I saw this module and like it a lot. But it is a bit annoying that you have to use the website screenshot content type. So this got me thinking...
I'm developing a site where i'd like to use similar functionality, but I'd like to be able to format any CCK Link field as a screenshot. So I quickly hacked a simple module together, based on your code that does exactly that. It is far from complete, but a nice proof of concept, and usable in it's current state.
For now it provides 2 formatters (plain image, and image linked to URL) you can select in admin/content/node-type/XXX/display.
Maybe this functionality could be integerated into Website Screenshot...

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#13 link_screenshot.module.patch1.15 KBsinasquax
#13 screenshot_bluga.module.patch930 bytessinasquax
#8 screenshot.tar_.gz130 KBtomasvv
link_screenshot.tar_.gz2.21 KBtomasvv

Comments

matt v.’s picture

matt v. commented

I was hoping to use WebSite ScreenShot to display thumbnails of nodes in a FeedAPI feed. It would be nice if the CCK support could be pointed to arbitrary fields for the URL.

uccio’s picture

uccio commented
Assigned: Unassigned » uccio

tomasvv,

I like your idea!

Now I try your code :D

Ela’s picture

Ela commented

I would love to use this! It does not work for me.. I receive "Error creating directory " Error.. any tips?

urbanbricks’s picture

urbanbricks commented

Hey, this feature would be extremely useful for me. I'd like to use this modification of Website Screenshot to bring the screenshot field in my existing content type. I installed the Link Screenshot mod and came up with the same error as Ela...

* warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: No such file or directory in ...sites/all/modules/link_screenshot/link_screenshot.module on line 207.
* Error creating directory
* Error creating screenshot for .
* Error creating screenshot for .
* Error creating screenshot for .

Any sug's?

Thanks for your contribution!

uccio’s picture

uccio commented
Status: Active » Patch (to be ported)

Dear All,

The example of code privided by Tomasvv not work (IMHO) but i like this idea and in the new version i will provide a CCK Url Formatter.

Thanks for feedback!

giorgio79’s picture

giorgio79 commented

Check out CCK Extras, it has a Link as Screenshot module! Although that is for Drupal 5
http://drupal.org/project/cck_extras

"Link As Screenshot: Uses the WebSnappr service to display CCK Link fields as screenshots of the site, rather than textual links. For simple link archives, it eliminates the need to manually snap and upload screenshots."

This could be used as a basis. :)

tomasvv’s picture

tomasvv commented

I'm currently rewriting the whole thing to get major bugs out and add some new functionality.
Features will be:
- screenshot module:
- abstraction of the whole screenshot business, creating screenshots will be as simple as:
screenshot_screenhot($url) -> return a filename to the image file
screenshot_screenhots($urls) -> return an array of filenames
- an api to allow other modules to implement an engine for creating the actual screenshots (so fully extensible)
- 2 engines will be included: screenshot_thumbalizr and screenshot_bluga
- link_screenshot module: CCK Link formatter, token and imagecache support

If anyone has any ideas suggestions for additional functionality, let me know.

I don't have too much time right now, so I won't give a timeframe, but expect an update soon!

tomasvv’s picture

tomasvv commented
StatusFileSize
new screenshot.tar_.gz130 KB

So I did find some time last night and started my own little 'code sprint' :)
I've got a functional (well, ... sort of) module. I'll attach the code so anyone who's interested can check it out.
Be warned that it still is alpha code.

Uccio: If you're interesed in integrating your code, let me know. But I'm not sure that's the best way to go: screenshots aren't nodes in my module, and I don't see much advantage in changing that. You can just add a CCK Link field to any nodetype, which will offer the same functionality as Website Screenshot. On the other hand: 2 screenshot modules are a bit redundant, so maybe we could join forces... What do you think?

Ela’s picture

Ela commented

I'm still following this.. can't try it because I'm on production site.. looking forward to the feature.. If I find a way to test it, I will let you know

uccio’s picture

uccio commented

tomasvv,

The main goal of this module is provide good libraries to perform screenshot from Drupal and provide to other module a simple API to ask and manage screenshots.

Unfortunately te first release of website_screenshot had a poor API, having too much interaction with Node, which is IMHO completely wrong!

In the second rewrite (see the CVS) website_screenshot tries to provide only the API that can be used by other modules. The screenshot is now a new standalone entity, not a Node anymore. I already planned to implement an API Core to allow other modules to implement new screenshot engines. I had to postpone this feature though; now that you've implemented it, I'd like to use your code.

Your CCK link formatter is a good idea and if this sub-module uses the “standard” API no fork is necessary.
So please don’t fork the code, as I’m sure my API was not perfect but I can work to make it more generic so that it can be used by any other module.

I will now begin to examine your code to understand how it could be improved, what is wrong with the current API and what is necessary to finish this work.

Thanks for your contribution!

tomasvv’s picture

tomasvv commented

Great to hear. The lack of API was the main reason why I didn't use your module and decided to write something for myself. The API I created is far from perfect, but it served my purposed much better (and was a good exercise to get to know the internals of some other modules).

One thing that still isn't implemented in my code, or in yours I suppose, is the ability to create several screenshots at once, thus saving many http requests and speeding up the process.

While looking for a solution, I found the 'notify' feature of bluga.net, which lets you request as many screenshots as you want in 1 request, and then having bluga.net connect back to your server when screenshots become available. I think this would be a great feature to incorporate.

sinasquax’s picture

sinasquax commented
StatusFileSize
new screenshot_bluga.module.patch930 bytes
new link_screenshot.module.patch1.15 KB

tomasvv, i made a little patch for your module because there are problems with imagecache preset name, the patch adds also support of delay and image type, you can also add others options by checking the patch code (it's the same way)

tallsimon’s picture

tallsimon commented

does this work? not got a testing site at the mo... will soon.

tallsimon’s picture

tallsimon commented

I note shrinktheweb is working on this: http://www.shrinktheweb.com/content/pagepix-plugins-automated-website-pr...

eggersrj’s picture

eggersrj commented

Any updates on this? Having this screenshot option for cck link fields would be pretty handy ... I've had an interest for this before but have more of a need now. Any news is appreciated!

tallsimon’s picture

tallsimon commented

I have used websnapr for this. I would prefer to use shrinktheweb but websnapr was so easy to set up!

juliangb’s picture

juliangb commented

Subscribe.

uccio’s picture

uccio commented

I close this Issue becouse it is so far from the original question.

The latest version of this module is a "formater" of CCK link filed.

uccio’s picture

uccio commented
Status: Patch (to be ported) » Closed (won't fix)

Close!