how to toutie

Here are some helpful instructions on how to use the site.  Once you know the steps, it's easy!

Jump to the area you want to learn more about, just click each topic to expand or contract it.


Watch the two minute toutie tutorials on YouTube!

Toutie Overview:




How to upload images on toutie:



How to create ensembles on toutie:






Member Features

Create Account

Create User Profile

Topic Page

Member Page (My Profile)
Your Member Page (My Profile) is your personal "command central".   It is here you can share information with others (including Wish Lists, Purchases, Media, etc.), add friends, contact friends, set-up a Black Book, blog, and use your Studio to create ensembles.

1.  On the top of the page you will see a Dashboard with tabs for different features.  The Overview is your main page and contains all  of your Profile information.

2.  On the upper left of the Overview page you will see an "About Me" box, which contains your Avatar,  Username, Location, Age, and  Description.  You can edit this information at any time by clicking on the "Edit Your Profile" link.  Beneath this link is a "View Private Messages" link.   Click on this link to read private messages sent by other toutie members.  

3.  Beneath the About Me box, on the left-hand side of the page,  is the list of Topics you prepared.   This list can be edited at any time by clicking the "Edit Topics" link.

4.  On the top right-hand side of the Member Page is your list of Friends:

     To add a Friend:   Go to their Member Page and in their "About Me" box, click on the link for "Add Friend".

     To find a Friend?    There are many ways to meet others on toutie:

     ----Through other Member Pages:   If you click on another member's list of friends, you might find someone who you'd like to add to your Member Page.  Click on their friend's avatar, and you will be linked to that user's Member Page.   There you can click on the "Add Friend" link in their "About Me" box.

    ----Through Forums:  Click on the avatar next to the selected post on the Forum pages,  and you will be linked to that user's  Member Page.   There you can click on the "Add Friend" link in their "About Me" box.

    ----Through Gotta Know:  Click on the avatar next to the selected post on the Gotta Know pages,  and you will be linked to that user's Member Page.   There you can click on the "Add Friend" link in their "About Me" box.

    ---Through a Search:   Use the Search Function at the top of the toutie pages to find Members with interests like your own.  For example, if you like the brand "Loeffler Randall" and would like to meet others who also like this brand, just type it into the Search box.   Your results will include Member Pages where Loeffler Randall is featured.


5.  Beneath the Friends section is the My Outfits section.    After you create an outfit/ensemble in your Studio,  it is stored in this  area.  (Instructions on how to use your Studio appear later in the tutorial.)

6.  Beneath the My Oufits section is the Comments section.    Here you can leave a comment for others by clicking  the "Post a Comment" link.  Fill in the field and press "Add".  You will see the the comment on your Member Page.   To read comments left by other members, click on  the "View All Comments" link.
To return to the main Member Page, click on the Overview tab in the dashboard at the top of the page.

7.  Beneath the Comments section is the My Purchases section.  Here you can upload images and links to items you recently purchased,  will purchase in the near future,  or hope to purchase one day.   Click on the "View All Purchases" link to add a purchase.  On the Purchase page click on the "Add Purchase" button.   Choose a Purchase Type (Future, Latest or Wish)  and fill in the Title field,  and add a link to the purchase if you want.   You may also upload a photo of the item using the Photo Editor window.  When complete, push "Save Purchase" button and you will see the purchase added to your My Purchases list.   To return to  the main Member Page, click on the Overview tab in the dashboard at the top of the page.
8. Beneath the My Purchases section is the Black Book section.   Your Black Book is a private address book where you can store all  your style links (stores, designers, stylists, decorators, favorite blogs, etc.).    To use your Black Book click on the "Open Black Book" link on the Member Page.   On the Black Book page you will see the cover of the Black Book and a link to "Open Black Book in New Window."   If you'd like to keep the Black Book in a separate window, click on this link.   This way you can keep your Black Book open and with you once you leave this page.   You can move around toutie, or go to other sites, and your Black Book will be readily accessible if you want to add links.  As long as you are logged in to toutie,  the Black Book will be available in a separate window. 

