New Version ?

[twuble]

Hi Pekka,

Think that EE is one of top nicely layed out Picture Gallery programs that i've come across.

Your've mentioned having a new version soon though that does auto resizing using GD and ImageMajik
(yah! It took me a while to work out with the current one that you have to create all the thumbnails etc yourself manually)

So 2 questions

1. Any idea when the new version will be out, next week/next month ?

2. What program do you use to do all your thumbnails ? Is there any easy way of converting a whole lot of images at once ?

[malum]

http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/

[Lewiswax2]

Very cool and easy freeware to create thumbnails, thanks! I knew we could do them in Photoshop, but using Easy Thumbnails...is so easy!

[Pekka]

twuble wrote:
1. Any idea when the new version will be out, next week/next month ?

I'll tell where I am now and about and something about what will be in EE 1.5:

I'm just doing finishing touches to pretty sophisticated upload system which resizes, sharpens, distributes files (using ftp) to correct size paths and then adds to database using combined data from EXIF and IPTC. It has extensive error reporting, realtime ftp progress view, file renamer and other stuff. It has taken most of the time in developement because I wanted to make it compatible with PHP Safe Mode, and also be very reliable and fast. Reporting and realtime info from server when resizing and distributing files is also important and that works quite nicely. Upload system supports now GD1, GD2 and Imagick (Imagemagick wrapper). Imagick is a "wrapper" for Imagemagick and it is safe for PHP system so it will be most likely easier to get installed on public servers - it will do USM sharpening and has generally much better quality than GD. I will add "real" Imagemagick Mogrify support for those who can run system commands (php safe mode off). Any graphics library support can be added to the system with very little coding.

EE 1.5 has html export page which lets you export exhibitions when you need to burn your granny a CD. EE creates html pages, gets all files needed using ftp and gathers graphics and styles, too. You can set language, list output, sorting etc for each export.

The whole path system is now tied to ftp (there is ftp server setup and testing page) and this means a door has opened to extemely useful functions like export above. EE is a multiserver environment and ftp as base tool is fully in use. When you have set up ftp server(s) and paths you can add photos to database with few clicks. After 1.5 is out for testing, I'll make more ftp stuff like remove unused photo files, move photos, global size info etc.

EE 1.5 is fully multilingual. Language can be changed on any page without affecting position and settings. The last thing I have to do in next few days before I put test version out is language installer which lets you add any language to EE, then translators can jump in. Database is fully translated by user with easy multilanguage editing, everything public sees (except user comments) is translated. Every static text in user interface is translated through files. Editor helps can be translated but editors themselves are still partly english only.

EE 1.5 has plenty of new code internally which means more speed, reliability and some nice features, too which were not possible before. Eg. when you browse photos in photo page and return to listing the listing finds now the correct listing page automatically. Categories are now displayed per exhibition, and there is a safety net system for unfound categories as someone jumps between exhibitions.

Size path "default" is no more crucial to viewing, if EE finds out that there is no default path for a photo it looks first working size from saved size paths.

Photo page can now output panoramas or images using Java, the photo display code has been modified so that you can easily insert any display method for photo and it is still in frame. Movie/Real/flash/shockwave/etc support is on table now - it will only need some filename juggling, the modular system will handle code snippets.

Style system has some new stuff. Simply: things look better.

"Combined exhibition" is an exhibition created on the fly when requested by visitor: it is a combination of all exhibitions under current passwords. It is _slightly_ slower to browse but very useful for searchers and in getting an overview.

There is a photo comment and rating system.

Editors have now better structure and new graphic form.

There is still plenty of coding to do but hopefully nothing that requires thinking time. So next few days is typing and testing and as soon as I can I'll let you know where test version can be downloaded.

[dohara]

Sounds fantastic, I'm anticipating EE1.5 more than the Canon 10D!!!!

Thanks for the update Pekka,

Dennis

[daddy0]

Pekka wrote:
I'm just doing finishing touches to pretty sophisticated upload system which resizes, sharpens, distributes files (using ftp) to correct size paths and then adds to database using combined data from EXIF and IPTC. It has extensive error reporting, realtime ftp progress view, file renamer and other stuff.

I have my exhibition on a server that doesn't allow ftp transfer but only sftp. Can I use the new version of EE?

Mikko

[Pekka]

daddy0 wrote:

I have my exhibition on a server that doesn't allow ftp transfer but only sftp. Can I use the new version of EE?

Mikko

Hi,

If your PHP is installed with OpenSSL and PHP is version 4.3 or higher then I can offer secure ftp. See http://fi2.php.net/manual/en/function.ftp-ssl-connect.php for more details.

I have also plan to write ftp support without ftp installed on PHP but how SSL fits into that I do not know yet.

The next EE has all the stuff from old version, too, so if your server can't do ftp then you can do things the old way.

[richardyoung]

Also.. one more question??

Is there going to be a slideshow in the next verison. I have been working to place a slide show feature in ee and have not had much luck.

[Pekka]

richardyoung wrote:
Also.. one more question??

Is there going to be a slideshow in the next verison. I have been working to place a slide show feature in ee and have not had much luck.

I have planned slideshow, but it will not be in next version yet, there is simply so much else to code which are on top of todo list now, sorry.

Slideshow in EE would need passing the refresh code (javascript of META) the id and vars for next photo - you can get the id and other stuff it needs from "next" link on photo page - only problem is that "next" link is calculated _after_ you would need to know it. To overcome this you need some careful code moving and also some additional code. So this may not be as simple after all and it also needs start and stop code and UI, too. But everything can be done: I'll check how it can be done as soon as I have time for it.

In my experience many things that look very complicated are in fact quite simple to code, and vice versa. :)

[TomKa]

Pekka wrote:
EE 1.5 is fully multilingual. Language can be changed on any page without affecting position and settings. The last thing I have to do in next few days before I put test version out is language installer which lets you add any language to EE, then translators can jump in. Database is fully translated by user with easy multilanguage editing, everything public sees (except user comments) is translated. Every static text in user interface is translated through files. Editor helps can be translated but editors themselves are still partly english only.
-->

We have finished our holidays - ready to start a bit of translation work.... !!!
Thomas