~~ (Visual) Wix Profile Guide [The End - Dec'15] ~~

[Horntastic]

» Hello, and welcome to my Wix guide! «
If anything on the guide is confusing, wrong, or you feel something is missing, please give feedback! c:
Look out for the red !! and New » marks - these denote some of the most important parts of the guide.


Announcements:

This is the end - users can no longer create new profiles with Flash templates. (only Flash works with Gaia)
You should be able to continue to edit existing profiles - please let me know if/when this is no longer the case.
I am going to leave this thread here as reference to those with existing pages so they can continue to use those.

Important Note on Selling Wix Profiles

Selling Wix profiles is a violation of Gaia rules, as you do not have sufficient rights to the generator or most of its content.
For more information, please see this sticky.

Wix to Gaia Code Converter

Just here for the converter? Click here.
If you haven't read through the guide recently, you may want to do so as a lot has changed.

Navigation

1. Welcome / Intro (this post)
2. Getting Started With Wix
3. Getting Your Source Code
4. Converting Your Source Code (+CSS)
5. Common Questions & Problems
6. Credits & Other Info (U/C)
7. Quote post for faster responses

[Horntastic]

» Getting Started With Wix «

You can no longer create new Flash templates.
This means that most people will no longer be able to use Wix with Gaia.
If you still have a grandfathered profile, use this step to publish your profile.

Customize, then publish your profile!
On some templates you may be able to switch between the express and normal editor.
If you do all your editing in the express editor, click the step 4 button then the green publish button:



If you changed to the normal editor (or had it all along), click the green publish button at the top of the window:



Give your new profile a name if it doesn't have one, complete the publish process, then proceed to the next post.

[Horntastic]

» Getting Your Source Code «

This portion of the guide will help you find the source code for your Wix.
Make sure you made a Flash profile, or the source you get here won't work in the next step.
New » You will have to get and convert your code each time you update your profile.

Images are under all the spoiler buttons, click to expand!


Open your profile's view page.
Go to your "My Account" page and click the small grey link under the title of the profile you want to use.




Open the source of the view page.
The view page should look something like this:



Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer (Windows):

Click on the address bar (or somewhere outside the Flash portion of the profile), then press Ctrl + U.
On some browsers you can also right-click outside of the main Wix area and select view source from that menu.
Safari (Mac):

Safari menu > Preferences > Advanced > Check "Show Develop menu in menu bar".
Then go Develop Menu > Show Page Source
Mac users may also be able to use Command + U on some browsers but I have not tested this.
Other browsers will be added as I figure them out.

Copy everything on the window that comes up & keep it somewhere safe - you will need it for future steps.
The source page should look vaguely like this, though it will vary by browser:

[Horntastic]

» Converting Your Source Code «

(&Getting Your Profile Code - CSS)
This portion of the guide will help you change the source you got in the last step to Gaia-compatible codes.
Note that this step will fail if you did not choose a Flash template as detailed in the Getting Started post.
(images are coming to this section)
New » You will have to get and convert your code each time you update your profile.

Using the converter
(this is the easy method, and it will generate custom CSS to fit your profile size)


1. Go to the converter site.
2. Paste in the source code you got from last section.
3. Click the "click to convert" button.
4. Keep this window open, you'll need the codes.


Converting by hand

This is harder now, so I recommend using the converter.
If you really want to do it by hand, please PM me, or read the post by Polymus on p23.
I may update this part with step-by-step instructions for converting at some point.


Shortening your Media Code » New
(this should be the same whether or not you used the converter)
If your profile loads and loads and never stops, you probably missed this step!


1. Choose a URL shortening service. Your options include:

a. Goo.gl - Google's URL shortener
b. TinyURL - A favorite, but note that the preview feature may break your profile
c. Bit.ly - Untested. Let me know if this or another site works!
2. Paste in your "media code" from the converter page.
2. Make sure to use your media code, not your CSS. The media code is the first code the converter gives you.
3. Copy the shortened URL the service gives you. (Do not copy the preview version of TinyURL)
4. Use the short URL rather than the raw media code in the steps below.


