I think I posted a couple weeks back somewhere here, and I posted in the UltraNerds Forum as well.

I've got the layout of the "lite" version down, and I'm now trying to set up a beta or pre-beta site to run it. I'll release the URL once I have the basics set up. It will be a "live" site, so no testing will be allowed (unless you are a model or photographer, even if you are not in the pittsburgh area).

The layout of the "lite" version will use a heavily modified "users" system for storing most of the information on the users (models, photographers, etc). I would really like to do this partially through community, but it still might be limited to handling logons only for the GL3 and GForum.

The category system will be modified slightly to allow a category to belong to a user. Only that user can add/modify that category. There are a few restrictions on where you can set up "user" categories.

With in that, a user can have links, and each link can be an image, or other type of file. This will allow the *maximum* use of existing plugins, code, or whatever you may have to still work on a "link", while adding in new features. This will provide *maximum* compatibility with all future upgrades. The only real override is to the user scripts, and everything else is pulled through the plugins area.

Without apology, this version is going to be pretty much what *I* want and need in such a program, based on the flaws, issues, problems, etc I've dealt with on other similar systems like OMP, MM, and such. (If those don't mean anything to you, this program is probably not something you are seeking).

The "pro" version will be significantly different, but should be able to import all the data from the "lite" version, even though some features will inevitably be disabled because that data was not added/linked in in the Lite version. The planned release for that is still down the road, maybe 6 months.

I hope to have the lite version out for beta test on my sites this week, barring more real-world interference. I should have a packaged version to run on your site as a _beta_ a few weeks after that, as the major bugs are worked out. There should be no security or other such issues, as it's based on the stable GL3, but not all planned features will be immediately available, they will be added as the program matures towards the final release candidate.

My purpose is to set up LOCAL version of these sites. The goal is to hook up models/photographers/clients within a certain mileage range of a central location. For instance, a certain city, like Pittsburgh, and a 100 or 150 mile radius. It's not designed with the philosophy of being a "global" meetup or hook up site. I find that to be one of the biggest problems with these sites. Places like NY, CA, or such obliterate the smaller areas completely. (I'm considering allowing one main set up to install "regional" centers, and "orphans" those without a regional center, but that might not be until the pro version, though it could be manually managed a bit in the lite version).

I really am looking for a bunch of people who want in on this during this alpha/pre-beta stage. The planned release price is going to be at least $500 + links license. This is a money-making type of site, designed to hook both hobbiests and working people up. Advertising on sites like this runs the range from clothing and equipment to services like hair, cars, studio rentals, etc.

If you have a valid idea for a site, and think this sort of program will be what you are looking for (or need more details) PM me here, or post in the ultranerds forum. You'll get the program for 1/2 price (payable in advance, because of the off-the-shelf nature of some of the modules), a certain amount of custom programming to make it work for you, and priority consideration of new features/needs to be integrated into the final program. You'll also get significant discounts on the "pro" version, and if your site is successful, maybe even free upgrades to the pro version for helping us get it working right. I really need people who want to put up this sort of site, or migrate their existing gallery/photographer type site to this.


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I've got a couple of test sites going, and I'm continuing to add in features. The feature additions (just writing thenm out so I don't forget) have taken up a huge amount of time. There are so many things to consider.

But, the biggest joy, is that all our old code is migrating to this new project fairly easily, and while it will be a bear to package back into a plugin, finally, most of the routines and code fragments I'm using have already been debugged and tested, and only slightly modified for this new use/calling convention.

I've had to make some decisions, especially with the lite version, but one of the biggest benefits of this new layout, is that by using categories as "user" storage areas, things like "editor" functionality already in Links is automatically usable. I now have just override the templates to present a more natural user interface, rather than rewrite/modify all that code.

I should be able to have a beta out in a few days, if everything goes ok.

Right now, member areas have to be set up manually, and I'm hoping that I can fix that up before the first beta, but if not, it's only grunt work. The features and bugs/kinks to work out are actually in the use of the site, so for now, setting up a site is not the primary concern. No "beta" site should have more than a few dozen or so users anyway, at least at this stage. As the feature set is stabilized, and admin/auto features are added in, automatic registrations can be phased in.

