Customize Rainmaker Child Themes Without Access to PHP Files

[b.wilkerson]

Hello Everyone!

I'm using the New Rainmaker product from Copyblogger and Im having some problems with theme customization. The themes are Studiopress so hopefully, you can help me.

Please forgive the lengh of this topic. I grouped all my Rainmaker questions in one long post versus several different ones.

Primary issue: Customizing themes without the ability to access or edit the php, css or javascript files. CSS is within reach and customizable, but only via a bare bones css input area.

Here's what I want to do:

1) Use css, css3, and/or html5 styling for icons, buttons, images, genesis sign-up/opt-in forms, etc.
2) Use animate.css, wow.js, jquery waypoints, and similar scripts for some minor text, scroll, and svg effects (similar to the on-scroll effects seen in the Rainmaker tour site).
3) Use and style dashicons, foundations icons, etc.
4) Mix and match Studiopress theme elements. For example: Add a "before-header' sticky banner and a below-header hero image area with a backstretch image to the "eleven-40 pro" theme (either that or make the nav header in the rainmaker theme sticky). I have a Studiopress Pro account, so no worries.
5) Eleven-40 Pro theme: change background color and styling of the "site-description" area directly below the header (not available in the "Styles" editor). Also want ability to add images, icons, and buttons to this area. It is not available in the widget area.
6) And where in the world do I put the html code for a new custom element (e.g., a short css or svg splash animation in the hero area)? In the text-box widget for that space? In a page/post text editor? Both?

* I am willing pay for help, but not willing to pay $1000+ for a custom theme right now. The DIY answers seem so darn close I can taste em' !

Relevant Links:
New Rainmaker Theme demo:
My eleven40-pro preview site (testing) *Firebug lite installed:
New Rainmaker Tour website:

In case you are not aware, the Rainmaker dashboard/admin area does not give you access to the css stylesheets, functions.php, or any javascript files. And this is crux of my problem. Almost every genesis child theme tutorial I find mentions modifications to the functions.php file and/or adding various jquery or javascript iterations (waypoints, UI, scroll to, etc).

A lengthy conversation with Rainmaker support left me with three options:
a. Figure it out using their "Knowledge Base" (only points out where you can add css code, and links to a couple sites to learn css)
b. Pay to have a custom theme designed and submit it for approval.
c.Send them a list of plug-ins I want to use, and they will consider adding them.

Sigh...

In Rainmaker, here are your coding options (as far as I know):

1) Add custom css via the built-in editor (Jetpack and/or Genesis based?) - its just a big white blank box with "preview" and "save stylesheet" buttons.
2) Add HTML to text box widgets and page/post text editors
3) Add "scripts" to the header and footer areas via the "appearance" editor
4) Add dynamic sidebars with custom names and IDs. Interestingly, this is where I found the hero-image area ID and description for the rainmaker theme. The hero image appears under the main header. This got me thinking...is "dynamic sidebars" a place to add full-width sections that can be styled with html5 and custom css?
5) custom IDs and classes to posts and pages
6) upload content-related xml files

In summary, what is the process or work around to adding the above-mentioned custom styles, elements, and jquery/js without access to the theme function files? Can it be done via the header and footer script areas?

*BTW- I am not a developer by any stretch of the imagination. I know just enough to do most coding edits on my own, as long as I have good direction.

My Ideas:
a) I know that copyblogger uses jquery scroll.to, jquery UI, waypoints, tabs, etc for the rainmaker tour site, which is hosted on the synthesis server. Not sure if I can call on these open source codes from the same place they do? Perhaps I need their permission.
b) I have a separate Synthesis account. Thought about hosting the jquery scripts and css stylesheets in a separate account on the same server.
c) For jquery and fonts not available via Rainmaker: Call on the scripts via github, google api/cdn, twitter bootstrap cdn, and similar script hosts. But where do I put the links and what is the proper method? E.g., In the header "script" areas?
d) Uploading in an xml file...kinda like importing demo data. Can this be used to upload stylesheets and php snippets?
e) Somehow "hooking" into custom dynamic sidebars; using them to hold the html, then add custom css to style it. But I dont know how to make a dynamic sidebar appear. I can make one, but it doesnt appear in the theme.

Thank you for reading about and addressing my theme customization issues. I warmly welcome all advice, feedback, and instruction.

If you beleive I need to pay for a consultation, please do not hesitate to provide your contact info.

- Blaine Wilkerson
Twitter: @blainewilkerson

[Andrea Rennick]

Pleas post RM questions in the Authority forum or ask RM support. This forum is for Studiopress only.

For RM< you may want to submit a custom theme that has all the changes in place you want.

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