if I build a theme for a client or want to giveaway a theme.. how do I save all of the selections to make it a install and ready type website?

export your settings -> install atahualpa on your clients wordpress -> import your settings into your clients atahualpa

Thanks for your response, how about images in header / logo

and custom css like adding widgets in the footer and header? will that code export?

can I pull the folder of the theme and place that in my clients wordpress install and retain images>

ah good one .. didnt think about the images

they are not included in the theme export indeed
you either upload the images to your clients server atahualpa images directory
or, like you said, you can pull the whole folder and place it in the clients wp-content/themes folder

when you pull and copy the whole folder, you would still have to export + import the themesettings, as those are not stored in the themefolder, but in the database.

custom css is included in the export
widgets arent

Thanks!

Ok, so the missing element here is the custom php code for the widgets in the header and footer that would not be in the export. So I would have to manually redo that aspect.

Steps are then:

1. Export Css from the "Export/Import Settings" then Click on the "Export & Download Atahualpa Settings File" - save to my computer

2. Copy the Atahualpa Theme folder from the "Wp/Content/Themes/" - save to my computer

3. Copy & paste the Custom Php Code in the "Configure Header Area" and the "Footer:Content" area -- pasting the code from both sections into a notepad file.

-- Then on new host- Upload Theme folder, Import CSS and copypaste the custom code for header and footer back into the sections.

Does that sound right?

Misunderstanding about widgets here. Thought you were asking about widget placement, now I see you were asking about custom code for widgets in header, footer etc. What I meant was: widget placement in sidebars (but also plugins etc.) is not part of wordpress theme. You have to manually place widgets, install plugins etc. on the clients site.

But all theme settings, including any custom css/js/php code, is included in the atahualpa export.
You dont have to manually copy it.

So you would just copy the atahualpa folder and subsquently import the settings.