This concept was derived from the blogger I started on this summer, then got sidetracked on when there was not enough response to it.

The key to this system is a "User". Everything someone does is stored in the "User" table, or assiciated tables, and for now, the community logon is only to allow forum/links to share the same ID. Hopefully, with a new release of community, this will change to allow the community log on to maintain the major profile information, but maybe not for the lite version. There are benefits for keeping general user data in the community logon, and application specific data in the Links/forum logons. *BUT* if you are running a single site, and want you users to view it as a single offering, there are benefits to having all the data in a central logon, that the apps all share. Neither one is "better". It depends on your situation which works better for you.

Within the system, a user is given a subdirectory. If the owner of the subdirectory matches their Username, they have ownership of that. The editor flag is set, and they can do pretty much anything in that area you allow through the admin system. If you want them to be able to create sub categories, they can. (I will have that hooked up better, and limited to 1 level, or 2 levels, etc or to total number in the pro version). But, they can edit, upload, change, alter, etc links in their area. General uploads are disabled across the system... you can only upload into your directory *or* a general links area eg: directory of services.

The number of customizations has increased almost logarithmicly, and I have yet to implement even a fraction of them. They will be added in in order of importance, with major features first, then minor adjustments later. No changes to the database/structure should have to be made, though obviously, if new fields are opened/activated, if that data has not been previously entered existing records will have empty values in those fields.

If you group the varirous galleries or such in other trees, "moderators" can have editor powers over whole sub trees, such as "landscape photographers" or "Ocean galleries."

Obviously, laying out the system is a prime consideration. For now, the lite version only allows, or assumes there is *ONE* directory for each user, and everything below that belongs to them. In future versions, (and in the pro version) a user could potentially have several directories, with everything below them belonging to them, and have them tied together via templates. The reason for that, would be to allow editor/manager functions over different aspects of users on-line activities. If a user is allowed to have public and adult galleries, for example, the adult galleries and public galleries could be in both separate physical trees on disk, and category trees on the site, yet both be visible and accessible to a user in their "home" area. An editor1 may only be able to moderate their adult images, while editor 2 can mange only the non-adult images, and editor 3 can do both. The point of this, is that the development/logic of the system is flexible enough to handle this, if time/need arises to do it.

This program has over 6 years of planning (from before the first Links SQL beta), thousands of hours of design and redesign time, 3 major false starts, several dozen minor false starts, and a few dozen other plugins and code fragments that picked out parts of the feature sets from editors, to uploading, file handling, thumbnailing, etc. It's going together fast... but when I consider the work that has already gone into this, I guess I shouldn't be this suprised.

For those still wondering what this program can do,

1) run a general gallery site where people can upload images into different galleries
2) run a site where models, photographers, etc can upload images into their own galleries, and hook up, find jobs, show off, and other stuff
3) run a for-profit gallery or image site, stock agency, or such.
4) anything where you want images as the links.

It can be used as the backend for a classifieds, personals, or shopping/catalog site.

Right now, it's targeted for models/photographers to put up their own galleries. That is 90% of the functionality needed. Actually, most of the other uses are _removed_ or _disabled_ functionality, such as user-owned/defined galleries, and such.


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Hi,

I am looking for something similiar. I want to allow my merchants (editors) to be able to upload thier portfolio images into thier assigned folders. I would like for the merchants (editors to be able to upload multiple image files) with either a slide show effect or auto thumbnailing. Does your system do this?

In short, yes.

We don't have an 'arbitrary' number of image attachments to a link, at this point. Each image has to have it's own upload field in the database. For instance, if you want to allow merchants to upload 5 images, you need to set the links table up to have 5 fields. But, each uploaded image is thumbnailed, and resized, and can be displayed on the page in gallery format.

