Difference between revisions of "X-Cart:Detailed Product Images"

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== What Detailed Product Images module does ==
+
== What is 'Detailed Product Images'? ==
  
<u>Detailed Product Images</u> module allows you to add detailed images for products. A detailed product image is an image that helps a customer to get a better idea of a product by showing it in detail.
+
The <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module allows you to add detailed images for products. A detailed product image is an image that helps customer to get a better idea of the product by showing it in detail.
  
Depending on the module settings, detailed product images in your store can be displayed in one of the following display modes:
+
Depending on the settings, detailed product images can appear in one of the following formats:
  
* Mode I: Detailed product images are displayed within the body of the <u>Product details</u> page in the <u>Detailed images</u> section.
+
* Detailed product images shown within the body of the <u>Product details</u> page in the <u>Detailed images</u> section.
  
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs6.gif|470px|center]]
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:[[File:detailed_imgs6.gif]]
  
  
* Mode II: Detailed product images are not displayed on the <u>Product details</u> page, but a link View detailed images (N), where N is the number of detailed images available for the product, is displayed below the product image.
+
* No detailed product images shown on the <u>Product details</u> page and a <u>View detailed images (N)</u> link below the product image instead, with the N indicating the number of detailed images available for the product.
  
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs3.gif|555px|center]]
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:[[File:detailed_imgs3.gif]]
  
  
When a customer clicks on the link, detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.
+
Clicking on the link opens the detailed product images in a pop-up window.
  
* Mode III: Detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image.
 
  
 +
* Detailed image thumbnails shown below the product image.
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs4.gif|555px|center]]
 
  
 +
:[[File:detailed_imgs4.gif]]
  
When the mouse cursor is placed over a thumbnail, the corresponding detailed image is displayed in the place of the product image. When a customer clicks on a thumbnail, a pop-up window opens displaying the selected detailed image and the thumbnails of the other detailed images. Clicking on thumbnails inside the pop-up window opens the corresponding detailed images.
 
  
The pop-up window used to display detailed images is identical for Mode II and Mode III. It displays a full-sized detailed product image and a gallery of thumbnails of all the other detailed images of the product:
+
Placing the mouse pointer over a thumbnail shows the respective detailed image in place of the current product image. Clicking on the thumbnail brings up a window with the selected detailed image along with a gallery of other thumbnails for this product.
  
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs5.gif|400px|center]]
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:[[File:detailed_imgs5.gif]]
  
  
After opening this window, a customer can view any of the product's detailed images at full size by clicking on the respective thumbnail.
+
Clicking on a thumbnail in this window opens the respective detailed image in full size.
  
== Roles in  Detailed Product Images module management ==
+
<u>Detailed Product Images</u> is available as a built-in module in all X-Cart editions. It does not require installation and can be enabled in the <u>Modules</u> section of X-Cart Admin area.
  
If you are an X-Cart GOLD administrator/provider or an X-Cart PRO administrator:
+
== Roles in managing 'Detailed Product Images' ==
  
* You can enable/disable <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module and adjust its configuration settings (Check out [[#Enabling and Configuring 'Detailed Product Images']]).
+
If you are an X-Cart GOLD or GOLD PLUS administrator/provider or an X-Cart PLATINUM or PRO administrator, you can:
* You can add detailed product images (See [[#Adding Detailed Images]]).
 
* You can manage detailed product images (See [[#Managing Detailed Images]]).
 
  
If you are an X-Cart PRO provider:
+
* Enable/disable the <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module and adjust its settings (Check out [[#Enabling and configuring detailed images']]).
 +
* Add detailed product images (See [[#Adding detailed images]]).
 +
* Manage detailed product images (See [[#Managing detailed images]]).
  
* You can add detailed product images (See [[#Adding Detailed Images]]).
+
If you are an X-Cart PLATINUM or PRO provider, you can:
* You can manage detailed product images (See [[#Managing Detailed Images]]).
 
  
==Enabling and Configuring 'Detailed Product Images'==
+
* Add detailed product images (See [[#Adding detailed images]]).
 +
* Manage detailed product images (See [[#Managing detailed images]]).
  
