Hi Tim,
<<I want to make myself an article template that's otherwise normal, but
with a custom title page.>>
Good for you!
It wasn't until I started creating custom document classes and LyX modules
that I really started to think, "Wow, this whole LyX thing is cool. With a
little bit of effort, you can literally do anything."
<< Basically, I want something that goes
(Nifty graphics with my company logo)
title
author
abstract
(More nifty graphics) >>
In short, no, this shouldn't be too bad (or, it wouldn't be too bad for me;
I have since learned that my pain threshold is rather high). It will,
however, involve some programming in LaTeX. You will need to redefine a few
things and modify how the title page macro works. I would also suggest that
you create both sets of nifty graphics in either Scribus or Inkscape and
export them as a single graphical element. This will get added with
\includegraphics. Getting the positioning and layout exactly right in LaTeX
can be excruciating.
(sermon/ Not merely bad, but excruciatingly painful. Yesterday, I spent
nearly an hour and a half modifying the spacing between different graphics
so that they would line up correctly in a grid. The fill macros weren't
working right, and I didn't want to troubleshoot them. So, I did it
manually, instead. Now, I know better techniques for doing this sort of
thing. But I kept thinking, it won't take that long. Wrong. It always
takes 5 times longer than expected. Avoid this situation, if at all
possible. Get it right in Inkscape, which takes about 2 seconds, and then
export the vector graphic and include it that way. /sermon)
<< Where do I start? >>
By becoming informed. Read the Customization Manual, and the Advanced
Topics manual. Then proceed to the articles below.
<< Is this something that can be done fairly easily? >>
No, but it is worth the effort.
<< Do I need a template in LaTeX? >>
Yes.
For a couple of example documents I've created, see here:
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/writing/latex
You may be specifically interested in this series (especially article 2),
which walks through a (somewhat complicated) CV class.
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2009/11/25/latex-cv-part1
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2009/11/30/latex-cv-part2
It might be worth taking a look at this, as well:
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2010/08/02/texmemo
Both cover custom document classes I've created and some of the missteps I
made along the way. You can also download the full source code. If you'd
like it, I also have several other examples that I use for personal things
and I would be happy to send the .cls files. I just haven't gotten around
to writing them up and posting them yet.
<< [H]ow do I bind/import/convert/whatever it to work with LyX? >>
You need a layout file. It's different than a document class, and much
easier to put together. For an overview on how the whole LaTeX/LyX thing
works, see here:
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2009/11/02/custom-lyx-nih
More about layouts can be found here:
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2009/11/14/customize-lyx-character-styles
and
http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/2010/07/13/custom-lyx-modules
The first LaTeX link at the top includes other relevant stuff.
I hope that helps.
One last thing. I am writing a pair of book chapters about LyX
customization that covers the topic in (probably painful) detail. It's not
quite finished, but will be soon. (I really, really hope that it's done
today.) If you think that they would be helpful, I would be happy to send
them. The flip side of this particular bargain, though, is that I need
feedback on their content (cue diabolical music). It would be wonderful to
get that from someone in the target audience. If interested, please email
me privately and I'll send a download link.
Cheers,
Rob
PS (okay, this will be it) ... as you get a little further along, the list
can be a wonderful resource. If you have specific questions about how to
implement a particular feature, or accomplish something specific, there are
many helpful people who are willing to help you tweak things. Thus, don't
feel like you have to mount the learning curve all by yourself. This may
not apply to you, but I tend to wait too long before asking questions. It's
a very costly and obnoxious habit. (Ask any one of my previous employers.)
