Aparatus has been my most popular freebie since I’ve started this blog. It’s complimented many WordPress sites and I’m very happy to have created it. This time around I’ve decided to upgrade this old puppy and refresh its’ looks just a tad bit. Aparatus version 2 is now available for download – for a low fee of $10.
So what has Changed?
As you see from the demo, I’ve tried to preserve Aparatus’ original design. The few things that I changed is more for performance rather than visual. I went ahead and removed the Tweetmeme buttons in the archive pages – which greatly improved page loads. There was a horizontal scroll bar bug in the old version – which is now fixed.
The theme still utilizes Cufon – but only for select areas of the theme such as the Logo and the footer. The logo now has an etched and gradient look – which is a big enhancement. I also added some Google fonts – to the post and comments headings. A few CSS 3 code is also used to improve the presentation of the text a little bit more.
A new post thumbnail handling code is used. Both feature images and custom fields still work, it just handles the resizing better. The feature image also appears in the single post page – this is something many users have requested for.
The theme now supports the new WordPress menu system. You can now customize the menu according to your craziest “navi-wishes”.
Lastly, a smarter theme options is integrated. If you don’t enter a Twitter account – no button or feed will show in the theme. The same goes for the large ad button.
How to Use:
Installing the theme is just like any other WordPress theme. Simply go to the “Appearance” > “Install Themes” section in your admin panel. Click the “Upload” link – browse to the theme .zip file and “Install Now“.
Adding Post Thumbnails to your Posts:
To add images to your posts you can use the Post Thumbnail feature of WordPress. Simply go to the post in “Edit” mode. On the right side of the page – click on “Set Featured Image“:
This will trigger the image uploader. Upload your image and as soon as that’s done, click the “Use as Featured Image” link:
Note that you should keep the file sizes to a smaller size. The resizing script has a maximum size limit.
How to Use the Slideshow:
The slideshow automatically pulls your most recent posts (5 maximum). You can change this to pull from a specific category by going to “Appearance” > “Aparatus Options” and putting the category slug in the field: “Category Name for the Content Slider“. You can also take out the slideshow or choose to not automatically slide – by checking the appropriate boxes in the theme options.
Also, if you see the slider with the “Oops…Looks like” message (shown below) – that means you haven’t assigned a post thumbnail to your post. Read the section above called “Adding Post Thumbnails to your Posts“.
How to insert a Photo Gallery:
Adding a photo gallery into Aparatus is as easy as pie. Simply go to the post / page you want in “Edit” mode and click on the image uploader. Navigate to your local directory and highlight the images you want and click “Open“.
As soon as the images upload, click on “Save Changes” and additional settings will show. Select your options and click “Insert Gallery“.
Update your post / page and preview it. You should see your gallery in place.
How to Customize the Navigation Menu:
Go to “Appearance” > “Menus” and start by creating a new menu. Enter a menu name and click “Create“.
This will create a blank menu panel in the right side of the page. The idea is to select categories, pages or custom links from the left side, click the “Add to Menu” button – and it will appear on the menu panel in the right. In this panel, you can drag and drop the links so you can design the menu hierarchy. Links that are staggered underneath become the drop down links from the respective parent – you get the drift.
Once the menu is done – hit “Save Menu” and in the top most left column box called “Theme Locations“, select the menu you just created from the drop down called “Header Menu”. Click “Save” and view your website. You menu should now be in place.
Switching Stylesheets
Aparatus comes with 4 different color styles – also known as stylesheets. Go to “Appearance” > “Aparatus Options” and in the top most section is a drop down called “Style Sheet”. Select Maroon, Black, Blue or Green and “Save Changes“.
Adding the Twitter Badge and Latest Tweet:
Still in the theme options, right underneath the Style Sheet drop down, is the Twitter account field. Enter your Twitter user name in this field.
Save your changes and view your website. You should see a nice Twitter Badge in the Header – and your latest Tweet in the sidebar area.
Advertising Blocks:
You can ad advertising blocks in the sidebar area right in the theme options. You can do 1 large 300 x 250, and 4 small 125 x 125 squares. Go to the theme options page – and see the “Advertising Blocks” area. Enter the image source of the ad (where the image is coming from), and the destination (where the link goes when the image is clicked).