The Photo/Models system uses a different approach. It assumes each "link" is one image, or one data nugget, and that all links are "owned" by one user, and assigned to one or more galleries. This has a full slide show, and soon a gallery/slide page layout. Templates are time consuming :(

Each "user" has a category that is named after their user ID, or potentially can be named anything, but "owned" by their userID. They may upload any number of links to that category (limits have not been imposed yet). Right now, the user is set as editor, so they can do almost anything in their category, including adding subcategories. I'm working on limiting that, and specifying certain rules they must follow, as well as mandatory/required categories.

If the second option is what you are looking for, let me know via PM.

Eventually, I can see a system where each user has an "invisible" category set up, into which they can upload/mange images, and then tag them to be visible in "public" areas of the site. This is *not* set up yet, and would require extensive work. Links never had the "hidden" flags built into it, despite a huge number of requests (eg: removing categories and sub trees from the search system and browser system, sort of like the isValidated field).

This "invisible" area would be a tree of it's own, and browsable by admins, editors, etc, but not the general public. Each user would only see their directory.


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There is a tad of confuse between the programs we have.

1) We have a thumbnailer program that will allow you to automatically resize, and offer mutliple sizes of an image attached to a link in *any* sort of links installation.

2) Image SQL, which is a conversion, OEM style, of a Links/Glinks installation and it turns links into an image gallery type site, where the links are really images, and not URL's to jump to. This is more of a traditional gallery type program, for building a site where the links (IMAGES) are classifed by categories, and a user uploads different images into different categories.

3) Models & Photographers [Lite] This program is still in pre-beta, as I finish up some of the main features. Then I have to stuff it into a plugin. The list of addons is about 7 pages long, but all the featues should be able to be added (via templates, globals, code fragments, etc) without any mods to the main program or database. This is *not* a compatible upgrade to ImageSQL, it's a *very* different concept, and logic. This program organizes the links (IMAGES) by USERNAME, and provides each user with a sub-tree, or directory area they can manage their own links (IMAGES) in. And, eventually, their own comments, reviews, ratings, and perhaps blog. They have a profile that is able to be updated via standard channels, but it will also have a profile editor to allow one userid to have several different "profiles" under one account; eg: a person who is a Model, Photographer, Artist, Stylist, and Fashion Designer, and who also has a Location available, can have 7 different profiles, for the different types of "user" on the system. This instead of having to set up 7 different profiles. They hvae ONE. Within this, they can set up several different gallery areas using the Editor/Browser system. The program will install one set of DEFAULT galleries, and right now they are hard coded, but in later version they will be editable, a PORTFOLIO and GALLERY area. The Portfolio can have severe restrictions placed on it separate from the GALLERY area. In the Gallery area you'll be able to limit how many sub-galleries they can have, how many images in each gallery, limit the depth to 1 or 2, for example, and other stuff.

The idea of this program is to allow the users flexibility to manage their own areas, within the guidelines of the system. It's designed to allow models and photographers to hook up, *BUT* also to allow commercial and other consumers to search for and find images, photographers, models, or concepts that they need.

This program has been 6-7 years in the planning, and it's being fleshed out now.

*PLEASE* don't confuse this with a "gallery" program, or similar site. ImageSQL is our standard gallery program.

We can modify either program for your specific needs, but they are vastly different in design. After the MOdels and Photographers Lite version is released, Image SQL will be revamped to include many of the same routines, and make feature additions easier, and one upgrade (and maintennance path for us), but it will *still* be category/browse oriented, while the Models & Photographers program will be "user" oganized.

They are sort of at 90 degrees to each other <G>

Part of the M&P program's side effects is a huge amount of code, modules, and globals are being rewritten, reorganized, and repackaged into a reusable format that many of our other programs can draw on. This will make upgrades, customization, and new features much easier to install.


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The bulk of the program was fairly easy, it's all the little things, templates, display pages, and such that's taking the lion's share of time. Then connecting them.

Right now I'm putting the finishing touches on an advanced profile editor. It's fairly hard-coded to the current Models/Photographers/Gallery system, but once it's done, it could be generalized by prettying up the Install routines, and a few template changes. the basics won't change.

