How to modify downloaded Bootstrap's Theme (Template)?

Hi, guys! I a very new with Bootstrap and with it's logic and structure. I have downloaded Theme from the https://themes.getbootstrap.com. Can I use it as a template? If yes, how to add this theme to Bootstrap Studio? How to start to modify it?

It is customary that one search a program's forums area for the answers to specific questions like yours, and then look at the tutorials -- see the link above -- in order to learn "it's logic and structure". The answer to your particular question can be found in the forums.

And that answer is not really. You will need to build the HTML structure aka components within BSS if you want to be able to utilize the settings within BSS. You cannot use the drag and drop utilities in BSS with imported HTML or with Custom Code blocks. You CAN however import the CSS and JS which gives you a good start and then just reconstruct the HTML page(s) from scratch. That's the only way you will have the full function of the app. If you import the HTML pages, you will just have code to edit on a constant basis. No drag and drop functionality, the Options pane will not work, and you will turn BSS into basically a less than functional code editor (meaning it would be easier in a real code editor).

It really is a shame that so many people end up spending money on Bootstrap templates thinking they can just open them in Bootstrap Studio and edit them with the program's visual tools.

The home page is not clear enough on this issue (perhaps deliberately?) It reads...

"Import Existing Websites If you have a website that you've developed previously, you can import it. Just drag and drop the HTML, CSS, JS files and images into Bootstrap Studio and they will be added to your project."

This is disingenuous, and can lead people to believe they can bring any old website into BSS and start editing it as though it was a site built in BSS from the start. I really think it would behoove the developers to clarify that while non BSS website ASSETS can be imported, there are limitations in regards to being able to edit the website's HTML with BSS's visual tools. It should be made clear that the HTML will be imported as custom code blocks, only editable as code.

And that answer IS really in the forums (about 60,000 times), thank you, Jo, and Printninja, as it perhaps should be in those of any forums for any (I'm assuming) "builder" programs which make use of an intermediate internal proprietary format, and if people know this is a step through which such "builder" programs (which build the html files guided by the internal format), like BSS, but also Mobirise, CC Site Designer etc, they should expect to not be able to make use of such templates/themes etc in such programs. BSS is no better in this regard than any other "builder" program (in fact it could probably be argued that it IS better since you can import and use assets), but also no worse.

@TeschToy

Precisely. The ONLY "builder" I've ever used that can open just about any website and edit it through its visual tools is Pinegrow. And they make this ability a prominent marketing feature on their home page. I believe Adobe Dreamweaver can open existing websites for editing purposes, but I have no idea what sort of visual tools (if any) the program sports these days. The last version I ever used was CS5 and that was many years ago. Maybe their CC version has improved.

BSS is a step up from most builders in that it can easily import CSS and JS and HTML as code blocks. But it can still be frustrating to the person who purchases it thinking they can just "open up" a template they bought on Envato and start editing it in BSS, only to find out they cannot.

I think it also depends on how the template is built on that site. Some would be more difficult than others. I have successfuly bought "Landkit" from that site and have the whole shebang converted, sass, images, js and also the html converted too.

I learned quite a bit.

I would say if I repeated the process I would "not" convert the html but leave it as custom code. Then since Bootstrap Studio now has the ability to open html, css, or js files in a external editior I would start creating "snippets" or "components" from the html opened in the editor itself and save them there. In some respects this keeps from cluttering up my BS components from other external theme components. Since the components are well designed and structured and use the Bootstrap classes for design, you really are just ending up changing the pictures, links, and text. Colors and fonts are handled globally with sass so again its really not much of a jump the user is taking from any other editor that you would be using, and you get all the extra benefits of Bootstrap Studio which may be missing from other sub par editors or over-complicated hard to learn editors.

I also wonder why some of the webmasters on here don't look at this as a opportunity to make additional income from someone who is trying to keep control over ones own website. Offer your service to convert themes into Bootstrap Studio ? Sell a customer on the idea that they can pick a theme, purchase Bootstrap Studio, and you will "hand it off" to them after the design is done ?

@Twinstream

I also wonder why some of the webmasters on here don’t look at this as a opportunity to make additional income from someone who is trying to keep control over ones own website.

I guess it depends on their business model. My company's model doesn't allow our client's access to their websites.

Although I am a "webmaster" "web developer" whatever you want to call it, I am actually co-owner of a website development company. I have a partner who does the sales, marketing and advertising for our client's sites, and I do all the coding, site builds and SEO. But we've never built a website and "handed the keys" to the client. That's not our model. Our model is subscription-based. Client sign a minimum 12 month agreement, and there's no up-front fee for the site build (or sometimes a small one on very complex builds.) We build the website, we do all the SEO, and all the updates they want, and they pay a monthly fee. We get them to the top of their local search. For a little more, we'll do Google Ad campaigns, Facebook Marketing, Email funnels, etc. This way, they don't have to cough up $2000-$3000 up front for a professional website.

We figured out a long time ago (well, about ten years ago) that 99% of business owners know they should have a website, but they don't want to build it, maintain it, or deal with it at all really (few even know how.) Just like they don't want to cut the lawn in front of their store or business each week. Some come to us after having tried to "do it themselves" with Wix or GoDaddy or Weebly, but they got frustrated when they couldn't get the site to look or work how they want, or the site just languished and generated no business for them. They just want their site to bring them business, so if a construction guy can pay us $150 a month for a site that brings them two or three $5000 jobs each month, then they are thrilled, we are thrilled, and it's a win-win for everyone.

Whenever I sell a site to a client, I tell them... "you're a dentist, a karate teacher, a car detailer, whatever. That's what you're great at. That's your area of expertise. So focus on what you're great at, and let us provide you with our expertise when it comes to your website."