To add a link to your Black Book, simply click on the subject heading on the cover.   For example, if you'd like to add a link to your favorite clothing store,  click "Apparel",  and the book will open to apparel page where you can click the "Add Link" button.  Simply fill in the title and site address, and then click "Save Link".   You can also cancel the entry.   If you'd like to edit or remove the entry at a later time, you can simply open the Black Book and click the Edit or Remove links next to the entry.   Once you are done entering the links, you can close the window and return to your Member Page.

Recent entries to you Black Book will appear on your Member Page, but will not be visible to other members.   Entries are private.

9.  At the bottom of the Member Page is the Media section.   Here you can link to your favorite videos, music and photos.  To add a  media entry, click on the "View All Media" link on the Member Page.   On the Media page choose the type of medium you would like to add (Video, Music or Photo) and click add.   Enter the data in the requested fields and click "Save".  To return to the main  Member page, click on the Overview tab in the dashboard at the top of the page.

10. Above the Member Page, in the dashboard,  you will find a Blog tab.  Click on this tab to start blogging.   To add a post to your blog, just click "Add Post".  A blog editor will appear.   Enter a title for your post.   Beneath the title field is a blog editor.  Enter the body of your post here.   If you have questions about blog editor buttons and their functions,  click on the "?"  (question mark) on  the bottom right, second row.   This will give you a key to each of the buttons in the drop down menu.

Quick function list:

    
  • To add a link to your post, highlight the text you want to link, and click on the Hyperlink Manager key,  located in the center of the top row of the blog editor.  (It looks like a globe with a chain link below it.)  In the new window, enter the URL you want to link to, and click  "OK".  The editor already has the first part of the URL ("http://")  so all you need to enter is the remainder.  Example: www.bobsshoes.com.                                                                                                                                                                 
  •  To add a photo to your post, click on the Image Manager button, on the top row of the blog editor.  (It looks like a sunrise over a mountain.)   An Image Manager window will pop up, where you can browse images and then click the Insert button to add the image to the post.                                                                                                                                                                      
  • To add a You Tube video to your post, copy the embed code from the You Tube video.    On the  toutie blog editor  click on the   HTML button  (it looks like brackets <>)  at the bottom left-hand of the Blog Editor.   This will switch you to HTML mode,  where you can paste the embed code copied from You Tube.  When finished, switch back into the design mode by clicking on the Design Button (it looks like a pencil) next to the HTML button.   When you've completed your post, push "Save Post" and the entry will show up on your blog page.
  • Member Page/Studio

    Adding New Closets/Closet Content

    Adding a New Closet

    Click on the tab for Manage Closets.   At the bottom of the left-hand side, go to the Add a New Closet field.  Enter the name of a closet (Examples: Headshots, Tops, Jeans, Shoes, Purses, Finished Outfits),  then click on Add Closet.  You will see the name of the closet (and a toutie box) show up in the scrolling area at the top of the left hand side. You can add more closets (up to 20, with room for 25 images each), by repeating the steps above.





    TIP:  An "Outfit" or "Finished Ensembles" closet is suggested for storing your saved ensembles.




    2.  From your computer hard drive, using photos of images you have saved there.  (Your own photos of yourself or your belongings, saved images from other sites, etc.)   Here are the instructions for doing it that way:


    Click on the new closet in the scrolling field, (a blue frame will appear around it), and an Add New Image link will appear on the right side of the page, right next to the Images of Selected Closet title (over the workspace).

    When you click the Add New Image link, an Upload Files window will pop up.    Click on the green "+" button to choose saved images from your computer hard drive.

    Select an image  (click on the image) and the file will appear in the Upload Files window.   Enter a short description (about 30 characters) or title next to the image file.  (Example:  Loeffler Randall flats/ Bob's Shoe Store) 





    You can add several images to the selected closet by pushing the green "+" button and repeating the steps.  

    Once done adding images and titles, click on the Upload button.   You will get a pop-up "Upload Successful" prompt.  Push "OK".

    The new items that you uploaded will appear in your closet,  with short mouseover titles.   To view the items in each closet, simply click on the closet, and its contents will appear on the Images of Selected Closet workspace. Mouseover the image to see the description/title.

