WebPlus X8 Quick Start Guide Simple steps for designing your site and getting it online.
In this guide, we will refer to specific tools, toolbars, tabs, or options. Use this visual reference to help locate them on the WebPlus workspace. 1
This Quick Start Guide will walk you through the key stages in creating a website in WebPlus X8, including some basic editing techniques and a guide to getting your site online. To install WebPlus X8, insert the WebPlus X8 program disc into your disc drive. The AutoRun feature starts the setup process. Simply answer the on-screen questions to install the program. 2
When you launch WebPlus, the appears. The assistant lets you create new websites from templates or from scratch, open WebPlus files, and access articles (tutorials, news, and more) from Serif's Learn and News feeds. All of the resources you need to create an amazing website are right at your fingertips! For this Quick Start Guide, we'll concentrate on the button from which we ll be creating a science-focused website using a professionally designed Theme Layout. You can set up Serif Web Hosting from the initial page of the Startup Assistant. Hover over the right-hand side and click until you see the Web Hosting screen, then click to begin. 3
You don't need to start from scratch with WebPlus. Instead, you can create a complete website based entirely on a Theme Layout (i.e., a set of pre-designed template pages with a similar look and feel). To pick your design, simply select a Theme Layout and colour scheme to suit your taste. 1. On the left of the Startup Assistant, click. 2. From the left, select and then, and choose a theme from the Templates pane on the right (e.g., Level). 3. (Optional) Next, select a colour scheme. 4. (Optional) Uncheck any pages you don't want in your site. 5. Click. There are templates available for both Desktop and Mobile websites, but we'll concentrate on creating a Desktop site in this guide. 4
It's really easy to add, delete, rename and rearrange pages to customize your website's structure. 1. To the right of the workspace, click the tab. 2. Double-click a page's name (e.g., About Us) to display it in the workspace. 1. On the tab, click the arrow next to, and select. 2. In the section of the dialog, give your new page a name (e.g., Research). 3. Click. The new page is added after the About Us page. Double-click a page (e.g., Gallery) in the it, and then click. In the dialog, click. tab to select 1. Right-click a page (e.g., Products) and click. 2. In the section, type the new name of your page (e.g., Projects) and file name and click. 5
It s possible to rearrange pages in the tab. Drag the Projects page to before the Research Page. When the cursor appears, release the mouse button. Some objects may be placed on the master page. Master pages are useful for storing background elements that will appear on more than one page. We'll look at editing the main heading. 1. Select the main heading at the very top of your home page, and click displayed for editing. 2. Triple-click to select the text, and type your new heading.. The master page is 3. To navigate away from the master page, simply select a different page on the tab. 6
In WebPlus, there are a range of assets that you can use to build up your site, including graphics, page content and layouts. Let's add an under construction graphic to an unfinished page in our site. 1. In the tab, select an unfinished page (e.g., Research). 2. On the tab to the left of the workspace, click. 3. In the, type construct into the Search box in the top-right corner. 4. From the displayed search results, select a thumbnail. 5. Click. 6. From the category on the tab, drag your chosen graphic onto the page. Resize and reposition it as required. You can preview your website at any time. From the flyout on the toolbar, click. 7
It s really easy to overwrite the placeholder text in a template. We ll look at editing some text on the Home page, but all of the text in the template can be edited in the same way. 1. Double-click the Home page to display it in the workspace. 2. Triple-click the orange heading text to select it. 3. Type your text. Triple-click on a text frame to select a paragraph. Start typing to replace the placeholder text with your own text. Save your work! From the menu at the top left of the workspace, click then choose a save location. 8
Your website is based on a Theme Layout, so empty picture frames (shown as envelope-shaped placeholders) can be filled with your pictures. 1. On the tab, select the category. 2. Click at the bottom of the category. 3. Navigate to, and select your pictures ( -click to select multiple pictures) and then click. The pictures are added to the tab's category. 4. Drag your chosen picture onto an empty frame on your page. 5. (Optional) Zoom in to your pictures by clicking on the toolbar underneath. To position a picture inside the frame, select it and click. Drag on the picture to move it around. 9
Sliders are animated panels which use a slide transition effect to move from one slider panel to the next. Let s look at customizing one of the sliders on the About Us page. 1. On the tab, double-click the About Us page to display it in the workspace. 2. At the bottom of the page, select any object on the page-wide slider, then click slider can now be edited directly on the page or in.. The selected 1. Your first panel is selected, so click on the text to replace the placeholder content with your own content. You can also add a picture by dragging directly from the Assets tab. 2. Click under the panel, then the button to jump to the next panel in the slider. 3. Repeat this process until all of the placeholder content on each panel has been edited. 10
Slider Studio give you more control over your slider design. You can add more panels, control how panels animate, and adjust the animation speed all in a purposely designed studio. 1. Select any panel object, then click. 2. From the toolbar under the slider, select. The studio is displayed. 3. Use the tabs under the panel to control your slider: : change animation style and panel animation speed. : Add, delete, or rearrange panels. : Set a time period in which a specific panel will display. 4. Click. Don t forget to save your work! From the menu, click, or hold down the key and press. 11
On the Contact Us page, there is an embedded Google Map. You can add markers to the map (i.e., a business's location) to help people to find you and also show where you are based. 1. Double-click the on the Contact Us page. 2. At the top left of the dialog, type your post code (zip code) or address in the field, then click. 3. Fine tune the location shown on the map using pan/zoom controls. 1. In the section of the dialog, click. The dialog will open, showing your specified location. 2. Click a location on the map to add a marker at that point. The marker will appear in green (indicating selection). 3. Give your new marker a name and then click. 4. Click. You'll see the pin in red, as the web visitor would see it. 12
When you're happy with your site, it's time to upload it to the web using Serif Web Hosting or a different web hosting provider. 1. From the flyout on the toolbar, click. 2. From the dialog, click. You'll be directed to a web hosting page on Serif.com. 1. Click next to your chosen hosting package. 2. For new and existing customers, enter your email address. For new customers, follow the on-screen instructions to create your WebPlus Hosting account. Click. 3. You ll be sent an activation email which contains a clickable link to activate your account. Click the link. 4. From the launched Account Details web page, choose an email address, password, and a domain prefix, i.e. the name of your website (i.e., <prefix>.webplus.net, <prefix>.co.uk, or <prefix>.com depending on package). Be 100% sure of your chosen domain name, as it can't be changed once created. 5. Select any hosting options and make payment. 6. Click to display your hosting details. For or hosting, you can click to choose a or web address suffix instead of. Choose the new domain name link to do this. 13
If you ve already set up your hosting from the Startup Assistant (see page 3) or menu, click in the dialog instead of. You will need to add your account details to WebPlus via a popup dialog which will also have appeared when you clicked Publish to Web. 1. Display your hosting account details on the page on Serif.com. 2. Copy and paste your details from the page into the dialog. 3. When you re happy, click. In the dialog, click to check that your details are valid. Note that it can take up to 30 minutes for your hosting to activate. 4. Finally, click and then click. Your files are uploaded to your website, and are now online! 5. Click, and type your web address into your favourite browser. Your website will be displayed. 14
Bonus sliders. Inclusion in future promotions and discount offers. : To register WebPlus, run the software and, when prompted by the registration screen, follow the on-screen instructions. To manually start registration, click Help > Registration Wizard from within the software. Visit community.serif.com to have your questions answered by the Serif community. 0845 345 6770 800 489 6720 17776