how to sell high res images allowing download after paying? Gallery2

[pcgoddess]

Finally, what I think you are saying is a problem, you need to specify a 'path to zencart files'. This is the same path as the entry in your Zen Cart configure.php for FS_CATALOG e.g.

Hi Chuck,

I followed all the steps, up to and including checking permissions on the integration directories/files. In addition to that, I added both G2 and Zencart DB users to configure.php in /zencart/includes. When I attempt to configure the Zencart module in G2 where it says "Path to Zencart directory", I get this: One or more of the integration files are missing from your Zen Cart directory.



Thanks again,
PCGODDESS

[Chuckl]

Could you expand a bit on adding both DB users to configure.php?

The missing files error is at about the minor irritation level. First check is that the path you have entered in G2 has a closing / Unlike Zen Cart G2 requires it.
i.e. /var/www/whatever/public_html/ not /var/www/whatever/public_html

Secondly, it is part of a highly scientific 'install verify' routine that simply checks for:
folder
/includes/modules/pages/product_gallery_info/

and files
/includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_product_gallery_info_display.php
/includes/modules/pages/product_gallery_info/main_template_vars.php

on the path that you entered.

Rgds,

Chuck

[drhiii]

Hello,

I'm starting down a Gallery2/Zencart path and arrived at this thread. Am I right to see that there are two separate bridge applications going on here? The:

Zen Cart™ Version: v1.3.7
Version: 0.9.1
Last Updated: May 03 2007
Author: Chuck Redman

and then the harslade fork of a G2/ZC integration??

After researching all this and install the 0.9.1 module, a couple of questions if I may....

Do either one of these applications support a 'per object pricing', meaning a customized price per object so pricing can be set for each item separately?

Also, do either of the bridge applications provide for the CSS to follw from G2 down into ZenCart, so the same page style is maintained into the ZC side?

Will look forward to any responses and in the mean time will of course work on the modules to see if I can discover the answers as well.

tx

No prob Gagulio, I've attached a zip with (I hope) all the files, including a readme with some notes.
Hareslades site is at

http://www.hareslade.com/zc/index.php

if you're interested in what he's done. He was very active a couple of months back developing a photo gallery type product for Zen Cart. I've been meaning to follow up to check on cross integrating it with the Gallery2 mod, but time.....

Rgds,
Chuck

[Chuckl]

The way the Gallery2 integration is currently set up, there is a default set of options that are passed through from G2 to Zencart when an image is added to an Album in the Gallery. That default set is the same for all images.
In that sense the module is aimed towards a 'bulk' automated market. e.g. You take 200 photos at an event, upload them, and they are instantly available for purchase.
Either some changes to the Gallery2 integration code, or product editing on Zen Cart could alter that.
From the direction of your question, I think you are looking to sell 'individual' images at individual prices? If so, I think Hareslades work is more suited to that approach, but he is a better person to answer that than I.
A word of warning that if you are talking any kind of volumes here, the admin overhead/workload would be considerable.

On the template side, Gallery2 is based on Smarty templates, Zencart is not. To achieve a consistent 'look and feel' you would need to modify the templates in both, identifying the similar tags and elements in each environment.

[birdoasis]

drhiii,

Can you tell me why you want to use Gallery 2 for this? I'm working on the same type of site for my photo sales. However I'm just going to use Zen Cart to sell the photos and merchandise with the photos on them, cups tshirts, etc.

Now keep in mind, I say working on it, but it's still in the planning stages. My other projects are keeping me busy.

By the way, I went to the Antique Road Show with some photos to be appraised. Not mine, these were shot in WWI, dutch army photos.

I asked the appraiser what photos I should be taken if I wanted to be remembered as a photographer in 100 years. His advice, "Don't shoot rocks and trees. Buildings, People, Events. That's what makes a photo's collectible antiques."

Wonder what Ansel Adams would think of that? haha.


JP

[drhiii]

Thank you for these excellent answers. They are much appreciated. I believe you are the 'cer' on the gallery forums as well and I just left a post there before I realized it.