To begin using the module:
+
== Enabling and configuring detailed images' ==
  
1. Enable <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module (<u>Administration menu->Modules</u>).
+
'''To begin using the module:'''
  
When the module is enabled, you can see: <u>Detailed Product Images options</u> section in <u>General settings/Modules options</u>.
+
1. Enable the <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module by selecting the corresponding check box on the Modules page. The Modules page can be accessed by selecting <u>Settings</u> -> <u>Modules</u> on the Administration menu.
  
2. Adjust the module settings via <u>General settings/Modules options->Detailed Product Images options</u>:
+
2. Adjust the module settings by clicking on the <u>Configure</u> link by the <u>Detailed Product Images</u> item on the <u>Modules</u> page:
  
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs_opts.gif|center]]
+
:[[File:detailed_imgs_opts.gif]]
  
  
{{Note|While adjusting the module settings, please consider the recommendations provided in the section [[#Detailed Images: Performance Tips]].}}
+
Here is the list of settings you can edit to tune up the module for your needs.
  
* <u>Display detailed product images</u>: This setting allows you to specify where you want detailed product images to be displayed. To adjust this setting, select either within the body of the Product details page or in a pop-up window from the drop-down box.
+
{{Note|While adjusting module settings, please consider the recommendations provided in [[#Detailed Images: Performance Tips]].}}
  
* <u>Display detailed product image thumbnails below the product image</u>: This option allows you to specify whether detailed product image thumbnails must be displayed in the thumbnail area (the area located below the product image on the Product details page). If this option is enabled, detailed product image thumbnails will be displayed in the thumbnail area below the product image. If this option is disabled, the thumbnails will not be displayed below the product image. This setting is relevant only when detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.
+
* <u>Display detailed product images</u>: This setting allows you to specify ''where'' you want detailed product images to be displayed.
  
* <u>Widget to be used for displaying detailed images in a popup window</u>: This option allows you to select the widget for displaying detailed product images. '''Internal''' - the easiest setup and plainest look of the window. '''jQuery ColorBox''' - a customizable plugin that supports photos, grouping, slideshow, ajax, inline, and iframed content. Find out more at [http://colorpowered.com/colorbox/ jQuery ColorBox home page]. '''Cloud Zoom''' - an image zoom plugin, which shows a zoomed image for the part of the original image lying under the zoom lens. For more information, please visit Cloud Zoom's online home at [http://www.professorcloud.com/mainsite/cloud-zoom.htm Professor Cloud's] home page.
+
The images can be displayed either within the body of a Product details page or in a pop-up window. Keep in mind that sophisticated display methods like jQuery ColorBox and Cloud Zoom work only when detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.
  
* <u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area</u>: This setting allows you to specify how many detailed image thumbnails you wish to be displayed in the thumbnail area (the area located below the product image on the Product details page). This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. If you do not wish to limit the number of detailed image thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (i.e. if you wish to display thumbnails for all the detailed images of the product), set this value to '0' (zero).
+
* <u>Display detailed product image thumbnails below the product image</u>: This option allows you to specify whether to show detailed product image thumbnails in the thumbnail area, below the product image on the Product details page. This setting is relevant only when detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.
  
* <u>Maximum width of a detailed product image thumbnail</u>, <u>Maximum height of a detailed product image thumbnail:</u> The maximum dimensions of a detailed product image thumbnail.
+
* <u>Widget to be used for displaying detailed images in a popup window</u>: This option allows you to select the widget for displaying detailed product images with certain features. '''Internal''' offers the easiest setup and plainest look of the window. '''jQuery ColorBox''' - a customizable plugin that supports photos, grouping, slideshow, ajax, inline, and iframed content. More on jQuery ColorBox can be found at [http://colorpowered.com/colorbox/ jQuery ColorBox home page]. '''Cloud Zoom''' - an image zoom plugin, which shows a zoomed image for the part of the original image lying under the zoom lens. For more information, please visit Cloud Zoom's online home at [http://www.professorcloud.com/mainsite/cloud-zoom.htm Professor Cloud's] home page.
  
