's in different places along with choosing who gets to see the blocks based on permissions. You can created different types of links: links to articles, categories, or even just a custom link. You can choose to have the link open in the current window or a new window.
Shoutbox:
A special kind of block is worth mentioning, namely the shout-box. Its a box in which you can leave messages for others to see and thus maintain a simple "chat" on the site. Combined with permissions you will have much freedom in who can participate as well. And as your visitors will discover, its actually quite fun to leave a smiley or two in it.
