Getting Around

Everything that stays on screen no matter which page you're on — the sidebar, the header, global search, and the switches that change how the whole app looks and behaves.

The shell at a glance

Every in-app screen sits inside the same frame:

• a sidebar on the left (your main navigation),
• a header bar across the top (search, tools, profile),
• a slim page header under it (the page title and breadcrumb),
• the page content, and
• a footer with the version and a status indicator.

Almost every part of this frame can be reshaped — see The Customizer.

The sidebar

Where to find it: the left edge of the app (on mobile, tap the menu button in the header to open it as a drawer).

How to use it

1. Click any section heading (Dashboard, Components, Data, Pages, Settings) to expand its groups.
2. Click a leaf item to open that page. The active page is highlighted.
3. Search the menu — start typing in the search box at the top of the sidebar; matching items are filtered and the match is highlighted.
4. Pin favourites — hover any menu item and click the star to add it to a synthesized Favourites section at the top, so your most-used pages are one click away.
5. Some items show a count badge (for example, pending applicants) that updates live.

Tips

• The sidebar can be shown as a full panel, a minified icon rail that expands on hover, a dual rail + panel, or hidden entirely (header-only). Switch modes in the Customizer or on the Layout Settings page.
• With the accordion menu on (the default), opening one group closes the others to keep the list tidy.

The header

The header is a single row. On the left is the brand and — when enabled — a mega-menu navigation showcase. On the right is a cluster of tools, left to right:

Tip: if the header is set to auto-hide, it slides away as you scroll down and returns when you scroll up.

Global search

What it is: a command palette to jump anywhere in the app without hunting through the menu.

How to use it

1. Press ⌘K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux), or click the search icon in the header.
2. Start typing a page name; results filter as you type.
3. Use the arrow keys to highlight a result and press Enter to open it, or click it.
4. The Recent group at the top lists pages you visited recently for quick return.

Theme: light, dark and system

Where to find it: the sun/moon icon in the header (also in the Customizer and Layout Settings).

How to use it: the theme is a three-way choice, not a simple toggle:

• Light — the default.
• Dark — dark surfaces everywhere.
• System — follows your operating system's light/dark setting automatically.

Your choice is remembered in your browser. Light is always the first-load default.

Skins: changing the colour design

What it is: Luminaux ships 13 switchable visual designs. Most are colour skins (Default, Aqua, Lime, Lilac, Prism, Midnight, Ocean, Graphite, Emerald, Amber, Coral) that recolour the whole app. Two are full designs that also change the home dashboard and fonts: Bento Studio (warm, bento-grid home) and Console (a terminal look).

How to use it

1. Click the palette icon in the header (the Design-system menu).
2. Pick a skin from the list — each shows live colour swatches. The whole app re-colours instantly.
3. You can also change it from the Customizer or the Layout Settings page.

Skins are independent of light/dark — every skin works in both.

The Customizer

What it is: a live control panel for the entire app shell.

Where to find it: the gear icon in the header (opens a slide-in panel on the right). A full-page version lives at Layout Settings — see Appearance & Layouts.

How to use it: flip switches and pick options; every change previews immediately. You can control:

• Appearance — theme mode, skin, panel header style, equal-height panels.
• Sidebar — default / minified / dual / header-only, plus dark or true-black (OLED) sidebar.
• Navigation — fixed header, auto-hide header, sticky page header, primary (mega) nav, accordion menu.
• Footer — fixed (pinned) footer.
• Widgets — the floating chat bubble or the pinned chat rail, and the ambient cursor glow.
• Feedback & motion — toast position, page-transition style, page-loader style, splash frequency.
• Presets — save and recall named configurations.
• Reset to defaults — a full factory reset (confirmed by a dialog) that restores every setting and the seeded sample data. It does not sign you out.

Notifications

Where to find it: the bell icon in the header.

How to use it: click the bell to open the notifications panel. Unread items are marked; some rows (such as access requests) have Approve / Reject actions. You can swipe a notification to mark it read.

Your profile and presence

Where to find it: the avatar at the far right of the header.

How to use it

1. Click the avatar to open your account menu — your name and role, account links, a presence switcher, and Sign out.
2. Set your presence (for example Online / Away / Busy) — it syncs everywhere your avatar appears, including the sidebar user card and chat.
3. Sign out clears your session and returns you to the login screen.

Language

Where to find it: the flag icon in the header (also a Language section in the Customizer).

How to use it: click the flag and choose a language from the list (English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese). The interface switches immediately and your choice is remembered.

Keyboard shortcuts

• ⌘K / Ctrl+K — open global search.
• ? — open the keyboard-shortcuts cheat sheet (when you're not typing in a field).
• Esc — close the open panel, dialog, or menu.

Tips

• A Back-to-top button appears when you scroll down a long page.
• A thin progress bar at the very top shows when a page is loading.
• Use Skip to content (press Tab on first load) to jump past the navigation for accessibility.

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