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Using the Gallery Module (Slideshow, Masonry, Grid)

The Smile Pack Gallery Widget is your go-to solution for integrating stunning and responsive photo galleries into your Joomla site. With a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, this widget makes it a hassle-free choice for creating visually appealing photo galleries on your Joomla site. Whether you're a novice or an experienced user, the Smile Pack Gallery Widget ensures a seamless and dynamic image showcase for an engaging user experience. Choose from various styles, including grid, masonry, justified, and slideshow, to enhance the visual appeal of your photo displays.

This article provides insights into the functionality of the Smile Pack Gallery Widget and guides you through integrating a gallery module into your Joomla! Site.

    Requirements

    • Ensure you have the fileinfo PHP extension installed on your server (it should be installed by default).
    • Ensure you have the gd PHP extension installed on your server, as it's required for the resizing and watermark functionality.
    • Ensure you have the exif PHP extension installed on your server.

    The PHP extensions required must be installed on your host, either via cPanel (or alternative) or by contacting them and asking them to install them for you.

    To start creating a gallery module and add it to your Joomla Website, follow the steps listed below:

    Step 1: Head to Content > Site Modules and press the New button. Search for "Smile Pack" on that page, and select the Smile Pack - Gallery Module.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Select

    Step 2: Select the module position and click the Markers tab to add your locations.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Saved

    Step 3: Once on the Gallery tab, upload your images via drag 'n' drop or the Add Images button. Once your gallery is ready, hit the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Uploaded Images

    Step 4: Your gallery module is ready! View it on your site.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Preview

    To add a Grid Gallery module, follow the steps listed in How to add a Gallery module to Joomla, and on Step 2, set the Style to Grid, and click on the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Grid Style

    To add a Masonry Gallery module, follow the steps listed in How to add a Gallery module to Joomla, and on Step 2, set the Style to Masonry, and click on the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Grid Style

    To add a Justified Gallery module, follow the steps listed in How to add a Gallery module to Joomla, and on Step 2, set the Style to Justified, and click on the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Grid Style

    To add a Slideshow Gallery module, follow the steps listed in How to add a Gallery module to Joomla, and on Step 2, set the Style to Slideshow, and click on the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Grid Style

    How to resize the full images

    To resize the full image, go into your Gallery module > Module tab > Full-Size Image section, set the Resize Width and/or Resize Height, and click Save.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Resize Full Images

    How to resize the thumbnails

    To resize the thumbnails, go into your Gallery module > Module tab > set a number for both the width and height under Thumbnail Size, and click Save.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Set Grid Thumbnails

    To resize the thumbnails, go into your Gallery module > Module tab > set the width under Thumbnail Width and click Save.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Set Masonry Thumbnails

    To resize the thumbnails, go into your Gallery module > Module tab > set the height under Thumbnail Height and click Save.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Set Justified Thumbnails

    To resize the thumbnails, go into your Gallery module > Module tab > enable "Show Thumbnails" > set the width and height under Thumbnail Size and click Save.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Set Slideshow Thumbnails

    How to add watermark to your images

    To add a watermark in your images, navigate to the Watermark Images tab > select either Text or Image as the watermark type, and click the Save button.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Watermark Images

    How to filter your images with tags

    To display the tags set in your gallery items, above or below your gallery, allowing you to filter the gallery items, go into your Gallery Module > Filtering Tags tab, set where to display the filtering tags and configure its appearance, and functionality.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Filtering Tags

    Once you view your Gallery Module, it should display all added tags, allowing you to filter your gallery items.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Filtering Tags Filters

    How to limit maximum allowed images

    There are cases where you need to limit the number of images uploaded in the Gallery module. To apply a limit, go into the Gallery Module > Upload > set "Maximum Files Allowed". Setting this to 0 will allow unlimited files to be uploaded. This is useful when you have specific user groups that manage your galleries, and you'd like them to upload a specific number of images.

    For example, to limit the maximum images allowed to 5, set Maximum Files Allowed to 5.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Maximum Files Allowed

    How to set a custom upload folder

    To set a custom upload folder that matches your needs, go into your Gallery Module > Upload tab > Select "Custom" under Upload Destination, and configure the upload folder under "Custom Upload Folder". Note that this field supports Smart Tags.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module Custom Upload Folder

    Once you upload new images on your Gallery module, they will be uploaded on the specified custom upload folder.

    Set image description (alt) for your images

    Setting the image description (alt) for your images enhances SEO by providing search engines with relevant information about the image, improving accessibility for users with visual impairments, and ensuring a positive user experience by displaying descriptive text when images cannot be loaded.

    To set the image description (alt), you have two options:

    Option 1: Set the image description (alt) below the gallery image in the textarea field:

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module - Set Alt

    Option 2: Set the image description (alt) by hovering over the gallery item > click the Pencil (edit) icon > in the edit modal that will appear, type in the image description (alt) in the respective field:

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module - Set Alt in edit model

    Set custom caption for your images

    To set a custom caption that will appear when you open the image in the lightbox popup, follow the steps below.

