Newbie Template Modification

[Tracey]

I want to modify the template I use on my site. I can do a lot of the simple things, but modifying the header and associated objects is beyond my skills.

A description of my specific needs is HERE.

The .WEB file from which the page was made is attached (if I can figure out how to do an attachment).

[ShapeShifter]

I need some help with this. I am not an artist, and I don’t have a need to develop my graphic skills very much beyond what I have now.

Gee Tracey, you've bought a WYSIWYG Graphic web design application which is 100% reliant on some graphic and design skills. To get the best out of Web Design 7 you really need to take some time and learn the tools provided.
You don't need to be an artist, but you do need to learn the toolset. Once you realize how easy they are to use, you can take any template then modify them quickly and easily to suit your own requirements.

(In other words, if it’s easier for somebody to just do this, rather than explaining it to me, that would be fine and probably preferred.

I really don't want to sound rude (because I'm not trying to be - honest), but everything you need to know about, un-grouping, removing objects, drawing rounded rectangles, combining, intersecting and so on is in the Help file and the many years of lessons found at the XaraXone.
I think rather than asking people to do it for you and you spending so much time on posting -- try some of Gary's tutorials and view all the Xara movies from the Help menu.

Gary has spent years and a lot of effort on creating all those tutorials, he really get's a buzz knowing people use them and find them useful - ya know

Attached is an example of perhaps what I think you are asking? Is this correct?

[Tracey]

That seems to be it, exactly! Thank you very much.

I AM interested in the graphics aspects of Xara, and I'm already using them in putting together a replacement for my excellent but not-so-graphical web site.

I just don't have much interest (or artistic talent) in building my own graphical objects, and even if I did, I wouldn't have much time to spend on learning how to do it. I absolutely MUST prioritize the many tasks that I am or could be doing. Just learning the basic controls of XWD has taken most of my energy for the past several days.

On the other hand, I appreciate being able to manipulate graphic objects made by others, especially so easily, and I have some talent for putting them together in pleasing ways.

For the header you so kindly fixed for me, I was put off/intimidated by the many layers involved, the shadows or shadings of so many of them, the need to put them back together in the proper order, etc. I MIGHT have tried that stuff if nobody had come along to help, but I probably would have just tried to figure out how to import the header graphic from my existing web site. It wouldn't have been so pretty, though, and it wouldn't (as far as I can tell) have had the advantage of being part of a theme.

Thanks again for your help.