Using a Template
TNG templates allow you to quickly give your site a professional look and feel. To use a template, first set "Enable Template Selection" to Yes, then choose the number of the template you want (see the choices at http://lythgoes.net/genealogy/templates.php). Once the changes are saved, the new template style will take effect.

To maintain an existing site setup (from a version prior to 8.1.0), leave Enable Template Selection set to No.

Customizing
You may certainly customize your site beyond what the template files allow. Your default home page is index.php, and your default header and footer are topmenu.php and footer.php. Files with those names are located within each template folder. The template-specific "style" (colors, fonts and other formatting) is defined in templatestyle.css (within the "css" subfolder for each template), but if you want to change anything, it is best to make the changes in mytngstyle.css (also within the "css" subfolder for each template), so that your changes will not be overwritten in a future upgrade.

Supporting Multiple Languages
If you want any of the the messages in your Template Settings to be available in another language, choose that language from the dropdown box beneath the corresponding message, then click the adjacent "Go" button. You will be given a new field where you can enter the translation for that message. Once you click "Save" at the bottom of the page, that message will become a permanent part of your Template Settings page.

Simple Changes
Changes can be made by directly editing the files mentioned in the previous paragraph, but some simple changes can be made just by editing the Template Settings. Choose a template by number and you will be shown some of the key elements of the page. Changing those settings will automatically update your site, assuming that you have not customized the pages by hand already. You may make whatever manual changes you want, but if you remove any of the PHP code, these settings may no longer have any effect.

Images
If you would like to change an image, the easiest way click the "Change" button next to the field containing that image name. You will then be shown a new field that will let you browse for that image on your computer. When the new image is uploaded, it will take on the name shown in the original image field. If you want to change that name, then enter the new name in that field. For best quality, make your new image has the same dimensions as the existing image. You can find the dimensions by right-clicking on the image as you view it in your browser (use the "Preview" button) and selecting "Properties" or "View Image Info". If you must change the image dimensions, you will want to manually update them as they appear in the HTML.

To upload the image and finalize the change (and all other changes), click "Save" at the bottom of the page. If this process doesn't work, you may have inadequate permissions on your template folders. Make sure the permissions are set to 755 or 777. If you still can't make it work this way, you can use an FTP program or online file manager to upload the new image directly to the "img" subfolder of the template folder you're using.

Feature and Resource Links
If your selected template includes either of these options, you can create links in those sections by listing the link label and the link URL on the same line, separated by a comma. For example, TNG, http://www.tngsitebuilding.com.

Changing Your Mind
You may choose options for multiple templates, but only one will be in use at any time. If you decide later that you want a different template, just choose a new template number at the top of the Template Settings page. Setting changes you may have made for your original template will still be there if you decide to go back.