How to use Magento 1.9.1.0 Configurable Swatches in Default package theme (or a custom theme)?

1. Copy the folder

   app/design/frontend/RWD/default/template/configurableswatches/
   

   and its content to

   app/design/frontend/DEFAULT/default/template/
   

   (or your package template folder)

2. Copy the file

   app/design/frontend/RWD/default/template/catalog/product/view/type/options/configurable.phtml
   

   to

   app/design/frontend/DEFAULT/default/template/catalog/product/view/type/options/
   

   (or your package template folder)

3. Copy the file

   app/design/frontend/RWD/default/template/catalog/product/view/media.phtml
   

   to

   app/design/frontend/DEFAULT/default/template/catalog/product/view/
   

   (or your package template folder)

4. Copy the folders

   skin/frontend/RWD/default/js/configurableswatches/
   skin/frontend/RWD/default/js/lib/
   

   and their content to

   skin/frontend/DEFAULT/default/js/
   

   (or your package skin folder)

5. Copy the files

   skin/frontend/RWD/default/js/app.js
   skin/frontend/RWD/default/js/minicart.js
   skin/frontend/RWD/default/js/slideshow.js
   

   to

   skin/frontend/DEFAULT/default/js/
   

   (or your package skin folder)

6. Copy the file

   app/design/frontend/RWD/default/layout/configurableswatches.xml
   

   to

   app/design/frontend/DEFAULT/default/layout/
   

   (or your package layout folder)

7. Create the file

   app/design/frontend/DEFAULT/default/layout/local.xml
   

If your package layout folder already contains a local.xml file, then do not overwrite it. Have a look at the changes in the next step and copy them to your version of the local.xml file.

8. Open up local.xml and add the following code:

   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <layout>
   
       <default>
   
           <reference name="head">
   
                   <action method="addJs"><script>lib/jquery/jquery-1.10.2.min.js</script></action>
                   <action method="addJs"><script>lib/jquery/noconflict.js</script></action>
   
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/modernizr.custom.min.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/selectivizr.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/matchMedia.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/matchMedia.addListener.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/enquire.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/app.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/jquery.cycle2.min.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/jquery.cycle2.swipe.min.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/slideshow.js</name></action>
                   <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/lib/imagesloaded.js</name></action>
           <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><name>js/minicart.js</name></action>
   
           </reference>
   
       </default>
   
       <catalog_product_view>
   
           <reference name="head">
   
               <action method="addItem"><type>skin_js</type><script>js/lib/elevatezoom/jquery.elevateZoom-3.0.8.min.js</script></action>
   
           </reference>
   
           <reference name="product.info.media">
   
               <block type="core/text_list" name="product.info.media.after" as="after" />
   
           </reference>
   
       </catalog_product_view>
   
       <PRODUCT_TYPE_configurable>
   
           <reference name="product.info.options.configurable">
   
               <block type="core/text_list" name="product.info.options.configurable.renderers" as="attr_renderers">
                           <block type="configurableswatches/catalog_product_view_type_configurable_swatches" template="configurableswatches/catalog/product/view/type/options/configurable/swatches.phtml" />
               </block>
               <block type="core/text_list" name="product.info.options.configurable.after" as="after">
               <block type="core/template" template="configurableswatches/catalog/product/view/type/configurable/swatch-js.phtml" />
               </block>
   
           </reference>
   
       </PRODUCT_TYPE_configurable>
   
   </layout>
   

9. Add the following css to your styles.css file:

   /* ============================================ *
    * Configurable Swatches
    * ============================================ */
   /* Clears */
   .clearfix:after,
   .configurable-swatch-list:after,
   .product-view .product-options .swatch-attr:after {
     content: '';
     display: table;
     clear: both;
   }
   
   /* General Swatch Styling */
   .swatch-link,
   .swatch-label {
     display: block;
     border-radius: 3px;
     font-size: 14px;
     text-align: center;
     color: #636363;
     text-decoration: none;
     box-sizing: content-box;
   }
   
   .swatch-link {
     border: 1px solid #cccccc;
     margin: 0 0 3px;
   }
   .swatch-link img {
     border-radius: 2px;
   }
   .swatch-link:hover {
     cursor: pointer;
     text-decoration: none;
   }
   .swatch-link .x {
     display: none;
     text-indent: -999em;
     position: absolute;
     left: 0;
     right: 0;
     top: 0;
     bottom: 0;
     background: url(../images/bg_x.png) center no-repeat transparent;
     z-index: 10;
   }
   .swatch-link.has-image .swatch-label {
     position: relative;
   }
   .swatch-link.has-image img {
     position: absolute;
     top: 0;
     left: 0;
   }
   
   .swatch-label {
     border: 1px solid #fff;
     margin: 0;
     white-space: nowrap;
     background: #f4f4f4;
   }
   
