Great news Nick!
You can see in my recent post, we fixed a similar solution for Canvas 5 from WooThemes.https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/non-functional-index-page-when-bbpress-2-1rc4-is-used-with-woothemes-canvas-5-05/
Your problem imho is that your theme is hijacking the content area in a way that prevents the new bbPress code from working. As such, the solution would be found most likely in your theme’s page.php or similar, where the default archive pages are created.
Cheers!
Spence.

What have you attempted when you say it “doesn’t merge well”?

Have you started the template pack process as outlined in the BP codex guides, if not that’s where you must start.

https://codex.buddypress.org/theme-development/wordpress-to-buddypress-theme/

if the theme is too awkward to integrate with BP then choosing a more compatible theme is wise and there are many that have been run through the template pack process and listed in the codex for you to choose from, alternatively Woo do produce a theme or themes? that are BP compatible you might want to consider one of those?
http://www.woothemes.com/2011/11/canvas-buddypress-gets-a-revamp/

If you can wait for BP 1.7 to be delivered then that will ease the process as it is theme compatible in that it will run with any well coded theme on activation.

Lastly I’m sure @mercime will help if you’re really stuck as mercime has with other themes but please bear in mind that this is a relatively complex process and time consuming.

You need to install/activate the BP template pack plugin to make WP theme compatible with BuddyPress. I don’t know if the JS conflict has been fixed with Canvas already, but here’s what we tried to work out before https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/woo-canvas-child-theme-customization-and-ajax/
EDIT – at end of that page http://labzip.com/shop/canvas-child-theme/ which claims compat with BP. I would suggest before any purchase that you make sure it’s compatible with latest BP and WP pages.

@pkmcilroy there are AJAX/JS conflicts with BP and Canvas Theme https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/woo-canvas-child-theme-customization-and-ajax/ Near the end of the topic, someone posted a link to a premium Canvas child theme which has BP compatibility. I will only suggest that if you’re going to purchase that child theme, wait till it’s been updated for BP 1.6 which will be coming out pretty soon.

I am having the same issue with the sidebar appearing in the footer in the Canvas theme. How can I get it into the correct place please

Have you seen this?

http://labzip.com/shop/canvas-child-theme/

@caf12 sorry, Canvas theme is a different beast to make compatible with BP altogether We did some template pack compatibility in this thread https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/woo-canvas-child-theme-customization-and-ajax/ but the ajax issue with Canvas (no problem with other themes from woo) is not resolved.

@musicdesigns @likoma created a child theme of Woo Canvas and used BP template pack plugin. What I posted above are the instructions for template pack, and it’s done.

I’m using Wootheme’s Canvas too, would love to be able to use a BP child theme on it.

Please keep us updated with your progress, would love to give it a whirl

B. At the bottom of the same 16 files, replace:
`

`

with the following (except for registration/register.php):
`

`

with the following for registration/register.php:
`

jQuery(document).ready( function() {
if ( jQuery(‘div#blog-details’).length && !jQuery(‘div#blog-details’).hasClass(‘show’) )
jQuery(‘div#blog-details’).toggle();
jQuery( ‘input#signup_with_blog’ ).click( function() {
jQuery(‘div#blog-details’).fadeOut().toggle();
});
});

`

Save files.

C. Upload the 6 BP folders containing the 16 files you’ve just revised to your server wp-content/themes/canvas-child-theme-name/

D. Copy the style modifications made in BP Twenty Ten at https://codex.buddypress.org/theme-development/theme-dev-bp-template-pack-walkthrough-twenty-ten-bp-1-5/3/ and paste to your theme’s stylesheet. Adjust to taste.

Based on the HTML structure of your theme, you need to use the first option, i.e., change 16 template files within the 6 BP folders transferred to your canvas child theme folder in server during the compatibility process.

If you’ve previously changed any of the BP template files in your theme folder in server, replace all of them for a clean slate by deleting the 6 BP folders – /activity, /blogs, /forums, /groups, /members, and /registration – then re-run Appearance > BP Compatibility.

Download the 6 clean BP folders to your computer hard drive.

A. At the top of each of those 16 template files I linked to above, replace
`

== Any thoughts on why AJAX/JS isn’t working? ==
Usually conflict with plugins. Have you tried deactivating some plugins (e.g. Jetpack) to check if issue is resolved? I always set up BP using bp-default theme and check that everything’s working before adding plugins or changing themes.

Whatever happened to Canvas BuddyPress child theme? I recall reading that it was the most downloaded theme in Woo or something like that.

== I was hoping I could do the “header-buddypress.php” method ==

Sorry, per initial scan of your files, you need to use the first method for theme compatibility – changing 16 BP template files. If you still want to proceed let me know.

As for your concern about updates, come around BP 1.7 more or less, you won’t need to worry about this. We’d most probably will post some steps to upgrade the template files until them. Best thing to do is to backup DB and server files regularly.

Couldn’t you do something along the lines of the walled garden technique: https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/privacy-3/#post-113808

bump also have a receding hair line over this but with the buddypress default template with child theme

help needed please