{{Note|Readjusting the maximum dimensions of a detailed product image thumbnail will cause all the detailed product image thumbnails in your store to be re-generated to fit the maximum dimensions.}}
+
{{Note|To be able to use the sophisticated widgets, make sure that  images are stored in the file system (check <u>Settings</u> -> <u>Images Location</u> on the administrator's menu), and detailed images are set to appear in a pop-up window, not within the body of a product page. Otherwise, X-Cart uses the internal widget, which shows additional product images in the "Detailed images" tab at the bottom of a product page.}}
  
* <u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must fit into the width of the thumbnail area</u>: This setting allows you to specify how many detailed image thumbnails you wish to be displayed in one row of the thumbnail area (the area located below the product image on the Product details page). This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image.
+
* <u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area</u>: This setting allows you to specify how many  thumbnails for detailed product images you want to have in the thumbnail area. This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. If you do not want to limit the number of detailed image thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (i.e. if you wish to display all the available thumbnails), set this value to '0' (zero).
 +
 
 +
* <u>Maximum width of a detailed product image thumbnail</u>, <u>Maximum height of a detailed product image thumbnail:</u> Maximum dimensions allowed for detailed product image thumbnails.
 +
 
 +
{{Note|Modifying the maximum dimensions of detailed product image thumbnails re-generates all the existing detailed product image thumbnails currently available at your store to fit the new dimensions.}}
 +
 
 +
{{Note| It is possible to adjust the quality of thumbnail images generated by X-Cart. For details, see: [[X-Cart:FAQs#How_do_I_change_the_quality_of_thumbnail_images_generated_by_X-Cart.3F |FAQ:How do I change the quality of thumbnail images generated by X-Cart?]] }}
 +
 
 +
* <u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must fit into the width of the thumbnail area</u>: This setting allows you to specify how many detailed image thumbnails you want to appear in one row of the thumbnail area. This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. In the snapshot below, the thumbnail area is outlined in red; the "Number of detailed image thumbnails that must fit into the width of the thumbnail area" is set to "2":
 +
:[[File:Thumbnail_area.png|border]]
  
 
3. Click the '''Save''' button.
 
3. Click the '''Save''' button.
  
==Detailed Images: Performance Tips==
+
== Performance tips ==
  
When using X-Cart's <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module, remember that images require bandwidth. Using excessively large images or too many images may cause bandwidth waste and slow page load times for your customers. To ensure that your customers have a positive shopping experience while you are using <u>Detailed Product Images</u>, please consider the following recommendations:
+
When using X-Cart's <u>Detailed Product Images</u> module, remember that images require bandwidth. Using excessively large or too many images may cause bandwidth waste and poor page load rate. To ensure that your customers have a positive shopping experience with <u>Detailed Product Images</u>, please consider the following recommendations:
  
* Avoid using excessively large images. Ensure that the average size of detailed product images used in your store does not exceed 1 Mb. Avoid using detailed product images whose dimensions exceed the average browser window size (1024 х 768 pixels). Remember that thumbnails also add to the weight of your store's pages, so make them small (if possible, no larger than 100 x 100 pixels).
+
* Avoid using excessively large images. Ensure that the average size of detailed product images used in your store does not exceed 1 Mb. Avoid using detailed product images with dimensions exceeding the average browser window size (1024 х 768 pixels). Remember that thumbnails also add to the weight of your product pages, so make them small (if possible, no larger than 100 x 100 pixels).
* Keep the number of images displayed in a page within a reasonable limit (on average, 10-15 detailed images per product). If you are using the mode in which detailed product images are displayed within the body of the <u>Product details</u> page (Mode I), keep the number of detailed images per product to a minimum. If you are using the mode in which detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image (Mode III), be sure to limit the number of thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (Set the '<u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area</u>' to a reasonably small value).
+
* Keep the number of images displayed on a page within a reasonable range (in average, 10-15 detailed images per product). If you have detailed product images displayed within the body of the <u>Product details</u> page, keep the number of detailed images per product to a minimum. If you have detailed product image thumbnails displayed below the product image, consider limiting the number of thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (Set the '<u>Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area</u>' to a reasonably small value).
* If you are using one of the modes in which detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window (Mode II or Mode III), ensure that image caching is used on your system, and a full cache of reduced size detailed images is available at all times.
+
* If your detailed product images appear in a pop-up window, make sure to enable image caching and have the full cache of reduced-size detailed images available at all times.
  