Adding the codes to Gaia
(this should also be the same whether or not you used the converter)


1. Make sure your profile is set to the current setting on the Profile Options page.
2. Open up your profile and click the "edit my profile" link in the top right corner.
3. Add a new media panel and save.
4. Delete all other panels on the profile.
5. Click the edit button on the media panel and paste in the short URL from the last step. Update it.
6. Click the theme button on the menu, then the CSS tab. Paste in the "CSS" from the converter.
7. Update, save and view your profile. Ta-da!
7a. You may have to re-position floating avis and pics due to the code that centers the profile.

[Horntastic]

» Common Questions & Problems «

This section of the guide is an FAQ.


Very Common Issues



1.1) The converter tells me "You have most likely created an HTML, not a Flash profile."

You have created a profile using an HTML template rather than a Flash template.
HTML templates are not compatible with Gaia, and there's no way to convert them, sorry.
To learn how to start with a Flash template, read the Getting Started post.

1.2) My page loads and loads and never finishes, what's wrong?

Make sure that you shortened your media code with a URL shortener.
If this still happens, it's usually an error in converting the code. If you didn't use the converter, try it.
If it's still broken, please PM me a link to your Wix profile's view page.
(leaving the broken Wix on your profile also helps debug)

1.3) My profile is a blank white rectangle.

If your profile is just a white box, make sure you shortened your media code, not your CSS.
Your media code is the first code the converter gives you and looks like a long page URL.
Your CSS, on the other hand, has a bunch of { } kind of stuff in it.

1.4) My profile is not updating on Gaia even though I updated it on Wix.

Try re-converting your profile - this is a result of the new conversion process.

1.5) How do I get my contact links to add to my profile?

See this guide for a list of contact links you can use.
Then add them to your Wix using the Wix link tools.

1.6) My links/buttons don't do anything when I click them.

Make sure that all links/buttons are set to open in a new tab/window.
Same tab/window opening is not supported on Gaia profiles.




Other Wix Issues


2.1) How do I add my or my friends' avatars to the page?

You can add your avi using the drag & drop avi adder - the newest version of the code will center these along with your Wix.
(make sure you add the avis/images after you add the Wix CSS or they may change positions)
Note that if you put an image of your avi in your Wix using the Wix editor, it will not update.

2.2) How do I add my wishlist/recent visitors/comments/other dynamic section to my Wix?

The short answer to this is that you really can't, as Wix is static, which means it doesn't change once you save it.
Depending on the section, you can add its contents (like item thumbnails for the wishlist) to the Wix, but it won't update.
You can also add the section outside the Wix (make sure to put it in the same column).
If you want you can then make it match a bit better using CSS.
(though at this time, I can't really help you much with custom CSS due to irl stuff)

2.3) Can I add playlist.com/mixpod/etc to my Wix?

As far as I know this is not possible.
You can use Wix's media players, which accept MP3s and Youtube.
Or, you could add the other media player outside (make sure it's in the same column) of the Wix.
Keep in mind that hidden media can be more than a bit annoying since there's no way to turn it off.

2.4) My profile has white around it, what happened?

Make sure the profile is not taller than it is wide.
Due to the current sizing of Wix's Flash container, these do not convert well on Gaia.
(if you really like your profile, you could change the "html, body" background to white so it's less noticable)
To change the height of the profile, open the (normal) Wix editor then click Settings at the top then appearance.
Uncheck the aspect ratio box then change the height to be no greater than the width.


Misc Questions


3.1) Can I PM you?

Yes, but try reading through the guide and posting in it for help first.
You can also look for help and/or advice in the Wix Guild.
If you are having trouble with the converter, please include a link to your Wix page!

3.2) Can you make me a Wix (or normal) profile?

Nope, sorry, I'm pretty busy irl and not that artsy anyway.
There are people out there who make Wix for free, though - look in Services and Art Freebies.
(check the Personalized Graphics subforum of the Mini Shops if you want to commission a regular profile)

3.3) Can I buy/sell a Wix profile?

No, this is a violation of the Gaia rules.
Please see this sticky for more information.

[Horntastic]

» Credits & Other Info «

TBA
Major props to Toxxn for the original guide and for creating the guild!
Much love to Polymus for discovering the key in the latest workaround!

[Horntastic]

» Quote this for fast responses! «
Please check at least the first group of FAQs (1.x) before quoting this.
Also, a link to your Wix view page (yourname.wix.com/yourprofile) is very helpful.