Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

Desmond · 2013-01-03 19:11:05

Hi, I've been poking around this site for over a year now and thinking about building a website for quite sometime. I finally decided to do it, but I know little to nothing about building a site or web design, hosting etc.. I read the article about web hosting and paid for a bluehost account. I would like to build for starters just a simple site to show case my photography and some basic info about myself. Maybe moving on to having a portion where my clients can log in and proof or pick their favorite images. So my big question is where do I start? which would be the easiest way/ plug in to start with. I was also looking at the free section which has the ttg autoviewer, could I use this as a stand alone plug in just to get a taste of how the actual site will look or will this need to be used in conjuction with one of the paid plug ins? So in summary what should or could be my road map for getting started please? I also use windows 7 and lightroom-3. Thanks in advance for any help with this matter

Matthew · 2013-01-03 19:40:09

Hi Desmond,

The best place to start is our beginner's tutorial:
http://theturninggate.net/orientation/

This covers site setup using TTG CE2 Pages and TTG CE2 Highslide Gallery.

You may also want to throw the new TTG CE2 Publisher into the mix. Though not covered in that tutorial, it's easy enough to add after getting to grips with those basics, and it's really a great way to manage your images moving forward.

Desmond · 2013-01-04 00:21:33

Thanks Mattew, I'll get started right away. I'll report back to this thread with any success or failures. I'm very excited about the entire process and hope to turn a new chapter this year with tht turning gate on my side. Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Desmond · 2013-01-04 17:55:05

Matthew, back again. I've read until I think my head is going to explode. So this is where I stand at the moment.

1. I've attempted to follow most of the basic website creation follow along. and was able to export some test gallery's to my desktop. (from my understanding of the reading I shouldn't be able to see anything in terms of a preview while working in this mode with the ce2 pages correct? only after I upload to my site/bluehos?

2. I downloaded Filezilla which will be my ftp client? I first ftp the sample webpage info to the wrong folder :-( ,but was able to go on bluehost and move it to the correct folder /public_html

3.I also noticed that It says I need to validate my account before I have full use of it. So I'm wondering is the reason I only see a bluehost generic advertising page when I type in my domain laughinghouseimages.com?

4. Also, when I hit the preview button while working on the pages in lightroom, from mytestwebsite collection I see right at the top it says error in the script or coding where the preview of the layout should be is this normal? I'm hopeless I'm not even sure how to incorporate an image into this form, but it looks sort of like this:

ERROR
SWitch View
1. <%--
2. --[[establish the root for resources links]]
3. local root = "."
etc....

5. Lastly, when I hit the preview in browser button, it will just open up a Microsoft windows page. If I try to click on the gallery saved to my desktop I will see the same type of error as stated above. Thanks for any help with this matter.

Matthew · 2013-01-04 22:16:37

Hi Desmond,

Some plugins only export pages as PHP and cannot be viewed locally in your browser (and therefore not using the Preview In Browser button). Some plugins export pages as PHP only under certain conditions, so whether or not you can preview those pages in the browser offline will depend upon your configuration ...

If you're hosting is setup and things are in the right place, then it will all work out online. If you need help getting to grips with FTP, we have a tutorial for that: http://wiki.theturninggate.net/doku.php … otocol_ftp

Desmond · 2013-01-05 03:05:23

Matthew, but what I can't understand for the life of me is why I cant see any changes taking place in lightroom in the main work area. all I see is the white background with the heading error followed by switch view and a bunch of script. as if the info should be there but its just not displaying. I now have tried it on both a pc and a laptop and it looks the same. On my pc i have the full version on my laptop I have the light version. I see the turinggate layout in the far right panel, so I'm pretty sure I dropped it in the right folder, but there must be something I'm missing. Could you recommend any screen capture software so maybe I could record the process and show you. This way maybe there's a mistake I'm making that you could catch along the way?

Matthew · 2013-01-05 03:12:35

Likely because you haven't followed our installation directions. First item in the "Docs" section, accessible from the menu.

Desmond · 2013-01-05 04:56:44

Matthew, you are so very right. Reading thoroughly and completely is definitely fundamental. Minutes away from going off into the corner to cry, I went back and gave the reading/ getting started material another try. It looks a lot different at 2 in the afternoon as opposed to 2 in the am. So, my mistake appears to have been placing the ce2 pages in the wrong place (head hangs shamefully low).

your specific instructions were

c:users>app data>roaming>adobe>lightroom>web galleries

however, this is where I had the files placed

program files>adobe>adobephotoshoplightroom3>shared webengines

which appears great just for the layout panel, but of course no image in the preview area.

So lastly, If I were to purchase anything else from ttg it would also go in this folder correct? eg.. client response or auto viewer.

And if I were to download any of the different themes/ templates
they would go here:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Web Templates\

Hopefully now I am well on my way. Thank you so very much for your patience and understanding.

rod barbee · 2013-01-05 05:30:27

Yes and yes to both your questions

Desmond · 2013-01-05 06:48:03

Thanks Rod:D , now comes the last hurdle. Now that I've got everything set up when I get everything ftp up to the /public_html folder I still dont see the page :-( gonna be a longg weekend for me.

