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uhartmann

Posts: 12
Registered: 1-Feb-2011
Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 16 May 20, 16:48
 
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Hi there
I have been using the Matrix skin for quite some years now and would like to migrate to someting more modern and mobile compatible, which is not considered legacy. However, I have not yet found a good replacement, which fully covers my main requirements:
  • slide show with autostart
  • configurable external links above thumbnails (like "Navigation -> Links" in Matrix)
  • Copyright
  • Button to turn metadata on/off
  • Thumbstrip would be nice but not necessary
  • Image display with shadow (nice to have)
You can find examples using Matrix on "viewpics.de" (not on mobile device)
Any suggestions?
Thank a lot for any help!
Uwe
JeffTucker

Posts: 8,039
Registered: 31-Jan-2006
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 16 May 20, 17:29   in response to: uhartmann in response to: uhartmann
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Among my current skins, a couple of them tick most of your boxes: Neptune and Saturn. Saturn has more traditional thumbnails (borders, shadows, etc.), while Neptune uses a leaner thumbnail display (justified or fixed shape, no shadows, only a thin 1px border option).

Both support metadata - see, e.g., https://jgromit.com/saturn/metadata/. Hover on the little camera icon. Neptune works the same way.

Both have a slideshow, but no autostart. An autostart slideshow is somewhat out of favor - it's considered a little aggressive.

Both have a copyright line option.

Both can show a shadow on the slide image.

No thumbstrips, I'm afraid. They're a huge problem for a responsive layout.

No easily-created external links. I got tired of seeing albums that looked like link farms, with, oh, by the way, an image or two. ;)

But you can use the "top info text" option in either skin to put whatever you like above the thumbnail table. For simple links to other pages, it would take only a few lines of HTML and CSS.
uhartmann

Posts: 12
Registered: 1-Feb-2011
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 16 May 20, 17:54   in response to: JeffTucker in response to: JeffTucker
 
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jGromit, thanks a lot for your quick reply. I will try using one of these skins. Your hint to use the "top info text" for external links covers my main concern with using these skins. The structure of my wordpress site is based on using two or three external links.
JeffTucker

Posts: 8,039
Registered: 31-Jan-2006
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 16 May 20, 18:06   in response to: uhartmann in response to: uhartmann
 
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Attachment Infotxt.png (17.3 KB)
Attachment CSS.png (14.6 KB)
Here's a quick demo of putting links above the thumbnails: (demo removed)

The top info text is just:
<div><a href="https://jalbum.net">jAlbum</a></div><div><a href="https://jgromit.com">jGromit</a></div><div><a href="https://cnn.com">CNN</a></div>
No linefeeds.

Then, the additional CSS:
.ne-infotxt > div {display: inline-block; width: 33.33%;}
See screenshots. If you have four links instead of three, the width should be 25%, of course.

You can then control things like font size in the regular skin settings: Neptune > Fonts > Index Page > Top infotxt.

ETA: Same in Saturn, but the CSS class is, of course, .sa-infotxt.

Edited by: jGromit on 23-May-2020 07:55
JeffTucker

Posts: 8,039
Registered: 31-Jan-2006
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 17 May 20, 14:12   in response to: uhartmann in response to: uhartmann
 
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Attachment ss007194.png (18.5 KB)
BTW, to control the "spread" of the links, adjust it in the skin settings: Neptune > Code > Top & Bottom Info > Width. In my sample album, it's set at 50%. Don't start trying to add extra, invisible text, and don't put all of the links in one <div>. That will cause the links to be not centered below the page title. See screenshot. There are reasons for doing it the way I've described above.

Yes, I see what you're doing! ;)
uhartmann

Posts: 12
Registered: 1-Feb-2011
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 17 May 20, 20:28   in response to: JeffTucker in response to: JeffTucker
 
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I tried to do it as you suggested, with a div between the links, but then the links ended up in one line each, e.g. three lines with one link each, instead of all links in one line. That's not what I wanted.
The centering looks fine to me.
JeffTucker

Posts: 8,039
Registered: 31-Jan-2006
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 17 May 20, 20:34   in response to: uhartmann in response to: uhartmann
 
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uhartmann wrote:
I tried to do it as you suggested, with a div between the links, but then the links ended up in one line each, e.g. three lines with one link each, instead of all links in one line. That's not what I wanted.

You also need the Code > CSS to make it work. There are two pieces to the puzzle - the HTML and the CSS. Please look at the two screenshots I attached, above.

With both pieces together, the links are all on one line, they're properly centered, and you can easily control the "spread" of the links on the page. There's no need for hidden text, and a bunch of <span> tags.

You're doing it the hard way. I don't understand this.
uhartmann

Posts: 12
Registered: 1-Feb-2011
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 17 May 20, 22:32   in response to: JeffTucker in response to: JeffTucker
 
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Sorry, my fault, I didn't read your second post carefully enough. I will change the code accordingly. Thanks again for the great support.
uhartmann

Posts: 12
Registered: 1-Feb-2011
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 17 May 20, 23:26   in response to: JeffTucker in response to: JeffTucker
 
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Ok, done (Notepad++ "Replace in files" and jAlbum "Batch make album" is your friend) - and it works.
One more question: If "Timed slideshow" in Layout -> Slides is enabled, the "Loop slides" setting cannot be changed and seems to be enabled by default. Is there a reason for that?
JeffTucker

Posts: 8,039
Registered: 31-Jan-2006
Re: Looking for Matrix replacement
Posted: 18 May 20, 00:23   in response to: uhartmann in response to: uhartmann
 
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uhartmann wrote:
One more question: If "Timed slideshow" in Layout -> Slides is enabled, the "Loop slides" setting cannot be changed and seems to be enabled by default. Is there a reason for that?

Yes, there is a reason, and it's very complicated. The underlying display script has some unusual behavior when it's set to do a timed slideshow, and that behavior conflicts with the Loop slides setting in the skin.

I need to take another look at that. I think there may be a better solution, but I need to do some experimenting. I'll make a note to come back to that issue.
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