Dynamic Content Gallery FAQ

This page is out of date and refers to version 2.2 of the Dynamic Content Gallery.

Version 3 of the Dynamic Content Gallery was released on 7 December 2009 and support is no longer provided for older versions. Therefore you are encouraged to upgrade to version 3. Installation, configuration, FAQ, Quick Start guide and Documentation resources can be found at the new Dynamic Content Gallery home page.

Answers to frequently asked questions covering troubleshooting and configuration of this plugin. If you still can’t find an answer to your question, please feel free to post a question in the Support Forum.

  1. Help me understand the URLs in the Settings page and what I must enter in the custom field dfcg-image!
  2. I have just upgraded from version 1.0.0 to version 2.0 and everything's gone pear-shaped! I get PHP errors on my page and the gallery has disappeared! HELP!
  3. Does it work with WPMU?
  4. My images don't show! All I get is a black box where the gallery should be.
  5. My images don't show! All I get is a black box and a loading bar where the gallery should be! AND my browser shows this error in the status bar: "el.getElement(options.imageSelector) has no properties"...
  6. My images display in one long column down my page!
  7. My gallery seems slow to load. Why?
  8. I'm using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin. How do I change the size of the gallery?
  9. I'm using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin. How do I change the height of the sliding pane?
  10. How do I style the Post Title heading in the sliding pane?
  11. How do I style the Description text in the sliding pane?
  12. I tried changing the style of the heading and text in the sliding pane but my changes don't have any effect. Why?
  13. Why do the left and right arrows look great in Firefox but lousy in IE7?
  14. I use dropdown menus on my site and the dropdowns disappear behind the gallery. How do I fix this?
  15. How can I stop the sliding pane from sliding into position? I would prefer that it remains static and doesn't slide in and out of view.
  16. How can I change the name "Featured Content", which appears at the top of the gallery, to something else?
  17. I get a browser error in IE7 "Line:521, Char:4, Error: Type Mismatch Code:0 ...". How can I fix it?
  18. The thumbnails in the carousel are crops and haven't been resized. Why?
  19. When I resize my browser window (IE6 or IE7) the gallery position shifts on the page. How do I fix it?
  20. I can't get the Dynamic Content Gallery to work with Thesis Theme!
  21. The gallery is in the sidebar but doesn't work.

  1. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    Help me understand the URLs in the Settings page and what I must enter in the custom field dfcg-image!

    First, remember that there are 2 types of image that can appear in the gallery:

    • Images added to posts using the custom field dfcg-image
    • Default category images which appear if a custom field dfcg-image doesn't exist for that post.

      • Let's deal with post custom field images first.

      The plugin constructs the URL to the image by adding together the following elements:

      • Home url, eg http://yourdomain.com. The plugin takes care of this automatically, so you don't need to enter this anywhere!
      • Post Custom field URL entered in the Settings page (section 4)
      • The custom field dfcg-image entry

      So, let's look at two example schemes you can use.

      Example 1

      Let's assume you upload ALL your post custom field images to a folder called "custom" in your /wp-content/uploads/ folder. The full URL to any image in this folder will be http://yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/custom/yourimage.jpg

      Enter wp-content/uploads/custom/ in section 4 of the Settings page
      Enter yourimage.jpg in the custom field

      Example 2

      Let's assume you use the Wordpress default date-based folders for uploads, eg a typical full URL to an image could be http://yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/yourimage.jpg. Obviously, as images are added over time they will go into different month and year folders, therefore you will need to enter your image details like this:

      Enter wp-content/uploads/ in section 4 of the Settings page
      Enter 2009/09/yourimage.jpg in the custom field

      As you can see, you have to take a slightly different approach depending on how your images are organised on your site. For the current version of the plugin (2.2), it is recommended that you use the scheme outlined in the first example.

      Hopefully this info will help sort out the "black loading bar" issue for those who have setup problems!

  2. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I have just upgraded from version 1.0.0 to version 2.0 and everything's gone pear-shaped! I get PHP errors on my page and the gallery has disappeared! HELP!

    Don't panic! This is a quick fix...

    Due to the fact that in version 2.0 and above, the name of the plugin's folder has changed from "dynamic-gallery" to "dynamic-content-gallery-plugin", you need to find the code in your theme template file which displays the gallery and change it from this:

    <?php include (ABSPATH . '/wp-content/plugins/dynamic-gallery/dynamic-gallery.php'); ?>

    to this:

    <?php include (ABSPATH . '/wp-content/plugins/dynamic-content-gallery-plugin/dynamic-gallery.php'); ?>

    For info, this problem is caused by the fact that, since version 2.0, the plugin is hosted on the wordpress.org site and the folder name has had to change to reflect the name of the plugin. Apologies for any inconvenience but this will not be a problem when upgrading in future.

  3. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    Does it work with WPMU?

    Version 2.0 does work with WPMU.

