HitsSkin Template : Shadow Navlinks problem

I am using the Hitskins, Shadow template. I love the way it looks but I have two "issues" with it's use.

1.) I have several new commands added to my menu and have replaced an existing command. The problem is that I have minimal control when doing this because the original command checkboxes that would allow me to make them invisible are inaccessible, grayed out. I need to be able to eliminate these menu choices from an already crowded menu. What possible rationale would they have to do that? If you look at my forum you will see I've replaced the command Portal (everyone complained "what does it mean" and my stats indicate that visitors don't intuitively know that it means next page) with InfoPage - notice the original Portal selection is still "hanging around".

2.) I would like to take advantage of using alternate templates. When I located one and started to make it active I received a message indicating (paraphrase) that since my skin was downloaded from Hitskins it would be deleted if I used the alternate !!! I stopped in my tracks - I have done so much work to the Shadow skin I can't chance losing all of the work and having to start all over again. Basically can Forumotion turn this process off so those of us who use HitSkins templates can retain our original skin and take advantage of using multiple templates?

Thanks
Jon

www.merlin333.bigforumlive.com

The only way to do this is have a navagation bar made then go to the headers area and click only to have images appear in the navagation.

Be sure not to make one for the Portal

Wouldn't it be easier to remove what they had to add to block those boxes and let the Forum owner decide just like the additional links added. Why on Earth would this be done in this manner?

Using your suggestion how do you restrict access to commands? (so that different levels of membership can't access administration commands for example)

What about the other questions?