Picture Gallery product type, 1.3.6 & 1.3.7 versions

[hareslade]

Here's my Gallery product type, just scraping in, in my local 2006 time band...

Its not been possible to test it on other people's servers, but it runs o.k for me..

(If you get teething problems let me know, but beware of the IH2 setup, because it just don't work if you get things set up wrongly.)

The full Gallery product type enables an 'album style' picture display. Each main picture is a product, same as other products..

The other purpose is to enable an 'off web' image cache, because that prevents hotlinking, and cached images are less useful to others to copy..

In its full form:
- The Gallery add on combines Image Handler 2, the ideas and code borrowed from Moku's book product, and my own experiences developing the 'Singapore Gallery' add on.

- Gallery product type has the same functionality as a normal product type, in terms of switchable display fields, price attribute creation etc.

- Has 'prev-next- image thumbnails option on the cart display (set in admin)

- has up to 3 web user-selectable options for image surround on the display, singapore, basic and picture frame.

In its basic form:
-Gallery product basic files sets up just the gallery type.

In both the above forms, Gallery will operate without IH2, if necessary, but certain things get less easy to do.

Here's my demo, running off-web cache and (my) Ih2 in v1.3.7, (check the picture url's! I'm using a 'thumbs.php' method to get cached pics from off-web).

Click on the misty tree picture to go in the gallery:
http://consciousness-centre.co.uk/cz...index&cPath=12

This is the 1.3.6 add-on download page:
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=477

This is the 1.3.7 add-on download page:
http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.ph...roducts_id=478

Note that in the full off web cache iH2 mode, 'zoom' images are not useable, mainly because they give away the url of the original image in \images, and this goes against the idea of using 'off web cache' in the first place.

You might want to get to know Image handler IH2 first, by using the standard download. My version looks similar, is the same code but modified in various ways for use with Gallery product.

[kobra]

You might package this up and submit here as a contribution as other have done

[Woodymon]

Here's my Gallery product type, just scraping in, in my local 2006 time band...

Very nice Paul.

Just some off-the-cuff ideas thoughts and kudos...

I could see that an integrating the search results (creating an on the fly virtual categories if you will) within a thumbnail test strip navigation and/or pop-up slideshow uility would be a bonus.

So the thumbnail images from the search results would display in a test strip at the top of the page while viewing a single larger image below. Then if customer runs another search (via the left column product type dropdowns) the page would not bump back to a product listing (ala categories) page, but continue on displaying the image product page, with the first product returned from the new search displayed, and displaying thumbnails of the other images returned in the search in a test strip above. Maybe the teststrip could be a continuous scrollable strip with arrows at each end (maybe scrollable with ajax)

Can this product type be used with Zen Lightbox which would provide a slideshow ability?

I'm reading the product announce. I'm not familiar with some terms, eg, "singapore" effect. Does that mean 'slide mount'?

On your demo site I'm not sure if I am observing column-grid layout for 'Albums' as described in your announcement. Or maybe this is the example of "albums"? http://consciousness-centre.co.uk/cz...ex&cPath=12_13

Does your mod play nice with SEO URL's?

Just thinking of ways to support a more pleasurable and transparent navigation/viewing experience.

The slide mount and picture frame presentation options are very cool. Is there an admin interface available for one to load additional frame and matte styles?

I can see your mod very useful to those who just want to show off personal picts and to professional photgraphers and illustrators marketing their art.

Good job!

I will install and play with your product type mod a bit and let you know how goes. Thanks for sharing this in 2006 and happy 2007 to you.

Woody

[bettysue]

A nice mod you got here!!

Does this work to only show non-product related photos, or can it show product images?

I'm just wondering if it could hold something like affiliate images that link to other sites.

thank you,

betty

[Alex Clarke]

Can this product type be used with Zen Lightbox which would provide a slideshow ability?

Anything can be used with Zen Lightbox! I'll look at adding support for this contribution in the next release of Zen Lightbox. :)

[hareslade]

Hi...
Well its a visual product so I'm sure there will be ideas about presentation.. currently I have 'birthed' this thing (not that I know about that..) so I am interested in seeing if people get it working

... but feel free to post those ideas here..

If I don't answer relatively promptly please PM me, I don't always get the auto notifications from the listing gizmo..

In answer...

Cobra...
yes I'll package it up probably, give it a week or two to iron out any bugs (I should be so lucky)

I've already noticed a 'div' out of place in the fields list under the main gallery pic, so I'll issue an info template update soon.
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bettysue

Each gallery image is a zencart product, it should be able to have attributes choices, price deals etc, same as the other product types.