    Version 1.0.0 doesn't work with WPMU due to the way WPMU handles plugin options pages differently to WP. Upgrade to version 2.0+.

  4. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    My images don't show! All I get is a black box where the gallery should be.

    First, check that you have followed all the configuration steps described in the Dynamic Content Gallery Configuration page.

    Specifically, check that you have:
    (a) uploaded your images to the folder that you have specified in the plugin's Settings page.
    (b) created default images, correctly named them and uploaded them to the folder you have specified in the plugin's Settings page.

    If you can see the black box with a loading bar, and some images can be seen in the carousel but nothing appears in the main gallery, the most likely cause is that the script/plugin cannot find the first image. Re-check that the images are correctly named and in the correct folder.

    If, having followed all these steps, you still experience the black screen problem:

    • The plugin needs at least 2 images to work. Check your Page Source and see if at least two correct image URLs are referenced in the gallery's markup.
    • If you have at least two correct images shown in the Page Source, it is likely that there is a javascript conflict with another plugin. Try disabling your other plugins one by one until you find the culprit. Plugins which are known to cause conflicts are listed in this Forum post.

      If none of the above works, post a question in the Support Forum and I'll try to help.

  5. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    My images don't show! All I get is a black box and a loading bar where the gallery should be! AND my browser shows this error in the status bar: "el.getElement(options.imageSelector) has no properties"...

    This is a javascript error and means that at least one of your combination of Category ID's and Post Selects (see Plugin's Settings page in WP Admin) is trying to find a Post which DOESN'T EXIST.

    To fix this, either:

    (1) Check your Category ID's and Post Select options in the Settings Page, and make any necessary changes to ensure that only Posts which exist are referenced, or

    (2) Create another Post for the Category ID shown in that Image Slot (again, in the plugin's Settings Page).

  6. Rating: +1

    Positive Negative

    My images display in one long column down my page!

    Assuming you have correctly uploaded all the folders and files which were in the download file, it is likely that there is a javascript conflict with another plugin. Try disabling your other plugins one by one until you find the culprit. Plugins which are known to cause conflicts are listed in this Forum post.

  7. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    My gallery seems slow to load. Why?

    There are several factors which affect the loading time, not least being the amount of other content, media files, images etc you have on your page.

    However, here are a couple of tips to help optimise the loading time of the gallery:

    (a) Make your images the same size as your chosen gallery dimensions.
    (b) Optimise your images for the web in your image editor, using the highest jpeg compression you can get away with without compromising the image quality

  8. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I'm using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin. How do I change the size of the gallery?

    To set the size of the gallery, open up jd.gallery.css which you can find in the /dynamic-content/css/ folder, and edit the width and height properties for #myGallery, #myGallerySet, #flickrGallery.

    Even better, upgrade to Version 2.0 and you can setup the layout and CSS options in the plugin's Settings page.

  9. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I'm using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin. How do I change the height of the sliding pane?

    To set the height of the sliding pane, open up jd.gallery.css which you can find in the /dynamic-content/css/ folder, and edit the height property of .jdGallery .slideInfoZone.

    Even better, upgrade to Version 2.0 and you can set this in the plugin's Settings page.

  10. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    How do I style the Post Title heading in the sliding pane?

    Version 1.0.0: The style of the Post Title heading in the sliding pane is controlled by the style .jdGallery .slideInfoZone h2, which you can find in jd.gallery.css in the /dynamic-content/css/ folder. You can change the font-size, font-family and other properties here.

    Version 2.0+: You can now change this from within the plugin's Settings page.

  11. Rating: +1

    Positive Negative

    How do I style the Description text in the sliding pane?

    Version 1.0.0: Open up jd.gallery.css which you will find in the /dynamic-content/css/ folder. Find .jdGallery .slideInfoZone p and make your desired changes to the properties.

    Version 2.0+: You can alter this within the plugin's Settings page.

  12. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I tried changing the style of the heading and text in the sliding pane but my changes don't have any effect. Why?

    You must be using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin! The easy solution is to upgrade to Version 2.0.

    If for some reason you want to continue using Version 1.0.0 of the plugin, read this:

    If you've made the style changes in jd.gallery.css but these changes don't appear when you view your page, it is because there is a CSS style in your theme's stylesheet which is over-riding the styles in jd.gallery.css.

    In this case, open jd.gallery.css and look for:

    .jdGallery .slideInfoZone h2 (for the heading)
    .jdGallery .slideInfoZone p (for the description text)

    Within these styles, add !important to the properties you have changed. Like this, for example:

    font-size: 12px !important;

  13. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    Why do the left and right arrows look great in Firefox but lousy in IE7?

    This is fixed in version 2.0 of the plugin.

    Users of version 1.0.0 may follow these instructions:

    You need to add some additional CSS to jd.gallery.css file which you can find in the /dynamic-content/css/ folder. You will find the code here.

    This issue only affects Dynamic Content Gallery plugin versions 1.0.0 and below. Future versions will include this code in the stylesheet supplied with the plugin.

