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

Great thread, but I'm kind of new at this so please try to ignore my ignorance.

I have installed Gallery2 with checkout, checkout w/paypal and ZIP modules and everything is working. I would however like my HiRes photos to be the downloaded image from gallery and not viewable. I found this topic after some searches and it looks like this is just what I'm looking for.

I think I'm ready to try this, so far I have;

Installed Gallery v2.2.3 on my managed server (hosted at DreamHost) and it's all running. I've tested the PP integration in the PPSandbox. All is working.
Gallery url is running out off of http://mysite.net/Gallery

From what I have read in this thread, I need to do the following;

downloaded zen-cart-v1.3.7.1-full-patched-07052007 and zen-cart-v1.3.7-admin-patch to my windows client, unzip and FTP to my hosted server.

I also downloaded zcg2-0.9.1.zip from Chuck reference and read the Readme1st and readme. Looks fairly strait forward.

Some of these comments are months old, and before I start down this path, I thought to ask the question if these are still the latest bits to use. If not, what's missing and where should I get them. Also there seem to be some confusion about where should I unpack the zencart stuff?
home/Gallery/zencart/ or home/zencart/

Also, do the zcg2 .zip files go on top of G2 and ZC after the base kits are installed ?

Thanks for your replies (and some excellent work)

Also I saw a "A2_ZC1_3_7_GALLERY JPH_V2_1_ISS_2.zip", do I need this?

Taking them one at a time, no, it's not the latest. Dayo Akanji posted a link to a version with a couple of additional pricing/photo options on the Gallery2 forums two days ago. Other code is the same a s 0.9.1 I believe.

I don't think it makes any difference which package is in the 'root' folder of the website, or whether they are both in sub folders i.e. one in http://mysite.net/ and one in http://mysite.net.Gallery/, or in in Gallery as before and one in http://mysite.net/Shop/
Whatever works for you. As I mentioned in the one readme file, I usually install Zen Cart first, followed by Gallery, because thats the way I first did it, and it worked. I haven't tried any other way.
Most important is to execute the ALTER TABLE statements in the Readme on the Zen Cart products and categories tables, or you will definitely have problems.

You can install the mod files at any time, makes no difference.

I suspect the two files you are referring to at the end are the files for Hareslades image product type mod, which is nothing to do with the Gallery2 - Zen Cart integration.

Rgds,

Chuck

Found Dayo's post at http://gallery.menalto.com/node/69302

I've already got Gallery2 up so I'll try putting zc on top of it.
We'll see how it works. If I have to I'll delete G2 and re-do.

I've just deleted Checkout and Chechout w/Paypal plugins.

I think zc will work with zip download plugin.

My hosting service has a one click install for ZenCart and that went fine

I am having a problem though. I don't seem to be able to activate my zen cart in Gallery. It installed fine w/out errors but post config, there is no activate.

Any suggestions other than uninstall both zc and g2 and start over ?

Thanks

The process I use is:

1. Run ALTER TABLE on products_image and categories_image as per readme file.
2. Create a new category in ZC admin-categories/product types for the Gallery images e.g. Galleries.
3. Select install in Gallery2-siteadmin-plugins, get configure message etc. As requested, enter path th ZC install. This is the full filesystem path e.g. /var/www/fredbloggs/web/shop or /home/fredbloggs/public_html/shop or whatever and save.
4. Enter ZC category to use. Note that this cannot be the Top category. It will be accepted, but never give you a choice to activate.
5. Tick enable long paths and save.
6. Activate.

Great, I totally missed having to add a category. This allow me to activate zc, but now when I go to add items to my album, I get

Security Violation

The action you attempted is not permitted.
Error Detail -
Error (ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER) : 0

Gallery Remote also seems to be having trouble so maybe I messed up a gallery setting. Thanks again...

Oops, since I re-installed, I forgot to re-enable Remote.
One more try, and this time with feeling. Thanks

Yup, I know the message well. Often caused by your site running under suExec rather than straight PHP.
Usually means you have some files somewhere (usually the image you are uploading or trying to add) that is not owned by the site user/suExec user, but usually by the Apache user - 'nobody' or 'www-data'.
Also don't forget that Dayos' code adds permission checks on the gallery side?

If it were confession time, I'd say that I have been looking at that message A LOT over the last 2 days, and that I cured it and I don't know how....
Try - setting the album permissions to everybody all access, if you've uploaded images to the server, check their ownership and permissions. Deactivate Zencart module in Gallery, add some images and re-activate. Check the ownership and permissions on your Gallery data folder and sub folders.
I did all of the above, some combination of them worked.

Sure am getting good at reinstalling ...