    Editing Closets

    Creating an Outfit
    Click on the Create an Outfit tab at the top of the Studio page. There are three elements of the Create an Outfit section:

    Choose Closet (A scrolling window that shows all of your closets, on the upper left hand side of the page.)
    Choose Images for Closet (A window where you can stack your selected closets.  Appears beneath the Choose Closet window.)
    Outfit workspace (A workspace where you can lay out all of your selected items, edit them and save the ensemble.   Appears on the right side of the page.)

    1.  To begin creating an outfit, scroll through all available closets in the Choose Closet window.

    2. Click on a closet, and it will appear in the Choose Images for Closet window.   There you will see the contents of the selected closet,  with the ability to scroll forward and backwards. (Scrolling is limited by the number of items in your closet---if there are less than four items in a closet, you will not be able to scroll.)







    3. Closets will stack in the order you select them, from top to bottom.  So, if you are creating an outfit, you might want to begin with a closet of headshots, then tops, then belts, then jeans, then shoes, etc. 

    4. You can stack up to seven closets.

    5.  If you want to remove a closet from the stack ,  click on the red "X" button to the right of the closet.

    6.  Use the forward and back scroll buttons on each closet to see items in relation to one another.


    7.  Once you've found the items you want to be a part of the outfit or ensemble, click on the item and hold, and drag and drop it to your Outfit Workspace.  

    The Outfit Workspace is where you can edit and assemble your images to create a finished ensemble.  The Outfit Workspace
    consists of four editing tools:
    1.  Once the thumbnail item is on the workspace, it will increase to its full size.  You might notice that the item you've dragged is larger than the workspace.  Simply follow the steps below.

    2.  To resize an image, you will use the handtool at the at the lower right of the image.  (The handtool is represented by a red square and a blue circle.)  If you cannot see the handtool,  drag the item upwards, to the left,  and it should become visible.

    3. To make an image bigger or smaller, click on and hold the red square on the handtool.  This is your resize control.  Move to the left to make an item smaller,  move to the right to make it bigger.   Here is a top that was selected for the workspace.   (The blue frame around the thumbnail designates the selection.)  Once it is dragged and dropped to the workspace, it increases to its full size.   Notice the handtool at the bottom right corner----this is the resize and tilt controls:


    4. To rotate an image, click on and hold the blue circle on your handtool.  This is your tilt control.  Move the circle up or down to rotate an item.
     
    5.  The handtool appears on the most recent addition to the workspace.   To resize/tilt a previous item,  click on the item and the handtool should appear.   (The workspace must be in the Transform mode for any resizing.  The Transform mode is the default setting on the workspace.  It is one of four modes you can choose,  all located at the upper left of the workspace:  Transform, Erase, Paint and Hide Background.)

    6.  To erase parts of an image, select the Erase mode at the top of the workspace.  You can determine the width of the eraser with the Brush Size scale,  center top, of the workspace.   Here is an example of the erase function,  at the bottom of the picture:




    7. To paint an image, select the Paint mode at the top of the workspace.   Select the color you want to use by clicking on the Color control,  which is a small box in the center of the workspace.   When you click on the box, a palette will drop down, and you can choose the color you want to use.   To set the size of your brushstroke, use the Brush Size scale.   To set the transparency of your brushstroke, use the Alpha scale.  The default setting (1) is a solid line,  with the paint becoming more diffuse as you move down the scale.   Here is an example of the Paint function, used to add a belt and neckline to the photo:




    8. To hide the background of an image,  click on Hide Background.   The background will drop out of the image.   If the background is the same color as other areas of the image, those areas of the image will drop out as well.   If the background is not one consistent/solid color, there will be residual color on the image.  You can erase this with the Erase function.   (Remember to put the workspace in Transform mode to do any editing.)  Here is an example of the Hide Background function:





    9. To delete an item from your workspace/ensemble, make sure the workspace is in the Transform mode,  select the item, and then click on the Delete Layer button.   (Items are added in layers.)

