This article refers to Version 1.0 of the Dynamic Content Gallery, which is no longer available for download.
See the Dynamic Content Gallery version 2 for the latest version of this plugin.
This plugin creates a dynamic gallery of images for latest and/or featured posts. Using JonDesign’s excellent SmoothGallery script, this plugin makes the gallery truly dynamic so that it automatically creates the gallery from your latest and/or featured posts. You can see a working demo here.
Features
- Javascript driven image gallery using mootools framework
- Displays 5 custom images, titles and descriptions for the 5 latest posts from your choice of categories. For example, the last 5 posts from one category or the latest post from 5 categories – or any other combination in-between.
- Highly configurable
- Valid xhtml ouput
- Tested to be compatible with WordPress 2.5 to 2.6.3
- Compatible with WordPress 2.7 beta1
So, what does it do?
The Dynamic Content Gallery automatically pulls in images and titles from the latest posts in your chosen categories, configured via a Settings page, and displays these using JonDesign’s SmoothGallery script. Each image links to it’s associated post so that your site visitors have direct access to your featured content.
How does it work?
Very simply! For each of the gallery’s 5 image “slots” the plugin checks to see if, for the latest posts in specified categories, post custom fields exist for the image filename and its description. If so, these are displayed in the gallery. If an image or its description has not been specified in the post custom field, the plugin displays a default image or default description for the these posts.
The key to the plugin is the use of post custom fields which enable you to add an image and image description to each post and have these automatically pulled into the gallery.
There are a number of configuration options for the plugin, readily available via a Settings page in the Dashboard. Normally you will set these options once, then forget about them. The underlying javascript file also gives a number of further configuration options relating to how the gallery displays images, arrows, an inbuilt menu carousel and other options – for those who are not afraid to make minor edits to a javascript file. Additionally, the size and look of the gallery is controlled by an external stylesheet jd.gallery.css.
Download
It is recommended to upgrade to Dynamic Content Gallery version 2
Dynamic Content Gallery for WPMU
- Version 1.0.0 is not compatible with WordPress Mu.
- Versions 2.0 onwards are compatible with WPMU (and WordPress 2.7) and can be downloaded here.
Installation and configuration
Visit the dedicated Dynamic Content Gallery configuration page for full details of installation, configuration and usage, including screenshots to help you set up the Settings page.
Upgrading an existing installation of the plugin
Important! If you are upgrading an existing installation of the Dynamic Content Gallery plugin, please install the upgrade as per the instructions provided on the Dynamic Content Gallery upgrade instructions page
Support
In the first instance, please take time to read the installation and configuration steps described in the Dynamic Content Gallery configuration page.
A support forum is available here in case you still have questions or problems with the plugin. Registration is required but only takes a minute and doesn’t require any personal info apart from your email address. Please do not leave comments here asking for support. That’s what the forum is for. Thank you!
Footnote:
I gratefully acknowledge and thank JonDesigns, for the versatile and excellent gallery script which this plugin uses, and special thanks and kudos to Jason Schuller whose original Featured Content Gallery plugin inspired me to develop this in the first place, and from whose initial work I have borrowed heavily.
Works fantastic!
@ Candace
Great! Glad you like it!
Hello,
I’ve followed these instructions to the best of my ability. I’m getting a loading page and my images are not showing. Any advice?
Roger
@Roger,
Looks like you have a problem with the paths to your images. First, make sure, in the Plugin’s Options screen, you’ve specified the path to the folder where your custom images are stored. Secondly, in the post custom field you need only enter the image filename without the path, ie “myimage.jpg”.
If you still have a problem, please post a message on the Support Forum.
Thanks
Sorry to post here, but I could not post on the support forum for some reason. I’ve made the change with the image custom fields. Now I’m getting the thumbnail images in my plugin but the images are not showing/loading. I have a loading box that is not loading the images, although I can see the thumbnails now. http://thebainjournal.com
Any help is much appreciated
Roger
@ Roger
Ok, it seems that the images are all there now.
Which means that there is probably a javascript conflict with one of your other plugins, probably one which is using jQuery. If that’s the case, it would be useful to know which plugin causes the conflict. You could try disabling your plugins one by one (start with WP-Polls,) and see if the gallery then works. If so, I’ll add the plugin to my list of “Known Conflicts”.
Ade.
It worked. Thanks for your help. The plugin Twiter Tools was the culprit.
Roger
One more question…
I don’t see my descriptions. Is there somewhere that I can change the height and font of the title/descriptions?
Roger
@ Roger
Glad that worked! I will add that plugin to my list.
For your descriptions, they are there, but there’s a CSS inheritance issue with your theme stylesheet. To fix it, you need to make a change to the CSS in jd.gallery.css (it’s in the plugin folder).
Find this style: .jdGallery .slideInfoZone h2, and add this within the curly braces:
line-height:20px !important;
That should do it.
How can I make the title/descriptions taller?
Roger
@ Roger
Open up jd.gallery.css, find the style .jdGallery .slideInfoZone and change the height property from 50px to whatever you need.
Does it pull the images if they are not on my site eg i am using images from flickr
@Sharon,
At the moment, no. The images must be hosted on your server. Interesting idea though and I’ll give it some thought for a future version.
Thanks.
Ade.
The plugin formbuilder will also cause the gallery not to work
Roger
@ Roger,
Thanks for the info. Formbuilder uses the Prototype Javascript framework – and this tends not to work well alongside either JQuery or Mootools. Try CForms as an alternative.
The many thanks for the work! I the worshipper Of wordPress, and included your site in survey on my [bloge]. Regards from the Ukraine!
amazing stuff thanx
Hi
i used content gallary plugin with collapsing-pages plugin
but due to collapsing-pages plugin it causes problem such as images are not displaying
so my request is please add collapsing-pages plugin in to your known conflicts
& let me know solution for this problem because both the plugins are necessary for me
Please post all support requests on the forum. Thanks.
I am using the plugin. It seems to work fine pulling 3 posts..but my site over the day starts slowing down. When I deactivate the plugin and then reactivate the site is fast again. now my site seems to have totally crashed. I am on the phone with godaddy. DOes anyone have this issue?
Hey, can you help? MIne just stopped loading!!! TY!
Please post support questions on the Support forum.