[Resolved] How to use a BeaverThemer layout

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[kjetilF]

Hi
I have a problem with making a Beaverthemer layout work in a Toolset based website. In short I cannot make a BT layout display it's contents. I have asked the Beaver team who has provided what is a partial solution.

Now: Please read the last part of the thread below, starting with my question below Beaver-Danny's answer.
Does his suggestion look correct to you?

After looking through his test, I tried to connect the single.php template to my existing Opplevelser post type, but couldn't find a way to do it. Then I duplicated the post type - Opplevelser (1) - which was automatically connected to single.php:
SCREENSHOT: hidden link
(Posts made with Opplevelser (1) probably works; now I have deleted the duplicate.)
It might be a solution for instance to move posts made with Opplevelser to the new Opplevelser (1), but I couldn't see any way to do this.
Any ideas, please?
I hope I've just missed out on something obvious :o)

Also: How should I associate eg. the post type Opplevelser to an archive?
SCREENSHOT: hidden link

Thanks,
Kjetil

PS You may use the login credentials I've provided for BB-Danny

------------------------- Danny replied
Mar 1, 3:22pm
Hi Kjetil,

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with Toolset or their Views plugin. However, I've just used Toolset to create a test custom post type called bbdanny and when I create a themer single layout for that post type it works.

hidden link

I think the issue with your Opplevelser post type is that it isn't using the theme's single.php file like my bbdanny custom post type see below.

Opplevelser - hidden link
bbdanny - hidden link

If you can resolve this, then it should resolve your issue. Unfortunately, I am not sure how to do this so the best course of action would be to contact the Toolset support team or create the post type again.

I think what may have happened is you tried to apply both a Beaver Themer layout and a Toolset Views Content template layout to the post which resulted in the issue you're experiencing. 🙂

I hope this helps and I've kept my custom post type active on your site so you can see it working. 🙂

--
Danny Holt

---------------------------------- Kjetil Flekkoy wrote
Mar 1, 11:58am
Thanks a lot for clearing things up - I obviously needed a hand here, also in other ways than I thought. So, a big thanks.

But moving on I’ve run into a new problem. Please tell me if I rather should ask the Toolset guys instead, since the problem I think is somewhere in the connection between those to. I believe I overlook something simple.

The problem is to make my new Beaver based layout work - even if I’ve checked with several tutorials like hidden link

> ADMIN LOGIN:
> hidden link (looks weird, temporary address)
> Beaver - HelloBeaver190218

Working with a Beaver themer layout for the custom post type “Opplevelser”, I have done as follows:
(I throw in some screenshots too, in case something is altered before you have a look)

A - DISCONNECTED THE TOOLSET TEMPLATE that was connected to Opplevelser
Template not connected to anything: hidden link
As you also see in the Toolset dashboard: hidden link - SCREENSHOT: hidden link

B - MADE A NEW BEAVER THEMER LAYOUT and associated it to all posts of the post type Opplevelser: hidden link - SCREENSHOT: hidden link

Working with the layout everything seems to work, as here
hidden link
where I “preview” the layout with the content from the Opplevelse "opplevelses-test” - SCREENSHOT: hidden link
All the contents are pulled correctly from several custom fields in the backend.

BUT - and here’s the problem:
If I open that Opplevelse - opplevelses-test
hidden link
the contents do NOT display at all.
The layout does not seem to be connected to the single posts of the type Opplevelse

So what am I missing?
Hopefully something obvious :o)

Thanks

Kjetil

[kjetilF]

A quick addition:
I also tried to assign a Toolset Content template to the BT layout Opplevelse (actually "Opplevelses-layout) whithout that making any difference on how eg hidden link is displayed: No contents show.
I would think that if I (in the Opplevelses-layout) assign a Toolset content template - I would have any posts associated to Opplevelses-layout displayed with the content template as a basis, then the Opplevelses-layout within the template, then the contents in the layout modules (custom post fields) withing the Opplevelses-layout - in three levels, so to speak. Far off...?

[Nigel]

Hi Kjetil

It sounds like you have up to 3 things wrestling to take control of the output of your posts away from the theme's single.php template.

I read the thread above, but I don't have credentials to look at the site backend.

But, to be clear, if you create a post type with Types you cannot use Views Content Templates or Template Layouts if you intend to use Beaver Themer for that post type. (In fact if your are using Beaver Builder you probably shouldn't be using Layouts at all.)

De-activate Layouts.

Go to Toolset > Content Templates and make sure there is no content template assigned to the Opplevelser post type.

Visit one of the posts on the front-end and see whether it displays as expected.

Can you confirm what you see? (I'm not familiar with Beaver Themer but I assume it provides some kind of template for displaying custom posts.)

