Gallery

Sheila · **Gallery -** 01-11-2003, 01:43 PM

Anyone else installed the Fantastico version of 4-Images Gallery? I've just started exploring it and I'm having a lot of minor challenges with it. I've gone to the support forum for it at: http://www.4homepages.de/forum/ and learned how to upload a whole directory of images at a time.

But the whole dang thing is in GERMAN! Some of the support is in English and I know how to use Google's translator. But even the installed version is in German, ie: the button that says "lightbox" is in German, etc. You can see my preliminary attempt at setting this up at:
http://nwtr.org/gallery/. I haven't taken time to optimize the images or customize the interface yet.

I just discovered that I can download and install an English language pack which I will do. But it would seem that the version we get with Fantastico should already BE the English version one. Maybe Jim could add that version to our servers? Hmmm... it appears in the Control Panel that English is already checked and that the gifs for lightbox, etc are there in English w/o needing to install the download. But then WHY am I still seeing German?!

The Gallery control panel has links for making thumbnails and resizing images but they seem to be dead. I suppose our Fantastico install is an old version or incomplete? Actually, I just checked and our version IS the current version. What I see when I tried to use the Auto-Thumbnailer & Auto Image-Resizer is "Select module to create thumbnail. Check module settings." and that's ALL. I just found that I must choose a Thumnailer & Image Resizer for it to use. Looks like I must first obtain one and then figure out how to install it. Might be easier to just use Photoshop and upload the optimized images and thumbnails. Too bad this is so complicated. The idea of having endusers who want to upload photos be able to generate thumbnails and optimize images is a good one. I guess I'll figure it all out eventually.

It also appears that this gallery must be a single install in the folder called gallery then have as many "categories" within it. What I'd like to be able to do is make a separate gallery within each folder that needs photos. So there'd be nwtr.org/2002/gallery and nwtr.org/2003/gallery, etc.

Sorry this is so long. I guess it helps me think it through by writing about it. If anyone can shed any light I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

Sheila

boxcar · 01-11-2003, 03:29 PM

I have the gallery installed and didn't run into the language problem except for the lightbox images which I changed by editing the original images. Your english pack may have those if not I am willing to send you mine.

The upload a directory at a time is a neat trick. However, after uploading it is necessary to go to the check new images selection and process them into the database. If you have done that it is then possible to use the autothumbnailer to find those and process the thumbnails. The resizer works in a similar fashion. Before all that in the setup I remember needing to select from three options regarding how gallery will process images (which software). At the time imagemagic was not available on all the servers (may still not be), so it was necessary to select another choice. Pure ignorance led me to select GD and it works for me.

The gallery does create a separate directory for each category. They are cryptically numbered in rotation as you add them. So the third category is directory 3 or whatever. You may look into some sort of re-direct to get the name you want related to the subcategory directory number. I am on the fringe with that so can't offer much.

Sheila · 01-11-2003, 04:28 PM

Thanks for your quick and helpful response. Your "pure ignorance led me to select GD" was a great help. First I didn't see that I even needed to select one of the 3 options and after trying the first one and seeing I'd have to download and install it I got frustrated. The GD option DOES indeed function as advertised which is quite helpful. Although there are a handful of images that made thumbnails that look like there's something wrong with them.

If you wouldn't mind sending me the english version of the Lightbox button that'd be great. I'd like to move the next/previous buttons up to the top instead of having to scroll so far down. I guess that'll come when I start editing the html template pages which I haven't even looked at yet.

Also, do you know if there's an option for setting it up for a visitor to view all images as a slideshow?

Thanks again.

boxcar · 01-11-2003, 04:46 PM

My thought on the thumbnails is to delete those you prefabricated and uploaded. Then process the images into the database (to insure they are all in). Then run auto thumbnailer to generate the thumbnails. Notice that the thumbnail creation provides for sizing as well as a quality factor (0-100% I think).

Don't recall any slide show option. Not sure I would want one (It's my bandwidth here you know). I can here it now, "oops I forgot to turn the computer off last night. (Well Sheila it is Saturday).....

I will send the images. You can PM or email the email address you want me to use.

