Photo Upload Settings

By using the default setting you are affirming that your server has GD Library 2.0 or above. To find out for sure you may need to contact your host or upload a phpinfo() function to your server and verify. If you allow uploading of images to your server you may sometimes encounter an error that stops the image upload (sometimes without any errors displaying). We have found that several servers report the existence of the imagecreatetruecolor command and then immediately errors out with many times no error messages at all. Leaving the setting in the default position will assume the existence of the imagecreatetruecolor command is reported correctly. Clicking “manual override” will force the script to use older methods of creating the thumbnail images. For example...use the imagecreate command. The imagecreatetruecolor command is more efficient at creating the thumbnail.

If you allow users to upload photos with their listings, those photos need to be stored on your server. There are two ways to accomplish this depending on your server's configuration.

Default - is used if your server allows manipulations of files within the server “temp” directory. This is the most common configuration and most efficient as the server periodically deletes old temp files automatically.

Custom - is necessary if you are not allowed to perform operations on files within your server’s “temp” directory. If you use the second configuration you will need to create a temporary directory with the appropriate rights to place image files in temporarily so the application can perform certain operations on the files. Try the first configuration initially as this is the most common. If you need to try the second configuration you will need to enter a “temp directory” into the “directory path to images directory”. This can be the same as the final images directory but not recommended.

The Software needs a directory to place images in when they are uploaded. This directory must be viewable from the internet and should be the same directory as the “Server Path to Root Photos Directory” in the next field but referenced relatively from the index.php or “top” file. The images (photos) are removed once the listing they are attached to has expired.

THIS SETTING IS VERY IMPORTANT. If this is not set properly, you will not be able to upload and view photos within the listings on your site. Instead, the site will error out during the uploading of photos when placing the listing. If you allow any type of uploaded file this Software needs a directory to place images in when they are uploaded. This field should contain the document path to the directory on the server. This is the server path of the images directory from the server root directory. In most cases, the correct path to the directory for your specific server will display in the top line of the description of this setting. In other words, we have written a routine into the software that attempts to identify this path for you. However, in some cases depending on your server settings the path will not display correctly or not at all. This typically happens on Windows servers. If the path DOES display, copy and paste that path into the field to the right. Remember, this may not be the complete path to where your listings program is located on your server. For example, If you have placed the program in a subdirectory (folder) you will need to add that to the end of the path as well. Finally, add the image directory to the end of the path, usually /user_images/.

As an example, let’s say we installed the program in an “listings” folder that we created in our root directory. This is what we would have:

Another way to check for the proper path is to log in and go through the “listing” process. When you get to the upload image page, try to upload an image, and click the “enter image information” button. If the directory path you entered into this field is incorrect, a Warning Message will usually display stating that “No such file or directory in” [directory]. That is the [directory] that you need to enter in for the “directory path to images directory” field, except you would only enter in up to the location of the /user_images/ folder, following the same principle in the example above. Keep in mind that, again, with Windows servers, this Warning Message will likely not display.

Regardless of the situation, if you are unable to find the correct path, you will need to contact your host to determine the 'server path to root'. Again, our software attempts to detect it for you, but if it cannot, you should contact your host, as this is a server specific issue.

You can allow users to upload images to the site by clicking yes here. If the maximum number of images above is not zero the users will be allowed to upload images to the site.

This determines the number of photos referenced by url, uploaded or a combination of both that can appear in a seller's listing. If you do not want to allow images at all set this value to “0”. This value will be the total number of photos that can be attached to an listing. All images attached to a listing will be displayed on the full images page and the javascript popup window.

This setting determines the maximum file size for an uploaded photo (or file) if you allow the user to upload photos or files within their listings. All photos/files uploaded whose file size is larger than this will be rejected and the appropriate error message will be displayed on the photo upload page. Or, if there is more than one photo/file uploaded, then each photo/file will be compared to the maximum file size and those photos/files that exceed the maximum will not be accepted for upload.