To be able to use image caching, X-Cart needs GDLib (GD extension for PHP) installed on the server and properly configured. While GDLib is available, every time a detailed product image is uploaded for a product, X-Cart generates two reduced size copies of this image: a thumbnail for use in Modes II and III, and an image for displaying in the place of the product image in Mode III. These reduced size copies of the detailed product image are saved to the image cache (the directories <u>/xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpthmbn</u> and <u>/xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpicon</u>, respectively). When a user views the '<u>Product details</u>' page in Mode II or Mode III, these reduced size copies of the detailed image ensure that the full-sized image does not have to be loaded into the page till the user requests to view the image at full size. This saves bandwidth and reduces page load time. If, for some reason, a reduced size copy of a detailed image cannot be loaded from the image cache (for example, if the image cache is missing or corrupted), a full-size detailed image is loaded for every thumbnail; this causes a considerable slowdown in page loading. That is why it is very important that your store has a full image cache at all times. If you suspect a problem with your store's image cache, you can re-generate it at any time using the '<u>Re-generate the image cache</u>' tool in X-Cart's '<u>Summary/Tools</u>' section (See [[X-Cart:Advanced Tools]]).
+
To be able to use image caching, X-Cart needs GDLib (GD extension for PHP) installed and properly configured on the server. While GDLib is available, every time a detailed product image is uploaded, X-Cart generates two reduced-size copies of that image: a thumbnail to be shown in the thumbnail area and an image to be shown in place of the product image when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. These reduced-size copies of the detailed product image are saved to the image cache (the directories <u>/xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpthmbn</u> and <u>/xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpicon</u>, respectively). When user views the '<u>Product details</u>' page with detailed product images displayed elsewhere than within the body of the '<u>Product details</u>', these reduced-size copies of detailed images ensure that the full-sized image does not have to be loaded to the page until user requests the full-size image. This saves bandwidth and cuts page load time. If, for some reason, a reduced-size copy of a detailed image cannot be loaded from the image cache (for example, if the cache is missing or corrupted), a full-size detailed image is loaded every time for every thumbnail, causing a considerable download flaw. That is why it is extremely important that your store has a complete image cache available at all times. If you suspect a problem with your store's image cache, you can re-generate it any time using the '<u>Re-generate the image cache</u>' tool in X-Cart's '<u>Tools -> Maintenance</u>' section of the administrator's menu.
  
==Adding Detailed Images==
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== Adding detailed images ==
 +
 
 +
=== By uploading ===
  
 
The number of detailed images that you can add for a product, as well as the image size, are unlimited; however, before adding any detailed images, please consider the recommendations provided in the section [[#Detailed Images: Performance Tips]].
 
The number of detailed images that you can add for a product, as well as the image size, are unlimited; however, before adding any detailed images, please consider the recommendations provided in the section [[#Detailed Images: Performance Tips]].
  
To add a detailed image:
+
'''To add a detailed image:'''
  
1. Find the product for which you want to add detailed images. Open this product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
+
1. [[X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find]] the product you want to add detailed images for and then open that product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
  
2. Click the <u>Detailed images</u> link in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section menu. This opens a dialog box titled '<u>Detailed images</u>'.
+
2. Click on the <u>Detailed images</u> link at the right of the '<u>Product Management</u>' section's menu. This opens the '<u>Detailed images</u>' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.
  
