Add (PP) stacks frame on images? Possible?

CallieJo · April 1st, 2005, 10:52 AM

How can we add something like the "stacks" frame that PhotoPost offers?

Ya know, the images around the thumbnails that make it look like the image lays atop a stack of photos....

Anyone able to hack this for all of these areas? Pretty please................
1.) Random photos on forum home
2.) Random and new photos on gallery home
3.) and if possible (not necessary though) on all thumbnails throughout gallery.

Prefer #1 and #2 atleast...

Would be willing to pay small fee to get this added ;-)

Thanks a bunches!

KW802 · April 1st, 2005, 10:59 AM

The "stacks" are just images that act as borders. It'd be easy enough to do but somebody would have to come up with an original set of graphics to use. Obviously the ones from PP couldn't be used so a set of original borders would be needed.

I've experimented before about adding a drop shadow-to the images and the changes were easy enough to do but where I came into some "HHHmm....." questions was how to handle images that aren't completely square (like animated images)? How to handle thumbnails for non-image files (like video & audio)?

It's been a while since I looked at it but since I'm graphically challenged

the biggest thing for me was finding a set of border graphics to act as the frame that were both (a) available to use freely and (b) had transparent background since not everybody has a white background to their styles.

Lizard King · April 1st, 2005, 11:09 AM

Quote:

I've experimented before about adding a drop shadow-to the images and the changes were easy enough to do but where I came into some "HHHmm....." questions was how to handle images that aren't completely square (like animated images)? How to handle thumbnails for non-image files (like video & audio)?

Is this possible only for images ? Because i am only allowing my members to upload images and would like to see a modification like this

CallieJo · April 1st, 2005, 11:10 AM

Doing the graphics wouldn't be too hard for me to do

and I'm sure I could make some transparent as well...

If you or someone else wants to hack this, I'd be willing to do some graphics...maybe even several sets

I would make them so that they could fit around a 100x100 thumbnail size and someone else can hack it to make it stretch...maybe..hopefully...lol...I would provide all the graphics to do it with...no prob on that...

Just let me know if anyone can do this hack...and wants me to do the graphics...and I'll have them available within a day estimate....

Thanks a bunches!!!

CallieJo · April 1st, 2005, 11:12 AM

And I'm only using images as well...

I know it sounds stingy of me..but if someone can atleast do it for the images - I'd greatly appreciate it....I'm sure others would appreciate it for the other file types as well...but for myself, the images are all I need it for...

KW802 · April 1st, 2005, 11:26 AM

CallieJo, Lizard King: If you guys come up with the images I'll can handle the code. To get started with it, if CallieJo can provide the images for her site first (100x100 thumbnail) we can at least get the ball rolling by getting it up & running with her site and then move on to making a more generic solution.

Lizard King: If you give me your thoughts on how to approach this for non-image files that'd be appreciated. Sometimes I think myself into a box so having some input from others would be good on how to handle the non-image files as well as how to handle the fact that people may have different sized thumbnails on their sites.

To give some background on why I was looking at this before.... When I was messing around to do the hacks to auto-play SWF files and to play the media files inline I became well acquanted with the section of code that creates the HTML for displaying the images. While I was in there I realized I could add a bottom & right drop-shadow to the images like how some of the photo hosting sites do it. Unfortunately I also realized that it looked pretty strange for the animated gifs I have on my site and various other non-traditional types of files so I dropped the idea meaning to come back to it again later.

I'm tied up with a few different projects so don't expect a 24-hour solution on this on but it shouldn't be that long.

CallieJo · April 1st, 2005, 11:33 AM

Okies, great! Thanks a bunches!

I'm working on two other sites as well at the moment. But will get started on the images afterwards and have them ready sometime tomorrow (or even tonight), k ;-) Sound good?

No hurries, k...I'm just happy to get this done ;-) And realize ya all have other thingies to do too ;-)

I appreciate this greatly! Woohoo! You are so "Awesome"!

Hugs*
CallieJo

KW802 · April 1st, 2005, 11:42 AM

No problem. I'll start looking at the code again in the meantime. I won't be available at Saturday so hopefully Sunday night is when I'll be able to actually sit down and crank some code out for it; even if the graphics aren't available yet the code will be generic.