Things are working pretty well all the way thru checkout. When the image is in the cart and you hit the customized 'back to site' button, I'm getting an error when directed to the URL
http://www.xxx.com/g2/main.php?g2_controller=zencart.PurchaseOptions
"Your change cannot be completed due to a loss of session data. "
* in modules/core/classes/GalleryController.class at line 239 (gallerycoreapi::error)
* in main.php at line 224 (gallerycontroller::assertisgenuinerequest)
* in main.php at line 94
* in main.php at line 83

Thanks more....

Also when actually using Paypal to check out, I'm getting

Warning: reset() [function.reset]: Passed variable is not an array or object in /home/.pooch/.../zen_cart/includes/modules/order_total/ot_tax.php on line 38

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /home/.pooch/.../zen_cart/includes/modules/order_total/ot_tax.php on line 39

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/.pooch/.../zen_cart/includes/modules/order_total/ot_tax.php:38) in /home/.pooch/.../zen_cart/includes/functions/functions_general.php on line 44

hum.. Maybe I'm missing something on the installs.

Install zc, then G2, then the zcg2 1.0 where the following is from the readme;

1. Upload the files in gallery2/ to your Gallery 2 directory and the files in zencart/ to your Zen Cart directory.
2. In your Gallery 2 Site Administration, click on "Modules," find "Zen Cart" under the "Commerce" heading, and click "configure."
3. Enter the full server path to your Zen Cart installation (E.G.
   /home/you/public_html/Gallery2/zencart/).
   ) Create Category in Zen Cart under Catalog/Categories (cant use top) -- added step from post.
4. Select the category in Zen Cart in which you would like your Gallery items to be put.
5. Click "activate" next to the Zen Cart listing on the module page and you're done!

Then update the DB for long file names both products and categories

Configure g2 commerce zencart
Configure zc for pp

?? Did I miss someting here ? I get foggy eyed after midnight... Thanks again...

On the 'Paypal' side, that sounds like a Zen Cart error message saying 'If you want me to charge tax you'd better define some tax rates and groups'

Regarding session data etc, I don't quite follow, as I don't get a 'back to gallery' button in the shopping cart. I only have a back to gallery button in the product info page, which takes me back to gallery. If I am logged in to gallery, there are navid's appended to the return path in the url showing.

Could you expand a bit on the process followed to get there - e.g. login to gallery-select photo-select view/add to cart-select add to cart etc.

Hey guys.

I'm an experienced photographer with not so much experience in server-side web configurations. I've read through this thread, and would very much like to use Zen Cart and Gallery2 to take orders for my prints, but I have no idea what you guys are talking about, even though I'm actually a techie person. Is someone familiar with integrating these two scripts here that would be interested in doing it for me?

...i'm paying, but it won't be a whole lot until I can start selling these prints. Know what I mean?

Alternately, maybe there's some kind of for-dummies walkthrough on these things you can point me to?

Thanks.

Chuckl:

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

Hi Chackl
I appreciate and thanks for your expert contributions. I have downloaded that file for IH2 to repair the problem with IE6
I have another problem with IE6/7 I think is caused bi IH2
If you look at this link: http://www.luvyourtastebuds.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=180
you can see what I mean.
When I add an additional image to the product the center section of the page looses its margin right and it goes and mixes with the right column.
The problem being the customer cannot add to cart and purchase
By The Way: its fine with Firefox but I think lots of people use still IE6/7

Any Idea ? Can you help?
I would certanly appreciate it very much
Regards
Franco

I use IH2 on my site and tested on most major browsers, no problem at all. You should validate (html) of your site, see if you make any error anywhere. (for example, it can be caused by setting the incorrect width in css )

Spyderboyy,

It's difficult to advise you as there is a world of difference between installing the software and getting it working - i.e. the website is technically functional, and having a ready to go site selling prints to customers.

The first is relatively quick, assuming a good choice of host etc, the second, the skies the limit, as you're now in the realm of aesthetics, not technology.

Francocauter, that looks like a template/stylesheet problem to me, not IH2. I think yellow1912 may have a good suggestion, go to somewhere like

http://validator.w3.org/

and run that page through the CSS and URL validator to see what it complains about

Chuckl:

Francocauter, that looks like a template/stylesheet problem to me, not IH2. I think yellow1912 may have a good suggestion, go to somewhere like

http://validator.w3.org/

and run that page through the CSS and URL validator to see what it complains about

I have investigated it a bit further and its this following piece of code that is in additional_images.php file that comes from the "hoverbox 2" mod that over wrights the additional_images.php that is in IH2. The centre part of the page in IE7 that overshoots to the right does not happen with additional_images.php from the IH2 mod but then the hover box with the additional images does not work.
There must be something in this code that makes the margin right off or something that does not make recognize the right column, here it is, see if you can make something out of it:

// Link Preparation:
if(HOVERBOX_ENABLED == 'Yes'){
    if(HOVERBOX_DISPLAY_TITLE == 'Yes'){
    $title = zen_clean_html($products_name);
    }else{
    $title='';
    }
    if(HOVERBOX_DISPLAY_PRICE == 'Yes'){
        if($specials_price){
        $price = ' - ' . $specials_price;
        }else{
        $price = ' - ' . $products_base_price;
        }
    }else{
    $price='';
    }
    $script_link = '<a href="'. $products_image_large . '" rel="hoverbox" title="' . $title . $price . '">' . zen_image($base_image, $products_name, MEDIUM_IMAGE_WIDTH, MEDIUM_IMAGE_HEIGHT) . '</a>';
}else{
$script_link = '<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"><!--' . "\n" . 'document.write(\'' . ($flag_display_large ? '<a href="javascript:popupWindow(\\\'' . $large_link . '\\\')">' . $thumb_slashes . '<br />' . TEXT_CLICK_TO_ENLARGE . '</a>' : $thumb_slashes) . '\');' . "\n" . '//--></script>';

$noscript_link = '<noscript>' . ($flag_display_large ? '<a href="' . zen_href_link(FILENAME_POPUP_IMAGE_ADDITIONAL, 'pID=' . $_GET['products_id'] . '&pic=' . $i . '&products_image_large_additional=' . $products_image_large) . '" target="_blank">' . $thumb_regular . '<br /><span class="imgLinkAdditional">' . TEXT_CLICK_TO_ENLARGE . '</span></a>' : $thumb_regular ) . '</noscript>';
}

It is this piece of code because when I replace this "link preparation" portion of code in the additional_images,php file, the error comes up I repeat only in IE7

The easiest way, which I did, would be:

1. Forget about the Gallery2 thing, you don't need it.
2. ZC already has a built in module that let you sell file, so use it instead.
3. Install image handler 2, let it water mark and shrink down the sample image, that will be the product's image.
4. Once the customers pay, they can download the real file (psd files, perhap)

That would be the best way, you need to install only 1 mod (IH2), or you may choose not to install it, you can batch watermark you pics using Photoshop or many other softwares.

Regards.

Spyderboyy:

Hey guys.

I'm an experienced photographer with not so much experience in server-side web configurations. I've read through this thread, and would very much like to use Zen Cart and Gallery2 to take orders for my prints, but I have no idea what you guys are talking about, even though I'm actually a techie person. Is someone familiar with integrating these two scripts here that would be interested in doing it for me?

...i'm paying, but it won't be a whole lot until I can start selling these prints. Know what I mean?

Alternately, maybe there's some kind of for-dummies walkthrough on these things you can point me to?

Thanks.

An updated version of the Gallery2 Zen Cart integration is available in the download area. It includes some bugfixes, particularly the infamous 'cascade of errors on first adding an image after install, and some refactoring to get rid of the hardwired dependencies on Zen Cart admin functions and include files.

it also contains the first release of an enhanced version of the mod, aimed mainly at people wishing to sell downloadable imagery. This version allows the site admin to specify the various resolutions and pricing on offer. Thereafter, any file uploaded to a Gallery album will immediately be available for sale and download at the specified resolutions/sizes.

On download, the purchased image file is created and zipped on the fly for download, and deleted after completion.

Chuck

Hi there

I have a photography site that is currently running Gallery2 only.

I have installed ZenCart as a sub directory, and a fresh install of Gallery2 under this. I have also installed the latest ZenCart/Gallery2 integration files. Once I have it all up and running, I will redirect to the new ZenCart front end.

http://www.petersteelephotography.com/store

My question is - When a customer is viewing the thumbnail image, and they click on "larger image" it takes them to the Gallery2 page. Is there any way to have the "larger image" appear in ZenCart only (and not have the Gallery2 pages appear) or have the image only appear in a popup window?

Your advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
Danielle

Hi there Danielle, glad you got it working, makes a change...

I think that when the mod was developed, Michael was keen to demonstrate the 'integration' by switching back and forth. Unfortuately, there is no clear path to reverse direction, other than the browser 'back' button.
Dayo Akanji has addressed paritally this with some mods available from the Gallery2 forums, if you'd like to have a look at them, they're available for download there.

I'm also looking at it as time permits, along with a couple of other enhancements to make things a bit smoother. Unfortunately, there are a couple of confounding factors.
Firstly, all Gallery images are of 'Product Gallery' product type. This means that none of the 'Product General' mods are activated or work with Gallery images.
Secondly, the image handling code in Zen Cart is VERY hardcoded to use the implemented structure - Large images have a _LRG extension, and are in the '/large' folder etc etc. The images from Gallery are actually passed as full size, but are resampled down to the thumbnail size for display.

Some possible short term solutions that I've tried are:

Increase the thumbnail size to 250 or 300, and don't allow guest to view resizes. makes it less necessary to view anything bigger.
Use Dayo's approach and point visitors to the Gallery, using the Zen Cart part only for the purchases.
Start writing code to call a suitable resize for the larger image.

The final option is feasible, I have looked at it, just haven't implemented it fully.

Rgds,

Chuck