Getting started

Raven Falls · 2014-01-08 18:33:55

Hello, everyone. Obviously, I'm new here. I've had a website up for many years, using a LR plugin set that's incompatible with LR5 (and unlikely to be updated), so I'm looking at migrating my site to CE3.

My question is: which package or set of plugins should I be looking at? My site currently contains galleries with a shopping cart and a WordPress journal. Obviously, I would need the standalone Cart plugin, but I notice that there are two bundles, "Blog & Galleries" and "Web Publishing." At first glance, it would appear that B&G would fit the bill, but, from looking at a comparison of the two bundles, the main difference appears to be that the latter includes CE3 Pages whereas the former has the CE3 Theme for WordPress in its stead. The problem I'm having is that, from the descriptions on the TTG website, it would almost appear that CE3 Pages would be necessary to create just about anything -- but, obviously, since it isn't in the B&G bundle, it must not be as necessary as it would first appear.

So, I have to ask: what specific applications or functions would require the CE3 Pages plugin that wouldn't be covered by the B&G bundle. Are there certain types of pages on a website for which I would have no choice but to get CE3 Pages as well? Or would everything for which one might need CE3 Pages be already covered by other plugins in the B&G bundle?

Finally, I notice the description for CE3 Stages. I would like to have a slideshow on my home page, much as my site currently has now. Would Stages be required for that? In addition, the description mentions "extra pages" and "contact forms" -- if I wanted anything other than galleries and a journal (blog), such as an "about me" page or a page where I could be contacted through a form, would I be needing CE3 Stages as well?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me.

Matthew · 2014-01-08 19:49:50

CE3 Pages is not required. For users who have no interest in blogging, it's a good foundation for their website, assuming they want a static HTML website. For someone who would rather blog, or wants to manage the core of their site using a content-manage-system (i.e. WordPress), then CE3 Theme for WordPress is that foundation (and it happens to be the one that I prefer, personally).

Of course, our galleries, publish services plugin, and gallery indexing plugin can be setup alongside any existing website, without either of the above.

So if you're already on WordPress and you'd like to keep on with WordPress, then do the Blog & Galleries bundle + shopping cart.

Raven Falls · 2014-01-09 05:26:08

Thanks! What about Stages -- would I need it or not, with wanting to put a slideshow on the front page and include things like an "about me" page and contact form?

rod barbee · 2014-01-09 06:44:38

You can place a Galleria slideshow on any Wordpress page using Theme for Wordpress
http://ce3wiki.theturninggate.net/doku. … _slideshow
And using Wordpress, you can create as many new pages as you want. Theme for Wordpress won't create a contact form but you can find any number of contact forms (or contact form Wordpress plugins) to place on a Wordpress page

Besides the Galleria slide show, Stage does do a number of things that you may want in the future, like before/after comparisons, the full-screen flip gallery, reel, and embedding html5 video.

But for what you seem to want to do now, the Blog & Galleries bundle should do the trick. And as you're already familiar with Wordpress, you'll probably be pretty comfortable managing your site, creating new pages, and adding content.

Daniel Leu · 2014-01-09 06:48:00

With B&G, you don't need Stages as separate pages can be created from within Wordpress. A slideshow on the front page can be created in Wordpress as well.

Raven Falls · 2014-01-09 11:03:58

rod barbee wrote:

But for what you seem to want to do now, the Blog & Galleries bundle should do the trick. And as you're already familiar with Wordpress, you'll probably be pretty comfortable managing your site, creating new pages, and adding content.