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs.gif|510px|center]]
+
[[Image:detailed_imgs.gif|center]]
  
  
3. Select an image to be uploaded:
+
3. Select the image to be uploaded:
  
: a) In the '<u>Add new detailed image</u>' section of the '<u>Detailed images</u>' dialog box, click on '''Browse'''. A dialog box titled '<u>Image selection</u>' appears in a new window.
+
: a) In the '<u>Add new detailed image</u>' section, click the '''Browse''' button.
: b) In the '<u>Image selection</u>' dialog box, specify the location of the image that needs to be uploaded (Use an appropriate '''Browse''' button if the image file is located on the server or on your local computer, or enter the image URL if the image file is located on the Internet).
+
: b) In the '<u>Image selection</u>' window that appears, select the location of the image to be uploaded (use the respective '''Browse''' button for the image file located on the server or on your local computer, or enter the image URL if the image file is available on the Internet).
: c) Click on '''Apply'''.The desired image appears in the '<u>Preview</u>' subsection.
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: c) Click '''Apply'''.
 +
: d) Preview the image in the '<u>Preview</u>' subsection.
  
4. Click the '''Upload''' button. The image is added to the list of the product's detailed images.
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4. Click the '''Upload''' button.
  
 +
The image is now added to the the product's detailed images.
  
[[Image:detailed_imgs1.gif|510px|center]]
 
  
 +
[[Image:detailed_imgs1.gif|center]]
  
5. If necessary, change the details of the added detailed image:
 
  
* Set the position number for the detailed image (relative to the other detailed images of the same product).
+
5. If necessary, edit the properties of the new detailed image:
* Enter alternative text for the image (will be shown in the place of the image if images are disabled in the web browser).
+
 
* Use the '<u>Availability</u>' selectbox to specify whether the image should be displayed on the storefront or not.
+
* Set the position number of the detailed image relative to the other detailed images of the same product.
 +
* Enter an alternative text for the image (appears when images are disabled in the web browser).
 +
* Use the '<u>Availability</u>' select box to specify whether to show the image at the storefront.
  
 
Click the '''Update''' button to save the changes.
 
Click the '''Update''' button to save the changes.
  
==Managing Detailed Images==
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=== By importing ===
 +
 
 +
X-Cart also allows updating existing detailed product images by importing new detailed product images.
 +
 
 +
To update an existing image, you would need to specify the ID of the image in the CSV file to be imported; for example:
 +
 
 +
<pre>
 +
[DETAILED_IMAGES]
 +
!PRODUCTID;!PRODUCTCODE;!PRODUCT;!IMAGE;!ALT;!ORDERBY;!IMAGEID
 +
17513;"SKU17513";"Three Stone Princess Cut Diamond Ring";D/ring_1.png;"";0;68
 +
;;;http://example.com/images/D/d_11.jpg;"";0;69
 +
</pre>
 +
 
 +
The CSV data in the above example contains information on 2 images with ID 68 and 69 respectively.
 +
 
 +
Hence, to update an existing detailed image for a certain product, you would need to have the ID of the image. To get the ID, go to the <u>Product details page</u> -> <u>Detailed images</u> section and then hover the mouse over the detailed image thumbnail. This shows the image URL, something like this:
 +
 
 +
<pre>
 +
http://example.com/image.php?id=68&type=D
 +
</pre>
 +
 
 +
In this example, the ID of the image is 68. Now specify that ID in the CSV file and proceed with the import.
 +
 
 +
== Managing detailed images ==
  
=== Editing the details of detailed images ===
+
=== Editing properties of detailed images ===
  
 
You can change the position of a detailed image relative to the other detailed images of the same product, edit the alternative text defined for a detailed image and change a detailed image's availability status.
 
You can change the position of a detailed image relative to the other detailed images of the same product, edit the alternative text defined for a detailed image and change a detailed image's availability status.
  
