I have an HTML web site that I want to try and re-create in XOOPS. Keeping the banners, nav menu designs, and simply using XOOPS to manage block content.

I have some very basic web design skills, but am a network engineer by trade, and have done a lot with scripting, and taken programming classes.

I've managed to set up this site, Knights of Columbus Council #47, and am looking to learn more and do more.

The template I want to port to XOOPS is this one.

Comments?

-Dave Conroy

It's not so hard, but depends from design and (partially) structure of current site. You can read about XOOPS themes structure, understand (or try...) it... and create own theme, which mimics old site...
I think, I (and others here) will be able to answer on your questions (you'll get some, sure)

My limited experience on this suggests that with some playing around and ingenuity, you could easily convert that template. Bear in mind that some areas of that template might have to remain as fixed content using html. Then position your smarty block tags in the appropriate places to display your dynamic content. This is exactly what I did when I ported the theme for Whitecrows.

In my experience, the difficulty varies much depending on your HTML (and Smarty) knowledge and the complexity of the template.

TemplateMonster has a habit of using MANY tables and images that look cool, but are difficult to get your head around.
You should consider very carefully if the content that YOU have, suits the template. If it doesn't, the theme will look bad. On http://xoops.web-udvikling.dk I have a couple of themes made from TemplateMonster templates. They are pretty ok, but I've seen a couple of templates that are just not suitable for a XOOPS theme due to the dynamic content.