How to control product images in Catalog area

[webcoach]

Dear OSers,

 

As the subject says... each time I upload an image for a New Product, the resulting product page appears to set the WIDTH and HEIGHT for the IMG tag automatically... making some pretty scrunched up images.

 

Secondly, on the Admin tool, I can only see how to specify a product image with a RELATIVE path. Can't plug in an absolute URL

 

 

I am your friend forever if you can help!

:D

 

Paul G.

[jficarra]

Image size question:

 

I believe you need to set the Calculate Image Size parameter in Admin to false. To find it, go to your admin tool, Configuration, Images, then set the Calculate Image Size parameter to false.

 

Relative Path Question:

I'm not sure what you mean by this...when you upload an image, OSCommerce puts it in an appropriate directory under the /catalog/images directory corresponding to the category in which the product belongs.

 

It sounds like you're trying to specify the URL to the image and placing it manually...don't do that. The Image field allows you to browse for the image and puts it in the appropriate path.

 

-Jim

[Ramesh]

Hi ,

 

I think the best way to use images is to do the following:

 

1) Keep your main product images (large / high quality )

in a directory . Use image processing software (I use Macromedia Fireworks ) to product thumbnails from all images in this directory.

 

If an image is say , 320x200 and OSC produces a thumbnail 100x100 the image will distort. You need to keep the ratio of height:width the same

(the aspect ratio) . You could open individual images and draw a selection box which is 100x100 and copy this to a new image. Then use this for the thumbnail.

 

If OSC is scrunching the image to produce a thumbnail, then all browsers are downloading the entire image and displaying it at a smaller size through the browser, which is tough for dial-up users .

 

The best solution is to use one of the contributions to have small-sized thumbnails and full images when the product is clicked on for further details. This means you will have to maintain a directory of full size images and a seperate directory of thumbnails. You could have one directory but using a different file name for the thumbnails.

 

Hope this helps !

Best of luck

[Guest]

Paul,

 

First the absolute path question......You could put the absolute path into the database, BUT, you reaaly don't want to. By using the relative path the program is able to generate the secure path to the pictures and other images needed when you are in the https: mode.

 

On you image size problem, don't turn off the calculate image size. In the admin->configuration->images, simply remove one of the dimensions from the formula. For Example: if the small images are 100 wide and 150 high, click on the width and delete the 100. Then all of your images will be 150 pixels tall by their proportionate width. By doing this, you'll save a step and NOT have to crop all of your images to the same proportions.