I know this might sound ridiculous but it seems there are NO documentation for ImageCache Actions whatsoever, believe it or not. The only reason I haven’t been using this module is because I couldn't get watermark images to look right.

I found this old granddaddy tutorial on the Ubercart site which probably won’t work but at least gives me an idea of where to start, check it out.

http://www.ubercart.org/docs/user/2504/watermarking_product_images#define

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#11 imagecache_actions-watermark.jpeg207.49 KBdman
#11 imagecache_actions-watermark-scalecrop.jpeg120.6 KBdman

Comments

dman’s picture

dman commented

Almost all the actions, especially the slighty complex ones, are covered with several paragraphs of explanatory text, and descriptions of all the options. Often with a few example values also.
They are documented with several times more detail than the core imagecache actions.

If there is a feature or option you find unclear, the instructions for that can maybe be improved.

The user help for "add overlay" is 8 sentences. Perhaps it could have another one or two added. Which part do you find hard to understand?

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented

Thank you for the reply. I still haven't tried it but will soon. The main thing I didn't understand was where to start (the process or steps).

Example:
1. Create blank canvas
2. Scale source image
3. Place product image on canvas
4. Overlay watermark
5. Merge to a single image
6. Scale to final size

Do you think the Ubercart tutorial in my link above is still valid? I will work from there and see what happens. Keep in mind that for people who speaks English as a second language, even the words "Canvas" or "Overlay" means nothing until you research what they mean. Anyway thanks for making this module. All the best...

dman’s picture

dman commented

That tutorial is very old. It uses terms that have been removed, describes an early first version of the pre release code, and is actually three times more complicated than it needs to be.
To add a watermark overlay is just one action. Resizing is another.
Watermark is specific, unintuitive terminology until you learn it. Overlay is more accurate as it puts one image on top of another - for any reason.

The hard part is getting all the imagecache modules turned on and working. After that , adding one more image effect is straightforward when you look at the config screen
I think

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented

Cool thank you. I think I've got it now and only needed to clear my own head before trying first. Guess some pot is stronger than others. watermarks all the way!!

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented
Status: Active » Fixed

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented

Can you please explain the steps (1,2,3) for adding a watermark? please

For Example:
1. Create blank canvas
2. Scale source image
3. Place product image on canvas
4. Overlay watermark
5. Merge to a single image
6. Scale to final size

Or are there only one step??? - "Add Overlay (watermark)"

I add "Scale and Crop" - everything works fine.
I add action "Add Overlay (watermark)" - nothing works.
I delete action "Add Overlay (watermark)" - everything works fine.

No actions work appart from the standard scale, crop etc. actions. All I see is the small red cross.

Can I use .png file for watermark image?
Do I need to disable/enable GD2 and ImageMagick? - I have both enabled.
Does this not work on Xampp?
Is there a simpler module that handles watermarking?

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented
Status: Closed (fixed) » Active
dman’s picture

dman commented

Only local images are allowed.
If "nothing works" I'd need to know more about the error, because I'm not seeing it.
Clicking on the preview image in the imagecache UI should take you right to the attempted image URL. You can sometimes see the error message there if you have error logging on.

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented

ImageCache 6.x-2.0-beta10
ImageCache Actions 6.x-1.7

Well for some reason all actions give a broken image and broken preview. ImageCache still works fine without any special actions.
In your picture above; what about now applying Scale and Crop?? You will see that ImageCache Actions will break the image and preview.

I do exactly what you do but get red X for image.

------------------------------
Parameter 2 to imageapi_gd_image_overlay() expected to be a reference, value given in C:\xampplite\htdocs\mysite\dev\sites\all\modules\imageapi\imageapi.module on line 166.
-------------------------------
Parameter 1 to theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form() expected to be a reference, value given in C:\xampplite\htdocs\mysite\dev\includes\theme.inc on line 656.

dman’s picture

dman commented
StatusFileSize
new imagecache_actions-watermark-scalecrop.jpeg120.6 KB
new imagecache_actions-watermark.jpeg207.49 KB

I've been working against imagecache -dev and tried it on DRUPAL-6--2-0-BETA10
Same results

There are no special steps to applying scale & crop. Just add the action. Though you'd normally do that BEFORE adding a watermark I think

dman’s picture

dman commented

The error you mention - though I've never seen it - would appear to indicate that the layer (the image resource to be used as a watermark) may have been invalid
imageapi_gd_image_overlay(&$image, &$layer,..

Bubb1egum’s picture

Bubb1egum commented
Status: Active » Closed (fixed)

Hi dman,

Thank you very much for all the help. I gave up in the end and just put my live site into maintenance mode, installed the module and what do you know. It is actually very simple to use and works just fine on live site. Just didn't want to work on my localhost. It seems the issue is with xampplite, perhaps it's missing something.

mandreato’s picture

mandreato commented

Hi,

I was trying this very useful module and encountered the same error of #10.
Fixed it by editing ...\imagecache_actions\utility-color.inc in the following manner: at row 31, removed the "&" before "$form".

FROM:

  function theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form(&$form) {

TO:

  function theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form($form) {

I'm not an expert of PHP, but it seems to be due to changes in 5.3 version (which comes with last XAMPP release).
HTH

mandreato’s picture

mandreato commented

Another similar error pops up when trying to update a canvasactions preset:
warning: Parameter 2 to imageapi_gd_image_overlay() expected to be a reference, value given in ...\sites\all\modules\imageapi\imageapi.module on line 166.

I fixed this too by editing ...\sites\all\modules\imagecache_actions\imageapi_image_overlay.inc at row number 84:

FROM

  function imageapi_gd_image_overlay(&$image, &$layer, $x, $y, $alpha = 100, $reverse = FALSE) {

TO

  function imageapi_gd_image_overlay(&$image, $layer, $x, $y, $alpha = 100, $reverse = FALSE) {

But the problem is coming up in other places...

trueheehoo’s picture

trueheehoo commented

Ditto #7. I'm experiencing the same issues with PHP 5.3.

neorg’s picture

neorg commented

I had this error

warning: Parameter 1 to theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form() expected to be a reference, value given in /var/www/DOMEIN/html/includes/theme.inc on line 668.

And fixed it by changing /imagecache_actions/utility.inc

function theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form(&$form) {

to

function theme_imagecacheactions_rgb_form($form) {

BTW I had error on version:
- imagecache_actions-6.x-1.8
and
- imagecache_actions-6.x-2.0

This fix is for imagecache_actions-6.x-2.0 on PHP 5.3.2

chinita7’s picture

chinita7 commented

I had the same issue as #17 with imagecache_actions-6.x-1.9 PHP5.3.3
It fixed the problem. Thanks.