Im not really yelling, Im frustrated, and I feel that if you're not sure where these images are then you should really understand my frustration.
It's not that I'm unsure where the images are. All sample images are located in the /images folder, the only exception is the Masonry images, which are in the wp-content/uploads folder. The thing that changes between releases is where the images are called as content, and even then, it's just a matter of figuring out the position of the widget, and changing the options or code.
I'm a handyman, not a coder or html guy, but I like your template as I thought it would be the best choice for the best look and feel, however it is much farther from turn key than I thought in getting the structure to look custom.
There is a basic understanding of how to use WordPress that is required (and therefore assumed) when using any WordPress theme, not just the Shape 5 ones. The Shape 5 themes are more complex than most, but the same principles apply. It's just a matter of placing the widget-based content in the appropriate locations, and working with any other content or settings needed. There may be a little steeper learning curve than the most basic themes out there, but that's to be expected with the amount of flexibility given.
I know how to blog and put images into the blog post with images etc. it is the overall structural look of mine that I need to differ from the demo and having to dig deep into the code and widgets is something I really had not predicted during the purchasing stage. Again I apologize for making you feel bad in any way.
The demo content is primarily used as an example of the full capabilities of what can be done with the theme by a developer, making adjustments to that demo content doesn't necessarily require the knowledge of a developer, but having a minimal understanding of basic HTML is a big help. I recommend checking out the
Codecademy HTML and CSS course to learn the basics of how HTML and CSS work; it's free, and if you combine that with
Firebug, you should be able to figure a lot of things out on your own, which is generally faster than waiting on support.
It boils down to in the end:
Can I successfully launch a really cool looking site for my business and to be able to maintain it myself?
I'm hoping the answer is yes.
You can absolutely get your site to a point you're happy with and be able to maintain it; once you've got it set up, the rest is significantly easier. Making the basic changes up front is the most difficult part, and I will do my best to explain that to you in a way that makes sense.
After reading many SEO tips I remain confused that you want me to name my images the same as what you have named yours including the logo (s5_logo) because after reading SEO tips online and even in the SEO plugins available for wordpress it recommends that you name even photos, pics, graphics in a name that makes sense to your business.
I was making that suggestion as the easiest way to change the images, it's not required to do it that way.
List of tasks to change template structure:
- Upload all template structure images into the proper widgets and the slider pictures
If you are wanting to upload your images through the admin, you can just gather all the images you intend to use and upload them through the media library in the admin.
Once the images are uploaded, you can click the "edit" link for each image, then copy the "File URL"; this is what you will need in order to replace the existing images.
For each image that you want to replace, paste the file URL for the new image in the location that referenced the old image; this is the part that is most difficult, because you have to find where the old image is being referenced (in a widget, theme options, etc). Like mentioned previously, the easiest way to find that out is with the "?tp=3" URL modification. The closest label to the image is most likely where the widget is located, then you just have to look in the HTML for the image URL (most likely [demourl]/images/imagename.jpg or similar), and replace it with the new URL.
- I will need to know the minimal size of these images (for fastest load times)
The demo images are optimized for size, I recommend basing your new sizes on the size of the old image.
I have to leave for my other job now, but I'll do my best to answer the rest of your questions first thing tomorrow.