I posted part of this in another thread, but I think it's better here. I'm struggling to create a theme in the dark because there is nothing to tell me what elements I can change. When I updated to 1.4, here's what the result was:

Click to view attachment

As you can see, 85% of the old style still remains, and only the content blocks column on the right has changed. The result is pretty ugly, but I can't find anywhere in the ACP to change the blog CSS.

I was surprised because I had expected all of the blog interface to be updated, not just a small portion. As I understand it, by looking at the source code, the majority of blog components retained the same names as the forum elements, so changing the blog will also change the forum. But I don't want to do this! I've seen other blog themes as demos that seem to avoid this, but no explanations as to how one can accomplish this.

Can I edit the blog CSS and only change the blog? Or do I have to recode all of the blog template bits with new element names for every component, in order to change anything?

In fact, there are NO explanations anywhere as to what elements are affected let alone how to make changes. In the ACP is says:
This opens a page with essentially nothing more than a blank space for writing CSS code. There is no preview, no indication what elements can be changed to affect the blog only, no FAQ,no colour picker, nothing about allowable macros or suggestions about rebuilding a cache, nothing about template bits, no links to anything else in the ACP that might be important.

In other words: good luck folks, you're on your own. Let us know what you work out.

I don't want to sound whiney, but this is lame. I don't mind doing the work to customize my own skins, but AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT ELEMENTS ARE AFFECTED. I can write CSS code, but there's nothing to tell me what I'm writing it to change or affect.

The idea that I have to dissect every line of code, review the source code for every page and use trial-and-error to see what happens is very user hostile. I expected better from Invision.

I have more than 500 entries in my personal blog. I use it because it's part of the IPB system, but it's the weakest component in the set and very unattractive. Every other blog system out there runs circles around IPB for both ease of use and design flexibility. I really looked forward to an updated blog package that could rival some of the other systems out there. I am very disappointed in what we received. We were led to believe we'd get at themes and easy changes. We got nada, bupkis, zilch.

Very, very disappointing, Invision. This is the first time you've let me down and you did it in a BIG way.

If you make a custom blog theme, it ONLY affects the blog. By that I mean, the CSS code you add is ONLY added on the actual blog pages that use that theme.

Say you create a theme and change some colors. You call the theme "xyz". You go to your blog, and from the dropdown select to use theme xyz. Only your blog would change - not the forums, not anyone else's blog, not the blog index, nothing. JUST your blog. So you can change any and every CSS element to your heart's content without worrying about what it effects.

Same goes if you allow users to create their own custom themes.

I'm not entirely sure I'm clear on what it is you want/expect that wasn't delivered. Perhaps you could clarify what it is that blog is lacking that would make it more attractive to you. The overwhelming response we've seen from the latest update is that a lot of the features people have been waiting for were added, and that it was a good release. If you disagree, it would be helpful to know why.

I would like to add something ... I did submit a ticket lol cos I thought my blog was broken Here when you click custom theme, there is a CSS template in there, so I just changed the colours to what I wanted on my forums blog the CSS box is blank so therefore I can't change the colours ... I don't know CSS so wouldn't know where to start, my members don't know CSS either, if on the custom theme drop down there was a template so users could just change colours it would be good... Not a lot of members would think of going to someone elses blog page somewhere else and "nicking" the CSS of someone elses by viewing the source ... I have and played around altering the colours.. my members won't

lchadwick, it actually looks to me like you haven't got all the new templates. The area where an actual entry shows up has changed considerably, whereas your screenshot shows the old style.

If you don't feel comfortable reverting the modified template bits yourself, submit a ticket with a link to that same screenshot and the info I've posted, and a tech can assist you

Thanks. I have entered a ticket. I wanted to be able to fix it myself - obviously I had hoped for with help from other forum members. I don't mean to over post. Sorry.

I feel frustrated mostly at not being able to solve the problems myself. I have checked every file in the upload and every single one was copied to the server. I have chmodded each one since. I have rebuilt caches, templates, skins and just about everything else. There were no errors during upgrade. So I'm flummoxed. And, as you can see, frustrated. I haven't had this many problems with an upgrade since the very early days.

If you are using a pre-built or custom theme, that code is defaulted into the CSS box, otherwise it's empty. Most likely here you selected a theme, then decided to customize it yourself, which is why the box defaulted.




I think I gather what's going on now. When you update (any component, and it has always been this way - it's not blog specific, or something new in 1.4.0) we do NOT revert your customized skin templates. Thus, it looks like you've customized blog skin templates (or are using a custom skin that has). The master templates would have been updated during the upgrade, but until you revert your custom templates, you won't see the changes.

You can run a skin difference report in the ACP to visually see the changes between your template and the master template and then manually apply the changes if you don't wish to revert your custom skin blog templates. A tech can assist with that. Otherwise, just go through all the "skin_blog_*" skin files in your custom skin, and any that have a pink "Revert" box next to them you can click that box to put those templates back to the default (updated) copies.

Kind of a general question but, I have a custom skin based upon the original classic skin. When I upgrade my blog, what is the best way to ensure the skin changes filter down? Should I have the custom skin under classic as master or?

Thanks for the help in advance!

I don't believe I have customized anything in the blog skins, but I will check. I changed some things in the CSS and the wrapper, and some of the forum bits, but I can't recall changing anything in the blog. Sounds like this is an extensive operation I hadn't prepared for. I've never had problems with upgrades int the past, including the most recent blog upgrades. They all worked fine.

I have looked at the changes (three of the blog skins have been altered) and they are definitely not something I would have altered myself. My mods are generally small and related to box width, colours, and sometimes stats displays. The changes in these three files are not ones I would undertake.