To edit the details of a detailed image:
+
'''To edit the details of a detailed image:'''
  
# Find the product whose detailed image you wish to edit. Open this product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
+
# [[X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find]] the product you want to edit a detailed image for and then open that product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
# Click the <u>Detailed images</u> link in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section menu. The '<u>Detailed images</u>' dialog box opens.
+
# Click on the <u>Detailed images</u> link at the right of the '<u>Product Management</u>' section's menu. This opens the '<u>Detailed images</u>' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.
# Find the necessary detailed image in the list of the product's detailed images.
+
# Find the detailed image to be edited on the list of the product's detailed images.
# Change the necessary image details:
+
# Modify necessary image details:
## Enter a desired position number into the appropriate box in the 'POS.' column.
+
## Enter a desired position number in the respective box in the 'POS.' column.
## Edit the image's alternative text ('ALTERNATIVE TEXT' column).
+
## Edit the alternative text ('ALTERNATIVE TEXT' column).
## Use the 'AVAILABILITY' drop-down box to specify whether the image should be displayed on the storefront or not.
+
## Use the 'AVAILABILITY' drop-down box to specify whether the image is to be displayed at the storefront or not.
 
# Click the '''Update''' button.
 
# Click the '''Update''' button.
  
===Deleting detailed images===
+
=== Deleting detailed images ===
  
Detailed images that you no longer want to use can be deleted.
+
If you no longer want to use certain detailed images, you can delete them.
  
To delete a detailed image:
+
'''To delete a detailed image:'''
  
# Find the product whose detailed image you wish to delete. Open this product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
+
# [[X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find]] the product you want to delete a detailed image for and then open that product for modification in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section.
# Click the <u>Detailed images link</u> in the '<u>Product Management</u>' section menu. The '<u>Detailed images</u>' dialog box opens.
+
# Click on the <u>Detailed images</u> link at the right of the '<u>Product Management</u>' section's menu. This opens the '<u>Detailed images</u>' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.
# Find the necessary detailed image in the list of the product's detailed images.
+
# On the list of the product's detailed images, select the check box by the image to be deleted.
# Select the check box next to the image.
 
 
# Click the '''Delete selected''' button.
 
# Click the '''Delete selected''' button.
  
 
[[Category:X-Cart user manual]]
 
[[Category:X-Cart user manual]]
 
[[Category:X-Cart modules]]
 
[[Category:X-Cart modules]]

Latest revision as of 11:28, 10 October 2015

What is 'Detailed Product Images'?

The Detailed Product Images module allows you to add detailed images for products. A detailed product image is an image that helps customer to get a better idea of the product by showing it in detail.

Depending on the settings, detailed product images can appear in one of the following formats:

  • Detailed product images shown within the body of the Product details page in the Detailed images section.


Detailed imgs6.gif


  • No detailed product images shown on the Product details page and a View detailed images (N) link below the product image instead, with the N indicating the number of detailed images available for the product.


Detailed imgs3.gif


Clicking on the link opens the detailed product images in a pop-up window.


  • Detailed image thumbnails shown below the product image.


Detailed imgs4.gif


Placing the mouse pointer over a thumbnail shows the respective detailed image in place of the current product image. Clicking on the thumbnail brings up a window with the selected detailed image along with a gallery of other thumbnails for this product.


Detailed imgs5.gif


Clicking on a thumbnail in this window opens the respective detailed image in full size.

Detailed Product Images is available as a built-in module in all X-Cart editions. It does not require installation and can be enabled in the Modules section of X-Cart Admin area.

Roles in managing 'Detailed Product Images'

If you are an X-Cart GOLD or GOLD PLUS administrator/provider or an X-Cart PLATINUM or PRO administrator, you can:

If you are an X-Cart PLATINUM or PRO provider, you can:

Enabling and configuring detailed images'

To begin using the module:

1. Enable the Detailed Product Images module by selecting the corresponding check box on the Modules page. The Modules page can be accessed by selecting Settings -> Modules on the Administration menu.

2. Adjust the module settings by clicking on the Configure link by the Detailed Product Images item on the Modules page:


Detailed imgs opts.gif


Here is the list of settings you can edit to tune up the module for your needs.

Note: While adjusting module settings, please consider the recommendations provided in #Detailed Images: Performance Tips.
  • Display detailed product images: This setting allows you to specify where you want detailed product images to be displayed.