What it does is using the basic "profile" editor, it adds several fields to the Users table, in this case, is_Photographer, is_Model, etc and then creates a table for each of those, based on your set up instructions. Right now, it's hard coded. But we'll have a more generalized version available.

In the profile, it takes the standard user fields, and allows you to hard-code out any changes to certain fields like Username, Status, Validation, etc.

It presents a page to the User, allowing them to modify fields like password, email, any other fields you may have added for them to display.

This also uses the flag fields to present:

"Photographer: Yes"

or

"Photographer: [select]"

Type boxes.

This serves two purposes. The profile system allows you to "DISPLAY" the profiles, as in allowing users to have more complicated profiles that can be searched, and displayed, and can creat several pages.

For this program, a person may be a Model, a Photographer, have a Location, and also do Fashion design.

They can set up several different profile pages, and each set of profile pages can be browsed separately.

Since each is stored in a separate table, the data overhead is greatly reduced, at the expense of a database call. But, each page display is a database call anyway, so it shouldn't be as severe as trying to put 300 fields into a single table, and keep them straight.

Access routines will be provided, through <%function%> calls in the templates, or by using the modules in your scripts.

A demo and more info as this rolls out. I'm hoping to have the fully working profile system in a few days, but my fingers are wearing out :(

Each associated "profile_table" will have a 1:1 relationship with the Users table. Each user will only have one entry in each associated profile table, so keeping track of data, and requesting data will be easy. The tables are keyed to "Username" which is the primary identification of the User on the system.

So, if you know a username, or want any info on a user, you can make the request of a specific table, and get the information.

Hopefully, there won't be any "gotchas" as I finalize the templates.

ETA: about 5-6 days.


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Been making headway, and my "to do" and added features list is about 10 pages long now, (that's not bug fixes, just updates, tweaks and additions!)

The program consists of several major parts.

1) An "oem" set of modifications to the core feature set, databases, and related programs.
2) an advanced ratings/reviews plug in
3) an advanced comments plugin
4) an advanced profile editor (should be compatible with the previous version, and all others)
5) thumbnailer/logo program to manage logos from uploaded images
6) image/upload/thumbnail/slideshow, etc plugin.
7) and Annoucements/New Images/ Updates plugin to allow you to provide features, teasers and
update information to users in different parts of the site.
8) updated MyFavLinks to handled advanced bookmark features

All the plugins are tied together, with code and templates provided in the OEM "Models & Photographer's Lite"
but are all able to be updated independently, so upgrades and updates do not have to be made at the same
time, but different features can be updated and upgraded separately. The logo and image upload programs
share the same back-end code, but provide very different functionality for the front end. Logos are often
different (a site image, a product image, a true logo, etc). There are often more restrictions on that since
it's very public, and part of a longer detailed listing. The image upload can have a much wider range of
options, and display functions.

A minor "test" of the features is available on

http://tfpmodels.com

Click into the Galleries area, then into the Photographers area.

There are two test users, Bodyartist & TiaTormen
TiaTormen has several galleries set up, but no images.

Bodyartist has one gallery, but several images, and you can flip through slide/detail listings.

I'm connecting new features on a daily basis, and working on the templates, which is actually the hardest part (eg: the interface and display). The code is mostly written, over the past years, and adapting and modularizing it has been quick and easy. The templates and interfaces have been the rough part (then trying to nail it down and stuff it into a plugin!)


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I posted this in a really unrelated thread, so I thought I'd post it here too, so people following this will find it.

=====

... when we both started, more than half the code was placed in the user-end .cgi program. That changed to using only an access method and putting all the code in a back-end User::Module, which helped the OOP and I think the mod_perl aspects of the program. So a lot of programs have to be rewritten. Also, with the move to GLinks, the Links access and init methods changed to an object interface, which means all the plugins need some header/init clean up and modifications, so it's going to be a long process, but I'm starting with the handful of programs that I need for this ImageSQL/Gallery program to reach at least Beta quickly.