    Hover over the gallery item > click the Pencil (edit) icon > in the edit modal that will appear, type in the popup description in the respective field.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module - Set Popup Description

    Set tags for your images

    To tag your image, where the tags can appear above/below the gallery items, after enabling the setting "Filtering Tags" in the custom field settings, follow the steps below.

    Hover over the gallery item > click the Pencil (edit) icon > in the edit modal that will appear, add your tags in the respective field.

    Smile Pack - Gallery Module - Set Image Tags

    How to generate image descriptions using AI

    Long gone are the times when you manually had to set image descriptions (alt text) for the uploaded gallery items. Using AI, you can now generate image descriptions with the click of a button, by letting AI do its magic.

    Before we get started, please set up your Open AI key by following this guide How to enable AI Features in Tassos extensions.

    To generate an image description using AI, find a gallery item, hover over the image description textarea, and click on the "AI magic" button that appears.

    Click to generate image description for selected gallery item using AI

    Upon clicking it, it will automatically start generating the image description for you. When it finishes loading, the image description will appear in the textarea, allowing you to perform three actions:

    • Accept the generated image description
    • Discard the generated image description
    • Or try again, by generating a new image description.

    Accept, reject, or try again generated image description using AI

    Generating image descriptions one by one can be a tedious job when your gallery contains a lot of images. For this reason, we've implemented one button to do this job for all selected images.

    Simply select the images you want to generate an image description, and at the top of the gallery, you will find the same "AI magic" button. Upon clicking it, it will prompt you to confirm that you want to generate an image description for all selected images.

    Click to generate multiple gallery items image descriptions using AI

    When it finishes generating the image description, all gallery items should contain their descriptions.

    Generated multiple gallery items image description using AI

    Module settings table

    Below, you can find all settings available in the Gallery Module.

    Name Description
    Module
    Style Choose from the most popular gallery layouts, recognized as global standards. Grid for uniform layout with customizable item dimensions, Masonry for fluid grid arrangement with varying heights, Justified for rows with consistent height and varying widths defined by a target row height or Slideshow for dynamic carousel display with thumbnail navigation.
    Grid Choose the number of columns to display the gallery items or use the 'auto' to display the images next to each other.
    Thumbnail Size Set the thumbnail size. Depending on the selected style, the thumbnails will be generated accordingly. For 'Grid', the thumbnail will be a square image. For 'Masonry', the thumbnail will be resized by width and keep its aspect ratio. For 'Justified', the thumbnail will be resized by height and keep its aspect ratio. For 'Slideshow', the thumbnail will be a square image.
    Gap Adjust the horizontal and vertical spacing between gallery items.
    Item Ordering By default, gallery items are displayed in the same order as they appear in the Gallery Manager, providing the flexibility to reorder items using drag and drop functionality manually. Alternatively, you can display items alphabetically or randomly to create a diverse and dynamic display.
    Lightbox Image Size Allow to view full-size images in a lightbox popup when clicking thumbnails. This enhances user experience by providing a convenient way to preview images without navigating away from the gallery page.
    Module as Caption Select a module to display below image in the lightbox popup, useful for reusable content or advertisements.
    Gallery
    Gallery Upload via drag 'n' drop your images and create a beautiful gallery on your Joomla! Website.
    Watermark Images
    Watermark Images Choose whether to apply a watermark text or image to uploaded images. This helps to protect your images, making it more difficult for others to use them without permission.
    Watermark Text Set the watermark text. You can either choose a predefined option or enter a custom text.
    Image Select the watermark image. It adjusts based on the gallery image's dimensions. For example, if the watermark is 800x800 pixels, it fits correctly on a 1024x1024 gallery image. The watermark scales down proportionally to fit if the gallery image is smaller, like 500x500 pixels.
    Color Select the color of the watermark text.
    Font Size Select the font size for the watermark specified in pixels. It dynamically adjusts to fit the dimensions of the gallery image. For instance, a font size of 50px suits large images such as 1024x800 pixels. The font size adapts for smaller images like 50x50 pixels to ensure optimal visibility.
    Position Select the position of the watermark on the image.
    Opacity Adjust the transparency of the watermark image. This helps to strike the right balance between the visibility and subtlety of the watermark.
    Rotation Rotate the watermark image clockwise by entering the angle in degrees.
    Apply on Thumbnails Choose whether to apply the watermark to thumbnails.
    Filtering Tags
    Filtering Tags Choose whether to display filtering tags in the gallery. This provides users with an intuitive way to filter gallery items by tags, enhancing navigation and content discovery.
    Sort Tags Choose the sorting method for your tags. By default, tags are displayed in the order they appear in the Tag component, allowing for efficient reordering.
    All Tags Label Enter a label for an 'All' item at the start of the tags filter list to view all gallery items. Leave empty to disable the 'All' item. You can make this multilingual by setting it to a translation string.
    Text Color Set the color of the tags' text.
    Text Color - Hover Set the text color when hovering over a tag item.
    Background Color - Hover Set the background color when hovering over a tag item.
    Upload
    Upload Destination By default, images are uploaded to /media/spgallery/MODULE_ID directory, where MODULE_ID is the ID of this module. For added security, a random prefix is appended to each file name. Opt for the 'Custom' option to specify your preferred destination folder.
    Maximum Files Allowed Set the maximum number of files that can be uploaded. Allows uploading between 1 and 8 images in Free version.
    File Size Limit Determine the maximum size (in megabytes) permitted for each uploaded file. Use 0 for no size restriction.
    Custom Upload Folder Specify the path relative to your webspace's root where files will be uploaded. Utilize Smart Tags for dynamic folder destinations. The custom Smart Tags available are '{sp module.id}', which returns the module ID.
    Maximum Files Allowed Set the maximum number of files that can be uploaded. Use 0 for unlimited uploads.
    Random Suffix Add a random suffix to the uploaded image filenames. This helps to prevent conflicts when uploading images with the same name.