I will revisit your information here as I am indeed having an issue with the thumbnail displaying in Zencart. It shows a "no image" image, something like that, so it appears it is trying to pull something from G2, but oddly, it ends in a .html and not a .jpg. This of course is not right. I am wondering if it is a URL issue as has been mentioned already. It is using the same domain name, but it looks like this:

g2.abcxyz.com and zen.abcxyz.com

Meaning the same domains, but not based off of the same prefix. That seems to be causing a problem and it may indeed be THE problem. Am mucking my way through it.

Also, I did grab down harslades' code and it threw me, so I may try to get this G2/ZC integration working first, then try and tackle that one. It appears I can set a default pricing for bulk uploads, but I believe I can override it in this bridge from what I see. So I think it can do both. I know it gets into some significant management to do per object pricing, but the volume is not that great.

Anyway, I very much appreciate your taking the time to respond.... I will study and come back after I have worked the information handed to me.

regards

The way the Gallery2 integration is currently set up, there is a default set of options that are passed through from G2 to Zencart when an image is added to an Album in the Gallery. That default set is the same for all images.
In that sense the module is aimed towards a 'bulk' automated market. e.g. You take 200 photos at an event, upload them, and they are instantly available for purchase.
Either some changes to the Gallery2 integration code, or product editing on Zen Cart could alter that.
From the direction of your question, I think you are looking to sell 'individual' images at individual prices? If so, I think Hareslades work is more suited to that approach, but he is a better person to answer that than I.
A word of warning that if you are talking any kind of volumes here, the admin overhead/workload would be considerable.

On the template side, Gallery2 is based on Smarty templates, Zencart is not. To achieve a consistent 'look and feel' you would need to modify the templates in both, identifying the similar tags and elements in each environment.

[drhiii]

One further tidbit to advance a question.... I will reinstall to get to this environment but wanted to ask here...

Do I get it right that the recommendation is to install ZenCart, then G2, in the following order:

../public_html/zencart
../public_html/zencart/gallery2

Do I have this right?

The way the Gallery2 integration is currently set up, there is a default set of options that are passed through from G2 to Zencart when an image is added to an Album in the Gallery. That default set is the same for all images.
In that sense the module is aimed towards a 'bulk' automated market. e.g. You take 200 photos at an event, upload them, and they are instantly available for purchase.
Either some changes to the Gallery2 integration code, or product editing on Zen Cart could alter that.
From the direction of your question, I think you are looking to sell 'individual' images at individual prices? If so, I think Hareslades work is more suited to that approach, but he is a better person to answer that than I.
A word of warning that if you are talking any kind of volumes here, the admin overhead/workload would be considerable.

On the template side, Gallery2 is based on Smarty templates, Zencart is not. To achieve a consistent 'look and feel' you would need to modify the templates in both, identifying the similar tags and elements in each environment.

[drhiii]

Ah, why G2 and ZenCart? This would take a long answer. Am not sure this mix will work anyway. It is a unique application, meaning usage, of how to present images into commerce. ZenCart by itself could not satisfy this method. It would take a lot longer to explain but will say that your genre of imagery falls into this model.

Not a good explanation I know. If you are curious-er, send a private email and I can spin up on it a bit more.

And good one re: Ansel Adams. I am sure he is rolling on the floor watching what has transpired with his images and legacy. Last laugh kind of thing...

tx

drhiii,

Can you tell me why you want to use Gallery 2 for this? I'm working on the same type of site for my photo sales. However I'm just going to use Zen Cart to sell the photos and merchandise with the photos on them, cups tshirts, etc.

Now keep in mind, I say working on it, but it's still in the planning stages. My other projects are keeping me busy.

By the way, I went to the Antique Road Show with some photos to be appraised. Not mine, these were shot in WWI, dutch army photos.

I asked the appraiser what photos I should be taken if I wanted to be remembered as a photographer in 100 years. His advice, "Don't shoot rocks and trees. Buildings, People, Events. That's what makes a photo's collectible antiques."

