I realize we've still got quite a bit to sort out before we get started, but I figure the sooner we figure out what direction we're going and what our feature set will be the quicker we can run with things when it comes time to start coding. Bharat, please stop me if you think this is the incorrect sequence of how things should be run.
I get things started with a rough outline of the main areas that need to be developed. In my mind there are four:
Install and Config:
<LI>This is pretty straight forward, but deserves a lot of attention because in my mind, the install process for G1.x leaves a lot to be desired. Designing an install and config setup that is efficient and user friendly will not only ease frustrations among users, it will also make the lives of people that help support Gallery much easier by eliminating most of the issues that are easily fixable (like the FAQ's).<LI>The installer should be mostly automatic after uploading the main distribution to the server.<LI>From a feasibility standpoint this should be much easier to accomplish with a SQL based backend as file permissions and the like won't cause as many problems (such as putting Gallery into setup mode).<LI>Installation and Configuration should also mesh easily with the below aspect of using G2.
Admin Interface:
<LI>Obviously the goal of the admin interface is to allow for easy control and maintenance of all the albums as well as the users. Additionally, this section will be used to control config items such as highlight image size for galleries, and layout settings for albums as described by Bharat in <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://gallery.menalto.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB_14&file=index&action=viewtopic&topic=5638&9" TARGET="_blank">this thread</A><!-- BBCode End -->, as well as any other settings that are configurable by the admin. We should probably aim to create one centralized location to control the permissions, look and functionality of all of the albums (similar to what you experience in the control panel for a CMS or forum script). The benefits are easy maintenance for the admin, and the ability to easily add features without things becoming fragmented and controlled on an album-by-album basis. I haven't looked at the progress report lately to see if the feature set for G2 is locked yet, so this is something we'll have to mold and shape to fit what is available in the initial distribution.
Album Owner:
<LI>Gallery continues to be used more and more as a resource running under another script where-by each album (and the sub albums below it) are "owned" by a different user. In the ever expanding world of web based communities I think this is a big part of Galleries functionality.<LI>The users Control panel should allow for full control of their albums and images in one centralized location without becoming bloated or overwhelming.<LI>It should also be limited by permission rights assigned by the admin (on a feature-by-feature basis as well as by member or member group mask).
General User:
<LI>This is the general, not logged in user that is simply browsing the through the albums. They should obviously have no idea what is going on in the background, but also find it easy to setup and create a new album if the permissions are set to allow that function.<LI>This will also be closely tied into the admin settings to allow non-registered and logged in users limited access to features.
That's the general outline as I see it right now. Hopefully I've succeeded in breaking down the components that I think are key to creating a successful UI that contains all portions of G2. I hope this doesn't appear too much like a feature set outline as that's not the focus. The idea is to delineate how the user takes control of the features available.
I'm looking forward to reading other people's opinions of the task in front of us so that we can better understand what we need to do, and start thinking of ways to accomplish our goals.
So lets have it, what are you guys thinking? :smile:
Jason[/]
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Posted: Sat, 2003-04-26 07:17
Posts: 332
My input:
I agree with skicrave on the areas posted.
Additional Suggestions:
Install and Config:
1) Have a form for the user to input the information for the Config.php.
2) Have Setup wizard execute the sql file to the server. (option for manual setup)
3) When finished go directly to the admin login screen.
Admin Interface:
1) Have all options in a single menu for ease of use, Whether this is at the top or two the side is by choice of the UI designers, and how many options there will be. (I prefer side menus)
2) Be able to setup or delete owner/ albums as a master control.
3) Online template editing per album. When album is set up it creates a copy of the default templating. This set of templates can now be edited by the Album Owner to their specific design. You can also have an option to disallow owner templating. The big advantage to this is for larger Community/Commercial galleries who need individual control over the albums without the Admin doing all the work. Also if there were to be "Skin" sites such as mine, the Owner would only need to copy and paste the code into the editor to achive a different look. Though this might require a bit of work on the UI team, it would be an extreme advantage to many basic users who want to make changes and may not have FTP access in their community site.
Album Owner:
Agree 100% with skicrave.
General User:
have a user registry as an option with logged IP. If a person is abusive in comments or is copying the entire site, there should be a way to do a ban IP.
An option for Gallery owner signup, where the admin then has the option to allow immediate album creation, email verification, or admin approved permissions.
General Functions
As I have read through the forums here, there have been many requests as far as other functionality of Gallery. Here's some that I would think to be a real advantage to include in G2 (if it already hasn't been done)
1) more fields for descriptions with in photo view such as: owner, time & date, location, size, general description, etc. (If the form is blank then it does not print) Or possibly have a custom set up per admin/owner where they can input their own set of fields in a master file (part of template?)