If you just wanted to show photo's/pics without ever selling them as products, you could use my Singapore Gallery add-on, (search it) although its still in 1.3.6 status.

Main purpose of 'Gallery product type' is to make each picture a real zencart sellable product.

You mention affiliate images.. put me in the picture... maybe PM me with definition of the usage.. I assume these need hyperlink to a site outside the actual cart site..

You can go through to checkout on the demo, incidentally.
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Woodyman...
Overwhelmed by your ideas, ...

Is there an admin interface available for one to load additional frame and matte styles?

No... but it's not really needed...

The mattes are just small pics for tiling, single colour, they can be added into the current template folder. Mattes are automatically added to the icon row on the picture frame display once the image is uploaded. (provided you get the file naming right!)

The frames are the same, each frame set is kept in a uniquely numbered folder, if you upload a new folder, it will be automatically displayed as an extra frame icon in the frames list. I tested with up to three rows of frame icons, the list area is designed to expand physically to accommodate it.

... but here its a bit more difficult as you have to provide 4 corners and the 4 sides as small images, its an acquired art. There are loads of frame lists with pics on the web to crop the images from - but its not easy to get the images to 'look right'.

I was hoping someone with love of image making would make up some more frames :), you need to use the same corner image height/width as I used, unless you change the picture frame width basic settings.

Searches

Yes I agree, when a search is done, it does go to a (grid) product list, and is not 'in' any category, because of course the search results are not (...in any one category), ---but whether its easy to thumbnail results in a thumbs form, while still showing the original cart page, I'll muse over.

No comment on user (seo) friendly url's, needs someone to try it out..

Incidentally if you want Google and Yahoo to at least look at every site product, use something like xmlsitemap to create xml page lists, and tell them where the listing file(s) is.

I mix up using term 'singapore' and 'slide-mount' , they mean the same.
The display choice dropdown shows 'slide mount' but I think of it as 'singapore' because it's like the Singapore Gallery if you've seen it.

I use the term 'Albums' instead of 'a category'. So each yellowy block at
http://consciousness-centre.co.uk/cz...ex&cPath=12_13 I regard as an album ...

When an Album (that is, a subcategory!) actually shows its pictures contents, I still think of this as an album display, even if its really a product listing!

Display listings

The normal product listing is definately 'rows' (tpl_tabular_display.php) ... we have the other mode (which 'new products' etc use as well) .. they use the tpl_columnar_display.php which is the one that gives 'so many' items 'per row'.
I get confused as well, because its tpl_columnar_display that is termed 'grid'. Hope I got that right :) yet the tabular template produces rows (?)

Whatever its called, its the nice display mode that creates the Album pictures lined up in threes or whatever...

Yes the add-on is aimed at people selling photo's or art, in fact its possible to not put prices on the gallery display (set price =0), and maybe remove the 'add to cart' box, then you could have a separate price list page which covers generic picture sizes. e.g a '10 by 12 is x dollars'. I have not finalised my own usage, what you see is the current demo, and using what's in the zip issue1.

One idea I think I'll do, is provide a hyperlink in one of the 'global' texts (e.g where it says 'PLEASE do not order pictures yet' on all gallery products) with the product name or reference I.D automatically passed through to a more general price list page for sizes etc..

Maybe someone knows of an example/possibility of a similar general-ised 'price list' cart method elsewhere in zencart. Me igorant..
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[hareslade]

IH Watermark image for pics...

I discovered how to do png transparent images in photoshop, its make an image with transparent background, then 'save as web ..png 24'

On the photoshop layer control there's a setting for layer opaqueness, so I started with ordinary text in black, 'found edges' to hollow the letters, then opaqued it to 10 per cent, saved it as a web png type 24.

The copyright watermark on the demo site main gallery pics is currently that png image.. I assume everyone else probably knew how to do it :)

for instance
http://consciousness-centre.co.uk/cz...products_id=28

[bettysue]

Hi Hareslade,

First of all I love this contribution!

I do have a few questions now that I have it installed:

1. When I select by category, the images are all to the left instead of centered (with 3 across), what would I need to change to have them be centered?

2. How do I create and add more frame styles?
(added->I just re-read your long response above and saw your response on frames. If I can get some created, I will send them to you)

3. I tried to change the default matte or background color, I did it manually in the files. It added the color to the matte color selections, but wouldn't make it the default. Any clues?

I still need to install the slideshow, so I'm sure more questions will be coming!

thank you,

betty