[kjetilF]

Thanks, Nigel
- and sorry for hiding the login credentials a bit too well:
> ADMIN LOGIN:
> hidden link (looks weird, temporary address)
> Beaver - HelloBeaver190218
First: I have not installed Toolset Layouts.
As it is now, no "Opplevelse" posts are associated to any Toolset post type - nor are they associated to any Toolset template.
That is, I have tried with or without a content template:
SCREENSHOT: hidden link
Doesn't work either way.

I have kept the "Opplevelse" posts associated to the BeaverThemer layout:
hidden link

Hope this makes what I've done more clear
Thanks again for your effort on solving this - and have a nice weekend
Kjetil

[kjetilF]

OK - I tried a bit more.
I see that test posts made with the BBdanny post type works
hidden link
It is connected to the template single.php
Here he has just added a couple of BB modules to a corresponding «Danny test» BB layout and made a test post:
hidden link
In the layout for this post he has added a couple of BB modules that pull content from the backend, like the title:
hidden link
(I understand you have the BB plugins, so eventually try her: hidden link )
SO just maybe connecting the Opplevelse post type to single.php would work?
I can't see any way to do that. Do you know?

I could eventually just copy/move the modules from the Opplevelse layout to a new one.
…as I’ve partially done in Danny’s BB layout: If you have a look at the one post the layout is connected to
hidden link
…scroll a bit down, you see it works as it should.

PLEASE NOTE: Reading on probably won’t be relevant if you have a solution for the above-mentioned

I also tried to connect the Danny test layout to the Opplevelse post type (after firs disconnecting it from Dannys post type)
hidden link
That should make the post fields that Danny has added to his layout display also on Opplevelse-posts, right? But that doesn’t work. It does display text content from the backend, though
hidden link
(Neither Dannys test post nor my opplevelse test post are connected to any Toolset Content template)

This makes me think there’s something wrong with the Opplevelse post type - and the onlye difference from Donny’s seems to be that his is connected to single.php
Sorry - I’ve run in circle…

So… to try to move on
With no template connected to Opplevelse
hidden link
I tried to «Create Template», added nothing to it, just saved it
Then, making sure that the Opplevelse post «Opplevelse test» was connected to the new template
hidden link
I tried to add some contents using the BB frontend editor. Normally you just drag in some modules; that is not possible here. I behaves as it has noe place to «land»/ hook in.
hidden link
…so something is missing.
Checking the settings for both the two post types BBDanny and Opplevelse and the corresponding BB layouts I can’t see any crucial differences

Think that’s how far as I get
Thanks,
Kjetil

[Nigel]

Hi Kjetil

I visited your site and see that you are using the Toolset Starter Theme, which is no longer recommended and intended only for more advanced users building sites with Layouts.

I switched theme to twentyseventeen and found that your posts display correctly using Beaver Themer.

Unless you have a good reason not to I would recommend you switch to a modern theme which is actively maintained. As we no longer actively maintain the Toolset Starter Theme we won't be adding functionality to it, nor compatibility updates to work with other plugins such as Beaver Themer.

There is a list of recommended themes here: https://toolset.com/documentation/recommended-themes/

If you just need a simple starter theme I would choose one of the lighter alternatives (OceanWP, GeneratePress, or Astra).

[kjetilF]

Hi, Nigel
Thanks again for your patience on this

1 - Switched theme:
Sorry, but I can not see any place where this makes the contents display correctly. Could you please be more specific?
For instance the opplevelses test post:
hidden link

I still would like to try the solution I asked about in my previous post above:
"SO just maybe connecting the Opplevelse post type to single.php would work?
I can't see any way to do that. Do you know?"

2 - Also, please, since I'm obviously a bit confused on how things work, what would be the correct settings for...

- Content template: None should be assigned to the Opplevelse post type, right?
hidden link

- Post type, Opplevelser - Now it's Front end display is actually connected to single.php but with the error "Your theme’s template file single.php for displaying Opplevelse items is missing custom fields."
hidden link
For the same(?) single.php Danny's post type has no error.
hidden link
My question above maybe solves this.

- (BB template - none exist)

- (BB layout: Asigned to all Opplevelser posts - Toolset content template selector: None)
hidden link

- The opplevelse test post: Toolset Content template: None
hidden link

I must admit I am a bit disappointed by your recommendation to switch theme. This was a theme recommended by OnTheGo and part of an easy start setup (reference site) marketed by OnTheGo. Switching means that I'll have to build all layouts again, and also make custom searches etc work. By the way its still listed here:
https://toolset.com/home/toolset-components/
https://toolset.com/documentation/user-guides/toolset-starter-theme/
3 - On the other hand, as you say, it is no longer maintained, so if you have a guide for switching theme with complex content, it would be great.

