new feature: slideshow function *UPDATED 7/16*

[arjunrc]

Thanks to Nivasimon in another thread in one of these forum's, I am trying out slide.com's flash slideshow. I just re-did my root page.
Me likey! You likey?

regds
arjun

[ctstone]

As promised, we have updated the code to allow for more options

Basic Functionality

To create a slideshow from a single gallery:
SLIDESHOW(gallery_name)
Same as before

To create a slideshow from a set of image ids:
SLIDESHOW(1,2,3,4,5)
Invalid image ids or images from another account will be skipped.

These 2 commands will get you a simple slideshow with all of the default settings.

Extra Options

You may add options within the parentheses in the form of option=value. Each option must be separated by a comma. Please ensure that the option is in lowercase.

size
set to small, medium, large, or original. Max original size is 800x800.
Default is 'medium'.

delay
set the time that an image is displayed in seconds. Minimum is 2 seconds.
Default is 5 seconds.

link
set to none or image. 'none' will disable the link to the current image's image page.
Default is 'image'.

loop
set to yes or no. 'no' will cause the slideshow to play only once.
Default is 'yes'.

Examples

A slideshow for your 'kittens' gallery might look like this:
SLIDESHOW(kittens, size=large, delay=3)

A slideshow for three given images might look like this:
SLIDESHOW(11111, 22222, 33333, size=original, delay=10, loop=no)

It does not matter in what order you specify options. All options are optional. Do not put spaces around the '=' sign. Do not add newlines within the parentheses. If you specify more than one item outside of your options, we will attempt to lookup image_ids. We currently do not support the ability to list multiple galleries.

Under consideration:
Edit: Things we might add in the future

- slideshow controls
- random images
- recent images
- more places to put a SLIDESHOW() (i.e. profile page)

Let us know here if you have comments or suggestions.

[arjunrc]

Chris - great.
When you said 'put it in profile' - where exactly ? I tried adding it to the "edit message" area - but it did not render SLIDESHOW - it just showed that text

[ctstone]

Arjun,

Sorry if it was not clear, but that is from the list of features that we are considering for addition in the future. None of it is live yet.

[andrys]

Fast work, Chris. Thanks for this. Will especially love changing the interval.

Feedback you requested:

1. I'm assuming the image ID is the URL to the image that you give
us but without the 'medium.jpg' etc since it's a parameter?

Could you give an exact sample of one?

2. I've seen that the table you made initially reserved 400
or 420 pixels on the long side, meaning space was reserved for
a picture 420 pixels long as well, I see that is the same for
an 'original that is 800-pixels vertical. Very flexible ! Odd to
choose, as a member, for a slide show intro, I think.

But this allows us to make 500-pixel images for intro-slideshows
and they'll be shown as 'originals' when we choose. Thanks for this.

3. Double-thanks for the 2-seconds! Can't say how much I hated
waiting 5 seconds for a mere slide-show intro.

[andrys]

Re my question:

1. I'm assuming the image ID is the URL to the image that you give
us but without the 'medium.jpg' etc since it's a parameter?

Could you give an exact sample of one?

Now I'm thinking you mean JUST the image-ID# alone since they must
be unique since our names are not needed and your slideshow function
will know it's to be taken from Images directory then.

Since we don't use image-ids except via URLS you might want to
give an example of an image id that is yours so it looks similar to
something we've seen? I'm thinking only of it being clearer to the
general membership which is not normally using much HTML or
referencing images here much.

[artlessbeauty]

I gave a gallery named "slideshow" where I keep all my slideshow images... now for the code "SLIDESHOW(slideshow, size=original, delay=2)"

I am getting an error message :
"Slideshow Error: selected image ids not found: slideshow size=original delay=2"

what could be the probelm ??

regards,

[artlessbeauty]

ok, I deleted the gap and it's working.
thanks a lot for the new options.

regards,

I gave a gallery named "slideshow" where I keep all my slideshow images... now for the code "SLIDESHOW(slideshow, size=original, delay=2)"

I am getting an error message :
"Slideshow Error: selected image ids not found: slideshow size=original delay=2"

what could be the probelm ??

regards,

[jengle]

Thanks Slug for the slideshow feature. Much easier to use than the Javascript and easier to move pictures in and out of the slideshow gallery. BIG HAPPY FACE .

