Improving TXP Image Management

hakjoon · 2006-07-28 02:29:36

ma_smith wrote:
For the plugin developers, how difficult would this be to accomplish?

Funny, I started thinking how it wouldn’t be hard to move the thumbnail relationship into it’s own table effectively allowing for unlimited thumbnails per image, either auto created or uploaded (sort of how it works now).

Main problem is it would effectively break every single current tool that works with thumbnails, but the data structure could be pretty simple, thumb_id, image_id, label, image_file (or some autogenerated combination of image-ID and something else).

Maybe a tag that could then call the thumb for that image by label like <txp:thumbnail id="image_id" label="permlink" />. Maybe define one of the variants as a fallback thumbnail for tools that don’t utilize this new scheme.

argh I don’t need more projects I still have two more plugins I want to write.

squaredeye · 2006-07-28 03:24:02

Hak, That’s what I’m here for man, frustration!

I would only be concerned with being able to keep it dynamic so that you could do something like this:
<txp:thumbnail type="x" permlink="1" etc />
Where “x” is a value that could be assigned to the thumbnail upon creation, like assigning it a category for instance, only not handled via category, cuz that would be doubling up on something we need elsewhere.

What say you good sir.

hakjoon · 2006-07-28 15:35:43

I think we are thinking the same thing. I think your type is my label. Effectively just an identifier for that variant.

Taking your example we could call the two thumb types title and excerpt.

So to call the title variant for image #35 you would do (I’m using new_thumbnail to represent that this is a new tag):

<txp:new_thumbnail id="35" type="title" /> I’d prefer to keep permlinking to it’s own tag a la <txp:permlink><txp:new_thumbnail id="35" type="title" /></permlink>

Ideally also be able to use name <txp:new_thumbnail name="cool image" type="title" />

In the images tab you would have the option to create a new type and then have TXP create the new thumb size or upload one (like we can now).

If this we’re to be a plugin, I think the ideal situation would be only enable extra types once a thumbnail has already been established which would keep other plugins and tags from breaking. The first thumb could be a built in type of default and would use the current idt.ext naming scheme. So doing <txp:thumbnail id="35" /> (current thumbnail tag) would effectively be the same things as doing <txp:new_thumbnail id="35" type="default" />

Last edited by hakjoon (2006-07-28 15:36:55)

squaredeye · 2006-07-29 01:21:48

Hak,
I think that sounds exactly right. Good thinking.
I would assume to that the tag could be used like this in a form:
<txp:thumbnail type="title" />
When it would be used in a hak_article_image plugin (or something like it).

How would you expect to have those thumbs displayed? Perhaps they could be text links with their type name,
which would produce a popup if one wanted to see the thumb itself? This would help keep page loading times down.

What do you think?

cnolle · 2006-08-07 19:26:06

Howdy,

There’s a couple of things I have always missed in textpattern’s image management. Maybe these should be plugins I don’t know, but I thought I’d share them, apologies if some have already been covered.

1. The ability to change the order of a given category of images after uploading them. I have tried to implement this into one of my own plugins but with very little success, ala this

2. Multiple delete, change category etc. like with articles.

3. Save the state of the current image listing. I.e if I choose to have a look at image category “human” and I edit one of the images belonging to that category and return to the list, it will still be listing images belonging to “human” and not all my images.

What do you think?

- Christian

rloaderro · 2006-08-07 19:55:17

ma_smith wrote:

Image editing seems to be a good thing to me, but there comes a level when you are trying to do things with images that would be much more easily, and likely much better done on the desktop in an image editing program.

Well, you are absolutely right in that these things could be done easier / better with a desktop image editing program. I am just thinking in terms of the client that does not have one and what they would require in the most basic sense in order to, say, upload photos directly from their digital camera to the website. We work with desktop image editing programs and think nothing of manipulating, sizing, saving etc.. images before upload – but I have come across more than one client that simply did not own or have access to image editing software. Trying to use the tools built into Windows is hopeless. And yes, there probably are shareware / freeware programs you can find on the internet – but I’d like to draw a parallel to the upoading built into TXP: sure if you are going to upload a few score of images to TXP using an external FTP program will make it a lot easier – but for the non-power user just adding an image every couple of weeks, having the upload built into TXP makes the application that much more useful.

