I am pleased to announce the release of version 2.0 of the Dynamic Content Gallery plugin for WordPress and WordPress Mu.
The key enhancements with Version 2.0+ are:
- Compatible with WordPress Mu
- Added Gallery CSS options to the Settings page
- Added Reset checkbox to the Settings to restore default options
- Major rewrite of the underlying code to ensure compatibility with future versions of WordPress
Description
This plugin creates a dynamic gallery of images for latest and/or featured posts. Using JonDesign’s excellent SmoothGallery script, this plugin makes the gallery truly dynamic so that it automatically creates the gallery from your latest and/or featured posts. You can see a working demo on the Dynamic Content Gallery Configuration page.
Features
- Javascript driven image gallery using mootools framework
- Displays 5 custom images, titles and descriptions for the 5 latest posts from your choice of categories. For example, the last 5 posts from one category or the latest post from 5 categories – or any other combination in-between.
- Highly configurable
- Valid xhtml ouput
- Tested to be compatible with WordPress 2.5 to 2.8.5
- Compatible with WordPress Mu 2.8.4a (note some options are not available when run on WPMU)
Download
Download the latest version of the Dynamic Content Gallery.
So, what does it do?
The Dynamic Content Gallery automatically pulls in images and titles from the latest posts in your chosen categories, configured via a Settings page, and displays these using JonDesign’s SmoothGallery script. Each image links to it’s associated post so that your site visitors have direct access to your featured content.
How does it work?
Very simply! For each of the gallery’s 5 image “slots” the plugin checks to see if, for the latest posts in specified categories, post custom fields exist for the image filename and its description. If so, these are displayed in the gallery. If an image or its description has not been specified in the post custom field, the plugin displays a default image or default description for the these posts.
The key to the plugin is the use of post custom fields which enable you to add an image and image description to each post and have these automatically pulled into the gallery.
There are a number of configuration options for the plugin, readily available via a Settings page in the Dashboard. Normally you will set these options once, then forget about them. The underlying javascript file also gives a number of further configuration options relating to how the gallery displays images, arrows, an inbuilt menu carousel and other options – for those who are not afraid to make minor edits to a javascript file. Additionally, the size and look of the gallery is controlled by an external stylesheet jd.gallery.css.
Installation and configuration
Visit the dedicated Dynamic Content Gallery configuration page for full details of installation, configuration and usage, including screenshots to help you set up the Settings page. Please note: this page will be updated to reflect the changes in Version 2.0. In the meantime please refer to the README.txt file supplied in the download.
Upgrading an existing installation of the plugin
Important! If you are upgrading an existing installation of the Dynamic Content Gallery plugin, please install the upgrade as per the instructions provided on the Dynamic Content Gallery v2 upgrade instructions page.
Support
In the first instance, please take time to read the README.txt file supplied in the download.
Answers to frequent questions can be found on the FAQ page.
A support forum is available here in case you still have questions or problems with the plugin. Registration is required but only takes a minute and doesn’t require any personal info apart from your email address. Please do not leave comments here asking for support. That’s what the forum is for. Thank you!
Footnote:
I gratefully acknowledge and thank JonDesigns, for the versatile and excellent gallery script which this plugin uses, and special thanks and kudos to Jason Schuller whose original Featured Content Gallery plugin inspired me to develop this in the first place, and from whose initial work I have borrowed heavily.
Thanks! This one is useful since the original content gallery have problems since I upgraded to 2.7.
Thanks again!
@ Anne,
Great! Glad you like it.
Wow, it’s great plugin. With this plugin, i can improve my site, by ading gallery features with this plugin.
Thanks
@ Home Design Ideas
Great! Glad you like it.
Ade.
The link of wordpress to download the plugin is not working. 404 error
M.
@Max,
That’s odd. Do you mean the Download link on the wordpress.org site, or the links on this page to wordpress? Both are working fine for me.
Thanks for letting me know.
** Update: 11/2/2008 **
I have since found out that the entire WordPress Plugin site was malfunctioning for an hours or so yesterday. All is working correctly now.
Ade.
is it possible that only 1 article be displayed in the gallery? and that the gallery drop down be removed?
@ Sahil,
“Please do not leave comments here asking for support. That’s what the forum is for. Thank you!” Also, check out the FAQ.
Great plugin
Thank you for your help!
FYI: the Carrington theme framework requires adding ‘global $post;’ to dynamic-gallery.php in order to access the post meta (description, image). Cheers!
Hi
plugin looking good but I cannot set it up. any help?
@ Mickey,
Post any support questions on my forum. Also, read through the FAQ.
Thanks.
Default images…
I have the path set for the default images and I uploaded an image into the correct folder on the server however they do not pull into the gallery. What could be wrong?
Yes…I checked the paths and the folders 5 times.
I should have mentioned that the CUSTOM images pull in nicely but not the DEFAULT folder. Should the defaul image be named something specifically?
@ William Hill,
Please post support questions on the forum. I don’t answer support question in the comments.
Thanks.
any possibility of including a ‘grab random posts from a category’ and displaying more than 5 posts? would make the plugin useful for numerous applications. otherwise great job!
Ian,
Check out v3 info here: http://www.studiograsshopper.ch/wordpress-plugins/dynamic-content-gallery-v3-release-candidate/
No “random” images functionality, but up to 9 images in “Multi Option” mode.
Love the plugin. One wish for future version. To be able to customize the link from the image, using custom fields: dfcg-link for instance. So when you click on the main image you can set where to link. Many thanks! Chris
Done! This is already included in v3, and uses a custom field called dfcg-link.
Does it work with static pages?
I use v2.2. Made some pics for static pages – cause I want only them in gallery. Insert a call code <?php include (ABSPATH… in another static page. And nothing happen.
I’m trying it here http://all-small-dogs.ru/?page_id=2
Hi,
Please post support questions in the Forum.
Thanks.
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