Create my own Sharepoint Theme

[EduTech]

Evening,

 

ok so we have been discussing more about our new VLE, i have been asked the question "Can we design our own school theme for sharepoint?", i said yes we could but i would have to find out how.. which is why i am here

 

We have sims.net webparts, that site is designed around sharepoint as some of you may know, now they have made there own themes for sharepoint so i know it can be done

 

Does anyone know how to do it (the best/easy way)?

 

Is it just as easy as getting a theme thats already done, coping the folder and editing the files in there and then re-uploading it?

 

Will Sharepoint Designer have to be used?

 

Does anyone already have a Personal Theme that i could have a look at

 

Any help would be greatly appriciated

 

Thanks

 

James

[My220x]

As far as I know you wouldnt need to use Sharepoint designer and I think it would be as easy as taking an existing theme and editing its files and re uploading.

[EduTech]

Thought so, just cant seem to find where the themes are stored on my test server.. :|

 

Where are they hiding?

 

James.

[jamesb]

Depending on how ambitious you want to be, you might want to look at a codeplex tool.

 

SharePoint Branding Tool (Themes, Master pages, Site Logos...) - Home

 

Handles a lot of the basic, but tedious coding parts of designing a theme for Sharepoint.

[My220x]

I think they may be stored in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\THEMES

[EduTech]

I think they may be stored in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\THEMES

 

I went for that as that is what google came up with, get as far as Web Server Extentions and after that the Dir dont match. :S

 

@jamesb thanks for that link, i have been on codeplex but will have a look at the page you sent.

 

Ta

[FN-GM]

Maybe pulling apart an existing theme

[EduTech]

Maybe pulling apart an existing theme

 

Yup that was the plan if i could find where they were located

[Sylv3r]

I think they may be stored in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\THEMES

 

I haven't attempted to change ours yet, but i've just checked and ours can be found in the above location.

[EduTech]

Oh right strange.. hmm.. considering this is the MS downloadable test VM that i am using thought it would match up with what there site and everyone else says. obv not

 

Ok when i get back to work on monday will have to check in that location..

 

Its not something that has to be done straight away, but would be nice to have a play until i get round to doing ours properly

 

Thanks for your help so far guys

 

EDIT: Ok actually found them now! used my brain which i should of done at the start and just did a search for one of the themes. will see what me and MSD can do with them now lol. hmm god help my sharepoint setup think it will need him by the time i have finished

Edited November 21, 2008 by EduTech

[EduTech]

Ok thats going to be harder then i thought, going to take a while to get my head around that. anyway

 

Next question

 

This theme (below) i have notcied to be used on various school site's the top bar is the eye catching part. does anyone no where i can grab it from or is it something that your doing in SPD?

[apearce]

I'm going to do a how to on customising your sharepoint early next month. Look out for a post on when it is.

 

I have a license to Microsoft Live Meeting and can use this to show you. It will how ever be for WSS3/MOSS

 

A.

[apearce]

Forgot to say

 

Here is a really good site for your customisation of your CSS for 2007.

 

HeatherSolomon.com - SharePoint 2007 CSS Reference Chart

 

A.

[EduTech]

Thank Apearce, i will look out for that.

 

James.

[TheScarfedOne]

We've done all our customising with Masterpages and custom CSS rather than by theme. Have a look at my blog for some screenies. The best thing to do is have a trawl of the net, see something you like and adapt. Starting from scratch would make my head hurt!!

[mattmoo]

we have done the same, by we i mean I haha

 

Welcome to the Samworth Enterprise Academy is my sharepoint custom masterpage.

 

Still in development as i am waiting on some content but i am fairly happy with it

 

(just don't open it in firefox as i still need to sort out the CSS for it and it looks ghastly in FF)

 

Matt

[HMCTech]

stuartwilkie & mattmoo you both have excellent custom sites, but I wouldnt know where to start in customizing the master page.

[EduTech]

Dam! i think i need someone to draw me a picture with step by step instructions lol

 

Agreed! you noth have excellent site's.. this is something i really want to do as the only thing staff has said is a downside at the moment is the template.

[mattmoo]

Thanks guys, the firefox issue is bugging me though haha.

 

Anyways, its not that difficult to customise, its more coming up with a design thats the problem.

 

All i did was copy the default.master and rename it

Then i created a custom.css and linked it to my new master page.

 

Once you have done that you can see what classes are used in the master page and add them to the custom.css which will over right the default styles (not the best way to do it programmatically as i guess the styles are loaded twice but for quickness and easyness it was the way that worked for me.

 

I created a design in illustrator based on a 1024 x 768 monitor and then took the painful journey of trying to transfer it to sharepoint.

 

Maybe i will blog it at some point

 

Matt