  14. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I use dropdown menus on my site and the dropdowns disappear behind the gallery. How do I fix this?

    Assuming you are using the suckerfish menu, or one of its many its derivatives, you need to add z-index properties to the CSS styles for your menu. Each menu is different in terms of the naming of the CSS IDs and Classes, so I can only offer general advice.

    Generally speaking, a suckerfish-type horizontal menu will be structured something like this, although your ID or Class names may be different (view the Source of your page to see what I'm talking about):

    <div id="navmenubar">
	<ul id="navmenu">
		<li>Menu Item 1</li>
		<li>Menu Item 2
			<ul>
			<li>Menu Child 1</li>
			<li>Menu Child 2</li>
			<li>Menu Child 3</li>
			<li>Menu Child 4</li>
			</ul>
		</li>
		<li>Menu Item 3</li>
	</ul>
</div>

    In your theme's stylesheet (or the menu stylesheet if it is a separate file) find the styles for the equivalent of #navmenu li li and add the following code:

    position: relative;
    z-index: 10;

  15. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    How can I stop the sliding pane from sliding into position? I would prefer that it remains static and doesn't slide in and out of view.

    Warning: Be very careful when editing the script file! If you mess it up the gallery will not work. Always make a backup copy before you start editing.

    Open jd.gallery.js which you will find in the /dynamic-content/scripts/ folder, and look for a block of code near the top of the file which starts with the following code:

    // declaring the class
var gallery = {
	initialize: function(element, options) {
		this.setOptions({

    Below this there is a long list of variables. Find this line of code: slideInfoZoneSlide: true, and change true to false. Don't delete the comma at the end of the line - this is important!

  16. Rating: +1

    Positive Negative

    How can I change the name "Featured Content", which appears at the top of the gallery, to something else?

    Warning: Be very careful when editing the script file! If you mess it up the gallery will not work. Always make a backup copy before you start editing.

    Open jd.gallery.js which you will find in the /dynamic-content/scripts/ folder, and look for a block of code near the top of the file which starts with the following code:

    // declaring the class
var gallery = {
	initialize: function(element, options) {
		this.setOptions({

    Below this there is a long list of variables. Find this line of code: textShowCarousel: 'Featured Content', and change the text Featured Content to whatever you want. This text must be in single quotes and make sure you keep the comma at the end of the line - this is important!

  17. Rating: +2

    Positive Negative

    I get a browser error in IE7 "Line:521, Char:4, Error: Type Mismatch Code:0 ...". How can I fix it?

    This is fixed in version 2.0 of the plugin.

    Users of version 1.0.0 can follow these instructions:

    Warning: Be very careful when editing the script file! If you mess it up the gallery will not work. Always make a backup copy before you start editing.

    Open jd.gallery.js which you will find in the /dynamic-content/scripts/ folder, and find line number 520.

    Keep the first part of the code:
    this.carouselWrapper.elementScroller.
    And replace this:
    scrollTo(scrollPos,0);

    With this:
    scrollTo = (scrollPos,0);

    This will be updated in future releases of the plugin.

    See also this Forum Post.

  18. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    The thumbnails in the carousel are crops and haven't been resized. Why?

    Although the fabulous SmoothGallery script that the Dynamic Content Gallery is based on does allow for automatic generation of resized thumnails, the configuration of the plugin is such that resizing cannot be done. There are two reasons for this: firstly, I have taken a decision to keep the resulting gallery standards-compliant, in the event that a browser has javascript disabled, and secondly, the use of resized thumbnails requires a cache folder to be set up. On balance I felt this was not necessary for most users.

    In the meantime, the carousel simply shows crops from the original image.

    Should users feel that a future version of the plugin should incorporate resized thumbnails, please contact me and let me know!

  19. Rating: +1

    Positive Negative

    When I resize my browser window (IE6 or IE7) the gallery position shifts on the page. How do I fix it?

    A little bit of CSS magic should do the trick. Simply add position:relative; to the wrap or wrapper div of your site in your style.css file. The "wrap" or "wrapper" div (it may have a different name, depending on which theme you are using) is the container for your site immediately inside the BODY tag. Generally speaking, if you add position:relative; to the properties of this div style the gallery will maintain it's position in the browser window.

  20. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    I can't get the Dynamic Content Gallery to work with Thesis Theme!

    This article shows you how you can get the DCG to work in Thesis:

    http://www.wolf-howl.com/blogging/visual-slider-thesis/

  21. Rating: +0

    Positive Negative

    The gallery is in the sidebar but doesn't work.

    There's a little bug in version 2.2 which means that the gallery will not pull in custom field images when the gallery is placed in the sidebar.

    The fix is this:

    Open up dynamic-gallery.php in a text editor, and add this line:

    <?php global $post; ?>

    immediately above this line:

    <div id=”myGallery”>

    Thanks to www.chinasundae.com for help in tracing this issue.