Save your changes and view your site. You should see the ad blocks in the sidebar nicely lined up:
How to Add an Image Logo
The theme is not equipped with an automatic image logo placement feature. But many have asked me how to replace the existing text header into an image instead. *Note that I will be working on this feature soon. For now, here is a workaround:
Upload your image logo using the media upload (Go to “Media” > “Add New” > “Select Files” and find your image, then upload. Grab the File URL for your image. Open stlye.css (or whichever style sheet you are using) – go to “Appearance” > “Editor” > style.css. Look for:
1 | a#logo |
Inside the curly braces, enter the code below:
1 2 | background:url('ENTERTHEURLFORYOURIMAGEHERE'); text-indent: -9999px; |
Save the file. Now open header.php (Still in the Editor section) – look for
1 2 3 4 | Cufon.replace('a#logo', { color: '-linear-gradient(#cccccc, #000000)', textShadow: '-1px -1px black ' }); |
And delete it. View your website with the new header logo. Note that you may need to adjust some CSS positioning or padding to accommodate your new logo.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I’ve gathered a several most asked questions in regards to Aparatus. Read below to see if your question is one of them.
Modify the Twitter Badge Image
Many want to modify the large Twitter Badge in the header. Please note that the font I’ve used in this badge is called – League Gothic, and you need to download that in your Fonts folder to twiddle the .psd file.
Slideshow is not showing images
If you’re using custom fields – make sure you have GD library installed. You also have to make sure that the cache folder inside scripts (themes/aparatus/scripts/cache) is fully writeable. In addition, you need to enter at least a couple of posts to kick start the slideshow.
How To make posts in the slideshow appear below the slideshow
By default posts inside the slideshow does not duplicate underneath – where the rest of the post are. Many like it this way – but some have asked how to make them show below as well. To do this look for this line of code inside gallery.php and delete it:
$saved_ids[] = get_the_ID();
How to fill the Author Box Information
The “About the Author” box right in the single posts page grabs information from your profile. Go to “Users” > “Your Profile”, under Biographical Info – enter your stuff there.
The Header Text takes too long to convert into the logo
Sometimes Cufon takes a bit of time to do its thing. Aparatus uses this to use your site name and automatically convert it into a decent looking logo. But sometimes – due to client browser constraints, it performs poorly.
For this issue it would probably best to use an image for your logo. If you really like how it looks with Cufon – just take a screenshot and convert the image into a jpeg and replace it inside the header.php.
Conclusion:
Enough of the FAQ! Download already! I hope you enjoy this theme as much I’ve seen it in many blogs. If you want to visit the original release post, click here. Otherwise, leave your comments and questions below. Happy blogging!
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The theme Aparatus Version 2, is very professional, so nice to be alone I do not like the line with the edges, do not know how to remove it.
See if someone tells me how I can remove those lines on the edge, thanks for help.
I like your theme of your blog is very good.
You’ll have to pull this image: wp-content/themes/aparatus-V2/images/header-bg.gif
Then modify it yourself and overwrite the default image on your sever.
This theme frustrates me. Finally got the slider working on the homepage, but only if I save the images to the server then within a post, make it a featured image. Now that is tedious. It doesn’t work if you insert the image from a URL.
Also, is there a way to auto add a “more post” or a “read more” on the homepage posts? Right now it cuts off sentences and most average web users don’t know to click on titles or photos to get a full story on a post. “Must be told what to click…must read… must push button,” with a robot voice.
Well done! I love it. My question though is if a Facebook share button will be added to the other default social buttons in this theme? I wonder a wee bit why you wouldn’t have added a Facebook button?
Sincerely, James
Hi,
I’ve just bought the theme, and the slider doesn’t appear to want to show my image. I’ve set it as the featured image, is there anything else I need to do that I might not realise? Also it flicks up like a normal article first, before it loads the slider. Any help would be great!
try adding a couple more posts with image. the script likes more than 1 post
Thanks for the help! That fixed it! The script here is really similar: http://www.studiograsshopper.ch/dynamic-content-gallery/ but it has a “Read More” option on the excerpt / caption. Is it possible to do this too? If not how easy would it be to swap the default script for Dynamic Content Gallery? I tried installing the plugin but I think they clash!
Really love the template / theme though so thanks! I’m pleased with it!
I am having an issue with the Author Box on post pages. I want to insert an avatar in the space provided. How can this be accomplished? I installed the USER PHOTO plug-in. That allowed me to fill the avatar space provided, but the avatar was then moved to the top of the author box, out of position. Thoughts?
you don’t need a plugin for that. update your avatar at http://gravatar.com – make sure the email is the same as your author email.
