Mini Gallery sidebar option for the Cover Image Block

[Bob]

By popular demand, the existing (boring) Cover Image sidebar block has been enhanced slightly so that it is now a mini Gallery (which includes the ability to view the images via lightbox). It also has the ability to include images from an XFMG album (optional). It displays 4 thumbnail images at a time and scrolls left or right (infinite loop)

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so this is what it looks like when the Mini Gallery option for the Cover Image sidebar block is enabled.



As you can see in this shot... I've scrolled to thumbs to the next set (and you can see the faint left and right arrows (that appear on hover). On mobile, you can swipe left or right.



There are 3 new options that drive this. The first option controls whether the entire block is enabled or not. The 2nd two options pertain to adding the mini gallery below the cover image.



When you have the Cover Image enabled and the Mini Gallery Disabled, the Title of the Block uses a different phrase as it makes no sense to have the block title as "Gallery" when its just a static cover image.

 

[3rd angle]

imo the small thumbnails should have a limit.. an admin option to define the limit... because a lot of thumbnails by itself doesn't do anything except taking up spaces... it is when clicked and showed on light box it becomes alive.. (kudos for the lightbox implementation)

so a scroller (left or right.... or vertical) or something would be nice...

 

[Bob]

imo the small thumbnails should have a limit.. an admin option to define the limit... because a lot of thumbnails by itself doesn't do anything except taking up spaces... it is when clicked and showed on light box it becomes alive.. (kudos for the lightbox implementation)

so a scroller (left or right.... or vertical) or something would be nice...

I could probably use bx slider for the thumbs. I'll mess around with it a bit more before the release.

 

[SnoSheriff]

so a scroller (left or right.... or vertical) or something would be nice...

Yes, animated slider/scroller would be nice

 

[3rd angle]

I think xenreviews does it fine with 4 small thumbnails... and without slider

https://xenreviews.com/reviews/movies/comedies/juice.28/

i rather have you work on other updates....... give us SC2.3 already....

(what is the timeline we are looking at for SC2.3?)

 

[Bob]

Some of the SC 2.3.0 functionality will be released early in a couple of SC 2.2.x maintenance releases. Its way to big to release in one large chunk, so it will be in pieces. Most of the large stuff won't come until 1st quarter of next year. A couple of the wanted features are extremely complex and I want to make sure I do them in the best possible way to make them both user friendly and easy to customize (which is what Showcase is all about). Be sure to check the forums from time to time as I will be posting some questions regarding some of the larger more complex functionality to get opinions

 

[Bob]

The first post of this thread has been updated as I've modified the Sidebar Gallery to now only display 4 thumbs at a time (instead of all of them) and they are contained in a slider.

 

[3rd angle]

Bugs alert:

in the item http://xenaddons.com/showcase/1979-mgb-roadster.27/ when you click on the thumbnail it opens in a new tab... this was not the case in my item http://xenaddons.com/showcase/cruze.17/

here the lightbox is opening fine but the featured image is not opening on lightbox..

I guess all images (featured + thumbnails) should open in lightbox

 

[Bob]

The Static Cover Image has not changed. It is just that, a Static Image. What has been added is below the Cover Image. Below the Cover Image is a slider that contains an array of thumbnails that when clicked on will launch the Core XF Lightbox viewer that contains all the images in the array (which the Cover Image is NOT part of). They are two completely separate things.

 

[3rd angle]

ah... but is there a way to include the now static image too... i'd love to see them all on lightbox..

 

[Bob]

ah... but is there a way to include the now static image too... i'd love to see them all on lightbox..

The array of images for the slider includes ALL attachments to the item (as you can see, the first thumbnail in the above example is the same the same as the cover image). It can also include any XFMG Album images that are associated with the item.

 

[3rd angle]

oh.. didn't notice. Gr8

 

[jOOc]

I've modified the Sidebar Gallery to now only display 4 thumbs at a time

Maybe add an option on how many thumbnails anyone want to show here AND/OR if there are more then 4 images have a link below "show more images" and link it to the image tab of the item.

 

[Bob]

Updated the first post as I've modified the options slightly so that those that only want the OLD Cover Image only can now control that simply by not enabling the mini gallery. Also modified the js on the thumbs slider so that it is no longer an infinite loop (which causes issues with the lightbox viewer because of cloned elements). These new options and the bug fix will be available in the next release.