Yes. Tell your blog #1 that it will aggregate posts from blogs 1 and 2, then post in blog #2. You set blog #1 as the main blog and a skin that you like for multipost pages, then blog #2 gets a skin you like for single post pages.

Another way that is a wee bit more complicated is to have 2 style sheets in one - effectively anyway. So you look at evopress and notice how it doesn't use a sidebar. It can if you want it to, but more importantly is that b2evo can tell if you are on a single post page. So you use that detail to call up new classes for the divs that have the styling you like for single post pages.

So yeah you can do that.

Hi EdB
I have pursued your first option which I cannot seem to get to work. I omitted to mention that I am cross posting so Blog#1 could be cross posted to Blogs #3, #8 and #9. As a result Blog#3 reverts to the Blog#1 skin on attempting to view the single post; each blog has its own variant of a skin.

In effect what I am seeking is an ability to cross post Blog#1 to a number of Blogs and then view any of those blogs in a single style (say) Blog#20.

Failing that, is there another way of achieving the objective, or have I bastardised the process too much?

To put this another way, the first option you mentioned is a one to many relationship. I am effectively seeking to reverse this to a 'many to one'.

A further clarification was added:
To put this another way, the first option you mentioned is a one to many relationship. I am effectively seeking to reverse this to a 'many to one'.

AFAIK this can not be done. Effectively what you want to do is "a style sheet for each post" even though you are thinking of it as "from this blog". Actually one could imagine it as "style sheet per main category" instead of per post because posts must have a main category ... which happens to associate to a specific blog.

Anyway really when we post in a blog we are not posting in a blog. We are posting in a main category that happens to be in a blog. Technical but true!

It is POSSIBLE that there is some way to get this done, but nothing that comes to mind immediately. It would need a plugin of some sort, or possibly even core file hacking.

I'm going to "watch" this topic just in case something flashes inspiration and I imagine a way to get 'er done.

Thanks for that. I thought I might be asking a bit much!
To help you visualise the proof of concept for our next version of the web site and what I am attempting to achieve the following may help.

If you view the lead article at http://www.cla.asn.au/0805/?blog=4 it has also been linked via a category to http://www.cla.asn.au/0805/blog5.php and others. Each of these blogs have their own skin.

When you click ‘Read more’ for either item you end up at http://www.cla.asn.au/0805/blog4.php/2008/04/24/extradition-needs-detailed-consideration . It is this view that I wish to a reader friendly view/layout, eg only a 2 column, not 3 column, layout.

There will be some 15 major blogs (see the menu) which then populated via categories those items under Issues on the Menu (some 29).

I have been pursuing your other option based around the Europress skin. While I yet to complete my work, it is looking very promising as a solution to what I am trying to do.

In the interest of other users you might sideline my issue with the solution tentatively that of the Europress skin. If I am wrong and it turns to custard I may knock on your door again.

Thanks.

Okay that's not "a different skin" actually. That's just doing something different in single post compared to multipost. evopress gets rid of the sidebar. Surely you can get rid of one sidebar with the same method?

Heck in my heavily tweaked evopress I use a completely different header, main body, no sidebar, and different footer. I suppose if I wanted I could give it all different styles so it even looks completely different. What it won't do is make a fundamentally different build of "php + css" (the skin) for different posts within one blog based on category or post ID.

THAT level of 'controlling the look' is beyond the capabilities of b2evolution straight out of the box.

BTW I saw a mini poll floating over the article on the single post (permalink) page. Possibly because I did not enable javascript? Or possibly because you are working on it - but I figure you might want to know just in case.

EdB
Thanks for your help recently. Just for information your advice has enabled the site switch to incorporate B2 on our site's active content pages - see http://www.cla.asn.au

Nice linkback! I'll keep that in mind next time you need help :-/