I should’ve browsed the theme more before purchasing but I really needed the image within a post to show on the homepage as it will be used as a Picture blog. Currently your thumbnails for the post are very small. Where within the coding can I find this to change it? I can’t seem to find it.
the homepage is home.php, the rest of the pages are index.php
Hi there,
Just brought your theme – really nice!.
I would really like to change the text logo, but i’m not sure what to delete in header.php, and how big a picture I can use.
Can I insert a picture with this code (and size)?: echo “”;
Looking forward for your response :)
/Karsten
I really hope that you can help me with how to change the text logo with a image.
Hi Michael,
Love, love this theme, and I’m in the process of upgrading my blog. But I also would like to change the logo header, and am struggling. Please help!
Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Hey, nice theme especially for the price! I would like to know if you can include more than just the latest tweet on the sidebar. I found the Twiiter portion of sidebar.php and cannot see anything obvious.
The Featured Image thing is really bugging me. I want to adjust the alignment and put it in certain places in my posts, but this does not seem like an option. What is the deal with this?
is it the resizing of the images? send me your url.
Basically, I guess I am looking for a way to not automatically have the “Featured Image” be displayed on post pages — If I can’t manipulate the alignment or location of them, I don’t want them included on the post page. I do still want them for the thumbnail on the homepage however — get what I am saying?
http://66.147.244.80/~instafli/2011/11/26/1732/
You have to take out the block of code below from “single.php”.
<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ) { ?>
<?php the_post_thumbnail(array( 580, 268 ), array( 'class' => 'full-in-single' )); ?>
<?php }elseif(get_post_meta($post->ID, 'image', true)){ ?>
<img src="<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/scripts/timthumb.php?src=<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, 'image', true); ?>&h=268&w=580&zc=1&q=100" class="full-in-single"/>
<?php } ?>
go to appearance > editor – select “single post page” from the right side and look for the code above and delete. Make sure you make a backup of the original (copy and paste in notepad)
Thanks. That works perfectly. I really appreciate that. It was driving me nuts.
Is there a way to remove the ad blocks or put them farther down on the template? Thank you for the above fix on the featured image! That was making me crazy too.
Yes. You should open sidebar.php and look at the code. I commented it pretty well.
Hi,
this is a AweSome Wp Templet & i have a Question
What is the Font of HEADER i want a QUICK REPLY..Please Email
me about the font and the Download link
my email is ; [email protected]
Thanks
league gothic
Hi Michael
Fantastic design, thank you.
There’s a couple of things I’m trying to do which I hope you might be able to help with
1. Is it possible to turn posts into pages? So that, when you click on a post you are linked to the page (where it is permanently hosted).
2. Can I use the ad blocks as links to pages? Or remove them?
Appreciate any advice you can give
Katharine
I downloaded this theme, but the featured block is not working like it should. I have tried multiple posts, but that doesn’t work. What might I be missing?
Any idea how to add a favicon?
Hello. Can i by this beauty theme in webmoney?
Hello one quick question
“If you really like how it looks with Cufon – just take a
screenshot and convert the image into a jpeg and replace it inside the header.php.”
Where and what do I need to replace in the header.php to add a custom header logo.
you don’t have to edit header.php. in styles.css (or whichever stylesheet) look for “a#logo {” and add a background property that leads to your image logo.
for example:
background:url('urltoyourlogo');
great theme!
just few queries :-)
need wider drop down menu areas? how can this be achieved?
also twitter id like to swap out with faceboook? where is code to edit twitter link out? then just add fb user in backend etc
Michael, I truly love your Aparatus theme and, as a newbie to coding websites, I really would like to ensure I have the skill to customize (and fix my mistakes) version 1 before I dive into version 2 (which I will soon).
My question is; How do I insert my own object into the side-bar (either another ad or perhaps an opt-in form) in place of the twitter post above the big ad block?
I have no problems using the widgets but I would ideally like to have an opt-in form appear higher in the side bar (above the fold).
Thanks in advance.
you can open sidebar.php and move things around – or even insert your own form. just look for the section where its calling the widgets – and insert it above.
Like the theme in general, but having trouble with the menu, because the menu repeats twice in the design… once in the dark area, and again in the silver buttons. My goal is to have the nav in the silver buttons, and the dark area blank. Is that possible? Also, the silver buttons are out of order. I have a custom menu set, and it’s in the right order for the grey area, but not on the silver area…
you can customize the menu by going to appearance > menus.
How do I increase the amount of posts that show on the home page?
that should be controlled in settings > reading