New version of Gallery - due soon

[thyon]

Hi

Just to let you know that I'm going to release a new version of the Gallery extension. It will include most of the features requested by users. The basic concept of the gallery is also slightly different now, there are some great new features:

• Implementing the new comments system[/*:m:1g1el7ui]
• Archives are now called collections: Rich text descriptions, default BE sorting mode (switchable: manual, date, title), page filter (link your collection to a page for auto-filter by page), Artists Groups (member groups) and default image gallery settings [/*:m:1g1el7ui]
• Gallery items include new meta parameters (so you can list single gallery artwork/photos): Author (person adding), Artist/Photographer Member, Medium, Substrate, Artwork size, Status, Poster Image[/*:m:1g1el7ui]
• Gallery List Module has new options: total items, featured, items per page, skip items, sortorder (override or leave as collection default), filter support (for status field, etc.)[/*:m:1g1el7ui]
• New Gallery List page-linked: you do not specify a gallery at all, and it automatically checks if the current page is setup in a gallery collection and renders only that collection (or multiple collections).[/*:m:1g1el7ui]
• Inserttag support (replacing Gallery Single Module's purpose) {{insert_gallery::ID&module=ID}} to link the reader module to render the gallery with.[/*:m:1g1el7ui]

I hope you're excited as I am to publish this soon.

[PaoloB]

Good news!!!

Thanks thyon

[Toflar]

This really is good news!!

Curious about that

[thyon]

I'm a bit stuck. I've created the ability for the gallery to have DEFAULT settings for:

Gallery Collection (Archive):

• Poster Image (size, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]
• Gallery Images (size, margin, perrow, perpage, sortby, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]

Gallery:

• Poster Image (size, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]
• Gallery Images (size, margin, perrow, perpage, sortby, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]

Modules (List & Viewer):

• Poster Image (size, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]
• Gallery Images (size, margin, perrow, perpage, sortby, fullscreen)[/*:m:2cbl2fw5]

This can be overridden in the gallery itself, but it can also be overridden in the Gallery List Module. This presents a major problem now, as it becomes difficult to manage 3 image settings for 1 gallery.

Can I not just keep the original gallery image settings (much more flexible) and just override them in the List and Viewer Modules, and drop the settings in the collection (archive)? If not, please let me have a scenario that you might want the collection (or archive) to have image settings?

I understand the user may not want to add the settings to a gallery, but then you can override that in the List and Viewer modules (like News is doing). Is it really necessary to put more settings in the collection (archive) as well, as I'd like to drop them (from the new design) before I release the final version?

[Ben_360fusion]

Hi,

Not sure if i completely understood the scenario but..

For me it doesn't matter where I can override all settings whether it's the module or the archive. I just need to set all the defaults so if i set up a gallery system for a client the only options they have is to be able to give the album a name etc and select or upload images. the less they need to do the better. This will keep all images, padding, rows the same throughout.

I did imagine you would just put these settings in the gallery archive and not the module, but it doesn't matter to me as I would have limited the access to this in the archive settings for the client login. If these settings are in the module it would probably be better as then the client can't change them as i limit client logins from the modules section. the less they can edit/break the better for everyone.

Ben

[thyon]

I've decided to remove the archive settings. There is only image settings in the Gallery itself and also in the module to list and viewer (individual) items. This works like the news items in Contao. The behaviour allows you to re-render the image sizes using the module's override values.

[Ben_360fusion]

Can you also override margins, padding and images per row from the module?

Cheers
Ben

[thyon]

Yep, and if you don't specify a parameter in the module (e.g. Thumbnails per row) then the Gallery settings are used, so you can partially override settings if you prefer. You can also override sort-order.

[attachment=0xdm75wb]gallery-list-config.jpg[/attachmentxdm75wb]

[thyon]

I'm just finalising the RSS Feed and InsertTag stuff, then it should be ready. I think the filtering will be a great new feature. Later, I'll release an Artist Profile with galleries listed below.

Also, now you can list actual art items, showing the artwork head-on in the poster image, and then add in-place shots of the art or just more shots in the gallery. You can still use the gallery for just photo's.

Note: As I don't see another way, I'm not sure that I'll be able to save the gallery comments transferred into the new system.

[Ben_360fusion]

Great, Looking forward to the release.

Just one more thing... Will it have the option to show each image on it's own page? I know I've mentioned this before and it is not a simple job to implement. But it would be so good, especially if you could then add comments on each image.

[thyon]

Hey Ben. You just need to re-work your mind a bit. In your case, like I did for my client. A gallery collection is your "gallery". Each gallery item is then your "photo". This will make each item available in a viewer (reader) and therefore available for comments.

Maybe later we can add a multiple item to the header actions, to add a single folder to auto-create multiple items, then you can use the override function to simply override the default parameters.

[Ben_360fusion]

Ahhh, Yes, I know what you mean. Will give that a go.

But an automated solution would be great in the future.

[thyon]

The automated gallery item insert will create items, but you have to edit each item anyway for it's description and it's title and alias... It'll only ease the image selection.