I would like more proactive notification when features come and go. For something this major - where so many of us have followed the instructions posted on the PBASE WIKI and the PBASE Magazine to snaz up our galleries an email notification would have been appropriate. I do appreciate not receiving very much email from PBase - so anything I do get I would read.

PBase is still a great value; but I have to tell you that I started shopping for another place to put my photos. Not because of the feature going away but because there was no proactive communication.

Glad to read there is another programmer on staff. Thanks again for slideshow() & look forward to getting an email from PBase when major events happen.

[pinemikey]

Ahhh, that's feels...and looks much better. Thanks Slug,Emily, Chris and all. I'm back where I was but with a fantastically much more simplified interface.

[pinemikey]

Feedback Item 1

Might you also add a fade-in/fade-out time? Obviously nothing excessive, but sometimes I like the more relaxing feel of a slow image fade-in/fade-out.

[pinemikey]

Feedback Item #2

Instead of typing in all the images you wish to show, I tried something on an opposite tack-- to eliminate from the slideshow images you wish not to show. That is if you aren't going to create a special slideshow gallery. This is achieved by simply making any image as non-public on the image edit page. The slideshow order can also be editted just like any other gallery sorting we may do on the gallery edit page. It is interesting that a non-public gallery doesn't prevent images from being seen, yet non-public images are hidden from the slideshow.

Also as it has been noted before, even though originals can be chosen, the limitations are still with 800x800. People who wish to have a slideshow of their panorama images may want to do what I have done. I reworked a number of panoramas to max 800 wide x 450 high. To those of us with 16:9 format cameras, this is a natural dimension when resized down for the web anyway. For my DSLR images I'll try to crop out to have 500px vertical max. Anything larger on the vertical will force most users (1024x768) into scrolling - a fact sometimes lost on those who demand originals in their slideshows.

[flemmingbo]

Outstanding work Chris, can't wait to try out all the new features!

[andrys]

First, the slide show is much more flexible than I would have expected,
so extra thanks for this, Chris and Slug.

...It is interesting that a non-public gallery doesn't prevent images from being seen, yet non-public images are hidden from the slideshow.

I found to my mild shock that sending someone to a non-private
image results in no image showing to anyone but me. I guess that's why
the slideshow doesn't show these either.

I reworked a number of panoramas to max 800 wide x 450 high. To those of us with 16:9 format cameras, this is a natural dimension when resized down for the web anyway. For my DSLR images I'll try to crop out to have 500px vertical max. Anything larger on the vertical will force most users (1024x768) into scrolling - a fact sometimes lost on those who demand originals in their slideshows.

Especially may be lost on those with 1280x1024 screens that the still
majority-users won't be able to see the whole thing in a slide show.

QUESTIONS for Arjun and any other HTML/CSS gurus:

1. I have the resized-down (400 pixels) slides running on a test page
that acts as a secondary Main Galleries page. It loads very fast with the
same slide-gallery. http://www.pbase.com/andrys/abtravels

2. The root page now uses the "original" 500-pixel images I used for the
former Borruel slideshow - they're the same images and gallery used
for the test gallery in #1.

This root page loads very slowly. Only the first 3-1/2 lines show up for
awhile while waiting for the slideshow to load. Is it because "All Galleries"
always forces a new refresh?

It does have more thumbnails for galleries in it that are visible to me
since my test "Main Galleries" page has only the galleries people can
access. The latter page never seems to load that slowly, even initially.

3. There may be something weird in my HTML because this root page
will not obey the CSS font (which seems bolded), for the first two
paragraphs only, of Welcome text, unless I put "<b>...</b>" around
them. The same code (without "<b>" has no problem with those first
two paragraphs, with the more normal CSS style sheet for
'Main Galleries' page.

Not important, as it's working but I'd like to understand what might be
hurting things in my html for that root page and slowing text display down.

Thanks!

[andrys]

Just FEEDBACK on intervals

The default 5 seconds was exactly 5 seconds.

The new '2' seconds choice is exactly 4 seconds though.

The new '1' second choice is 2 seconds.

Those include any fade, but the 5-second one really was 5 seconds,
so the '2' is almost as long, at 4 seconds.

The '1' is a bit fast at 2 seconds, but it's better than too slow, unless
it unnerves the viewer trying to read your info.