Sorting - Still Challenged

[suzeeq]

Can anyone help me figure out a good way to set up a default sort in a category that has 225 photos... I've tried both header and photographer, and neither seem to work in alphabetical order as I had expected. What am I doing wrong? I've been up so long trying to figure this out, feeling like a complete ditz!

[Pekka]

How it "does not work"? Do you have numbers in headers?

The sorting is done by MySQL server and it has its own "rules" to do it. See http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54804&highlight=sort

[suzeeq]

How it "does not work"? Do you have numbers in headers?

The challenge is that there are hundreds of photos that have to be sorted by Photographer's last name and then by their photo submission, numbered 1 through 4. So I will have something like this for each photographer:

Anderson Photo 1
Anderson Photo 2
Anderson Photo 3
Anderson Photo 4

So far the only way I can do it is by using the Author's Sort. I am still flexible about it at this point, because I have only created a few to get started.

Also, I had only one default path for this exhibit, and something odd happened to it. It is not assigned to my exhibit any longer, so I am forced to put all my normal size photos in the exhibit's root. I was working in the admin section, and my server crashed. When I went back in, that was the result. Any ideas on that one?

Thank you for your reply, Pekka.

[Pekka]

The challenge is that there are hundreds of photos that have to be sorted by Photographer's last name and then by their photo submission, numbered 1 through 4. So I will have something like this for each photographer:

Anderson Photo 1
Anderson Photo 2
Anderson Photo 3
Anderson Photo 4

So far the only way I can do it is by using the Author's Sort. I am still flexible about it at this point, because I have only created a few to get started.

The other post I referred to has a fix for this exact problem: MySQL does not sort numbers correctly on a text. I can do the changes for you if you PM me your ftp info to EE server. There are couple of other methods in SQL to do it, I'll have to test those out, too.

Also, I had only one default path for this exhibit, and something odd happened to it. It is not assigned to my exhibit any longer, so I am forced to put all my normal size photos in the exhibit's root. I was working in the admin section, and my server crashed. When I went back in, that was the result. Any ideas on that one?

I don't know (or understand) exactly what happened, but if you already had uploaded photos and the paths got wrong for some reason then you can just change the paths back to what they were and continue from there.

[suzeeq]

I can do the changes for you if you PM me your ftp info to EE server.

Thanks very much for the offer but I am restricted to SSH and not allowed to give out any access, so I'll have to muddle through it myself. Can you tell me what you think I should change, if it's not too much trouble for you?

I don't know (or understand) exactly what happened, but if you already had uploaded photos and the paths got wrong for some reason then you can just change the paths back to what they were and continue from there.

Instead of being assigned to an exhibit, my only default size path is now assigned to three dashes: --- . Do I have to re-create the entire exhibit to add the size paths again? Or is there another fix?

[Pekka]

Thanks very much for the offer but I am restricted to SSH and not allowed to give out any access, so I'll have to muddle through it myself. Can you tell me what you think I should change, if it's not too much trouble for you?

Try this first:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54804&p=386585

Instead of being assigned to an exhibit, my only default size path is now assigned to three dashes: --- . Do I have to re-create the entire exhibit to add the size paths again? Or is there another fix?

If a size path is not assigned (actually used, not assigned) to any exhibition in path editor, it means none of the photos in EE use that size path. On EE upload page (you do have EE 1.5RC4, right?) you select size paths for large size images and EE stores that info. If that info is wrong, you can go to photo editor and under there you can choose and save desired size path(s). Or you could try "find size paths" utility.

Let me try to give you more info:

- Each photo in EE has thumbnails and microthumbnails. These are read from paths you see in Exhibition Editor. So, each exhibition can have only one thumb and one microthumb path. If you have several thumb paths set, you must go and select the correct one in exhibition editor after you have created a new exhibition.