You can adjust the quality of the resized photos produced by this Software by adjusting this dropdown box. The numbers in the dropdown box represent the percentage of resolution displayed. The higher the number, the clearer the image. Although this setting will sacrifice the quality of your thumbnail images, you will gain increased load time of your pages, the lower the setting. Each time you enter a new setting, that new setting will only affect thumbnail images created in the future. The setting change does not affect thumbnail images already displayed on the site.

You can allow users to reference their photos by url instead of uploading their photos to your server. This means that their photo is already located somewhere that is accessible to the Internet. They will simply enter the URL path to that location.

You can specify the URL path to an image that will display while the system is processing the user's photos during the Listing Process. This image will display, letting the user know that the system is currently processing data.

You can specify the URL path to an image that will display in the 'uploading image' position prior to the user's attempt to process their photos. In other words, this image is simply holding a 'space' for the 'uploading image' specified above, until the user begins processing their photos.

This determines the number of photos referenced by url, uploaded or a combination of both that can appear in the normal listing display page. If this is set to “0” all images allowed for a specific listing will be displayed within the listing detail screen. If the number specified here is "lower" than the number specified in the "Max Photos / Files Allowed" setting, all additional photos will be displayed on the Full Size Image Display Page or the Javascript Popup Window.

Use this setting to set the number of columns of photos you would like to have displayed in your listing. It is important, however, that you factor in the pixel width setting you have selected for your photos when determining the best number of columns to display. If you choose to display 5 photo columns at a max pixel width of 100, then you need to ensure that you have at least 500 pixels across to provide enough room to display your photos properly.

This setting allows you to set the maximum length (in characters) of the text displayed with each photo image within the listing display page. The full image text will be displayed within the full size image page. The maximum characters allowed within a description is 256 characters.

Choose how to display the thumbnail images on your Listing Display Pages. The Classic layout will display a series of rows and columns of thumbnail images. The Gallery layout will display "clickable" thumbnail images that can be previewed in as a larger image.

This setting controls the maximum width of a thumbnail image. If the image file was uploaded and the width dimensions exceed the width you set here, a thumbnail image will be created that will conform to the maximum width specified in this setting. The proportions of the uploaded image will be preserved but a resized thumbnail is created. Full size images will be uploaded and saved as a separate file than the thumbnail created.

This setting controls the maximum height of a thumbnail photo. If the image file was uploaded and the width dimensions exceed the width you set here, a thumbnail image will be created that will conform to the maximum height specified in this setting. The proportions of the uploaded photo will be preserved but a resized thumbnail is created. Full size images will be uploaded and saved as a separate file than the thumbnail created.

Set the maximum width of the gallery photos that are displayed on the Listing Display Page.

IMPORTANT: The previous Layout settings only affect photos that are uploaded AFTER the setting was changed. If a change is made after photos have been uploaded the new setting will not affect those preexisting photos.

You can choose to display one larger photo thumbnail image on the Listing Display page. This will be the first photo that the seller uploaded with their listing. You must insert the (!LEAD_PICTURE!) tag into the Listing Details Template in order to make use of this feature. You also need to specify a maximum width and height for the Lead Image. The photo will scale proportionately.

Select the appropriate radio button. This setting allows you to control how the full-sized images will be viewed. The first setting provides the option for your visitors to click on an listing image and a new window will open with all of the listing’s images displayed at full size. The second setting provides a javascript popup window of the full-sized image, when the photo thumbnail is clicked.

IMPORTANT: When using the javascript setting, make sure you insert the (!CSSSTYLESHEET!) tag within the <HEAD> of the template that surrounds the body of the listing display page.

Set the maximum width of photos displayed on your full-sized image page. If a photo referenced or uploaded in a listing has width dimensions larger than your maximum width the photo appearing on any specific listings full-sized image page the image will be resized to have a width equal to or less than your maximum width. In resizing the photo this Software application will keep the photo's proportions intact.

Set the maximum height of photos displayed on your full-sized image page. If a photo referenced or uploaded in a listing has height dimensions larger than your maximum width the photo appearing on any specific listings full-sized image page the photo will be resized to have a width equal to or less than your maximum width. In resizing the photo this Software application will keep the photo's proportions intact.

This link takes you to a page that will allow you to specify a Popup Window template and additional specifications for the chosen template.