I can probably get the FAQ and News programs out before next week, and I want to get the updated Profile Editor finalized, since it's pretty core to the first step of the beta-test of Gallery program. It's a bit more complicated than it might seem, as I'm allowing attached tables for PREFIX_ type User fields, so you don't clutter up your core Users table. It's a lot more power, but preventing abuse of that power means extra coding and installation steps.

After that, the Ultra_Ratings (the GL3 version of my Advanced Ratings program) will be released, as well as some of my modified utilties like the Advanced search logger, Yahoo subcats, etc to give display options.

Then, the Ultra_Comments (the offshoot of the blogger, check old threads) with the ratings/review integration.

Somewhere along here, there might be an Ultra_Thumbs and Ultra_Images plugin update/release, and even a Zipcode search plugin as I'm finding that it's not really so hard, it's more a matter of set up, than anything, and getting a database to pre-digest.

There might be other updates/tweaks, like a release of the Ultra_Widgets or Ultra_Edit which are all parts of the Ultra_Gallery/Ultra_Image system (Image_SQL, etc).

Then, at the back-end, a release in final beta, of the ImageSQL/Ultra_Gallery and Models & Photographers Lite.

This is how it seems to be shaping up

==============

Some things are due out momentarily (over the next few days to couple of weeks), others are going to probably end up taking well into, or past the summer. The way I work, this list is subject to change, and probably will, but right now, that's how it's cascading and overlapping.

My demo/test site will probably always be a few months ahead of the release of anything, since it's easier to hack it in, than clean it up and package it into a plugin that knows a bit about what it has to do.


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An update on how this is going, and how it's going to work, with the profile system, and other features.

===


The next thing I need to work on is the categories for the users.

1) user logs in, sets up an account. Is initially flagged as "guest".
2) they validate their account, and are upgraded to registered user/Guest
3) they can edit/update a basic profile page (plus what's in community)
4) they are offered a selection of other profile pages they can set up (or you expand the basic profile pages)
5) in this system, that is models, photographers, artists, etc. In your system, it could be seller, buyer or mechanic, detail, bodywork, etc. Or, maybe even for sports or different characters in a MUD/RPG
6) once the new profile is set up, an attached set of flags is set, and the user is set up as that sort of person. Veiwing their profile you can see their different profile pages. etc.
7) at this time, a category is set up with their username. Under it, two default categories are set up, Galleries and Portfolio. The portfolio has some restrictions based on my own annoyance with certain sites, while the galleries are more freeform. This is how the MPG system works. But, in the generalized plugin, you'd define some rules, in a form or hash, and the system would set up the categories and set flags based on that. This *is* complex, which is why it's taking time, but it's going a lot faster than might be expected, due to the huge amount of pre-planning.
8) at this time the user is made editor of the category with their username, so they have a set of defaults they can do to that category and below. A restriction will be imposed such that a user can't delete or change the name of the Galleries and Portfolio category, but that might be loosened as I play with it.

====


Right now, the program does pretty much everything it has to, except allow a user to log on, and automatically create their own categories/galleries. This has to be done manually.

For my needs, at the moment, that is sufficient, and I'm spending the next few days cleaning this up, tracking down as many bugs/quirks as I can, and finishing off the integration with the profile editor, so the system allows searching, uploading, and such.

This integration end will probably take a week or two, unless I get lucky as I pull this all together.

But, the good news is, that this is mostly DONE! I have a mini working site, if I don't do a few things :)

For now, manually adding the user categories, and user as editor, is *NOT* a bad thing. I want to keep control over the users, and watch for any problems, system issues, and glitches that an open or automated system might not make immediately apparant. Since thatis some involved code, delaying that until the working system is actually released, is not a bad idea, either. The most problems are going to happen with auto-creation of users any way. And, with the new community, I need to see how that affects anything I have planned as well.

If you want to be in on the beta, I have a reduced rate for the plugins/OEM, and will do the installs to follow out any quirks. I would rather you have a separate license for the Models/Photographers system, since it will significantly alter your demo/development site. The profile system can be added to a live site, just don't publish the links, but it would still be better to add it first to your development site, since setting up your tables, and templates could be a bit of a learning curve, if you've never used functions inside your templates.


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