- For the larger image sizes (the actual photo display) EE uses a size path system which you can configure freely. Normally you want to keep it simple, you do e.g. three size paths (raw, medium, well done) and when you upload photos you select all three paths: EE resizes and uploads photo to each path and assigns the paths to the photo. You can see in photo editor what paths the photo is currectly using (size path list, inverse (colored) selections are used). If you do not want a certain size displayed or you want certain size displayed you can choose the paths for each photo separately.

Changing size paths do not make photos appear there automatically - they must have been either resized and uploaded there by EE or by you (resize in Photoshop and upload with SmartFTP for example). EE creates the required folders on server when it uploads, but if you add more size paths without using EE to upload to them you must create the folders manually with ftp.

EE uses strict filename hierarchy: each photo id has a filename and its thumb, microthumb and all sizes must have that filename in order to be "found". Filenames are case sensitive.

[suzeeq]

Try this first:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54804&p=386585.

The lines were not found in the current documents, list.php and photo.php.


(you do have EE 1.5RC4, right?)

No, I downloaded/installed the 1.22 version. I'll have to find out more about how to update. Will post again when that's done.

[MikeCaine]

Pekka, is it worth making it more obvious that 1.22 is old and lo longer supported and making it easier to find 1.5?

I originally tried 1.22, didn't really like it, wandered off to spend some time with Copeprmine and Gallery before accidentally stumbling across EE 1.5 many months later

[Pekka]

Pekka, is it worth making it more obvious that 1.22 is old and lo longer supported and making it easier to find 1.5?

I originally tried 1.22, didn't really like it, wandered off to spend some time with Copeprmine and Gallery before accidentally stumbling across EE 1.5 many months later

The EE webpage will be renewed very soon.

[suzeeq]

Okay, I have 1.5 installed. I have read everything I can find, and I **cannot** seem to add a photo to this exhibition. My paths are correct, thumbs and microthumbs are being found... where do I add photos from? I have like 3 hours to finish 225 photos.... I'm in a terrible mess.

[suzeeq]

There isn't enough documentation, I haven't been able to get through this. Can't add a photographer either, ... please, someone, help me out, PM me, I'm really in a jam. My deadline is closing in a couple of hours...

[CappuccinoDavid]

The EE webpage will be renewed very soon.

How soon, I would love to see the new one... What are you goint to add??

[suzeeq]

Well folks, I thought this was an awesome gallery. But after trying to muddle through 1.22, thinking that was the latest stable release, then starting over with 1.5 and not finding links and documentation, I've very little time to do this. Abandoning my efforts. Wish it had worked out, especially since the boss is pretty freaked out, I'm missing my birthday dinner tonight, and this has been a horrible experience all around (3 full days of lost work). Hopefully the documentation will go up and it will become the awesome gallery that it really is/should be. Best of luck.

[Pekka]

There was a 3 hour power outage in my area last night at the time your posted your messages and if that didn't happen I could have helped you out in realtime. I have also given set up service without charge for many people, if access was provided (setting up takes usually 10 minutes). I'm sorry to hear about your problems with EE, but I think it is not fair to blame it for your tight schedule, instead blame me not being online when it happens.

And about the question "where do I add photos from?": "UPLOAD TO DATABASE", naturally.

[suzeeq]

There was a 3 hour power outage in my area last night at the time your posted your messages and if that didn't happen I could have helped you out in realtime. I have also given set up service without charge for many people, if access was provided (setting up takes usually 10 minutes). I'm sorry to hear about your problems with EE, but I think it is not fair to blame it for your tight schedule, instead blame me not being online when it happens.

Thank you, Pekka, we can't expect you to be here 24 hours a day to help people all over the world! As I said, I do think this is a great gallery setup but there are definitely documentation/tutorial issues. It wasn't so much the setup as the confusion in data input that I had trouble with. Probably didn't help that I had started with 1.22 and didn't find things when I expected to in 1.5.

Keep up the good work... it's worth it! Thank you.

[Pekka]

I totally agree that EE needs SIMPLE manual urgently. This will happen.