Actually, it will be quite a voyage of discovery for me, because I use Wordpress predominantly as an adjunct -- my main site has been built in Dreamweaver with LRG One galleries and the WP (quite simple) journal connected with links. It sounds, from what you've posted, as if a lot more of my site is going to have to be constructed from within Wordpress itself -- or at least that's the implication I get from several replies that state that I can put a slideshow on my site's home page if that home page is within Wordpress. No matter...although I'll obviously need to brush up on WP, if I can build a site from scratch using only DW and older LR plug-ins (not to mention having spent almost two decades coding in C/C++ for a living), learning, or going more in-depth with, another development tool/environment should be relatively trivial. (Of course, the preceding is what is known in the programming world as "famous last words." )

rod barbee · 2014-01-09 11:25:06

Pages does create several pages for immediate use: Service, Info, About, Contact, Galleries, and Home. And you don't have to use them all if you don't want to.
Creating new Pages in Wordpress is pretty easy though, just a couple of clicks and add content.

Personally, I prefer using Pages. That might be mainly because I'm on a slow DSL connection and it vexes me waiting for Wordpress to respond.
And now I got to use the word "vexes"

Matthew · 2014-01-09 14:50:47

There are various approaches you can take to this, Raven, depending on what you want to to, how you want to manage your site beyond simply putting it online, and what you're comfortable with. The plugins are intentionally designed as an open ended solution, which I know often vexes customers, many of whom want a document that just says "This is what is does, and this is how you do it, and that is all." (and now I've gotten to use the word "vexes" too!)

You can setup the core of your site on CE3 Pages, then use WordPress as an adjunct for blogging.

You can setup the core of your site on WordPress, use that to manage all of your pages and such, and then use our gallery plugins to manage your galleries from Lightroom.

You can setup the entirety of your site on WordPress, and run all of your galleries from within WordPress (though my personal feeling is that WordPress, while wonderful for blogging and general page maintenance, is pretty crap for managing galleries).

If you want a slideshow on your Home page, you can setup your Home page with CE3 Pages, or you can setup WordPress with a static Home page and use the built in slideshow. They're basically the same slideshow presentation.

For a contact form, you can use the one that's built into CE3 Pages, or you can create a WordPress page and use a form plugin (I like the Contact Form 7 plugin for this).

So, those are just some of the more common options you have to doing various things ... you just need to decide what you want and how you want to be able to manage it, and then move from there.

Raven Falls · 2014-01-09 15:03:55

Thanks -- it sounds to me like Pages would be the way to go for easiest migration, then. Since you say a slideshow and contact form can be set up from within Pages, am I right in concluding that CE3 Stages wouldn't be required (as an addition to Pages, etc.) for my needs?

Matthew · 2014-01-09 15:30:34

Sounds like not. CE3 Pages can do the same Galleria slideshow on your Home page.

CE3 Stage is sort of a grab bag of features ...

If you want the Galleria slideshow for your galleries (small-to-medium sized galleries, within the /galleries/ folder, accessible through the gallery index (i.e. the Galleries page)), then Stage can do that. It also let's you create video pages, before-and-after image comparisons, standalone pages for auxiliary purposes (if the six pages generated by CE3 Pages aren't enough, or if you need special pages for selling an ebook, detailing an event, etc.). If you want to do scrolling panoramic or 360 images. If you want to use the full-screen flip gallery (also an option in CE3 Pages) in places other than your Home page ... CE3 Stage is sort of an expansion pack.

Examples:
http://ce3.theturninggate.net/galleries … ce3-stage/

At the very least, it sounds like you can get started without CE3 Stage. You can always snag it later if you decide you have need of it.

Community @ The Turning Gate

#1 2014-01-08 18:33:55

Getting started

#2 2014-01-08 19:49:50

Re: Getting started

#3 2014-01-09 05:26:08

Re: Getting started

#4 2014-01-09 06:44:38

Re: Getting started

#5 2014-01-09 06:48:00

Re: Getting started

#6 2014-01-09 11:03:58

Re: Getting started

#7 2014-01-09 11:25:06

Re: Getting started

#8 2014-01-09 14:50:47

Re: Getting started

#9 2014-01-09 15:03:55

Re: Getting started

#10 2014-01-09 15:30:34

Re: Getting started

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