Desmond · 2013-01-05 07:43:01

Rod I think I've got it. And I need to thank you again. This I didnt remember seing in the online or wiki reading unless I skipped over it. It appears that I was uploading the entire exported folder from lightroom. Once again that critical reading thing. I found you saying in another post "Upload the contents of the Pages folder you exported (assuming you named it Pages). Not the "pages" folder itself, but its contents. So all day I have been uploading the entire folder which was probably problem#2. so thanks a million.

For any newbees, would just like to state that the admin here has been great and very helpful. and if you have little to no experience with website design the turning gate appears to be a good place to start.

1- I suggest you read, read and read again. take your time its alot to digest all at once. Then ask questions.

My 1st problem I came up against was placing files in the wrong place using windows7. pay close attention and place the files exactly where the tutorial states.

2nd When uploading to the ftp you want to upload the contents of your "output folder" not the folder itself. So if you name the output folder "sample web-gallery", you want to double click on that folder and copy all the folders and files within to your ftp site.

Thanks again admin. I hope this can be somewhat useful to someone else in the same situation like I was. hopefully all else will be ok from this point forward. Have a great weekend gentlemen.

rod barbee · 2013-01-05 07:50:48

Glad it's all working for you. You're right, it's a lot to digest at first; there's a ton of info on the TTG site: lots of documentation and tutorials and it does take a bit to get your head wrapped around it all. But it's worth it
Once you start using it all it starts making more sense.

I think I'll add your 2nd problem to the FAQ

Matthew · 2013-01-05 10:58:25

It used to be there was no documentation and we had the opposite problem, everyone being mad at not having all the information written down someplace ... :-P

Desmond · 2013-01-08 05:42:44

Guys, so I have my initial sight up and I'm stoked. Just need to know what should I get next Ive done some of the reading :-) but a little confused do I need both the highslide and auto indexing or will highslide be enough. At this point nothing to flashy my goal is 3-5 galleries , portraits,family,model work etc, and the password protection gallery. at this point I think that would be more than enough.

rod barbee · 2013-01-08 06:29:38

If you want to create nested indexes or separate indexes for portraits, family, model work, etc., then you'll also need autoindex. If you're happy with your Galleries page containing all your galleries (no categorization), then you're all set.

Desmond · 2013-01-08 13:13:32

Rod, so your saying that I can actually add pictures under my gallery page without highslide or autoindex. if so, then I lost something in translation. I i actually uploaded 7 pics but can only see the main pic on my gallery page.

Matthew · 2013-01-08 14:29:50

You need the Highslide plugin to create image galleries.

But you only need the Auto Index if you want to bury those galleries in categories. Otherwise, you can create galleries (using Highslide) and dump them directly into your /galleries/ folder.

This is well covered in the Beginner's tutorial, linked from the orientation page I shared with you earlier. Here's a direct link to that tutorial: http://theturninggate.net/2012/02/a-beg … using-ttg/

rod barbee · 2013-01-08 14:34:27

no. The Galleries page is an index with links to galleries or auto indexes.

I guess I should have said you'd be all set with Pages and Highslide if you didn't need further organization that the autoindex can provide.

If you haven't already, take a look through this tutorial.

This might help as well.

Desmond · 2013-02-11 20:04:06

Gents, would just like to thank you guys for all of your help. I finally got the first draft of my website up, but just having one small problem. One of the pictures appers to be blocked out in the slideshow of my galleries or when I click on it. The picture is covered with a gray box as if it is still loading. I reuploaded the entire gallery and then tried to delete and upload the indivudual pic but still the same. What's funny is that the pic is on my front page slide show and runs without fault. Maybe you guys can take a look and let me know please

www.laughinghouseimages.com

http://laughinghouseimages.com/gallerie … gallery_2/

Its the second to last image on the bottom

Matthew · 2013-02-11 23:35:08

When I try to access the image directly, it's not there. Maybe a failed upload?
http://laughinghouseimages.com/gallerie … ed_249.jpg

Community @ The Turning Gate

#1 2013-01-03 19:11:05

Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#2 2013-01-03 19:40:09

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#3 2013-01-04 00:21:33

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#4 2013-01-04 17:55:05

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#5 2013-01-04 22:16:37

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#6 2013-01-05 03:05:23

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#7 2013-01-05 03:12:35

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#8 2013-01-05 04:56:44

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#9 2013-01-05 05:30:27

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#10 2013-01-05 06:48:03

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#11 2013-01-05 07:43:01

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#12 2013-01-05 07:50:48

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#13 2013-01-05 10:58:25

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#14 2013-01-08 05:42:44

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#15 2013-01-08 06:29:38

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#16 2013-01-08 13:13:32

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#17 2013-01-08 14:29:50

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#18 2013-01-08 14:34:27

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#19 2013-02-11 20:04:06

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

#20 2013-02-11 23:35:08

Re: Looking for a roadmap to start building my 1st website please

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