2) option to be notified if a new image is added to the album. This would be a great feature for those Galleries who have artist who only add a new piece once or twice a month. The people following their work will have an advantage to review or buy that work as soon as it is available to the market. << the artist in me talking>>
3) The randomization block has always been a frequent request. Have the options to choose all albums or single album and link to the page where the picture resides on.
4) Highlight image. Have the person who clicks on the image to go to the page it is on. (possibly random highlight image)
5) Drop down list. Option to turn it on. Then option to add specific albums or show all.
4) from pbyjp << Have the option to include BBcode/smilies within the descriptions/comments is an excellent idea. Having the ability to include BBcode or HTML with a press of a button is much quicker and easier for community/commercial users of Gallery.
=)
Jade
Posts: 89
Great feedback Jade!
<!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://wakemakers.com/admincp.php" TARGET="_blank">Here</A><!-- BBCode End --> is an initial mock setup of the Admin CP I worked out this morning. I think it would be a good idea if we get some ideas going on acutal layout that we can take and modify so that the UI team, as well as others in the Gallery community can see things in the flesh so to speak. Nothing is functional, but it gives us some ideas to work off of. Let me know what you're thinking up to this point.
I'll work on putting something together for the User CP tonight.
Bharat, please feel free to step in and "nudge" us if we're wondering off the path you have laid out. :wink:
Thanks,
Jason
Posts: 332
I was working on a menu of sorts today. Though I do not have an example, here's what I came up with.
Configure << viewable by admin only
<LI>Mysql Tools << paths, backup, etc
<LI>Galley Paths << easy list of installation paths, changeable if misstyped
<LI>Admin Options << These are the Global defaults per admins choice, allow owner registration (if yes then set Owner Options, if no then on to next setting) Default permissions on New Albums(private, owner, public) etc.
<LI>Owner Options << These are the Global permission settings as set by Admin, if allow to have multiple albums, size of folder, etc.
<LI>User Options << This is the regular visitor options such as allow comments, alert by email, etc.
Album Control
This is viewable by admin or owner. If admin show all if owner show per id only those albums asign to him/her. Have admin setting if owner allowed multiple aalbums then list all albums, if no - do not show "add new album" unless admin. (that description refers mostly to php if, else statements)
<LI>Add New Album
<LI>Add New Sub-Album << drop down of existing albums by owner
<LI>Remove Album << pop up warning all photos wil be deleted, etc
<LI>Manage Album << List all available albums by dropdown, default to the first one.
1) Change Title of Gallery.
2) Options for individual albums
3) Set theme for individual Album << layout is also controlled by the theme. Configurable in the Template section.
Templates
Online editing is a big plus here, if possible.
<LI>Create New Template << have person enter name of new template of which a directory is created and the default templates are copied to folder. At that point they can edit at will.
<LI>Import/Export Templates << import premade skin/template files (online FTP)
<LI>Remove Template << removed entire directory and everything in it.
<LI>CSS << editable style sheet
<LI>Graphic Options << chose image, text, or flash for buttons
<LI>Layout << list editable page templates,
1)index gallery layout options
2)login
3)album management
4)moderator panel (quick edit user comments)
5)lost password
etc...
Skins
These control the looks of Gallery, the visual effects. (Need to have definition of what is acceptible for a skin pack)
<LI>Add/Create New Skin
<LI>Import/Export Skin
<LI>Remove Skin
Languages
<LI>Edit Language Pack << drop down of list of languages, when opened to language a (possible) form for the user to change the default text to something else.
<LI>Create New << copies defult "empty" language sheet.
<LI>Import/Export Language Files
Thats it for now. Still working on some of the details of what each sheet could possibly show.
:grin:
Jade[/]
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Posts: 332
They great thing about using mysql is that if there is a reference table set up for Admin/ Owner/ User permissions then it is very easy to create if/else statements based on how the sessions are passed through the admin panel.
0: user= general visitor
1: admin = show all
2: owner = show only albums referenced with that persons ID
This can show or not show specific parts of the configuration panels without having to have two seperate pages.
IF you want to get a little more complicated you can also set up Groups (Good for larger community sites or Pay sites.
Group1: admin = show all
Group2: ownerFree=basic access limited storage etc
Group3: ownerPremium = Pays for the extra storage that his/her album needs
You can also take this to the pay/view for the general user.
Group4: VisitorFree= access to free albums
Group5: VisitorPremium = Access to pay only side of site. Good use for those who have paid memebership sites with restricted content.
=)
Jade
Posts: 89
Very nice Jade! I like your groupings and the detail that each section covers. What are your thoughts on a distinct control panel type setup for the admin that would be different in layout and access from what the "user" sees?