Wonder what Ansel Adams would think of that? haha.


JP

[Chuckl]

drhiii, Yes I am indeed the cer on the Gallery forums, I visit there once or twice a week in case anyone has a problem.

On the paths question - gallery2 in a folder off the zencart install in the top website folder, thats how I've always installed it, and it works ofr me. (I think Michael Rodrigues Torrent who wrote it originally recommended that and I've stuck with it.

Th 'path' issue is the one most prone to error, but stick with it. A missing thumbnail is an amost guaranteed sign that something is amiss. The other real gotcha is please - first thing, create a ZC category to specify as the 'root' folder for Gallery. Do NOT link to the top ZC category. Very bad things happen, and you will reinstall.

All the gallery images in ZC are simply paths back to a call to g2_view, which serves up the image - example

http://www.mydomain.com/gallery2/mai...&g2_itemId=285

the itemid being the thumbnail being displayed.

And an example of a 'Path to Zencart' in the gallery2 setup. Remember that it is the file system path, so /var/www/web1/web/
or similar - /home/www/site56/public_html/ etc. Don't forget the closing / at the end.
I also cannot stress enough how important it is to alter the product thumbnail path table in the database for the larger (255) field size. The thumbnail example I gave above would breakwith the default size. Result, no thumbnail, as only the 1st 64 chars would be stored.

Not sure on the naming, but I've always kept them on the same website. I had no problems with different databases by setting user permissions aptly, but remember, it's my server it runs on.
On a commercially hosted server, I think you'd battle, and even with different websites on the same server you would have a problem.

On the pricing/options side, yes they are settable, and changeable quite easily.

Hope that helps, good luck, and shout if there's a problem. Just remember the magic words, 'This one's for Ansel'.

Rgds,

Chuck

[drhiii]

Oh boy, I have to say your last line, one 'one for Ansel', totally got my attention. Great line!

And, I appreciate your taking the time to walk through this information. It does take of course, time, but I will then be able to impart it to others to keep the virail effect going.

Am going to reinstall stuff right now, apply the field size to the data base, and give it a whirl again. I can see how it fits together now, and just need to bolt things together to make it work. It will be one of this gee whiz, one for Ansel moments.

Your time and energy are much appreciated.

regards

drhiii, Yes I am indeed the cer on the Gallery forums, I visit there once or twice a week in case anyone has a problem.

On the paths question - gallery2 in a folder off the zencart install in the top website folder, thats how I've always installed it, and it works ofr me. (I think Michael Rodrigues Torrent who wrote it originally recommended that and I've stuck with it.

Th 'path' issue is the one most prone to error, but stick with it. A missing thumbnail is an amost guaranteed sign that something is amiss. The other real gotcha is please - first thing, create a ZC category to specify as the 'root' folder for Gallery. Do NOT link to the top ZC category. Very bad things happen, and you will reinstall.

All the gallery images in ZC are simply paths back to a call to g2_view, which serves up the image - example

http://www.mydomain.com/gallery2/mai...&g2_itemId=285

the itemid being the thumbnail being displayed.

And an example of a 'Path to Zencart' in the gallery2 setup. Remember that it is the file system path, so /var/www/web1/web/
or similar - /home/www/site56/public_html/ etc. Don't forget the closing / at the end.
I also cannot stress enough how important it is to alter the product thumbnail path table in the database for the larger (255) field size. The thumbnail example I gave above would breakwith the default size. Result, no thumbnail, as only the 1st 64 chars would be stored.

Not sure on the naming, but I've always kept them on the same website. I had no problems with different databases by setting user permissions aptly, but remember, it's my server it runs on.
On a commercially hosted server, I think you'd battle, and even with different websites on the same server you would have a problem.

On the pricing/options side, yes they are settable, and changeable quite easily.

Hope that helps, good luck, and shout if there's a problem. Just remember the magic words, 'This one's for Ansel'.

Rgds,

Chuck