[osCmax V2.0.25] Handling large numbers of items/images

[JRR]

I've been wanting to update my store to handle the roughly 4,000+ items that I have pictures and descriptions of but have not integrated into the structure. My questions are: 1) is is a good idea to put the images into sub-directories of the Images_large folder such as Images_large/manufacturer1/filenames.jpg? 2) if so, then the Thumbnails directory should also have identical sub-directories. It does seem that would be better as one can sort through the various sub-directories and delete, etc. more easily...but I see no references to this practice, or any other suggestions about handling large numbers of items...perhaps I need to keep searching. Thanks!

[ridexbuilder]

You are unlikely to have individual Manufacturers for every product, hence no sub-dir. provision for anything other than the actual products.
Product images already (since 2.0.15) allow for single level sub-directories and one of my clients uses it very effectively. You can name the images_big sub-dirs. using any structure that you choose and the thumbs sub-dirs. MUST have the same structure. This is a logical approach and can be easily seen by uploading an image in Admin., which automates the process.

If you've ever tried to browse a large number of image files in cPanel File Manager, then you will see an immediate improvement! The underlying file system of whatever OS that you use will appreciate being able to index fewer files, for any given directory - though depending on server specification the real-time gains may be negligible.

EJ

[JRR]

You are unlikely to have individual Manufacturers for every product, hence no sub-dir. provision for anything other than the actual products. Product images already (since 2.0.15) allow for single level sub-directories and one of my clients uses it very effectively. You can name the images_big sub-dirs. using any structure that you choose and the thumbs sub-dirs. MUST have the same structure. This is a logical approach and can be easily seen by uploading an image in Admin., which automates the process. If you've ever tried to browse a large number of image files in cPanel File Manager, then you will see an immediate improvement! The underlying file system of whatever OS that you use will appreciate being able to index fewer files, for any given directory - though depending on server specification the real-time gains may be negligible. EJ

What I am trying to do is upload large numbers of images, grouped in their separate manufacturers sub-directories (several hundred pictures in each sub), AND have the Dynamic MoPics work correctly without having to insert each image through the Admin panel. This does not seem to work when I try it on my localhost test setup and I did a single manufacturer upload to my site, and that didn't work correctly either - the thumbnail is fine, but no large image or "Click to enlarge" text. Nothing in the page source either. The fall-back has been checked and just to be safe restored to the default OscMax 2.0.25 but I haven't modified much on the setup (mostly it is all default/fallback). Sample page that doesn't work is: Flippers Parts Store : 102 Nixie Tube [5-30] - $100.00 What is odd (to me) is that the page works correctly if I try it in admin - the 'Click to Enlarge' is present and works. I've broken something...(sigh).

[ridexbuilder]

Three things:

1. catalog/images/thumbs/Kasco/Kasco_5-30..JPG - you have a typo
2. catalog/images/thumbs/Kasco/Kasco_5-30..JPG - suggest that you use only lower case filename extensions, otherwise you've hit the commonplace user error and need to add uppercase to Dyn. Mopics image type, in Admin.
3. catalog/images/thumbs/Kasco/Kasco_5-30.jpg - with correct name, should then have catalog/images/images_big/Kasco/Kasco_5-30.jpg that is the larger one.

I can assure you that sub-directory EasyPopulated images does work - one of my clients uses this extensively (and is not from an IT background).

EJ

[ridexbuilder]

Your images do appear very screwed up! I suggest that whilst you still have only a few parts listed that you sort these out.
Example:
catalog/images/thumbs/images_big/Kasco/CS-151.JPG
Excluding the uppercase thing, this image is what was displayed in the "What's New" info box, whereas it should be the thumbnail image. Additionally, what the heck are the big images doing in the thumbs directory? They should be in
catalog/images/images_big/Kasco/CS-151.JPG, using the same example.

Note: your entry in the Easypopulate spreadsheet should only refer to the thumbnail image (which is automatically selected). Using the above example again, an entry in the v_product_image column should look like this:
Kasco/CS-151.JPG

As previously mentioned, JPG really should be jpg and in naming images, stay clear of spaces and underscore, if at all possible.

Now, there may be one or two (haha) bugs in 2.0.25 that is making your life a misery with this, I don't recall the extent of 2.0.25 issues. It might be an idea to either

1. duplicate your site in a development environment, overwriting with 'fresh' 2.0.25 files, returning the Admin. settings for Images, Dynamic Mopics to their defaults. Or...

2. 'upgrade' to the yet unofficially released 2.0.35, which can be found as the last 2.0.25 SVN, in the Developers section.

Both entail a bit of work; probably option 1 is the easiest and may provide a better stepping stone, if you're considering 2.5 in the near future. Image handling has been expanded considerably, though actually gives you more work if you FTP images up (there are three potential sizes)

EJ
(Should some of this go in the wiki? Anyone got time for a cut & paste job? )

[JRR]

Hi, Actually your previous reply was enough for me to find 99% of the problems. I am using a 'local' host system "osCommerce on Localhost" by Gary Burton (easiest setup I've found - easier than XAMPP), and setup osCMax as a 'web-based' system. I hadn't gotten around to fixing the problems on flippers.com/catalog yet, but had resolved them on the local setup. There may not be any bugs related to this... Thanks for your time!

[JRR]

Turns out the other reason the Dynamic MoPics wasn't working properly for me was that I had set Main Thumbnail In "Thumbnail Images Directory" to 'true'. It appears that if you are loading images via FTP and using Easypopulate that this setting in Configuration Dynamic MoPics must be set to 'false'.

Images are now loading correctly, and if I have more than one image of the item and have named it according to the setting in Configuration Dynamic MoPics Extra Image Pattern imagebase_{1}, in other words picturea.jpg and picturea_1.jpg will both be shown in the product section with picturea_1.jpg being in a box centered below picturea.jpg.