How do I use vBulletin for news articles?

[GetGamer.com]

I'd like to use vBulletin for a new article system with commenting. Simple enough, and I know there are mods that even change the look a bit. But I want a very clean look that drops the "forum look" of most skins (tables with colored headings and borders).

I'm migrating my current forums (http://www.bigblueball.com/forums/) from Snitz to vBulletin. I have an existing news system that I developed myself, however I never got around to coding a comment system. The news articles have a very different look from a discussion forum -- click here for an example showing the current article format (http://www.bigblueball.com/news2/article.asp?id=740).

I'd like to preserve that clean format, but power it from vBulletin. It seems like this should be pretty straight-forward, but I have a few questions.

First, I will have multiple categories of news articles. Would I setup multiple forums, one per category?

Second, I don't want the forums where the news articles are stored to be visible when people are browsing the forums. Is this easily possible?

And finally, I can create a skin that mimics the current look of my news stories, but how would I go about applying that skin ONLY to articles.

[steve3402000]

Thats a damn attractive site man

[GetGamer.com]

Thats a damn attractive site manThanks!

I'm still wondering how I would do this though. I'm sure it's possible, I'm just not sure whether it's an easy thing or not.

[j_86]

There is something called v3Articles, but it only "works" with V3.01 of VB properly, and even so its got a bug list thats a huge as.. well I don't know what ;)

For the past 4 months John (creator of the hack) has been promising V3Articles version 2 but it has never come, and I do not expect it too.

I guess there is no other alternative around right now..

[GetGamer.com]

Ok, let's assume that v3Articles were stable. Would I be able to easily apply a different skin to the articles than I do for the forums?

[j_86]

You wouldn't need to. vBulletin has an enourmously powerful template system, so hacks and mods like this will more often than not be 100% compatiable and indifferent to the rest of your forums, whilst remaining fully integrated.

[GetGamer.com]

You wouldn't need to. vBulletin has an enourmously powerful template system, so hacks and mods like this will more often than not be 100% compatiable and indifferent to the rest of your forums, whilst remaining fully integrated.You don't understand... I don't WANT the articles to look like the forums. I want them to be different. If you check the links in my original topic and visit my current site you'll see what I mean.

[j_86]

Ok then, using the same template engine, yes you would.

[GetGamer.com]

Ok, any pointers on how I would do that? I'm kinda new to vBulletin. :)

[j_86]

I don't think i'm the best guy to be giving them!

First i'd suggest creating your custom templates, and then getting to know the vBulletin template outputter(? lil help coders ?)