New Module: Channel Images - Channel Images simplifies use of images within Expression Engine entries.

So, these are all EE 2.0 addons? I can’t tell from your posts or the site.

If you go to the detail pages for each add-on, it says 1.6.8 is required.

Yes, they are currently 1.6.8. We are working on how to get them properly in 2.0. We are still using 1.6.8 for our production websites.

Brad

Just thinking about how to use this, presumably it makes a very convenient alternative to the FF Matrix / ngen file upload / imgsizer / LG replace method of making an easy image upload manager in a channel entry?

If I understand this correctly, I would still use the LG replace to make the haystack needles and then insert them into the Content text using little {image_1} tags…

The only thing that it missing from this though that I find very useful is the ability to let the client manage the size and alignment of the images they place into their content - as it looks like the Channel Images Tab only stores file name, description and category, and presumably there’s no option to add further fields to these rows?

Thoughts?

Hello Moogallo,

Yes, your method would still be best for individual placement. However, if you need to show only one image on the page, or a bunch like a per-entry gallery it is very powerful.

You just gave me a great idea for another feature. In my websites using this I usually have set width/height for the area in that weblog where the image is going to go. So in the settings I will set image_url:thumb to Height: 100px Width: 100px; Currently each Weblog can have as many sizes as you want for example:

image_url:thumb image_url:medium image_url:large image_url:super_size image_url

The module auto-resizes each image at the quality you want and puts in a “entry based” folder on the server. Then the tag walks through the entry’s database and shows either a “Cover” image”, “All” or “Not Cover Image all the rest” in the size you requested.

So for each row in the channel images tab, you can now select the image size preset as defined above….? Sounds like a good addition. I wonder then if you could do similar to select from a few CSS classes, eg left, right (which would correspond to a CSS class with float: left; margin: 0 10px 5px 0;, or whatever you define in the stylesheets) - this would mean we could use the Channel Images Tab rows to add our content images then place each one in at the specified size, quality, and still use the LG replace to put them into the content where required.

Am I also right in believing your module has a feature to queue file uploads? Does it show a progress bar too? That would be just awesome!

Hello Moogaloo,

Currently you set size by row per weblog in the settings tab. When you upload and process a batch it walks through each image with a spinning wheel next to each image. It resizes it to how many different sizes you put in the settings. It then drops it into the right screen where you can move them around if needed.

You lost me a little on what you wanted to do with classes. Here are some examples of it in use:

Cover Image Only: http://www.durysguns.com/inventory/category/pistols

Cover Image and Then Skip Cover Image: http://www.durysguns.com/inventory/profile/beretta_3032_tomcat_.32_acp_used_gun_inv_109620/

Complete Gallery Using Channel Images: http://www.judgekarencrouch.com/event_gallery

Another Cover then skip: http://www.topguns.com/properties/listing/8509_prince_william_court/

Hope this helps you see how I use it… I have it in about 50 other websites also.

Brad

Hello again,

I also use it often to create banner ads on sites… Maybe one space where I want 5 different ads to rotate, but want the end-user to have control over it with entries. The interface is just easy for them to understand.

Brad

Cool - that makes lots of sense.

I guess I’m trying to shoehorn your module into replacing the Matrix / Ngen / imgsizer combo as I currently use this for sites. On the Matrix row, however I can add alignment radio options (left or right) and size radio options (120px / 200px / 400px). When the client then places the relevant {image_2} in there, I’ve got the LG replace to paste in not only the image with Alt tags, but also got it to resize it to the specified size and add a class of left or right so the text floats round it nicely. Here’s an example of it acting as a Thickbox popup in the text, and here’s it with the text wrapping round it (also showing a pull quote that uses the same concept). All that’s done using just one row, that I would love to be able to swap out for the channel images module. But it needs the option of specifying the size and alignment options at the point of adding the image to the entry.

Does that make more sense?

Hello Moogaloo,

Would this work for you…

How about on the individual images line I put a “Width” and “Height” or maybe just a custom field that you can add. Then when you walk through the tag and you can place that data where you want. For example:

{exp:channel_images:images file_id=""}
{image_url}
{/exp:channel_images}

This way if the end-user wants to modify the size or change other attributes he can. This would give him more control if you don’t want to force a certain size in the initial upload.

Brad

Awesome! I think the size thing can be covered by the sizing you did in #5 above… I certainly prefere to use proper image resizing server software than define it inline by CSS or even worse in the image html. The option of adding a custom class to each specific row would be perfect for so many people though… you can add more than one class to that field and it could paste that class in there - class=”class1 class 2 class_etc” and you would get a lot of control using the LG replace option. So what image resizing protocol do you use?

I’m a big fan of imgsizer (that won plugin of the year i might add!) which I think uses GD2… I think… I like imgsizer for the single and paired tag options on it.

Hello Moogaloo,

The item in number 5 already exists. However it is per weblog, not per item in a single entry… Understand? If you would like to buy the module and you just don’t like it I would return your money.

The plugin uses GD2 to do the resizing now. I really think you would like this module, once you purchased you can submit feature requests in our forums and I am nearly 120% positive we will be adding a ton of them over the next several months. So it would be a good time to get your desires into the loop.

Regards,

Brad Parscale

cool! well, next time we get a job that has this kinda functionality (which tbh is most jobs!), I’ll give it a whirl. Also, I dont always like giving clients too much control over look and layout of content - thats why they hire designers to do it for em right?! 😉

That is exactly right, however on ecommerce sites I believe this module is a MUST. End-users are adding and removing products and images. This really makes life easier for them. I am updating our site with some more images, so you can see more detail on features.

Brad