How to use Theme? Please Help!

Sparkling
1

Hi, I have a question that might sound really dumb but, I’m a newbie to themes. I have downloaded the Sparkling theme and it looks nothing like the demo. It’s blank I have no slider, photos…nothing. I thought it would look like the demo and I just change the images. I don’t understand at all! Is there a tutorial on how to use the themes? Again, sorry for sounding like a newbie but…I am. I appreciate any help!

2

A great place to start is to read the entire theme documentation. We have covered everything to create website just like in Theme Demo. This includes recommended image size, how to enable slider etc. For more information you can search on our forum where I have wrote over 800 responses to user questions about this theme. I am almost certain that all your questions are already answered on this forum.

3

Ok. Thanks. But I have a question regarding the Slider on front page. In the directions it says to click the down arrow under Slider Category. Problem is there is nothing to choose. It’s blank. How to I add photos to the Slider so I have one on my home page? Thanks!!

4

Designman14, in the theme documentation you can find this:

-Slider Settings are located in Theme Options – Main
-To enable slider tick checkbox and you will see that two no options will appear “Slider Category” and --“Number of slider items”
-Select category from dropdown to use for slider
-Now select number of slides to be used in slider (newest Posts from that category will be used)
-Make sure you have Featured Images uploaded and added for those Posts.

So the answer to your question is already given. Make posts with featured images and add them to a category.

5

Thank you very much! I was able to get in the slider HOWEVER, the slider is displaying so high up on page you can’t see it. I only see half of a red text box and no images! I see a 1/4 of an inch of the bottom part of the slider. Black bar no image. Why are the images not showing up like the Demo of this theme?

6

@zakka89

Thank you for explanation! :slight_smile:

@DesignMan14

You aren’t using featured images properly. Please read about them on official WordPress documentation:

7

Thank you very much! I have it working now but, my question is “Why doesn’t it change slides?” I have 3 pictures all at the correct size and followed the directions perfectly. I even notice that the in the Theme Options, there is no slide time to set.(time each slide takes to change) I could have sworn there was an option for that. Anyway, I have everything working with pictures in the slider but, just not “sliding”. I have to click the little rectangle box at bottom of picture in the slider to change to the next slide. OH…one more thing.(sorry) How do you get rid of the ability to click on the picture in slider and it takes you to a post? I don’t want viewers to click on the title of slide or picture and get redirected to a post. Your help is ALWAYS appreciated and ALWAYS great!! Thank guys!

8

Images should slider automatically each 7 seconds. There is no option to change that but you can edit a single line on flexslider-custom.js file. Look for slideshowSpeed: 7000, And edit it accordingly.

  1. You can either edit extras.php file directly or copy this function into Child Theme functions.php file to edit slider functionality.
if ( ! function_exists( 'sparkling_featured_slider' ) ) :
/**
 * Featured image slider, displayed on front page for static page and blog
 */
function sparkling_featured_slider() {
  if ( is_front_page() && of_get_option( 'sparkling_slider_checkbox' ) == 1 ) {
    echo '<div class="flexslider">';
      echo '<ul class="slides">';

        $count = of_get_option( 'sparkling_slide_number' );
        $slidecat =of_get_option( 'sparkling_slide_categories' );

        $query = new WP_Query( array( 'cat' =>$slidecat,'posts_per_page' =>$count ) );
        if ($query->have_posts()) :
          while ($query->have_posts()) : $query->the_post();

          echo '<li>';
            if ( (function_exists( 'has_post_thumbnail' )) && ( has_post_thumbnail() ) ) :
              echo get_the_post_thumbnail();
            endif;

              echo '<div class="flex-caption">';
                  if ( get_the_title() != '' ) echo '<h2 class="entry-title">'. get_the_title().'</h2>';
                  if ( get_the_excerpt() != '' ) echo '<div class="excerpt">' . get_the_excerpt() .'</div>';
              echo '</div>';

              endwhile;
            endif;

          echo '</li>';
      echo '</ul>';
    echo ' </div>';
  }
}
endif;