The images can be displayed either within the body of a Product details page or in a pop-up window. Keep in mind that sophisticated display methods like jQuery ColorBox and Cloud Zoom work only when detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.

  • Display detailed product image thumbnails below the product image: This option allows you to specify whether to show detailed product image thumbnails in the thumbnail area, below the product image on the Product details page. This setting is relevant only when detailed product images are displayed in a pop-up window.
  • Widget to be used for displaying detailed images in a popup window: This option allows you to select the widget for displaying detailed product images with certain features. Internal offers the easiest setup and plainest look of the window. jQuery ColorBox - a customizable plugin that supports photos, grouping, slideshow, ajax, inline, and iframed content. More on jQuery ColorBox can be found at jQuery ColorBox home page. Cloud Zoom - an image zoom plugin, which shows a zoomed image for the part of the original image lying under the zoom lens. For more information, please visit Cloud Zoom's online home at Professor Cloud's home page.
Note: To be able to use the sophisticated widgets, make sure that images are stored in the file system (check Settings -> Images Location on the administrator's menu), and detailed images are set to appear in a pop-up window, not within the body of a product page. Otherwise, X-Cart uses the internal widget, which shows additional product images in the "Detailed images" tab at the bottom of a product page.
  • Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area: This setting allows you to specify how many thumbnails for detailed product images you want to have in the thumbnail area. This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. If you do not want to limit the number of detailed image thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (i.e. if you wish to display all the available thumbnails), set this value to '0' (zero).
  • Maximum width of a detailed product image thumbnail, Maximum height of a detailed product image thumbnail: Maximum dimensions allowed for detailed product image thumbnails.
Note: Modifying the maximum dimensions of detailed product image thumbnails re-generates all the existing detailed product image thumbnails currently available at your store to fit the new dimensions.
Note: It is possible to adjust the quality of thumbnail images generated by X-Cart. For details, see: FAQ:How do I change the quality of thumbnail images generated by X-Cart?
  • Number of detailed image thumbnails that must fit into the width of the thumbnail area: This setting allows you to specify how many detailed image thumbnails you want to appear in one row of the thumbnail area. This setting is relevant only when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. In the snapshot below, the thumbnail area is outlined in red; the "Number of detailed image thumbnails that must fit into the width of the thumbnail area" is set to "2":
Thumbnail area.png

3. Click the Save button.

Performance tips

When using X-Cart's Detailed Product Images module, remember that images require bandwidth. Using excessively large or too many images may cause bandwidth waste and poor page load rate. To ensure that your customers have a positive shopping experience with Detailed Product Images, please consider the following recommendations:

  • Avoid using excessively large images. Ensure that the average size of detailed product images used in your store does not exceed 1 Mb. Avoid using detailed product images with dimensions exceeding the average browser window size (1024 х 768 pixels). Remember that thumbnails also add to the weight of your product pages, so make them small (if possible, no larger than 100 x 100 pixels).
  • Keep the number of images displayed on a page within a reasonable range (in average, 10-15 detailed images per product). If you have detailed product images displayed within the body of the Product details page, keep the number of detailed images per product to a minimum. If you have detailed product image thumbnails displayed below the product image, consider limiting the number of thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail area (Set the 'Number of detailed image thumbnails that must be displayed in the thumbnail area' to a reasonably small value).
  • If your detailed product images appear in a pop-up window, make sure to enable image caching and have the full cache of reduced-size detailed images available at all times.

To be able to use image caching, X-Cart needs GDLib (GD extension for PHP) installed and properly configured on the server. While GDLib is available, every time a detailed product image is uploaded, X-Cart generates two reduced-size copies of that image: a thumbnail to be shown in the thumbnail area and an image to be shown in place of the product image when detailed product image thumbnails are displayed below the product image. These reduced-size copies of the detailed product image are saved to the image cache (the directories /xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpthmbn and /xcart/images/D/D.cache.dpicon, respectively). When user views the 'Product details' page with detailed product images displayed elsewhere than within the body of the 'Product details', these reduced-size copies of detailed images ensure that the full-sized image does not have to be loaded to the page until user requests the full-size image. This saves bandwidth and cuts page load time. If, for some reason, a reduced-size copy of a detailed image cannot be loaded from the image cache (for example, if the cache is missing or corrupted), a full-size detailed image is loaded every time for every thumbnail, causing a considerable download flaw. That is why it is extremely important that your store has a complete image cache available at all times. If you suspect a problem with your store's image cache, you can re-generate it any time using the 'Re-generate the image cache' tool in X-Cart's 'Tools -> Maintenance' section of the administrator's menu.

