Changing positions/levels of pages? Layering Pages?

[doane]

I have 7 pages on one main entry level so these seven are showing on the repeating menu on each of these pages. I created some new pages in the same style but I can't figure out how to make them nest below some of the main pages and I can't find it in the help files.

For example, one of these main pages on the top level is a "Gallery Page" with six linkable images that I want to link to six pages below the Gallery page on a second down level. So on this second down level the menu will show just the pages on that level and it must, of course, also show the Gallery page above it to go back up again. Also it would be nice to also have a link to the home page as well. I will probably end up with several of the main first level pages with 2-4 levels below each of them.

It's probably simple, but I can't figure out how to do this, please help.

[Boy]

You cannot nest the pages in the Page & Layer gallery but you can create sub-menus using the Navigation Bar Properties editor provided you have a fairly recent version of Web Designer. Of course you can also make your own sub-menus using pop-up layers.

[gwpriester]

In the Nav Bar Properties menu you can rearrange the pages on the nav bar by dragging and dropping the title bars into a new position. You can add pages and delete pages from the nav bar without actually deleting the pages from the document.

You can create sub menus, as Boy points out. In Nav Bar Properties, click the + next to the page you want to add a sub menu to. Then double click to add a new page.

Let's say you have 9 pages on your site but you only want 5 to appear on the nav bar and the other four to appear as a sub menu.

Delete the pages in the Nav Bar Properties menu.
Click the + next to the page you wish to add the sub menus to
Double click and select the page you want to add
Link the page title to the page

You can also change the wording on the Nav Bar buttons. So if the home page shows as index you can highlight index and change it to HOME.

[doane]

OK, have had a chance to try this on a test site and I put the store page and the contact page below the gallery page and I am not having any luck. If I add the URL page for the gallery page I get this error when I try to assign the URL page to it (image upper right) If I ignore that I can preview and see the gallery page and it shows the two pages below it as a drop down menu.

If I do not assign a URL page to the gallery page, I head the warning and "remove button links" (the gallery page URL), the gallery page does not show up when previewed and clicked on, just the pages below it as a drop down menu. (image left bottom)

Either way, this is what it does, it creates a drop down menu below the gallery menu listing on the main menu. (image left top)

I'm either doing something wrong or not understanding how this works... it's rather confusing to me.

[Boy]

As it so happens, another member has the same problem. Take a look at this post explaining the issue.

[Egg Bramhill]

Doane, basically if you have a menu button that triggers a sub menu, Xara is telling you the parent (in your case 'Gallery') button that invokes the sub menu should not have it's own url link, so as only to trigger the sub menu. This is important as on touch screens if the parent button has a link the sub menu will not be triggered.

Unfortunately in your example I would find it hard to believe that you would have 'Shop' & 'Contact' under a 'Gallery' button. It would be more meaningful if say your Gallery section became too large for one page and therefore the main navbar had a 'Gallery' titled button with NO url link and sub menus of 'Gallery 1', 'Gallery 2' & 'Gallery 3' sub menus buttons.

As a quick example change your 'Gallery' parent buttons name to 'More' and add a 'Gallery' sub menu here with the link along with your already generated 'Shop' & 'Contact' sub-menus.

[doane]

EB: This was just a test I was doing... I just put "shop" and "contact" under "gallery" because I was experimenting with a template site and using the available pages to see what happens when you put a page under another one and link to it or have a menu drop down show.

In real world, what I am doing on the site I am working on is I have 7 menu items/pages on the main level; the entry/index "home" page, an "about" page, "contact" page, "store" page, "blog" page, "other sites" page, and a "gallery" and the repeating menu and banner on each shows the others on that main level.

On the "gallery" page I have six images that click link to six other sub pages for different galleries on a sub level with a different banner on that level and I want those to only show those 6 galleries on that level and a link back to the home and gallery page above it.. The reason I'm doing it that way is so that when you go to the main parent "gallery" page, you can see example images and descriptions of the 6 galleries below it. With a gallery menu item only on the main level that simply has a drop down menu listing them it doesn't show or describe what they are below it.

Like wise, on the "other sites" page I will have 3-4 images that will show and describe the contents and click link to a sub level with a different banner with those pages showing only the pages on that level and the home and gallery page above it. I really don't care if a menu drops down below the "gallery" page or "other sites" page as the linked images on those pages will take you to the sub pages on the second level of each of them and show and describe what is there.

Setting it up this way, I found the only way to do it is to create a edited menu bar for the sub pages under "gallery" and "other sites" and copy it to the other pages on that level after editing out the menu links I don't want above. It's sort of tedious and I can't use the "repeating object" command because it doesn't recognize that I have different levels that I want to treat as separate areas unto themselves.

Hope this helps explain the problems I'm having.

[Boy]

Assuming that I understand what you're trying to achieve, perhaps the following might help. You have a site with seven main pages as described in your above post with the menu bar repeated on all pages. Now select the 'gallery' page in the Page & Layer gallery and click the 'New page' button six times. These will be you gallery sub-pages. Now double-click the navbar on any page to open the Navigation Bar Properties editor and delete each of the new 'Gallery' buttons (Gallery-a, Gallery-b etc.).

You have now six new pages with a navbar but without any links to them. Go to the Gallery page and add the six images representing the six gallery sub-pages and add links to them to the respective pages. Visitors to your site can go back to the main Gallery page by clicking the Gallery button on the navbar.

Would this help?

[doane]

Boy: Thanks for trying to help. I followed your instructions and yes, I now have the main level with a gallery page, and when you click on any of the linked images on that page they take you to a sub gallery page with out a drop down menu on that main gallery page. BUT...
The menu on the sub gallery pages can't be customized/edited with out changing the main menu level bars as well even though I unchecked the box for "site nave bar links to all and appears on all pages" So, on that sub level menu bar I can't delete any of the buttons with out it deleting them on the main bar as well. I have the main level bar and it doesn't show the other sub gallery pages unless I check the box I mentioned above and that then puts all the pages on ALL the menu bars on both levels.
What I want is for the sub menu pages to only show each other and the main gallery above it and maybe the home page as well. Same problem with adding a new banner image to the sub level pages and checking to have it repeat... it repeats on ALL levels, not just on the sub gallery level.

The only way I could get this to work is to have ALL the pages showing in the page gallery and then editing each banner and menu on the sub level galleries. I have a large site and this will get really congested and confusing as well as being a lot of work to make changes on any levels. Maybe there is a way to create different levels as different sites with the sub levels being linked pages from the main level site??? Not sure how that would go together though...

Apparently the program can not group pages by levels... this is a big letdown as it creates a lot more work repeating elements, customizing the bars, etc. when dealing with a multi level site.

Unless I have again missed some way of doing it that I haven't discovered in the help file. I've only been experimenting with this program for a few days so am not familiar with all the ways it works yet. I'm also not finding it terribly intuitive on more complex problems like this.

I hope some of you who are more knowledgeable can help

Thanks,

[Boy]

What I want is for the sub menu pages to only show each other and the main gallery above it and maybe the home page as well. Same problem with adding a new banner image to the sub level pages and checking to have it repeat... it repeats on ALL levels, not just on the sub gallery level.

Following the suggestions I posted earlier, you can delete the navbars on the new gallery 'sub-pages' (right-click the navbar and select 'Delete from just this page') and add the individual buttons you need (or create a new navbar for those pages).

With regards to the banner for the 'sub-pages,' you can place one on your new pages, right-click & select 'Repeat on all pages' and, next, delete them on the 'main-level pages.'

Don't worry too much about nesting the pages of your site. Xara works differently and there are almost always more ways than one to tackle a design challenge.