In order to unlock the power of Cortex, you must first change your page template from the default WordPress template to the Page Builder Sidebar template. This step isn’t optional.
There are two main template files that drive the Cortex Page Builder. The Page Builder and the Page Builder Sidebar. The Page Builder Sidebar (The documentation page for which you are on.) is broken up into two parts:
- The header (First section on page)
The “Header Builder” is the top metabox section of the page, which can could a contain slideshow of imagery, videos, a single image, or header text describing the page such as “About Us” - The body (Flanked on the side with a sidebar)
The “Cortex Page Builder Sidebar” metabox is where the rest of the sections of the page are managed. This part of a page that can have a limitless of components on them with infinite amount of information whether it’s text, images, image galleries, videos, listings of events, or posts, and all of this content be flanked by a widget-ized sidebar that spans the full length of the page. There are some components that work in both the header and the body, and then there are some specific components that only work in either the header or the body.
Page Builder Sidebar
This page you are on right now is using the Page Builder Sidebar template with multiple components on the page. We use the sidebar for a widget that has a built-in WordPress widget called Custom Menu, which has the documentation menu navigation and the searchwidget, and in main content section we have multiple WordPress Editor components breaking up our content.
Each component template of the Page Builders has a different purpose. The good news is, all of the components, and pre-saved layouts either built-into the component, or through shortcodes from the Cortex Shortcodes Plugin can be customized via Child Themes with your own CSS and HTML. To learn more about child themes, head over to the Official WordPress broo-haha.
Header Builder
The Cortex Header Builder is only available on the Page Builder Sidebar WordPress template. These components are specifically formatted to fit in the top section with the built in WordPress menu navigation. These components work with the settings you chose in Theme Options, so you shouldn’t have to worry about making any adjustments to the items that go in the header. You can also have multiple items in the header before you step into the Page Builder Sidebar section that has a full length sidebar next to components you will be adding with the components of your choice.
PAGE BUILDER Navigation
Both the Page Builder and the Page Builder Sidebar template make use of a one additional choices related to the page navigation. Depending on the template, there’s an option to change the header navigation type on a per-page or per-post basis should your header image work with no background behind it, or if it’s an image that hides the main nav and your logo so you need to put a flat color behind them. (Set in Theme Options)
To select a sidebar, you can choose an existing sidebar, or head to Appearance > Widget Areas and create a new sidebar to be used for your page. Then, head back to the Page Builder Sidebar template page that you want to edit, and scroll down on the right side of the page you’ll see the Cortex Page Builder Sidebar Options. Select the sidebar you’d like to display, and make sure Sidebar Display is set to Show Sidebar.
Changing Templates
Keep in mind that each template uses different custom fields, so if you change from one template to another, your fields and information will not carry over!
Adding/removing/sorting page builder components
To add a section you can click on any of the teal buttons like Add Header Section or Add Section you can also add a section above an existing section by clicking on a plus sign.
To move a section, hover over the title of the section and drag & drop it above/below any other component.
To delete a section, hit the minus sign next to the plus sign as seen in the screenshot seen above.
To collapse sections to make it easier to see all the items on your page, click the arrow on the title bar for the component.
mandatory step
Select Page Builder
If you imported demo content, and plan on using one of the versions of the homepage you imported, you can skip these first two steps where we create the page itself since you’ll be choosing an existing page most likely to assign as your homepage.
- Head to Pages > Add New
- Enter a title for the page like something super creative like Homepage vME, or whatever you’d like
- On the right side of the screen you should see a Page Attributes box, if you don’t, click the Screen Options link in the upper right hand corner of the admin and check Page Attributes.
- Select either the Page Builder, or Page Builder Sidebar option, and you should see the Cortex Page Builder fields pop up, depending on which template you’ve chosen.
In theory, you could use any of the available templates as your homepage, but for this demonstration, we’ll be using one built with the Page Builder Sidebar, which is different from the regular Page Builder in that it has a Cortex Header Builder section, for adding sliders, image galleries, text, video embeds, or background videos to be featured just below the navigation, as well as the Cortex Page Builder Full Sidebar section, which is flanked to the right or left (Depending on your Theme Options) with a sidebar of your choosing.
OPTIONAL STEP
set the front page
- If you haven’t already, head over to the Settings > Reading page and under the
- Once there in the Front Page: select box, select the page you just created, or another page you imported from demo content
You may also do this from the Appearance > Customize > Static Front Page screen from the WordPress Customizer.