Multiple image upload

[bearcat]

I think the whole problem with dial-up users could simply be solved by adding a small piece of text below the image upload boxes that goes something like:

"Dial-up users: If you find your connection timing out, upload only one image at a time."

On another note, if even Photopost Classifieds has this, that really should say something. That program is well below 68classifieds in overall features, but at the same time their parent company sells a very popular image gallery software, and would have a lot of experience and user feedback in precisely this area.

IMHO, the people who would appreciate this feature the most are the big dealers and brokers (cars, real estate, motorcycles, boats, and so forth) who spend a lot of time simply putting up their ads. Doing the pictures the way they are now for, say, 50 listings is sheer tedium.

[bearcat]

Originally Posted by civ

I'll put my two cents in here as well - I think it's a great idea. We've actually had requests from customers for this very thing, and on other sites we own we saw a huge jump in user satisfaction after making multiple image uploads available.

It would be great to see this in v4.

Civ, if you were to make a module for this, I'd buy it in a hearbeat.
In fact, I'd buy it even if Eric announced we were going to get multiple image uploads in version 4.1. I consider this the biggest interface weak point in 68classifieds from the standpoint of users, and I would like to have this feature as soon as I switch to version 4.

I know he has a lot on his plate, and I respect that, but I would like to hear from Eric if this is something he plans to do in the near future. I'm not a programmer, and I don't know how difficult it would be to write a module for this, but I also don't think it would be too hard to put this into the program from his end.

[CHRD]

Originally Posted by Chaslie

Exactly Larry. Sites that provide this option are biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig dedicated servers with biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig bandwidth capacity.

I use a $25 classified script for cheap as chips property agents sites that lets them load upto 10 images at a time, and I host them hostgator.

Also I dont like how the user can see a thumbnail image of the images they have just loaded on a new listing, they just get 1 0f 10 images

[whoazone]

if anyone finds a way to incorporate a multiple boxes uploading system, PLEASE count me in. I will be a same-day customer!! My classified site is based on multiple images (up to 16 per listing) and the multiple boxes are a MUST.

If needed, you could always limit the cluster amount to 4 at a time or 6 at a time. As a user, it is terrible to sit and load 8 or 10 images then have a glitch and lose them and have to start over. And what if I'm adding 6 or 8 listings at once? I'll be here a few hours!

I read somewhere upwards of 80% of people nowdays have some sort of high speed, and certainly most folks who think of selling things on line are sophisticated enough to make it work. If not, we're still stepping up and serving a huge clientele better and fast, which is our objective, right?

You 68C guys are SO heads and shoulders above the competition in 99% of all functionality and ease of use -- its a shame your image related stuff isn't just a wee better - like this download feature we're talking about, as well as offering thumbnail views when uploading, and cooler ways of showing large numbers of images on the actual ads themselves.

[Mike-N-Tosh]

I too would love to see something like this incorporated into 68c.

lhotch has very legitimate points regarding both the server side (shared hosting) and end user (dial-up) customers, however in this day and age most hosting servers allow enough bandwidth to allow this and having some type of messaging for dial-up users should be enough IMHO.

What I would actually like to see and would suggest is two-fold.

Have the option (in admin) as to whether or not you want to allow multiple image uploads.

Have thumbnail previews of the images.

-Mike

[whoazone]

well, until the multiple upload window is established (which I desperately hope it will be!!) the next best thing I have found is the thumbnail viewer for the image upload. The thread I found was from a while back, but to simplify the search and keep others from having to hunt and peck for solutions (like I did) I have attached complete instructions for it below. (per Mully's development - thanks Mully!!!)

NOTES: in the instructions where it says "put the image display wherever you wan it" I chose to put it in the table above my browse/load window, just FYI :-) Also, in the original modification it allowed for however many loaded images to appear in order continuing to the right, but after 6 or 8, they just expanded off the page. Per a suggestion from one of the 68C guys, I included the midification to limit so many images per row then bounce to a new line. Works perfect. Hope it helps someone....(read carefully - there are several steps!) Thanks guys for making this known...

***to adjust how many images fill a row before new line change $images to the number you want: i.e.:

cols=$numimages to cols=4 -- this starts a new line after 4 images.

THUMBNAIL PREVIEW IMAGE LOADER MODIFICATION:

In usercheckout.php add the following code for case 5 between just before the line //get the total number of images


PHP Code:

$prodID=$rs['oPackageID'];

//get the images info
$sSQL = sprintf("SELECT id,pid,title,image FROM ".PREFIX."prodimages WHERE pid = %s ORDER BY rank ASC",$listingid );
$result=$db->query($sSQL);
$image=array();
while ($rs=$result->fetch())
{
$rs['title']=safeStripSlashes($rs['title']);
$size = @getimagesize('../photos/'.$rs['image']);
$rs['width']=$size[0];
$rs['height'] = $size[1];
$image[]=$rs;
}

//get the total number of images


This catches the image info.

Add the following before the line $class_tpl->assign('body','checkout/step4.tpl.php'); in the same section


PHP Code:$class_tpl->assign('data', $image);
$class_tpl->assign('body','checkout/step4.tpl.php');


This assigns the additional info to the 'checkout/step4.tpl.php' template.

You now need to modify you template to show the images, the file is 'checkout/step4.tpl.php'.
How you choose to display them is up to you now you have all the info in the template, I display them horizontally at the top and use lightbulb so in a cell my code looks like:


PHP Code:

<th colspan="2" valign="top" class="pformleft">
{if $data<>""}
{html_table_adv loop=$data cols=$numimages table_attr='width="100%"' td_attr='align="center"' td_attr='valign="bottom"'}
<a href="photos/[[image]]" rel="lightbox[image]" title="[[title]]"><img src="thumbs/small_[[image]]" hspace="5" vspace="5" class="image" border="0" /></a><br />[[title]]
{/html_table_adv}
{/if}
</th>



You would have to remove the lighbulb references for your own if not being used. I also use the TH label instead of the TD as on my site it underlines for me.


You'll only ever see your max number of picture -1 in this screen as your automatically forwarded on when you hit your limit.

[bearcat]

Is this ever going to be implemented, or will someone write a module for it? To me, it is a pretty essential feature, and that seems to be true for some other users here based on the feedback.

[Maffo]

This already exists

Try the maffo dynamic checkout system

[bearcat]

Originally Posted by Maffo

This already exists

Try the maffo dynamic checkout system

Awesome

[suav]

Has anyone used Maffo Dynamic Checkout System for V4? If so, mind providing feedback?