Sheila · 01-11-2003, 05:05 PM

Thanks for your offer. I just figured out that while I had the English images, they needed to be moved over to the default folder. Not exactly plug & play! So I'm set for those now.

I just tried deleting a couple of the bad thumbnails and regenerating and that didn't fix 'em. Very odd. It's NOT using any of the ones I generated previously because I'd added a drop shadow on them all so it'd be easy to tell.

Oh well...I think I'm done fussing for now. I have other projects yelling at me for attention. Thanks again for all your help.

Sheila

stratplan · **I've looked at the gallery -** 01-11-2003, 10:55 PM

A couple of times...I would like to set up a church photo directory on it -

But I am scared off by the apparent lack of ease to install and maintain. I am pending that to later when I have more experience with MySql and maybe PHP.

Thanks for the walkthrough on steps you've both taken. That will be helpful when/if I try.

dtrumbower · 01-15-2003, 02:55 PM

Know nothing of 4images. I use gallery and it took me minutes to set it up.
You can look at http://trumbower.com/gallery/ for an example with no modifcations except page header.

You upload files into the album directory and the thumbnails are handled for you. It also alllows a slideshow. When you open the allbum, there is a link in the upper right hand corner for slide show.

This is the software link.
http://gallery.sourceforge.net
Though I can't seem to get to it right now.

Dwight

kenyon · **Gallery is the ultimate -** 01-15-2003, 03:33 PM

I also use The Gallery. It's pretty much the best gallery system I've seen.

stratplan · **nice job, trumbower! -** 01-15-2003, 03:35 PM

I guess I will have to try it one of these days!

Did I see somewhere, maybe on one of the sample sites, that you could have a lookup and some descriptive info for each picture that comes up when it does?

Reason for asking, I'm trying to find an easy way to put up a pix directory of a church, and pictures, with names beneath, and other info like phone nr, etc when clicked would be nice.

Again, you and Sheila have done an excellent job on the Gallery.

kenyon · **Re: nice job, trumbower! -** 01-15-2003, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stratplan
Did I see somewhere, maybe on one of the sample sites, that you could have a lookup and some descriptive info for each picture that comes up when it does?

Reason for asking, I'm trying to find an easy way to put up a pix directory of a church, and pictures, with names beneath, and other info like phone nr, etc when clicked would be nice.

The Gallery does have a search function. You can add captions for each picture which contain whatever you want, like phone numbers. You can also add comments about each item in the Gallery. Mine is at www.theralphs.us/gallery.

dtrumbower · **Re: nice job, trumbower! -** 01-15-2003, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Did I see somewhere, maybe on one of the sample sites, that you could have a lookup and some descriptive info for each picture that comes up when it does?

When you upload the files you can specify the details for each. If you lazy like me, than the default is the file name.

I think it would work very well for a church directory.

Dwight

Sheila · **Update with new question -** 02-06-2003, 09:25 PM

After completely loosing one of my sites this week I've had to rebuild both the Forum and the Gallery. I switched over to Gallery and with some help from my friends here have finally managed to get it functioning. I created my first album today (using Gallery Remote.)

If you've used Gallery maybe you can help with this little question. The thumbnail that represents the album is the first image in the album. My question is, I've now changed that first image and would like THAT thumbnail to represent the album. Is there a way to do this? I tried rejenerating the thumbnails but since there are 150 images in the album I stopped it after a few. It didn't change the first image so I decided that probably wasn't the solution.

Thanks,
Sheila

prince · **highlight photo ? -** 02-06-2003, 10:40 PM

If you want to pick which image shows up as the 'highlight' for an album (shows in gallery) then log in as admin - find the image and use the pull down (edit photo) options. One says highlight photo - That will select that image to be the 'highlight' for that album (in the gallery

Summary: Find the image in album - use the edit photo drop down menu - and select 'highlight photo.

Hope this helps

kenyon · **Re: Update with new question -** 02-06-2003, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sheila
If you've used Gallery maybe you can help with this little question. The thumbnail that represents the album is the first image in the album. My question is, I've now changed that first image and would like THAT thumbnail to represent the album. Is there a way to do this?

Easy.

When you're logged in, go into the album. In the dropdown box beneath each picture you will find an option that says Highlight. Select that and it will be done.