Using an alternate slider on Outreach

[dkrause]

I'd like to find a different option to replace the Genesis Responsive Slider on my Outreach theme. The GRS is simply too big for the way I want to use my home page.

Does anyone have experience with the Indexo or Pointelle sliders from slidervilla.com? These would work better for what I want to do, but I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to use one of these instead of the GRS.

My site: http://www.thedianekrause.com.

[Brad Dalton]

Easing Slider is easy to install using the Genesis Simple Hooks plugin in any location and you can also use conditional tags to display on specific pages.

<?php if (is_home()) { easing_slider(); }; ?>

1. Install the Easing Slider plugin
2. Paste the code into any hook location using Genesis Simple Hooks
3. Change the conditional tag to display on specific pages.

ref: http://wpsites.net/web-design/image-slider-wordpress-header/

Or you could also create a widget area anywhere using this tutorial and drag in a slider http://designsbynickthegeek.com/tutorials/add-widgeted-sidebar

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Tutorials for StudioPress Themes.

[dkrause]

Thank you for the good info, Brad. From the demos I see for Easing Slider, it doesn't appear it's designed to incorporate text -- either over the image, or beside the image. Is that correct?

The reason I found the slidevilla sliders attractive is that they incorporate text and "previews" of the other images within the slider. Yes, GRS has the text overlay, but it looks best when it's at the bottom of the image (vs. the top), and you have to scroll down to see it.

Here's what my dilemma is and what I'm trying to accomplish:  I'd like to have a smaller slider, but I'd also like room for some text in the Home Featured area. Since the slider takes up so much room, my site visitors have to scroll down below it to get to the four Home boxes that have the "meat" of my site info. I prefer something like a slider in the Home Featured area vs. posts, so I'm looking for a happy medium -- a slider with an area for text or callouts. I'm searching for the most efficient solution. Follow-up questions:

1. With Easing Slider, can you reduce the width of the image and add text to the right of the image within the slider borders?

2. I know I could keep the GRS, reduce the width, follow Nick's tutorial to add a sidebar, then insert another widget to accommodate text next to the slider in the Home Featured area. But it seems to me a different slider altogether would be more efficient than this option. Do you agree?

[Brad Dalton]

1. Height and width are easy to change but i don't think you can include text.

2. I think one of the most attractive features of GRS is that its responsive but it could do with a few more options and flexibility as you have to use it in a widget area

You can still use the tutorial if your slider includes a line of PHP or shortcode otherwise you'd need to add a widget area which is easy using genesis hooks and conditional tags.

There's some really nice sliders out there and Easing has Pro upgrade that may offer a few more options.

I read somewhere that 80% of people never scroll below the fold. Not sure if this is true.

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Tutorials for StudioPress Themes.

[dkrause]

Brad -- do you happen to know if there's anything else I can put in the Home Featured area besides a slider?

[Brad Dalton]

Anything.

Why not a bouncing ball like this: http://wpsites.net/web-design/scrolling-text-images-html-effects/

Or something using HTML Marquee effects?

Or a big image of you and your books!

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Tutorials for StudioPress Themes.

[dkrause]

I do like the bouncing ball! However, a big image of me sort of scares me. Perhaps when I've published a whole collection, I'll spread them all out then stretch myself across them in a red sequined dress. (Modestly, of course.)

I haven't stopped long enough to come back here and post an update. After some research, I believe I've found a workable option for the time being. I'm fairly code-ignorant, so it's probably not wise for me to tackle tasks that involve a lot of code manipulation. I've tried out the ML Post Slider, and I think it's going to work for now. Super-simple to install and set up, and it holds the same type of content as a basic WP post, with text and image. One big plus is that you create individual slides for the slider, so it's not tied to pages or posts.

I'm working on filling them in now; you can see it at http://www.thedianekrause.com.

Thanks for all your help!

[Author]

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