CallieJo · April 1st, 2005, 11:45 AM

K, great ;-) Thanks Bunches! This is greatly appreciated ;-)

I'll more than likely have the graphics avail before ya need them ;-)

Hugs*
CallieJo

CallieJo · April 2nd, 2005, 09:48 AM

K, ya all...I've got two styles done. Each one in five colors. Total of 10 ready and they are all transparent. Can make some more different themed ones later.

Was observing my copy of PP (bought it long before vba-gallery was out) and noticed that only the stacks frame is sliced in 4 for each side....the others are not sliced, so I assume they are merely used for a background behind your thumbs. Not sure how you would use one for a background - I imagine you would run into display issues doing that. In any sense, I've sliced the ones I made into 4 borders.

KW802, email me when ready for the pics and I'll send them your way, k ;-)
Again, thanks a BUNCHES for this ;-) You are totally Awesome!!

Hugs*
CallieJo

CallieJo · April 2nd, 2005, 08:18 PM

Okies, had to come back to post...to correct what I said about the PP frames that are not sliced in 4...they are actually overlayed over the thumbnails and not used as a background...this would be awesome to do in my opinion since you could overlay a frame that maybe has a flower in the corner and it overlays over the thumbnail. But not sure how it would handle thumbs if the thumbs came out in different heights...

KW802 - I can send you graphics for both ways...I know you are busy at this time, so please email or pm me when you need them and if you want both ways, k ;-)

Just wanted to clear up my earlier post about the frames ;-)

Have a splendid weekend all ;-)

Huggies*
CallieJo

CallieJo · May 15th, 2005, 04:08 PM

KW802, any word on this? I sent images last month to you but haven't heard from you

Thanks,
CallieJo

CallieJo · July 16th, 2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CallieJo

KW802, any word on this? I sent images last month to you but haven't heard from you

Thanks,
CallieJo

bump

Grae · July 20th, 2005, 04:47 PM

I think I will give this a try. I would really like to have this feature.

Brinnie · July 26th, 2005, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KW802

I've experimented before about adding a drop shadow-to the images and the changes were easy enough to do but where I came into some "HHHmm....." questions was how to handle images that aren't completely square (like animated images)?

see http://deviantART.com uses 3 different PNG images images. Look at the source code, it uses one for small thumbs, one for med sized thumbs and one for larger thumbs.

Buy the way, are you still in need of graphics?

KW802 · July 26th, 2005, 12:24 PM

CallieJo: Sorry for not getting back to you before; for a number of (personal) reasons I haven't been online lately as much as I used to be and in-between this project got lost on my To Do list. The last time we spoke I think you aren't using Gallery for anything other than actual image files... has this changed? That answer will determine the HTML I need to send your way. (If you're only doing images only then I think we can get away with a template change but if you're doing non-image files as well then I'll add the code to the 'inline media' hack code.)

Brinnie: I prefer not looking at anybody else's code for any of the stuff I release here. I am aware, though, of the technique you're describing; essentialy the actual thumbnail is embedded as the background graphic of a cell and then another image is displayed in the cell giving the appearance of the graphics being layered. For the desiered result of this thread the second image would be in the shape of a frame or other picture-type display with a transparent center so that the background image can still be seen. Since IE doesn't support transparent PNG files a transparent GIF would be preferred. Eventually that'll be the direction that I take with this but for the immediate timeframe I'll get CallieJo up & running with the graphics she's already prepared.

Brinnie · July 28th, 2005, 12:52 AM

I looked into the deviantART thing a little further and I find it rather interesting how they did it. It seems that PNG files are generated per the dimensions of the image.

Take a look at the following:
http://sh.deviantart.com/shadow/alph...0/500/null.png

from "alpha" on up, the settings goes like this:
/alpha-[COLOR]/[BLUR LEVEL].[DISTANCE]-0.[DARKNESS]/[WIDTH]/[HEIGHT]/null.png

How is that done, by Java???

Scribbller · October 31st, 2005, 01:23 AM

So did anyone actually manage to do this?