    Smile Pack will soon provide a shortcode to display a gallery anywhere on your Joomla website. Whether it is a Grid, Masonry, Justified, or Slideshow, we've got you covered. You'll also be able to customize it fully using the shortcode settings.

    Interested in the Gallery Shortcode? Get notified.

    To display your gallery using a Joomla! custom fields, you can use Advanced Custom Fields, which provides a plethora of custom fields, including the Gallery custom field, allowing you to create a Grid, Masonry, Justified, or Slideshow gallery across your Joomla Articles, Users, Contacts, and 3rd-party components.

    Read more here: ACF Gallery - Add a Gallery Field in Joomla.

    To create a popup that embeds a gallery, you can use EngageBox, which helps you create high-converting popups that help you increase your sales. There are a variety of ways to embed a gallery in your popup:

    Method #1: Do you have an existing gallery module? Click here to create a gallery module. You can include it in your EngageBox popup using the Joomla! built-in shortcode {loadmoduleid ID}. Replace the ID with the Module ID.

    Method #2: Use the ACF Gallery custom field. Within your EngageBox popup, you can use the Smart Tag {article.field.NAME --id=ID} to embed the ACF Gallery of a specific article in your popup. Replace NAME with the ACF Gallery custom field Name and ID with the Article ID, where the ACF Gallery was set.

    Method #3: Use shortcode (Coming Soon).

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I embed this module in an article?

    The gallery module can appear anywhere on your site, even on your Joomla! Articles, using the shortcode {loadmoduleid ID}, where ID is the module's ID, and placing it anywhere you desire on your Joomla! Article.

    Can I use this module as a custom field?

    Absolutely! You can read more on how to create a gallery field here: How to display your gallery using custom fields

    Can I display this module in a popup?

    Definitely. You can read more on how to display a gallery module in a popup here: How to display your gallery in a popup

    Will it slow down my website?

    Absolutely not. The Gallery Module is carefully built with performance in mind. We have tested it on extremely high-traffic websites to ensure that it scales without having any performance issues.

    Is it responsive and mobile-ready?

    Yes, the Gallery Module is both responsive and mobile-ready, which will adapt to the device it is being viewed, ensuring that the photo galleries look great on all devices.

    The Lightbox Popup feature of the Gallery Module allows you to click on a thumbnail and display the full image in a Lightbox popup. This feature is enabled by default and is based on Glightbox, a lightweight and dependency-free (no jQuery) lightbox script that is only 11kb gzipped. Additionally, you can choose a module to be displayed below the image’s caption in the lightbox popup and enable the optimization of the original image uploaded by the user to increase loading speed and free up storage space.

    How does the justified layout work?

    The justified layout expects images in different dimensions, such as portraits and landscapes. The logic behind the justified layout is that all images will be resized by a specific height (thus, all images will have different widths but the same height, as set in the "Thumbnail Height" setting). The justified layout will automatically fit all images nicely together.

    You may notice that not all justified gallery rows have the same height. The reason is that the height set under "Thumbnail Height" is the lever we use to fit everything nicely. The algorithm will get as close to the target row height as possible.

    Also, images will not stretch to fit a single row when there is extra space due to missing images.

    Does it support the webp format?

    The Gallery Module supports uploading images in the webp format. However, it does not yet support generating gallery images in the webp format. That'll come in a future update.
    With the Gallery module, you can create a slideshow gallery to present your images in a carousel. It provides essential customizable options as well as thumbnails for easier navigation.

    How are images regenerated?

    The Gallery module is smart enough to regenerate the images upon saving the module. So if you've changed the thumbnail size and saved the module, you'll notice that the thumbnails are updated on the gallery on your site.

    Why do some images appear with the "Temporary" badge?

    The Gallery module will automatically detect images you have previously uploaded to the Gallery Module and have left unprocessed (didn't save the module, closed the browser tab, etc...) and pre-populate the gallery module with those images so you can continue from where you've left. This ensures no leftover photos are kept on your server.

    Troubleshooting

    If you're manually updating your gallery images (i.e. reuploading them via FTP or overriding them with changes), and have Cloudflare installed on your Joomla site, you must clear the cache in order to get the latest changes.

    Last updated on Nov 26th 2024 12:11