Adding detailed images

By uploading

The number of detailed images that you can add for a product, as well as the image size, are unlimited; however, before adding any detailed images, please consider the recommendations provided in the section #Detailed Images: Performance Tips.

To add a detailed image:

1. X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find the product you want to add detailed images for and then open that product for modification in the 'Product Management' section.

2. Click on the Detailed images link at the right of the 'Product Management' section's menu. This opens the 'Detailed images' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.


Detailed imgs.gif


3. Select the image to be uploaded:

a) In the 'Add new detailed image' section, click the Browse button.
b) In the 'Image selection' window that appears, select the location of the image to be uploaded (use the respective Browse button for the image file located on the server or on your local computer, or enter the image URL if the image file is available on the Internet).
c) Click Apply.
d) Preview the image in the 'Preview' subsection.

4. Click the Upload button.

The image is now added to the the product's detailed images.


Detailed imgs1.gif


5. If necessary, edit the properties of the new detailed image:

  • Set the position number of the detailed image relative to the other detailed images of the same product.
  • Enter an alternative text for the image (appears when images are disabled in the web browser).
  • Use the 'Availability' select box to specify whether to show the image at the storefront.

Click the Update button to save the changes.

By importing

X-Cart also allows updating existing detailed product images by importing new detailed product images.

To update an existing image, you would need to specify the ID of the image in the CSV file to be imported; for example:

[DETAILED_IMAGES]
!PRODUCTID;!PRODUCTCODE;!PRODUCT;!IMAGE;!ALT;!ORDERBY;!IMAGEID
17513;"SKU17513";"Three Stone Princess Cut Diamond Ring";D/ring_1.png;"";0;68
;;;http://example.com/images/D/d_11.jpg;"";0;69

The CSV data in the above example contains information on 2 images with ID 68 and 69 respectively.

Hence, to update an existing detailed image for a certain product, you would need to have the ID of the image. To get the ID, go to the Product details page -> Detailed images section and then hover the mouse over the detailed image thumbnail. This shows the image URL, something like this:

http://example.com/image.php?id=68&type=D

In this example, the ID of the image is 68. Now specify that ID in the CSV file and proceed with the import.

Managing detailed images

Editing properties of detailed images

You can change the position of a detailed image relative to the other detailed images of the same product, edit the alternative text defined for a detailed image and change a detailed image's availability status.

To edit the details of a detailed image:

  1. X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find the product you want to edit a detailed image for and then open that product for modification in the 'Product Management' section.
  2. Click on the Detailed images link at the right of the 'Product Management' section's menu. This opens the 'Detailed images' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.
  3. Find the detailed image to be edited on the list of the product's detailed images.
  4. Modify necessary image details:
    1. Enter a desired position number in the respective box in the 'POS.' column.
    2. Edit the alternative text ('ALTERNATIVE TEXT' column).
    3. Use the 'AVAILABILITY' drop-down box to specify whether the image is to be displayed at the storefront or not.
  5. Click the Update button.

Deleting detailed images

If you no longer want to use certain detailed images, you can delete them.

To delete a detailed image:

  1. X-Cart:Managing_Products#Searching_for_products Find the product you want to delete a detailed image for and then open that product for modification in the 'Product Management' section.
  2. Click on the Detailed images link at the right of the 'Product Management' section's menu. This opens the 'Detailed images' form, where you can manage detailed images for the product.
  3. On the list of the product's detailed images, select the check box by the image to be deleted.
  4. Click the Delete selected button.