   .configurable-swatch-list {
     margin-left: -3px;
     zoom: 1;
     clear: both;
     -webkit-transform: translateZ(0px);
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list li {
     float: left;
     zoom: 1;
     margin: 0 0 0 3px;
   }
   .products-grid .configurable-swatch-list li {
     display: inline-block;
     float: none;
     margin: 0;
     vertical-align: top;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .not-available .x {
     display: block;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .not-available .swatch-link {
     border-color: #ededed;
     position: relative;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .not-available .swatch-link.has-image img {
     opacity: 0.4;
     filter: alpha(opacity=40);
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .not-available .swatch-label {
     color: #aaa;
     background: #fff;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .wide-swatch .swatch-label {
     padding: 0 6px;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-list .not-available a:focus {
     outline: 0;
   }
   
   #narrow-by-list dd .configurable-swatch-list li {
     margin: 0 0 0 3px;
     width: 47%;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .swatch-link {
     border: none;
     line-height: 25px;
     margin-right: 2px;
     text-align: left;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .swatch-link.has-image {
     line-height: inherit;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .swatch-link:hover .swatch-label {
     border-color: #3399cc;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .swatch-label {
     background: #f4f4f4;
     border: 1px solid #cccccc;
     border-radius: 3px;
     display: block;
     float: left;
     line-height: 1.5em;
     margin: 0 5px 0 0;
     padding: 1px 5px;
     white-space: nowrap;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .swatch-label img {
     border: 1px solid #fff;
     border-radius: 3px;
     box-sizing: content-box;
   }
   #narrow-by-list dd .has-image .swatch-label {
     padding: 0;
   }
   
   @media only screen and (max-width: 770px) {
     #narrow-by-list dd .configurable-swatch-list li:nth-child(odd) {
       clear: left;
     }
   }
   .currently .swatch-current {
     position: relative;
   }
   .currently .swatch-current .btn-remove {
     margin-top: -10px;
     position: absolute;
     right: 0;
     top: 50%;
   }
   .currently .swatch-current span {
     display: block;
     float: left;
   }
   .currently .swatch-link {
     display: inline-block;
     margin: 0 0 0 3px;
   }
   .currently .swatch-link:hover {
     border-color: #cccccc;
     cursor: default;
   }
   
   /* Other Swatch States */
   .configurable-swatch-list .hover .swatch-link,
   .configurable-swatch-list .selected .swatch-link,
   .swatch-link:hover {
     border-color: #3399cc;
   }
   
   .configurable-swatch-box {
     background: none !important;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-box select.swatch-select {
     display: none;
   }
   .configurable-swatch-box .validation-advice {
     margin: 0 0 5px;
     background: #df280a;
     padding: 2px 5px !important;
     font-weight: bold;
     color: #fff !important;
     float: left;
     display: block;
     border-radius: 3px;
   }
   .product-view .product-img-box .product-image img {
       max-width: 100%;
       max-height: 750px;
       margin: 0px auto;
   }
   .product-view .product-img-box .product-image-zoom {
       z-index: 0;
   }
   .product-view .product-image-thumbs img {
       max-width: 100%;
       max-height: 100%;
   }
   

10. Copy the file

    skin/frontend/RWD/default/images/bg_x.png
    

    to

    skin/frontend/DEFAULT/default/images/
    

your solution is great but not show color swatch in category list or grid. Here I add the solution to show it, tested on magento 1.9.2.4.

In : app/design/frontend/CUSTOM-THEME/template/catalog/product add followed line in list.phtml

1 - first to show in list view, check if there this, if no, update o change (aroud line 39):

<?php $_imgSize = 300; ?>
            <img id="product-collection-image-<?php echo $_product->getId(); ?>"
                 src="<?php echo $this->helper('catalog/image')->init($_product, 'small_image')->keepFrame(false)->resize($_imgSize); ?>"
                 alt="<?php echo $this->stripTags($this->getImageLabel($_product, 'small_image'), null, true) ?>" />
        </a>

In alternative can use this:

            <img id="product-collection-image-<?php echo $_product->getId(); ?>"
          src="<?php echo $this->helper('catalog/image')->init($_product, 'small_image')->resize(230,279); ?>" class="small-image" 
          alt="<?php echo $this->stripTags($this->getImageLabel($_product, 'small_image'), null, true) ?>" />             

        </a>

adjust resize image.

2 - after "getRatingSummary" =php end if=, around line 53, add this:

                        <?php
                    // Provides extra blocks on which to hang some features for products in the list
                    // Features providing UI elements targeting this block will display directly below the product name
                    if ($this->getChild('name.after')) {
                        $_nameAfterChildren = $this->getChild('name.after')->getSortedChildren();
                        foreach ($_nameAfterChildren as $_nameAfterChildName) {
                            $_nameAfterChild = $this->getChild('name.after')->getChild($_nameAfterChildName);
                            $_nameAfterChild->setProduct($_product);
                            echo $_nameAfterChild->toHtml();
                        }
                    }
                    ?>

3 - make the same change to gird view around line 120 and 152.

4 - in the end of the file add this:

 <?php
// Provides a block where additional page components may be attached, primarily good for in-page JavaScript
if ($this->getChild('after')) {
    $_afterChildren = $this->getChild('after')->getSortedChildren();
    foreach ($_afterChildren as $_afterChildName) {
        $_afterChild = $this->getChild('after')->getChild($_afterChildName);
        //set product collection on after blocks
        $_afterChild->setProductCollection($_productCollection);
        echo $_afterChild->toHtml();
    }
}
?>