By GreenStage on

I'm using ZenPhoto to create a very simple image gallery showing fonts. It is truly the easiest image gallery solution available. But from what I can tell there is no way to actually integrate it into a Drupal site.

I can theme and style it to LOOK like my Drupal site... header, footer, background, colors, fonts, etc... but having to duplicate the sidebar menu structure is pretty cumbersome. Is there an easier way to do this? Is there someone working on a ZenPhoto Drupal module?

Hmmmm?

THanks!

⋅ Categories: Drupal 5.x

Comments

jody lynn’s picture

jody lynn
she/her
Primary language English
commented

I don't think it really makes sense to try to integrate a separate system which doesn't do anything Drupal can't do. Even image module doesn't look that different from zenphoto and there are many other ways to make image galleries in drupal. Popping in a separate system just takes away from all the flexibility that drupal provides.

--Zivtech--

GreenStage’s picture

GreenStage commented

Here's why I like ZenPhoto. I install it. I upload images into the albums directory. I have a gallery. In other words, it's simple and idiot proof.
I can easily add tags to sort images, and create dynamic albums from these tags. Intuitive, simple, easy, and FAST. All done from a single interface.

I have to disagree that the Drupal Image Gallery module does the same thing. Yes, it can make images appear in a gallery, but I am looking for a simple interface. The Image Gallery module is a bit cumbersome. Uploaded images are not managed very well on the server, but just dumped in the main images directory. ZP keeps images organized neatly in seperate directories on the server. Image Gallery requires jumping from one admin menu to another in order to make a gallery, populate it with images, and tag those images. ZP - upload and presto a gallery appears and I can view images on one screen and check off tags for each image. No need to individually open, edit, and save each image. I have thousands of images to deal with, it needs to be simple to use.

I'm using Drupal 5.3, and perhaps things are different in 6. If they are, please let me know. Image Gallery feels like a module that was an add-on to a module that was an add-on to another module. On another site, I use Gallery2, which has a Drupal integration module, but G2 has too many features and I end up spending a lot of time turning features off and modifying templates just to get it to look right. ZP has a module to integrate with Wordpress, but not Drupal.

Sigh.... I guess I have to just resign myself to Image Gallery and setting aside extra time to configure it....

Ceson’s picture

Ceson commented

ZP keeps images organized neatly in seperate directories on the server.

That's the point?!?

GreenStage’s picture

GreenStage commented

When Drupal just dumps thousands of images into one directory, finding the right image becomes very hard. Drupal Image dumps all the photos in the main image directory. When you got to look for ONE image, it's not so easy - unless you have very strict naming conventions, and i ain't renaming all my images.

Zenphoto is easy. I can organize my photos on my home computer in directories representing the different galleries I want. FTP the to the site and I'm done. Pretty galleries that match the directory structure. Easy to organize on both ends - online and on my computer. And no required editing of each single image.

If you haven't played with Zenphoto, you really should.

Another thing - not EVERYONE using Drupal is creating sites with multiple users and/or open registration. I chose Drupal because it makes page and content editing very simple. Style the page once and the whole site looks great. Something that works as easily as Zenphoto for image galleries would be an amazing addition. On the sites I run, I don't need ALL users to be able to have admin access to the image galleries, or to use it to post images. If I have users, I don't want them uploading photos in bulk - I'm not Flickr. But for SITE content, I would love an image gallery that is EASY. Gallery 2 works pretty well, but Zen is so much easier. Try it! Seriously, why not just try it?

j_byrd’s picture

j_byrd commented

I agree with GreenStage

pt

kusik’s picture

kusik commented

I would like to see this integrated too

encho’s picture

encho commented

It is just the quickest and easiest way to have online gallery, no Drupal module comes even close to it.

ascetic’s picture

ascetic commented

I also eager to see a module implementation on this.

there is a post at zenphoto.org about using zenphoto as a plugin.
http://www.zenphoto.org/2009/11/zenphoto-as-a-plug-in-using-zenphoto-fun...

but it would be somewhat better if there is a module for it.

cheers

chanella’s picture

chanella commented

I like Zenphoto because it is easy and fast for the website owners. My customers are able to manage the gallery very easy: making sub-albums, uploading photo's, organizing photo's and albums, ... As far as I know, there is no other gallery as functional and as easy as Zenphoto.

greg.harvey’s picture

greg.harvey
Primary language English
Location Occitanie, France
commented

I am sitting here with a friend of mine who is telling me all about ZenPhoto and why he likes it so much. It's super-easy to use. You need to know nothing. Just FTP up some photos and there they are! In sub-galleries according to their directories.

Drupal does not do this!

It could, but it doesn't. Whether you make a ZenPhoto module or just take the concept and create a module that copies it, I think this would be a big win. I might suggest it to the Node Gallery guys. =)

--
https://www.codeenigma.com/