Having the simple image resize has proven incredibly useful for me. Like I said, having the ability to crop from a side – maybe even a simple rotation – would just about complete it for me and would cover 95% of what my clients might need from the interface to cover taking a photo and putting it on their website without having to open any other application.

btw- I think your suggestion for multiple thumbnails is brilliant and would also be hugely useful!

squaredeye · 2006-08-07 20:51:28

Aeron,
i see your point. Maybe we could get some people together to bring this up in the plugin ransom. I for one don’t see this being integrated into core anytime soon as so many people value the lightweight nature of TXP, and this would add some weight (as best I can tell).

However, I think the possibilities are quite cool.

thumbnails: yes! Glad we agree :)

Bastian · 2006-08-08 09:11:40

Hey Folks,

some time ago a read this thread. Wow 11 pages. I will do my best to get on track with this.
But perhaps somebody can give me a short overview how far you get improving TXP in images…

squaredeye · 2006-08-08 15:48:52

Bastian,
Howdy man.

Super short synopsis:

There is a strong push to code a patch to enable img tags in TXP’s core to act more like articles. See the WIKI page for examples.

The second piece, which seems more appropriate for plugins, in order to keep TXP’s core slim, is the need for a

revision to upm_img_popper with better customization of links for insertion and style, etc.
better image management in the image tab (sorting, searching, etc) (I think some of this is in SVN for the next release, if not crockery)
better image organization. The need for folders etc when users have sometimes hundreds of images.
possibility for creation of multiple thumbnails per image
better image manipulation/editing
image post at write tab
image upload at write tab
batch upload (with category creation) (I think someone’s working on something like this as we speak) – can’t remember the name of the plugin in my morning haze.

There are other issues people have raised, but these have surfaced as the most important.

Is that helpful?

masa · 2006-08-08 16:17:53

ma_smith wrote:

batch upload (with category creation) (I think someone’s working on something like this as we speak) – can’t remember the name of the plugin in my morning haze.

Eric is the author and the thread is <a href=“http://forum.textpattern.com/viewtopic.php?id=17703”>here</a>.

Cheers Martin

Bastian · 2006-08-08 21:25:55

Matthew. Thanks for this fast response.

Is that helpful?

Yes! I will have a closer look to the older posts and restart with my input. Promised :)

jameslomax · 2006-08-13 23:02:45

ma_smith wrote:

revision to upm_img_popper with better customization of links for insertion and style, etc.
better image management in the image tab (sorting, searching, etc) (I think some of this is in SVN for the next release, if not crockery)
better image organization. The need for folders etc when users have sometimes hundreds of images.
possibility for creation of multiple thumbnails per image
better image manipulation/editing
image post at write tab
mage upload at write tab
batch upload (with category creation) (I think someone’s working on something like this as we speak) – can’t remember the name of the plugin in my morning haze.

To which I would add Bas, the important point about designing image navigation. The existing txp style is a one column display, and this is very bad design. It is clumsy, inefficient use of white space, making you scroll far too much and more than necessary. There are good examples of good design – both myself and someone else provided images of multi column interfaces (although my image will quite soon be deleted, because I’m closing down my account on that server), and you can also consider Adobe Bridge.

I think the other point that needs emphasising is recent remarks about changing the txp core. I was disappointed because I said a long time ago that changing the txp core is the maximum amount of work, that could mean waiting six months, twelve months or even longer, before these great ideas ever become real. My own preference is for a plug in, which could be built more easily and quickly.

jameslomax · 2006-09-17 09:07:18

Bastian wrote:

@James: How about having an option to show the img wizard thing above the body-textarea.
Make it user’s choice to load it on click or on default. Is that working for you?

Say Bas, are you still working on this?

J.

masa · 2006-09-18 16:04:53

ma_smith wrote:

better image organization. The need for folders etc when users have sometimes hundreds of images.

In that context I’d love to see one feature in particular:
a clean-up function that could find & delete any unused images.

Also just having a check mark displayed alongside each, individual image indicating whether it’s in use or not, would be very helpful.

Cheers Martin

jameslomax · 2006-09-18 16:31:19

Check this out – anyone used it?

Textpattern CMS

Textpattern CMS support forum

#256 2006-07-28 02:29:36

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#257 2006-07-28 03:24:02

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#258 2006-07-28 15:35:43

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#259 2006-07-29 01:21:48

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#260 2006-08-07 19:26:06

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#261 2006-08-07 19:55:17

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#262 2006-08-07 20:51:28

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#263 2006-08-08 09:11:40

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#264 2006-08-08 15:48:52

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#265 2006-08-08 16:17:53

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#266 2006-08-08 21:25:55

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#267 2006-08-13 23:02:45

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#268 2006-09-17 09:07:18

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#269 2006-09-18 16:04:53

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

#270 2006-09-18 16:31:19

Re: Improving TXP Image Management

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