LOGIN
hidden link
Beaver - HelloBeaver190218

Thanks,
Kjetil

[Nigel]

Sorry, you are right. I had switched theme and saw it displaying content that was missing when using Toolset Starter and assumed it was coming from the Beaver Themer Layout, but the content of that layout itself does appear to be missing.

I'm taking a copy of your site so I can do more testing.

It works fine on my local test site, using Beaver Themer to design a template for single custom posts, but doesn't seem to be working on your site.

Let me see if I can find out why.

I don't think it is going to work with the Toolset Starter Theme, though, but I'll no for sure when I have done more testing.

If that's the case you don't have to change theme, you just can't use Beaver Themer on that site.

What you can do (and what is the recommended way of using Beaver Builder and Toolset) is to create Views Content Templates that you assign to your post types, and then use Beaver Builder to design those templates.

I'll get back to you when I have installed a local copy of your site and done some tests.

[kjetilF]

Great, Nigel
I really appreciate this

"What you can do (and what is the recommended way of using Beaver Builder and Toolset) is to create Views Content Templates that you assign to your post types, and then use Beaver Builder to design those templates."
This may be the answer to the question I didn't manage to ask initially... :o) - I'll make a backup and then som testing. Later today.
If I/we can make this work, switching theme shouldn't be that bad either. I've alredy looked at GP and Astra. Any recommendations between those two?
Thanks again
Kj
PS For the curiosity - and for timing - where in the world are you guys located? (Snowy Oslo, Norway here) Just wondering :o)

[Nigel]

Hi Kjetil

I played around with your site trying to work out why the Themer Layout wasn't being used, and tried pretty much every combination of everything I could think of, when it turns out the solution is rather simple (and doesn't actually have anything to do with Toolset).

While working on my own Beaver test site and trying to duplicate your set up I was faced with this warning when I came to try to design a custom post with Beaver Builder that I had already created a Beaver Themer Layout for.

If you design the individual posts with Beaver Builder then your Themer Layout is not used.

Your Opplevelses posts are designed with Beaver Builder (but don't have any content) and so the Themer Layout is not used.

[kjetilF]

...and boom! It works!
You're great - thanks a lot!

Just switching from builder to text mode in the backend of my opplevelse test post looks like this:
hidden link - perfect

It is weird to me, but technically it might make sense. I have thought all the time that if I build something with beaver, I would have to stick to Beaver all the way. But instead, if I build a Beaver layout, a post based on that template should display all content just from the backend. Fits me fine, but logical...?
I never got that error you showed me, by the way. Even for needed for me to get som help :o)

ONE FINAL QUESTION remains, then, if I should prepare to switch theme.
And would you have some guide on how to use Toolset codes in Beaver modules?
I probably will have to build the "static" pages like the site home page that way - building a consistent design without the Beaver will give me a hard time, I think...

Thanks again!
You made it!
Kj

[kjetilF]

Sorry - too early: The opplevelse test post is the only opplevelse post that displays any content.
Not this one:
hidden link
Yes, I tried the text editor trick on the others without luck. Can't see any other differences. I'll ask Beaver too for some clues, also since that post works when assigning his BB layout to it:
hidden link
Sorry

[Nigel]

Hi Kjetil

On my locally installed copy of your site it works fine on all of the posts where I stop using the BB page builder and use the standard editor.

On your site I see the problem.

I switched to twentyseventeen to see whether the Toolset Starter theme is relevant, and what I notice if I visit the familieferie-i-italia post is that the page appears to only partially load.

It looks like there is an error that prevents the complete page from being rendered.

I don't have FTP access to your site to check your debug logs (or set up debug mode if not already active).

Let me set a private reply to get FTP credentials from you.

[kjetilF]

...or could it be that the Views that are connected to the Opplevelse post type screw up things?
hidden link
I wouldn't believe I actually need any views there, since I use BB. (And if I need any TT content I can pull it using shortcodes)

[Nigel]

Hi Kjetil

You can ignore those messages.

Your single posts are using single.php.

The difference in the message you see for bbdanny vs Opplevelse posts is that bbdanny doesn't use any Types custom fields but Opplevelse does, and these won't be displayed by single.php unless you create a template to output them.

The theme's single.php template will still be used to display single posts, but the part of single.php which outputs the post body (using the WP the_content() function) will be swapped out with the content from your template. (I'm talking about Views Content Templates or Toolset Layouts here, I don't know how BB Themer Layouts work.)

I'm busy with another couple of tickets but will get back to this and use the FTP credentials to check the logs.