It might be easier to disable 1.4.0 right now and remove it. I don't want to leave it as is because it's such a mess. I think it would be expedient to revert to 1.3.3 until I have the time to work on this. How can I do this?

It's incredibly un-user friendly as it works at the moment (unless I'm missing something obvious). I've yet to install it onto my forums, but testing it out on here, if you're using the standard blog template and select create your own theme, it brings up the customisation box but with no css loaded into it, and just the colour slider. The average user isn't going to have a clue how to do anything with that.. The only way I can find to make the box relevant is to click 'test theme' which brings up a random green coloured theme, then when you click the customisation option the box has some css within it.

Asking users to know css is a stretch, but I can accept it, as it's a new system which will hopefully be developed, but expecting them to know what to do with a blank box, with no instructions or details isn't right as far as I'm concerned.

I just tried that Wish I hadn't now

I just ran a revert on the two blog skins that showed the red boxes indicating changes. The blog page changed a bit (see below), but still has many 1.3 elements left. And still no themes - although there is now a box that indicates where they'd be. But the box isn't a link and doesn't work if I click on it.

Yes, I did every recount, rebuild in the ACP just in case. And I imported the dheader_settings.xml file too. Here's the result: getting worse, I think. Very messy with a mish-mash of intruding styles and reverted effects:
Click to view attachment
There are other files showing changes but they're not blog skin bits. What bothers me is that I reverted the skin bits and they STILL show up in the differences list, although they don't have a 'revert' button beside them in the skin manager. Any suggestions?

The differences report is static - once you run it, it doesn't change. You'd have to run a new differences report to update it.

For the javascript menus not working, most likely the javascript file under style_images/(your skin folder)/folder_js_skin/ips_menu_html.js is out of date. Try taking the one from style_images/1/folder_js_skin/ips_menu_html.js and overwriting the copy in your custom skin (this should not break or affect anything, other than allowing the menus to work in blog if this is the cause of the menus not working).

@pbm, this is a first incarnation. We're kind of testing the waters so to speak. If the functionality is useful, people like it, and so on, we intend to develop it further. If it turns out that allowing users to customize themes is more trouble than it's worth, we haven't expended more time than it's worth, basically.

Are you suggesting we take the entire skin css and show it in the CSS editor if the user is not already using a custom theme? That is possible, but seems like it might actually be more confusing. Good documentation for what can be edited and some help is a good idea though.

okay, just noticed I hadn't changed the file name. Done. These are the only files that show a change: skin_boards, global_board_header, member_bar, skin_login, skin_post, PostIcons, skin_profile, personal_portal_main, skin_topic, RenderRow. Could any of these affect the blog skin?


Thanks, I'll try that when I get home (I'm at work with no access to an FTP program).


I would suggest a separate CSS editor for the blog (and potentially gallery since it looks like you're headed that way) modules that have their own css file. Or more correctly: the same editor but different links to their own pages.

I understand it's a new system and as such will have some rough edges and areas for development, that's fair enough

I'm not suggesting you show the entire skin css and have it in the box, but maybe some of the key items that people can get used to messing with if they wish / have the knowledge. Whatever you do though, it definitely needs some help file or perhaps tool tip information so people can get an idea of how it all works.

It's probable that the new CSS file for blog that controls a lot of the new blog styles wasn't copied over to your custom skin style_images folder too - check that there is the "blog_css.css" file under your custom skin folder. If not, copy it over from the default skin folder.



Things will be drastically different in 3.0, don't worry.




The main problem with that suggestion is custom skins. What if someone has a custom skin with completely different class names and ids? We would have no way to detect that, or at least no way to detect which were important and what they were used for.

If Blog only worked off of the pro or classic blue skin that would be much more plausible.

The majority of the issues you were encountering were due to customized templates in your custom skin, and out of date Javascript files on your custom skin. It should be sorted out now, per the ticket.

But surely you can see that having the css and colour slider box open up completely blank when someone clicks it on a standard skin is pointless. This is the situation that 90% of users will find themselves in, and as such won't have a clue how to make a change to it.

Features need to be aimed at users, at this time, since even technical proficient users look at this new editor and wonder what do with it, it's pointless. All I want to do is put these new features on my forums and that our users will be able to enjoy them - at this time it's just not possible, so something has to give - at the least that has to be documentation and beyond that it needs to be made more user friendly.

Bottom line is that there should have been a custom theme included and it come up as default in the box when creating a new one. People complained a lot that this confusion would happen and becuase 1 or 2 people said their members know how to do css, it was pretty much ignored and it's turning out exactly how it was obvious it would. Most users on non-tech forums don't even know how to even upload an avatar let alone write css! lol

See, in IPB 3 I don't think this will be as much an issue - I think it will be a lot easier to handle, and we do have ideas. It's just a lot harder than a user gives it credit for, is all I'm pointing out.

I mean, sure I could throw in the box something like



but then someone will lock their blog to a skin that doesn't use the classes, edit them, and when it doesn't have any effect be like "huh?"




No, nobody was ignored. And it certainly wasn't due to 1 or 2 people saying their members knew css, by far. With as many customers as we have, while we listen to everyone, 1 or 2 people obviously can't speak for everyone.

The problems are rooted deeper than you give credit for.

You should have done a poll bfarber!

I get picked on when I do polls

Picked on????

I'm not questioning your claim, but rather wondering why anyone would pick on you just for polling.
User feedback, via polling, does have some caveats I agree.
But I always considered them to be a fair way to get feedback with little to no "emotion", assuming the question and choices were carefully worded.

p.s I was taking the mickey, (the Obama thread )