StarGallery Help

Settings

Administration
As the StarGallery settings page already contains help on every setting, we will refer to some of them right now.
- The images paths are set according to the installation directory of your Elxis website. The predefined values are inside the images directory, in the public space of your webpage and in the star_pictures και star_thumbnails image and icon directories respectively.
- The use of GD2 is strenuously advised, as your icon creator. Make sure that the installed PHP is equipped with the respective library. [top]

Frontend
As the StarGallery settings page already contains help on every setting, we will refer to some of them right now.
- The number of images appearing per page and per line are mentioned in the view page of a category's icons..
- Style. Forms StarGallery. To use your own style choose Custom and then Modify custom CSS.
- Access to the user's panel. Choose the new groups that will access the upload new images/modify/delete forms in the front compartment.
- If an image is over the allowed size limit, it will fail to be uploaded.
- If an image is over the allowed height or width limit, the image is shrinked down, keeping its analogies, while it is being uploaded in the highest values feasible.
- The allowed categories are those cotegories that the users who have access to the user panel, can upload images.
- It is advised not to heep activated the "Automatic comment publication".
- If you have chosen to activate the slide show in your webpage then an indicative icon appears in your webpage. [top]

Basic functions

Getting started
The images in StarGallery must be included in a category. We start off by creating at least one Category. As soon as we are done, we have to upload our image files. The images we have sent are image files (jpeg, png etc) and are not parts of the StarGallery images just yet, since they do not contain no other information but the image itself. We follow the procedure for our images creation and then our gallery has started to develop. We check on what we have been creating regularly. [top]

Categories
From the StarGallery control panel we select "View Categories". We click on New" to add a new category. We fill in the category title. We select a Parent catogory, in case we want that category to be included in another category. In the Content field we fill in a description for the images included in this category. In the Access field, we select the people that will have access to this category and the images it will include. We select the publication status, the Language or languages for which it will appear and finally the order (if it is old). We click on "Save" to save the category. [top]

Upload image
In the StarGallery control panel we click on "Send image". in the form that follows we select an image file from our computer, check on the "Create Icon" if we wish to create an icon (it is suggested) and we click on Send. Our image will be uploaded in the directory chosen by us, and an icon will be created. If the image we uploaded is larger than the set limits, the image will be shrinked into the allowed height and width. It is recommended to use images of JPEG/JPG type. [top]

Batch upload
In the mass sending of images, the StarGallery creates not only the iamge files but also the description, title etc. However, in that case the images WILL NOT be compressed (because the zip file might contain a large number of images that will cause disturbance to your server), but it just creates the icons. In the StarGallery control panel we click on "Mass Sending". In the form that follows we choose a zip file that includes images from our computer. The images in the zip file should not be included in a directory. We choose the category in which to place them, we write a general title (the images will acquire the title and a serial number), a general description and the name of the author. We press on "Start Sending" to get the procedure going. [top]

Adding pictures
To add an image in the StarGallery from the control panel, we click on "View Image". The on to "New". We fill in the form that follows and the image and icon files we wish for. We click on "Save" when ready. [top]

Shrink pictures
You can shrink existing pictures or thumbnails to a new size by using the StarGallery's Shrink function. From the Control Panel select which category's pictures you want to shrink, or select "All" for all, and press shrink. In the next page fill-in the desired max width and height and select if you want to shrink the pictures or the thumbnails. Press next till no pictures left to shrink (StarGallery proccess 5 pictures per time). If a picture is smaller than the shrink width and height, picture keeps its original size. [top]

For advanced users

Add modules in StarGallery
In the images and slide show viewing pages, there are module positions where you can add a module in the StarGallery feature. In the view images pages there are two positions for modules, star1 and star2. Star1 in right inder the rolling tape of the icons, and star2 is located in the end of StarGallery. The main reason of the existance of these two is to Insert a banner or text(i.e. a slogan) in these spots. From the management of elxis, follow the path: Webpage -> Template Administrator -> Module positions to insert two module positions if you want to use them. Then, open the management page of a module, set the position in which it will appear, star1 or star2. Note: The slide show view page of thr StarGallery includes the star1 position only. [top]

Display banners in StarGallery
Follow the adding module in StarGallery procedure by selecting a module of type banner. Note that you may need to intall a copy of the banners module to achieve double or trible banner appearence in your website. [top]

Edit CSS
StarGallery has some premade to use CSS (stylesheet). You can edit any css file through the administration area. There are 8 color variants and 1 custom to make your own style. You can also edit the Popup's window and Slideshow's CSS files. [top]

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Basic functions

For advanced users