Overall site design

[davo88]

I'm just getting started with TP and trying to figure out how best to use panels, blocks, articles etc. with TP installed on 2.1.4 forum. There are about 7000 topics in my vintage motorcycle forum currently running 2.0.19. Many of them contain unique technical information not available elsewhere. But now there is so much of it, that the site looks a bit overwhelming if you are not good at searching and finding stuff.

So the object of the exercise with TP, is to provide readers with pathways (and a bit of eye candy) into all the content. By 'pathways' I mean summaries of long topics, lists of topics, predefined search menus, Google and SMF search options, help pages plus some pics to make it more interesting. In other words, show readers a bit of what's inside all the topics and give them multiple ways to get there.
 
By the way, TP looks like a wonderful piece of software that will totally transform an SMF forum. So very well done to everyone who has contributed to its development and creation of this website.

Today I just wanted to ask about the site design used here on the TP site itself. On arrival at tinyportal.net, there is a front page and readers can go to the SMF forum via the 'Forum' link in the top horizontal menu. Or to 'TP Docs' via the same menu or links in the left hand panel.

Once in TP Docs, the top menu changes its wording a bit and becomes called 'Forum' in the horizontal menu. The SMF forum changes to 'TP Support Forum'.

My question is, how is this TP Docs forum constructed? Is it another copy of SMF in a subdirectory? Or is it constructed from TP articles?

I am trying to get a handle on the different ways I can use TP articles and the menus that provide access to them. Any ideas, suggestions or links to examples would be great.

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[lurkalot]

My question is, how is this TP Docs forum constructed? Is it another copy of SMF in a subdirectory? Or is it constructed from TP articles?

Hi.  It's both really, we are running the docs site in a separate copy of SMF in a subfolder, and we use the article system to create the pages. Just something we've done that way for several years to keep things organised.

That said you can probably do what you need without the separate copy of SMF just using the TP article system on your site. The main menu tabs top can be added via TP, and side menus can be added also using the menu manager, or custom code your own and put in a side block.
 

[davo88]

Thanks Mick. So in TP Docs, when we use the menu in the LH panel to choose say "Articles", the pages that appear look like they are based on TP article units. How is this stacking effect achieved at the bottom of the page where the article title in the brown band is all that's visible. Then once clicked, it opens up the full page?

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[@rjen]

Those are layout options in the category settings..

https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=Article-categories

[davo88]

Wow. I had read that page but didn't fully grasp what is available. Seeing an option implemented on a site really brings it alive. Will have to set up a bunch of test sites and work through them one by one.

[@rjen]

No need for multiple sites: just create a few articles in a category and change the layout to see what you like best

[lurkalot]

Wow. I had read that page but didn't fully grasp what is available. Seeing an option implemented on a site really brings it alive. Will have to set up a bunch of test sites and work through them one by one.

A test site is a great way to see how stuff like this works and highly recommended.  We do a lot of testing on local installs (just computer based) and on live test sites.  Really helps with getting your head around it.

TinyPortal is a pretty powerful addition to your SMF forum, but can be a bit daunting at first, stick with it and I'm sure you'll like it.  And if you get stuck that's what we're here for, so please just ask.   

[davo88]

Thanks for the encouragement. I got to say, I find this exciting as all hell. But as you say Mick, it is pretty daunting figuring out where to start especially when you don't have a specific design in mind to aim for.
Had a quick look at your sites and the Article buttons in the main SMF menu is a great idea - fast and direct access to a whole bunch of material. That would work well here on the TP site too. 
Actually I used TP back around 2007. I was a real Bloc fanboy. But I have forgotten everything about it and the way it has grown is just staggering. Some people have put in some great work to produce this. And having this website as a resource is a huge help too.

This question isn't TP related... or it might be, I don't know. How is the background image achieved? The one in mainly black with the blue blocks at top centre. @rjen, your site has a great one too - really conveys the feeling of riding a machine like the FJR.

[lurkalot]

That's the nice thing about the articles, they are not just articles but pages you can use to to run custom code, much like the blocks can.  So what you saw was a link in the main menu, pointing to a article which containing a PHP script which displays a Article index. That script should still be in our Block Snippets board https://www.tinyportal.net/index.php?board=216.0

The menu button itself can be added be added using TinyPortal's built in menu manager.

The theme used here is based on one of bloc's themes (AlphaCentauri) which we had on here originally, and and created by @rjen for here and the docs site.