    10. As you add items to your ensemble you might want to bring an item forward in relation to other items.  Click on the Up button  (the  U button  on the far right of the workspace) to give an item prominence.   To set it back , push the Down button (the D button on the far right of the workspace).






    11. Once you've selected your items, edited them, and arranged them the way you want,  click the Save As button.  A pop-up window will appear where you can name the ensemble/file.  (Example:  First date outfit)  Then choose the closet you want to store it in from the drop down menu of closets.   Click save,  and you will see a new pop-up ( "Success.  Image Uploaded.")  Click OK.







    If you make an error along the way, simply click on the Undo button, and the image will return to the previous step. 

    Clear
    the items from the workspace by selecting the item and clicking on the Delete Layer button.

    The saved ensemble is now stored in your selected closet AND in a storage box on your Member Page, for other members to view.   Simply click on the box to view the contents.




    If you would like to add an item to a finished outfit/ensemble,  simply drag and drop the finished outfit to your workspace.  Then drag and drop the additional elements and save it.   You cannot delete items from a saved outfit, only add items.


    To delete an outfit, go to your Member Page, and click on the link for View All Outfits.  This will take you to your private Studio, where you will see a link for View My Outfits. Click on the link, and it will take you to a private gallery of all your outfits, in their storage boxes.   Simply click on the Delete Outfit link below the box, and the item will be removed from your Member Page, Studio closet and gallery.

    Editing an Outfit  (Adding More Information)
    Once you've saved and stored an ensemble, you can go back and add more information to each item in the outfit.   This information will appear in the Description Bubble that pops up when you rollover an item.

    Use the Outfit Editor to:

    ---Add a link or links to the stores that carry an item.
    ---Add more extensive notes to your Item Description.   For example, materials, fit, availability etc.
    ---Add an image to the item.  For example, a photo of a star wearing the item.

    On same page, after Save As and told it where you want to go,  it will be there for future editing.

    To add more information to an outfit, go to your Member Page, and click on the View All Outfits link.  This will take you to your Studio, where you will see a link to View My Outfits.  Click on the link, and you will see a gallery of your finished outfits.  This gallery is only visible to you.   It is here you are able to edit any or all of your finished ensembles.   


    1. To add more details to your outfit, go to the View My Outfits section of your Studio.  Click on the thumbnail of the outfit (Polaroid) taped to the storage box,  and this will open the screen where you can additional information to each item in your outfit.

    2.  To add information to an item in outfit, move mouse over the item to see the description bubble (the short title you entered when you uploaded the item to your closet).  Click on the item, say a shirt, (really click on it) to hold the description bubble in place.  Click on the Edit Tooltip link

    3.  You will seen an on-screen editor to add information.   This is a free form editor (much like your Blog Editor), so you can add the information you want, in the order you want.  For example:


    Again, here is a quick function list:

        
  • To add a link to your post, highlight the text you want to link, and click on the Hyperlink Manager key,  located in the center of the top row of the blog editor.  (It looks like a globe with a chain link below it.)  In the new window, enter the URL you want to link to, and click  "OK".  The editor already has the first part of the URL ("http://")  so all you need to enter is the remainder.  Example: www.bobsshoes.com.                                                                                                                                                                 

  •  To add a photo to your post, click on the Image Manager button, on the top row of the blog editor.  (It looks like a sunrise over a mountain.)   An Image Manager window will pop up. Click on the Upload Image tab at the top of the window,  and then the Browse      button next to the File field.  Then you can browse images from your computer. Click on Upload to upload the selected image to the editor, where you can resize it. 

  • For any large image you insert into your editor, remember it will be appearing in your description bubble---you might want to keep it small.   You can resize it in the Image Manager by using the resizing tools.  Then click Insert to add the image to the post.    

    Once you are done entering all your information, click Save and  it takes you back to the outfit, where you can rollover to see your new information in the description bubble.

    Repeat the steps 1, 2 and 3 above to edit other Outfit items.

    Adding a User to Your Studio


    Community Features

    Featured Merchants

    Forums

    Gotta Know
     
    about us  |  terms  |  featured merchants  |  tutorials  |  advertise with toutie  |  contact



    (c)2007-2008 Toutie, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending.