Hi all, I'm really hoping someone can help me with this menu. It's driving me nuts. If it were a regualr webpage without a CMS I could having it running no problem, but I'm so confused on how to get it to work with a CMS.

I've tried Joomla, I actually really like this one and I want to use it, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make this layout work with it. The forum was no help at all.

So I tried cms-madesimple, I got the layout to work, but I don't have a clue how to get the stupid menu to work. The forum was very little help.

Basically I need each dog picture to be it's own menu link, with the text in the brown areas. (or even just the text to 'float' on top of the menu in the right spot)

This, is like pulling teeth. I didn't realize it would be so dfficult. I'm sure it's got to be an easy fix, but it's got me pulling my hair out, and I can't seem to find anyone that will tell me in an easy to understand way how to make it work.

Here's a link to the testpage so you can see what I mean. It's still running on CMSmadesimple now. The whole menu area is one image now, but it can also be individual dog images if that would help.

Thank you in advance for any help. I'm open to changing to ANY cms that will be easy to use and will work with this menu. (and is free) Honestly, all I need are the header image and the menu area, the rest of the layout is flexible.

Actually, that menu would be fairly easy to do with CSS. Given that Joomla does use CSS ( as least from what I understand of it), it shouldn't be a huge problem to drop the CSS menu into the template.

Great! Thanks for the reply.

Could you tell me how? I'm a little technically challanged. I can do a basic html website, but I don't do CSS very well yet. And I'm not familiar with how to edit the Joomla CSS to fit my needs. I'm also not sure how to make the whole layout work in joomla as I don't know how to create my own template. I can edit an exsisting one to change images though.

In short. I need help.

I'd really appreciate an explanation if you don't mind. If someone can tell me, "do this, this and that, to make it work" I'd be fine.

CMS is kinda finicky and takes some getting used to, no matter which one you use.

In your Admin panel, look for FCKeditor -- this has a styles dropdown menu which can be used to apply css styles to page while editing.

First create new css style which has styles you want to use on the dropdown menu and attach it to your template, then copy that css to extensions ->FCKeditorX-> styles form.

You should be able to end up with a horizontal drop-down menu like this which was created in CMS Made Simple.

I wasn't exaggerating when I said I'm technically challanged. I don't know HOW to make the menu in CSS and apply it to the layout.

I'm only familiar with using tables for websites, so CSS is still a little confusing to me.

CMS systems, like the one you're using, are primarily CSS driven using PhP files -- if you haven't grasped CSS, then I'm afraid you've bitten off too large of a chunk to chew at this time.

Sigh. So making this menu in CSS is going to be too hard for me to do on my own? I was hoping it might be simple enough that I could get some instructions.
I'm not able to hire someone to do this for me, and even if I could, I wouldn't really be learning anything that way.

I understand CSS enough that I can use it for colors and links and such, but I haven't used it for images, layout or anything of that sort yet.

I just want this darn menu to work...

Don't get discouraged - CSS is just another "tool" which, much like anything new in your life that makes things better and easier, takes time and study ... once you begin to experiment with CSS, it actually becomes fun.

So, go thru these important Tutorials; play with a css file and take your time -- it doesn't come to you overnight, and your CMS system is just sitting there anyway.

Introduction To CSS
CSS Design References
MaxDesign Training
W3C Learning
WDG Tutorials

I read through all the links you provided and I did learn a lot. Thank you for posting them! CSS makes much more sense now, but I still don't understand how to get this menu to work.

I have the images and layout the way I want it. The menu images are already where they should be. I just can't put the darn CMS menu in the right spot so it works.
This is driving me crazy. I'm about to just ditch the idea of a CMS. I'll loose the ability to update my site easier, but at least I can make the menu work.

I've got to be missing something important and I just don't get what. I need it explained to me like I'm five. Okay, not five, but you get the idea.

I just can't wrap my head around this.

Like I said earlier, CMS is just another tool that many are learning and can be a beast if you don't know what you're looking for, much less looking at ... you have Modules in your system; you just need to take it slow by looking at all of your Templates buried in the Modules to finally find the code you need to play with.

Trust me; you see it currently as overwhelming, when in fact, if you approach it from the angle of looking at tiny bites instead of eating the whole meal in one big bite, it will come to you within a short period of time.

Thanks for trying to explain this to me, but I'm just not getting it. I look at the modules and they make no sense to me. There really needs to be some kind of tutorial that tells people how exactly to modify a menu and put it where you want. I need instructions.

It seems like the help files only explain it in a way that assumes the reader knows what all the tags and "nodes" mean and how to adjust them. Which I don't.

I'm just going to ditch this CMS idea, it was nice while it lasted, but I can't take for ever to figure this out while my website sits around with a bad theme because I'm too dense to learn how to use this menu system.

I'll just have to save up and pay someone to do it for me eventually.

Thanks anyway.

I can set the menu up for you in CSS if you'd like. PM me, I'll give you my email addy and you can send me the graphics originals to work with.

You're giving up too easy, so you have 2 options...

1. LadynRed can give you the CSS; even though you need to know/learn where to place it within the CMS.

2. I'll download the program; go in and find the correct template and give you step-by-step instructions.

I was hoping you'd give it the "old college try", as that's the best way to learn -- having others write the code for you isn't really teaching you anything, and you don't learn how to do it yourself by trial-and-error.

It's not that I'm not trying. I like to think I'm a pretty fast learner, but I could stare at the code forever and not get anywhere. There's a lot of stuff in there that I have no clue how to work with, and it's very confusing for someone's who's never had to edit it before. Trying to muck around in there without any clear guide on how to achieve a certain effect won't get me anywhere.

If you can tell me the steps to get the effect I want that would be great and I would certainly appreciate it. Please don't think I'm not grateful, you've been very patient with me.

I'm probably a bit on edge about this because I've been trying to find someone to tell me how to make it work for a week and so far I'm still at square one. It's just been frustrating since I didn't expect this one thing to be such a hassle.

Ladyinred, I appreciate the offer but If travelagent is willing to give me instructions I'd like to learn how to do it myself. Maybe then I won't have to come here and bug you guys as often.

I'll start this off by saying, LadynRed is highly proficient in CSS and other items!

Digging further into your CMS site, they have a truckload of Modules that you need to download first -- is it worth it to you, and will you become more frustrated?

I don't know the answer to that, but you can see it for yourself by going here

That being said, I'll send you to a few other free CMS sites for you to look at...

This first one is probably the easiest for you to manipulate, and is called Far Cry

Another easy one is called Fast Publish

Quate MS
Sitellite CMS
V2 MS
CMSimple
Chronicles Online

Alrighty, it's up and running. The problem I'm having now is that everything looks distorted when viewed on IE.

In Firefox it's fine and the text and menu links go where they should.

How can I fix this and why is there such a difference between browsers? Link to test site.

WOOHOO -- glad you kept at it until it worked...way to go!!!

It looks great in both FF and Netscape; since I don't use MicroSTOOPID Internet Exploder, I can't help you -- 1000's of sites don't look right in MSIE; yet look great in all of the other browsers.

Just bumping this up in hopes that someone can help me fix this in IE. I'm still stuck on it. Over half my visitors use IE and I really want to make this useable for them too.

MSIE isn't well-known to be very friendly in the first place, which is why I always refer to it as MicroSTOOPID Internet EXPLODER.

However, your question might very well be answered in this forum

Lastly; while going thru your CSS, I noticed something strange -- I always thought "background" started off with the letter "b" ... you might want to take a look at that too:

#primary-nav li{
/*ackground: url(uploads/theme/grey.jpg); */
}

#primary-nav li.menuparent {
/*ackground: url(uploads/theme/grey.jpg); */
}

/* Styling the basic apperance of the active page elements (shows what page in the menu is being displayed) */

#primary-nav li.menuactive {
/*ackground: url(uploads/theme/grey.jpg); */
}


/* Styling the basic apperance of the menuparents - here styled the same on hover (fixes IE bug) */

#primary-nav ul li .menuparent, #primary-nav ul li .menuparent :hover, #primary-nav ul li .menuparent {
background-image: url(uploads/theme/arrow.gif);
background-position: center right;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
/*ackground: url(uploads/theme/grey.jpg); */
}

I fixed the background spelling, but so far that's not helping. I'll try posting this in the other forum as well. Thank you.