I worked on a user control panel earlier today, and I think with some massaging we can get all the key controls laid out pretty easily in a clear non-confusing way. I also took the input about a more basic layout for beginers thinking we could have a switchable view. Basic would be a stripped down barebones control panel that only has the required stuff to get images uploaded and set basic information. The advanced view would have all the controls available to the user.
You can see them "demo" <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.wakemakers.com/G2/appearence.php" TARGET="_blank">here</A><!-- BBCode End --> (sorry there are some problems with table alignment and image boarders, but you get the idea).
Any input from anyone else? What do people that are using G1.X think about our ideas?
Posts: 7994
There are some good ideas in this thread.
A couple of things to keep in mind as we work on this:
- The features in the system are modular and can be added and removed by the site administrator. For example, the site admin can activate the search module which will make search available throughout the Gallery. In order for this to work, the UI must be designed such that features can appear and disappear seamlessly without forcing their way in or leaving a hole when they're not around.
- For the first round, we should try to focus on a UI that makes sense for the features that we have at the moment. To see what's on the list, look at the <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://gallery.menalto.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=Project%20Plan" TARGET="_blank">G2 Project Plan</A><!-- BBCode End --> and install your own copy of G2 and play with it. We'll broaden the UI to support the new features as we go, but we have to start with something useable, first. :smile:
In order to get the ball rolling, I think we need to come up with some paradigms so that we can start building a consistent look and feel. I think that the breakdown that you guys have come up with is a good one, so let's start thinking about the three main areas of focus:
<LI> Browse gallery View
<LI> Site Administrator View
<LI> Item Editting View
If you look at the current G2 code, you'll see that I've come up with a paradigm for each one of them. However, the Site Admin and Item Admin views are not consistent. The Site Admin view lists all the possible choices in a box at the top, whereas the item admin view lists them in a column on the left. And the various sub-views (ie, when you click the "General" link in "Site Admin" you're taken to a sub-view where you can modify G2 general properties) aren't internally consistent. The ItemAdmin and SiteAdmin views don't have a consistent breadcrumb trail, and the navigation between the different modes is very muddled.
The "browse gallery" view is trickier because what you're seeing there is a pluggable layout, which can be replaced by new layouts. The layout has control over everything you see on that page, including the item links, the site links, the search box, the page navigator, etc. So even though that entire section can be replaced by whatever a layout designer comes up with, we should still design at least one layout that's consistent with the admin views.
I think that the first thing we need to do is to come up with a few proposals for a consistent high-level paradigm that encompasses the admin views and the browse views. Once we come up with a nice UI for that, we can figure out exactly what we need in our theme API so that we can break out all the various UI components into themeable bits and start writing our own themes (they are very easy to write; you'll like that part).
Skicrave, I like that you're making mockups; it's much easier for me to understand what you're thinking. Of the two that you've posted, I like
<!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://wakemakers.com/admincp.php" TARGET="_blank">this one</A><!-- BBCode End --> much more. The paradigm is very clean and has a nice separation of the various functional components. If you can extend that look and feel further so that it encompasses the various bits of item-editting functionality (ie, the functions that appear in the dropdowns for each item in an album) then I think we'll have a workable candidate for the admin interfaces.
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Posts: 332
I'm with Bharat, I like the first setup you have.
I've installed G2, though my images don't show up. :roll: I have to look at my paths again. But everything else is functional so I'll start playing around with the code.
skicrave, let's go with that first mockup you have an detail it out a bit.
For the first round, we should try to focus on a UI that makes sense for the features that we have at the moment
I sent you a pm. (edit: this was directed at skicrave - I really shouldn't try to think to early in the morning) :roll:
:grin:
jade
Posts: 8194
Look great, you guys :smile: Just one question, are the 'Create/Edit Album' and 'Moderators' options in the mock UI supposed to be bigger than the rest of the text? It just looks a bit weird to me (I know it's a mockup, but I thought I'd comment) :smile:
Posts: 332
This is a mockup which contains current UI features. The thought I have on this is to have one central view for admin features. Then depending on Owner/Admin is how they show up.
This is the first page I set up as an <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://drazan.org/g2dev/newadmin/?load=ItemAddChildren" TARGET="_blank">EXAMPLE</A><!-- BBCode End -->. None of the code actually works.
Your thoughts on this? If this is a way to go, I really need the assistance of a coder to help implement changes on a test G2 install.
=)
Jade
Posts: 8194
Jade: Looks very nice :smile:. However, I think you can make the actual text in the body of the page smaller, it does seem a bit big to me...The design, however, looks very clean and appealing...
Posts: 332
The font was the default size from the orginal UI. It is big, but it was big on the original pages to.
OK, it's reduced by one size overall.
Posts: 28
Is there anyway to use both RAW HTML & BBCode in the Embedded Markup? I want to use both and not limit the end users.
Thank you ;-)